Results 521-540 of 1,050,018 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Ciarán Cuffe OR speaker:Marc Ó Cathasaigh OR speaker:Dara Calleary OR speaker:Alan Farrell OR speaker:Eamon Ryan)

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Alan Farrell: That is appreciated. Briefly, in the speaking time I have remaining, which is just a couple of minutes before I ask Senator Craughwell to come in, I have a suggestion. This may be the case in some of the larger post offices, but has any consideration been given to the roll-out of motor tax facilities in post offices, like a terminal-type approach? If so, could the Minister comment on that?...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I thank the Chair. I will ask Dr. Keith Walsh, my assistant secretary, to come in on the issue of the post offices and the licensing. Before he comes in, I will speak briefly to a number of those other issues. With regard to Portrane to Donabate, the Deputy is right, it is lengthy and also windy and exposed. The Deputy would be surprised; electric bikes are completely changing the range...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Alan Farrell: Fluctuating.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Eamon Ryan: It takes some time. In addition, with any new technology, particularly in the depots, there is the issue of learning the lessons. We were doing it in Athlone and Summerhill. It is about how you change the entire depot around towards electrification. It is a bit like what I was saying earlier about cycling infrastructure. It takes a while to build up the experience in order that it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Alan Farrell: I invite the Department to look at Fairview as an example because that work is almost finished. That might be a good place to start with these enhanced analytics.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I might ask Dr. Walsh to come in on licensing and post offices.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Alan Farrell: I thank Dr. Walsh for that. The reason I mentioned it is that we had Mr. Mulvey in with regard to his ongoing membership of the board of An Post. We were having a conversation about viability, IT literacy and stuff like that. It occurred to me that it is part of that conversation. I thank Dr. Walsh for that information. Before I pass on to Senator Craughwell, I ask the Minister to go...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Sorry, I should have answered that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Alan Farrell: There was another question but we will go with that one. I had another but I have forgotten it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Both the grants for new electric vehicles and home charging are largely demand-led and, therefore, it is not something we have complete control over. As I said, the figures showed slightly below what was expected but that is a function of the household decision, rather than any policy choice.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Alan Farrell: I thank the Minister. In fairness, I will hand over to Senator Craughwell.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I thank Senator Craughwell for his very kind words. I would like to have achieved a hell of a lot more but I very much appreciate what he said. I always felt the Senator and I had a very good relationship even though we may have differed on a variety of issues. I always enjoyed my engagement with him both at the committee and around the Houses. Where we did differ most was on the search...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Alan Farrell: I will interrupt the Minister for a moment. We had the Estimates yesterday with the Minister of State, Deputy Lawless. This might be helpful to the Senator who, of course, was not present because it was a meeting of the select committee. Mr. Doocey, if I recall correctly, and the Minister of State mentioned that there was provision within the contract with Bristow to provide SAR and that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Exactly. It was from that desire to see the Air Corps take on some of that role that we put a break clause into the contract after three years, I think, to allow for that possibility. That is one example. On rigour, safety is the first priority in aviation and there are so many layers. I do not have details. The Senator said the aircraft being provided for the top cover was 12 years old...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Alan Farrell: I will ask for clarity on that for the benefit of people watching. By top cover, is the Senator referring to fixed-wing aircraft or military aircraft?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Eamon Ryan: On the Coast Guard, I agree with the Senator that it is hugely important. I only realised this time in government how embedded the organisation is in communities right around our coast. I had the pleasure of visiting a number of our Coast Guard stations in the past four years. There have been difficulties in particular areas. While I agree with the Senator’s assessment, we have had...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Alan Farrell: It is my specialist subject so be careful how you tread.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Eamon Ryan: We should avoid anything that would return all those commuters to the roads. We are going to put the first battery-electric trains into Drogheda and run them south along the northern commuter line. It would hobble the commuter and Enterprise services to provide an airport link, particularly in the absence of all those capacity improvements. We have an alternative. The decision involves...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Alan Farrell: That illustrates why the spur to the airport will not work. It is not just about the capacity the Minister mentioned or project 4 north, to four-track that line, which we are allegedly getting in the new year. If the Senator and I are both still here, that will make for a fascinating read. It is all about capacity. There have been so many conversations about metro on radio, as I am sure...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Service Performance Report 2023: Department of Transport (6 Nov 2024)

Alan Farrell: The point is that Luas is great to have but it will not work for the airport or Swords.