Results 21-40 of 5,343 for speaker:James Lawless

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: The young adult card is a scheme that is being rolled out to private operators as well as the public operators. That has been very popular. It has had a great take-up. The 20% fare reduction has not been applied to private operators to date and it is not envisaged it will be in the current year either.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: This is a bit wider than the Estimates and is more a policy decision but I am quite happy to engage on it. It is important. In the first instance, before I get into the fares piece, I have always had a very strong view that public transport should be the primary default choice of commuters or travellers for whatever reason. It should not be the car first and people saying "Oh maybe there...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: That is a very helpful and insightful comment. The Chairman is correct. We need to take a little bit of inconvenience - I will not say "pain" - to get to the final goal, which is a far more streamlined, efficient and effective public transport system. BusConnects is not just a few buses and a few routes. It is actually public transport corridors and quality bus corridors, which involve...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: I would like to be associated with the condolences to Deputy Crowe. On Sunday morning the Tánaiste informed me what had happened. We are all in shock in the wider party and in the wider system. My condolences to Deputy Crowe and his family.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: I thank the Cathaoirleach. I will deal with the building programme first. With regard to the figures I mentioned on the Coast Guard spend being carried over, the building programme has not moved as rapidly as we might have hoped. There has been some transition of certain projects to the OPW. They have been devolved to the OPW. There were some administrative handovers that probably...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: There are slightly more than there were before. We will have an increase in aircraft. Possibly six, although I do not want to put a figure on it today. There will be more than there were previously.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: I can certainly provide a note for the committee on that. I understand they are using that spare. The Dutch as well as other jurisdictions may use them in search and rescue. I think Bristow was operating helicopters in the North Sea in the 1980s so it has some pedigree in this service for this line of work. It is a very reputable and established company which has been around for...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: I will stay with helicopters and the coastguard. On the Defence Forces capacity, there is a provision in the contract that the Defence Forces could begin to play a greater role over the lifetime of the contract. Certain technical specifications and so on would have to be met on both sides for that engagement to proceed but it is something that is envisaged as a possibility. This means the...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: I hear the point the Chairman is making and agree with it. I would also be disappointed if I thought the greenways were not progressing. For the reassurance of the Chairman and anyone following this, that funding is being reallocated within the same subhead, so while it is technically coming from the greenways, it remains within active travel. It may not be for a greenway per se but it is...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: Every transport project has its own challenges in terms of securing planning, going through Part 8, community consultation, the tender and then the issue of construction companies being available. I am sure the Chairman sees, as I do in my constituency, that the sequence does not always flow as quickly or as smoothly as we would like. There have been a couple that just did not-----

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: As a councillor for the Sallins-Naas area, I tabled a motion at the first council meeting of the 2014 term for the greenway from Sallins to Hazelhatch to be performed. I was delighted to open it in January of this year, so that took ten years. It is up and running and it is great. It was not yesterday.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: They are both done now at least.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: I thank the Cathaoirleach. I will take the second half of the question first, in terms of the plan for the whole country and island. We recently unveiled the all-island strategic rail review. It is a blueprint and map for the Thirty-two Counties of the island to have a connected strategic infrastructure corridor crisscrossed with railways. That is the starting point for the ambition. ...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: When the Cathaoirleach refers to a more responsive and agile process, what does he mean?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: I agree, Chairman, but that has effectively been done. A new planning court was launched earlier this year. To my knowledge, Mr. Justice Humphreys, Mr. Justice Simons and another judge are assigned to that. Therefore, there are three judges sitting in that division. The Dublin Airport cap that we discussed at the start of the meeting is a good example of an application that was made...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: Absolutely. The Chairman's first question was about the €29 million from the A5 Border to Derry project. That is part of a wider project to connect the north west. That goes from Clontibret in Monaghan across the Border right through Derry into Donegal and beyond. That is a very significant commitment by Government. It is aligned with the shared island project in terms of...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: There is a lot there. I will probably not respond to all of it in detail but I noted what the Chair said and hear exactly the points he is making. I will make a couple of comments. I have visited the communities around the airport. I have sat in houses in St. Margaret's and areas that are very much affected. I am not sure I was in the exact school mentioned but I certainly was in, or...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: I know the Cathaoirleach is not saying that it has delayed matters. The issue is more that Fingal County Council has not had things put to it until very recently. For example, the DAA only made a planning application in December 2023.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: With some further information, yes. I am not sure whether that has been submitted yet. It may about to be. There have also been discussions about an application for a simplified form of application that would be what is called the operational application, which has not been made yet. That would be beneficial. The sooner it is made, the sooner it will be processed. A planning authority is...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: It is probably not helpful to apportion blame around the table today. I am mindful of ongoing litigation.