James Bannon
Question:164. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reasons the Longford social services mini bus service has been reduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45410/14]
View answerCommunity Care
Questions (164)
Written answers
The service in question is not provided by my Department or its agencies and as such I cannot comment further on any reduction in service levels.
Air Services Provision
Questions (165)
Michael Moynihan
Question:165. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will acknowledge that Cork Airport is a vital transport hub for the many industries and businesses in the region; his views on the removal of two more routes recently by Aer Lingus from Cork Airport; his Department's plans to ensure the future growth and development of Cork Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45433/14]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy will be aware, the DAA is the body charged with statutory responsibility to manage, operate and develop Dublin and Cork Airports. In these circumstances, plans to ensure the future growth and development of Cork Airport are matters for DAA and Cork Airport management and not matters in which I have a direct role.
I am of course very aware of the importance of Cork Airport for business and tourism in the Cork region. I am also aware of the continuing decline in passenger numbers over recent years at the Airport. This is why, at the request of my predecessor, a high level stakeholder body, the Cork Airport Development Council (CADC), was established by the DAA. The aim of the CADC is to provide a forum for senior stakeholders from a range of sectoral and geographic backgrounds who have an interest in the development of Cork Airport to engage with management at the airport and to help contribute to traffic and route growth. The Council is chaired by DAA Chairman Padráig Ó Ríordáin and comprises senior representatives from the tourism and business sectors in the Cork region who are actively engaged in achieving the goals set for the Council.
I believe that there are opportunities, particularly in the tourism sector, to grow incoming passenger numbers to the Cork region. I am calling on all relevant stakeholders to work together to exploit those opportunities and to deliver benefits not just for the airport but for the wider region.
In relation to the intention of Aer Lingus to suspend routes from its summer 2015 schedule, it is a matter for the airline to decide which routes it will serve based on its own commercial judgments, taking account of the demand for services. Any decision to suspend a route is an operational decision for Aer Lingus management. I am nevertheless disappointed by the decision of the Company in this instance.
I am aware that the DAA's objective is to halt the decline in passenger numbers in the short term and to return Cork Airport to growth in the future. I am confident that the DAA and Cork Airport management, working with stakeholders in the region, can achieve this objective.
Taxi Regulations
Questions (166)
Regina Doherty
Question:166. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of small public service vehicle licences that lapsed arising from SI 165 of 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45458/14]
View answerWritten answers
The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including the licensing of vehicles, is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013.
I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.
Departmental Meetings
Questions (167)
Lucinda Creighton
Question:167. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide in tabular form, the dates of meetings of his Department's management advisory council in 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014; the civil servants present at each of these meetings; if he or his Department's Minister of State was present at each of these meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45484/14]
View answerWritten answers
The information requested by the Deputy would require an inordinate time to compile as the number of meetings involved is quite substantial.
The Management Board (MB) of the Department would normally meet every Tuesday morning except for the month of August and over the Christmas/New Year period. It is comprised of the Secretary General and the Assistant Secretaries of the Department, currently 5. Meetings are also attended by the secretary to the MB. The Special Adviser to the Minister and a representative from the Ministers of State Offices would also attend for a standard agenda Item on "Ministerial, Government, and Oireachtas Business". Other departmental civil servants may be asked to attend for agenda items which are of direct relevance to them.
Additionally, the Ministerial Management Board (MMB) would normally convene once a month, again with the exception of August. It comprises the Minister, Ministers of State and the MB. The advisers to Ministers also attend, as does the Secretary to the MB and the Private Secretaries to the Minister and Secretary General. The Financial Report is a standard Agenda Item for every meeting and the Principal Officer of the Department's Finance Division and a number of his staff attend for this Agenda Item. Other civil servants may be asked to attend depending on agenda items.