Results 1-20 of 19,697 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Alan Kelly: I welcome the witnesses. I have a few technical questions that are very different. It will be no surprise to our witnesses that I will be concentrating on rural issues for a change. I appreciate that there has been a dramatic increase in connectivity in rural Ireland over the past few years. I acknowledge that. There are criticisms of other things but I really want to acknowledge that. I...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Alan Kelly: I know.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Alan Kelly: I am talking about the timetable.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Alan Kelly: I am sorry that I will be in and out of the room. I am caught for time. The timetables are a disaster, to be honest about this. I would love to be getting on a train every morning to come up here and I cannot. There are hundreds like me. We need to look at that and I urge the NTA to look at that. The next issue is a bit of a bugbear of mine. It is called transport hubs. I was...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Alan Kelly: There is a big difference between Cork and Nenagh though.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Alan Kelly: We are going to disagree on the buses. We are not going to go down that route again. The town centre, in relation to the number of people, is moving because there has been a lot of development there. I understand there will be surveying done of buses. I hope a certain percentage will go down to the train station. Honestly, there is not a human being in Nenagh who understands why buses...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Alan Kelly: Why? I am glad the NTA did the pilot but what were the findings? Why was it not successful?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Alan Kelly: I understand all that. What was the failure?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Alan Kelly: I understand. The amount was €6,000.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Alan Kelly: So where is the only one that is actually operating?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Alan Kelly: Ms Graham can come back to me.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Alan Kelly: Why did these fail?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Alan Kelly: Let me tell the NTA how to make itself heroes in rural Ireland. I say this on behalf of anyone who is a Deputy for or representative from rural Ireland. There is a massive problem in rural Ireland when it comes to taxis and hackneys.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Alan Kelly: Let me finish. There is a colossal problem. It is often seen to be the last thing on the agenda of the likes of the NTA. I am not saying it is but I am saying that is the perception. Trust me. I have been down this road. Will the NTA please put this up? The witnesses will hear many people talking about lots of issues around Dublin and urban areas, but people who live in rural parts of...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Alan Kelly: I know; it will not be able to cover everything.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Alan Kelly: I have said this. A local publican, shop or community group can apply for a licence. The licence can have a number of people who can operate the licence. That community then applies for that licence and gets it. It is covered to offer a service to operate in a zonal area only. I accept that. It can drop off but it cannot collect and it can only operate in the 10 km or whatever limit....

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Alan Kelly: I think it will be needed. I know the Chair is passionate about this issue. My final point is that I think it does need a slight tweak in the legislation very quickly. On top of that, however, we should forget about pilots and it should be put out there and the communities that can come together will come together to do it.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Alan Kelly: It has not happened because it is quite restrictive at the moment. The terms are too restrictive.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022: National Transport Authority (2 May 2024)

Alan Kelly: I think the legislation does need to be tweaked. I am aware of the issue.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (2 May 2024)

Alan Kelly: 244. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No.538 of 13 February 2024, what progress has been made since that reply by his Department regarding the purchase of a hotel (details supplied) to become a community hotel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20056/24]