Results 861-880 of 1,057,853 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Christopher O'Sullivan OR speaker:Robert Troy OR speaker:Dara Calleary OR speaker:Jackie Cahill OR speaker:Brendan Smith OR speaker:Johnny Guirke OR speaker:Jennifer Murnane O'Connor OR speaker:James Lawless OR speaker:Mary Lou McDonald) in 'Committee meetings'

Prelude (5 Nov 2024)

Chuaigh an Ceann Comhairle i gceannas ar 2 p.m.

Prelude (5 Nov 2024)

Prayer and Reflection.

Prelude (5 Nov 2024)

Paidir agus Machnamh.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Nov 2024)

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Nov 2024)

Mary Lou McDonald: When Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil joined together with the Green Party in coalition four years ago, they promised that it would be the Government to fix housing. This was a very bold claim from the parties that had, in fact, created the housing crisis in the first place. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have had more than a decade to solve housing but it has only made it worse. Now, as...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Nov 2024)

Matt Carthy: Hear, hear.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Nov 2024)

Mary Lou McDonald: They can choose to back a real housing plan from Sinn Féin. This is a plan to make housing affordable, to bring homeownership back to the reach of working people, to get families off council waiting lists and into homes, to end long-term homelessness and to give hope back to a generation so badly failed by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. This is hope that they can have a home of their...

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

James Lawless: This is my second time appearing before the committee. I took a Bill through Committee Stage recently. I would have liked a greater opportunity to engage with this committee, as it is a good one that does important work, but I have engaged with each of the members individually on transport issues in the short time I have had this brief and I thank them for their diligence and interest in...

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

James Lawless: That is an important question. As the Deputy said, I am very familiar with it, representing Kildare North in my role as a TD. I also know the Deputy’s area. Councillor Caroline O’Reilly has been very vocal on those issues as well - bus services to Ratoath and Ashbourne, the ones the Deputy mentioned - and I met with her on that recently. The Deputy is right that there are...

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

James Lawless: I am very familiar with the issues the Deputy has raised, both as a Minister of State and as a TD. I see them in my constituency as well as seeing them across the country. We will be introducing revised contracts from 1 December. We are a month away from that. Key performance metrics will be included as part of the criteria for those contracts to outsourced services and will be a...

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

James Lawless: There is one other point that is related. I have asked my Department and the NTA, and will be asking the NTA again today, to ensure that the TFI real-time app is improved. It is a source of frustration for people when they are waiting for a bus. I have done it myself. You go onto the app to see if the bus is due and it says it is, but actually it is a ghost bus that does not turn up. I...

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

James Lawless: It is not an item relating to the Estimates but I am happy to give a short comment on it. I do not think there is any aviation estimate in the current pack but given it is a very topical issue, I am happy to briefly engage with the Deputy on it. On yesterday's decision, and I have said this many times but it is useful to say it on the public record, the passenger cap at Dublin Airport is...

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

James Lawless: Absolutely. If it was not for the imminent election that we all expect to be called in the next couple of days, it is a topic that I may have well invited the committee to have a dedicated session on. It would have been helpful. It is a pity we did not have it. Time is ahead of us and all that.

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

James Lawless: Sure.

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...