Results 321-340 of 1,021,614 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Dara Calleary OR speaker:Sorca Clarke) in 'Committee meetings'

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (16 May 2024)

Question No. 62 taken with Written Answers.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Regional Development (16 May 2024)

Regional Development

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Regional Development (16 May 2024)

Marian Harkin: 63. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport following the recent European Commission's Regional Competitiveness Index report, where the northern and western region of Ireland was ranked 218th out of 234 regions, if he will commit to improving the northern and western region’s transport infrastructure ranking; if so, how he intends on improving the region's ranking in this...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Regional Development (16 May 2024)

Marian Harkin: In light of the recent European Commission's regional competitiveness index report, where the northern and western region was ranked 218th out of 234 regions, will the Minister commit to improving the transport infrastructure ranking of the northern and western region? If so, how does he intend to do it?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Regional Development (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to improving transport infrastructure throughout the country, but most especially in the northern and western region. That commitment is evidenced by actual delivery of projects on the ground. The index referred to by the Deputy measures a much wider range of indicators than just infrastructure and, on the basis of the complete index,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Regional Development (16 May 2024)

Marian Harkin: The Minister says the Government is committed to improving transport infrastructure in the north west. One of the projects he mentions is the N4. That was promised when I was chairperson of the Council for the West back in 1996. If we go back to the NDP in 2000, we see all of these projects promised in it. If we go back to the NDP for 2007 to 2013, all of these projects were also...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Regional Development (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: First, there was a huge expansion in our capital ambition, in particular in regard to investments in transport for which I have responsibility in the NDP. We got an allocation of €35 billion which I think actually exceeds the allocation for housing. Two Departments were prioritised by the Government. One was housing and the other, on the capital side, was the transport sector....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Regional Development (16 May 2024)

Cathal Berry: I thank the Minister. He can come back in again.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Regional Development (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: -----we are going full steam ahead with the TEN-T projects. They include the road from Lifford to Letterkenny, the Manorcunningham to Letterkenny road and the bypass of Stranorlar and Ballybofey. What I said to the councillors I met last week, who are interested in the project, is that we will do everything to advance that project as fast as we can because it is an example of the projects...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Transport (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I do not have the details of that stop, so I will have to come back to the Deputy directly on that. I do not have information about the plans for that stop. On the wider issue the Deputy raised about enhancing the ability to get drivers and mechanics, I am open to all initiatives and suggestions. Bus Éireann has looked at a variety of different ways. We have looked at moving some of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Transport (16 May 2024)

Question No. 60 taken with Written Answers.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (16 May 2024)

Rail Network

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (16 May 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: 61. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress made in considering the all-island strategic rail review since the establishment of the Northern Ireland Assembly; when it is hoped to approve it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22041/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (16 May 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: What progress has been made in considering the strategic rail review since the establishment of the Northern Ireland Assembly? Will the Minister give some indication of when this rail review, which everyone has been waiting for for a long time, will finally be published?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I will not read out the written response because it is very similar to what Deputy Marian Harkin would have heard only a few minutes ago.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (16 May 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Unfortunately, I was chairing a committee at that stage.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: It will be available to the Deputy in written format in any case. If I can answer his question directly, the strategic rail review has been very public for over a year and a half. We had to go to a strategic environmental assessment. We decided that, in advance of the Assembly returning in the North, we would publish it because we had to go into that public consultation, so the details are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (16 May 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: It is a relatively recent invention of Government that the purely economic case of everything has to be justified. There are many things we do in society for societal good that do not make economic sense but they make social sense, regional balance sense and common sense, which is becoming very uncommon. Will the Minister outline the procedures? He has outlined the first one, where he has...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (16 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I agree with the Deputy fully. I would add the environmental issue to his list of common-sense considerations we have to take into account. The opponents of investing in rail freight argue that it is not economic and does not make sense, but they do not answer the question of how they intend to decarbonise our haulage system and do not take that into account as a key strategic objective...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (16 May 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I provided funding of, I think, €5 million to clear the line from Collooney, all the way down to the CLÁR area boundary, which was south of Claremorris, back in 2006. What we need now is construction. We know the line is intact. We have been trying to explain that for a long time. It is intact from Collooney. That section of the line was cleared last year, but perennially...