Results 1-20 of 1,081 for at speaker:Martin Kenny

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Airport Policy (16 May 2024)

Martin Kenny: Will the Minister outline his plans for upgrading the transport infrastructure around Dublin Airport and its environs? We see a situation there, unfortunately, where we are entering the summer period when the airport will get busier and there are very few options for people to come and go from there. There is no rail infrastructure linking to it. There are buses, which are very often...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Airport Policy (16 May 2024)

Martin Kenny: The Minister referred to increased capabilities and capacities and that these will be in place by September. The summer will be the busiest period. We all acknowledge and understand this fact. Last year, there were extensive delays and many problems for people coming and going from the airport, and I think the Minister will acknowledge this himself. The issue with car parking needs to be...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Airport Policy (16 May 2024)

Martin Kenny: I appreciate that and we all understand that is the intention and where we need to be going. The Minister, though, spoke of snapping fingers or having a magic wand. Clearly, the Minister cannot snap his fingers, wave a magic wand and improve public transport overnight. I understand this point. In the meantime, though, a car park with capacity for 5,000 cars has been sitting there empty...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Road Safety (16 May 2024)

Martin Kenny: I thank the Minister of State. I am aware of that legislation and its passage. I would like clarity regarding the regulations for local authorities. I understand that local authorities will have a major role here, particularly in working out what speed limits are appropriate for particular stretches of road. Many of them are too high and need to come down but many of them may be quite...

Road Safety and Maintenance: Motion [Private Members] (15 May 2024)

Martin Kenny: I thank the Labour Party for bringing forward this motion. We have discussed the issue of road safety many times in this House over the past number of months. To date this year, there have been 72 funerals of people who have died on our roads. People who have been seriously injured are probably a multiple of that, and the impact that has on communities is something that is very distressful...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: An Garda Síochána (15 May 2024)

Martin Kenny: We have always heard that, when a person drinks alcohol, the level reduces every hour afterwards because alcohol is essentially water soluble whereas many drugs remain in people’s fat cells. At least, that is what I have heard. The witnesses might confirm or deny it. If a person takes drugs at the weekend, those drugs would still be in his or her system three, four or five days...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: An Garda Síochána (15 May 2024)

Martin Kenny: The drug test is not for a specific level, but any level. Does that create a problem? If a person consumes a drug, he or she can test positive up to a week later. Obviously, the person’s driving would not be affected at that stage. The test is just detecting the legacy of something that happened well in the past. Is discretion applied? Are there issues? Does the test involve any...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: An Garda Síochána (15 May 2024)

Martin Kenny: If they fail the blood test at all, though, they will be prosecuted.

Dublin and Monaghan Bombings: Motion [Private Members] (14 May 2024)

Martin Kenny: They say that peace is more than the absence of war. Some 50 years ago this country was in terrible turmoil and there was terrible death across the entire island. All the lives that were lost in that conflict are a terrible loss and a terrible tragedy to all of those families. Thankfully, we had the Good Friday Agreement 25 years ago. The promise of that agreement was that we would look...

Progressing Special Education Provision: Statements (9 May 2024)

Martin Kenny: For most people, having a child with a disability is a major cause of stress. The struggle they go through to try to find a class for them, education facilities and all of that adds to the stress. The experience for these people is that they have to fight all the way for what they need. That should not be the case in a wealthy and well-designed democratic system. We should have an...

Affordable Housing: Motion [Private Members] (8 May 2024)

Martin Kenny: When we are all out at people's doors these days canvassing, as I am sure the Minister is as well, we meet an awful lot of people. That is where we get our information. That is when we find out what is really happening across the length and breadth of the country. I was in south Sligo at the weekend. I met a woman who moved home from abroad in the past couple of years. She lived in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Challenges Facing the Bus and Coach Industry: Discussion (8 May 2024)

Martin Kenny: I thank the witnesses for their opening statements. I have a few points. Going back to what Deputy O'Rourke mentioned regarding the 20% fare reduction, I accept there has been a certain element of unfairness concerning commercial operators. I note it was mentioned that it was made party policy at the Fine Gael Ard-Fheis. Unfortunately, we have a Fine Gael Taoiseach and it has not become...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Challenges Facing the Bus and Coach Industry: Discussion (8 May 2024)

Martin Kenny: When a bus is nearly booked up, say 75% full or more, does Bus Éireann decide at that stage that it has to put additional services in place to follow the bus or does that just not happen?

Petrol and Diesel Excise Rate Increases: Motion [Private Members] (30 Apr 2024)

Martin Kenny: ...often have long distances to travel because they have no other option. People are being burdened with increasing fuel prices. The two increases to come this year will push prices up well above what they are now. As the Minister knows, I live in a Border region. For many years, when I was a youngster, people went to the North every week to get fuel and fill their car. When they were...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Apr 2024)

Martin Kenny: Yesterday, we had a meeting in the north west, CHO 1, with the HSE. There were a lot of Members there from across the counties of Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan. One of the points that came through it more than anything else was staffing shortages. I raised podiatry services in County Leitrim. The issue is that many elderly people, in particular those with diabetes, have to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Martin Kenny: I thank the Minister of State for his statement. A lot of ground has been covered and issues discussed that I wanted to raise with him. One of the issues is the deposit return scheme. While it is certainly good to have that scheme in place and it is very welcome, people have come to me to say they went with 25 bottles, put them through the machine, but it only took six of them and they...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Airport Policy (25 Apr 2024)

Martin Kenny: 136. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for an update on the new visual control tower at Dublin Airport, as outlined in the National Development Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18464/24]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Airport Policy (25 Apr 2024)

Martin Kenny: 138. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for an update on investment in the Regional Airports Programme, which provides financial support towards safety and security projects at the smaller regional airports, including Ireland West Airport Knock, Waterford, Donegal and Kerry Airports as outlined in the National Development Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter....

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Ports Policy (25 Apr 2024)

Martin Kenny: 139. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for an update on the circa €90 million redevelopment of existing port facilities at Ringaskiddy to accommodate larger sea-going vessels and increase capacity at the Port of Cork as outlined in the National Development Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18478/24]