Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Financial Services Sector

Micheál Martin

1. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if the Clearing House Group has met recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39055/13]

Financial Services Sector

Gerry Adams

2. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach the number of times in the past year that the IFSC Clearing House Group has met to date in 2013; the issues that were discussed; the actions that have been taken as a result; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39061/13]

Financial Services Sector

Gerry Adams

3. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach the progress made on the commitment to create 10,000 jobs in the IFSC by 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39062/13]

Financial Services Sector

Gerry Adams

4. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Taoiseach his plans to reform or restructure the workings of the IFSC Clearing House Group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39063/13]

Financial Services Sector

Micheál Martin

5. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if officials in his Department attended a IFSC Financial Clearing House Group meeting recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39090/13]

Financial Services Sector

Joe Higgins

6. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Taoiseach if he intends to reform the way the IFSC Clearing House Group operates. [40865/13]

Financial Services Sector

Richard Boyd Barrett

7. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his most recent meeting with the Clearing House Group; if it will be meeting before budget 2014; the agenda for this meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40914/13]

Aviation Issues

Timmy Dooley

57. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the actions he has taken in relation to the allegations aired on Channel 4's "Dispatches" programme entitled "Ryanair: Secrets from the Cockpit". [41061/13]

VAT Rate Increases

Sandra McLellan

58. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the potential ramifications for the tourism and hospitality sector of an increase in VAT above the current 9% tax rate; if his attention has been drawn to the potential that this would have for job losses; if he has engaged with the tourism industry regarding same; and if he has had any discussions with the Department of Finance regarding the VAT rate and retaining it at its current level. [41172/13]

Appointments to State Boards

Richard Boyd Barrett

59. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the selection of the chairperson for Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company; the procedures followed and criterion applied for the nomination and selection process; his role in this process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41173/13]

Public Transport Provision

Timmy Dooley

60. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to privatise certain public transport routes; how this will improve services to commuters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41062/13]

Taxi Regulation Review Report Implementation

Thomas Pringle

61. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will ensure that existing taxi and hackney licence holders can apply to provide the rural hackney service; if he will ensure that new licences will only be considered in the event of a failure to get enough applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41231/13]

Job Creation

Bernard Durkan

62. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the full extent of employment generated by the sporting sector annually over the past five years to date; the extent to which opportunities arise for further enhancement leading to job creation throughout the sector; steps he plans to take the effect of which would be economic resurgence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40808/13]

Public Transport Issues

Alan Farrell

63. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on proposals to tender out the local and orbital public service obligation bus services currently operated by Dublin Bus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40789/13]

State Airports

Pat Breen

64. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding legislation to establish the Shannon group plc; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40507/13]

Sport and Recreational Development

Dessie Ellis

65. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has had any discussions with the Department of Health, the sports authorities and the Health Service Executive regarding the possibility of establishing a sports and exercise department in the HSE, in order to ensure that the role of exercise fitness and well-being is given adequate attention in our health care system. [40896/13]

Traffic Management

Billy Kelleher

66. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the recent National Transport Authority publication, City Centre Transport Assessment Study; the actions he will take following this report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40828/13]

Cycling Policy

Gerry Adams

67. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is considering the introduction of lower rate on-the-spot fines for cyclists who break the law which could be more regularly applied and would take into account the lower level of danger presented by cyclists to the public. [40905/13]

Pension Provisions

John Halligan

68. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company has prepared a funding proposal in relation to the funding status of the defined benefit pension scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40888/13]

Road Network

Patrick O'Donovan

69. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide details of his Department's plans for the proposed construction of the Limerick to Cork motorway as part of the Government's capital expenditure budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40436/13]

Sporting Organisations

Mary Lou McDonald

70. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has had any discussions with the Department of Justice and Equality regarding the ability of sporting bodies to register as charitable bodies and the potential for this to enhance philanthropy towards sporting bodies. [40897/13]

Sporting Organisations

Martin Ferris

71. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has discussed with the Department of Finance the tax relief for donations to sporting bodies contained in section 41 of the 2002 Finance Bill; his views on the scheme; and if it has succeeded in its objectives of maximising donations to sporting bodies and generally contributing to the funding of sport. [40893/13]

Tourism Policy

Frankie Feighan

72. Deputy Frank Feighan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the recently launched tourism policy review. [40872/13]

Public Transport Issues

Eoghan Murphy

73. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the proposals for the tendering out of PSO bus services as proposed by the National Transport Authority. [40529/13]

Dublin Bus Services

Eamonn Maloney

74. Deputy Eamonn Maloney asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans for making Dublin Bus a cost-effective organisation, providing a quality service befiting a capital city of Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40727/13]

Air Services Provision

Clare Daly

75. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps he has taken in response to the revelations by the Ryanair pilot group regarding serious concerns about aviation safety, which were broadcast by Channel 4 during the summer. [40615/13]

Ports Development

Michael Moynihan

76. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the actions taken by his Department to progress the aims of the national ports policy; the legislation he plans to publish in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40812/13]

Public Transport Issues

Olivia Mitchell

77. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the current financial position within the CIE transport companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40787/13]

Public Transport Issues

Richard Boyd Barrett

78. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to tender out Bus Éireann routes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40887/13]

Rail Services

Michael McGrath

79. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the current discussions at Irish Rail in relation to plans to reduce the company’s expenditure in the coming years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40841/13]

Rail Network

Terence Flanagan

80. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to upgrade the western rail corridor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40884/13]

Public Transport Issues

Andrew Doyle

81. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he believes commuters and regional areas in the commuter belt and greater Dublin area will benefit as a result of the tendering out of particular routes and public service obligation, PSO, routes when the current contract expires; if the next tendering phase will result in a transparent decision making process; if he will outline the ramifications for particular routes in County Wicklow (details supplied) as a result of the competition in public transport in the bus market as proposed by the National Transport Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40790/13]

VAT Rate Increases

Michael Moynihan

82. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has sought an extension of the 9% VAT rate applied to the hospitality sector from the Department of Finance; the benefits to the tourism industry resulting from the reduced VAT rate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40815/13]

Regional Road Network

Thomas Pringle

83. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide funding for bridge replacement on regional roads to support local and tourism infrastructure. [40889/13]

Traffic Management

Thomas P. Broughan

84. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has examined the recommendations contained in the recently completed City Centre Transport Assessment Study; his views on this study in view of his Department's ongoing work in improving traffic management in Dublin city. [40434/13]

Public Transport Provision

Willie O'Dea

85. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to introduce bus rapid transit routes in Dublin and other cities in Ireland; if he foresees the provision of capital funding for these projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40831/13]

Public Transport Issues

Catherine Murphy

86. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide figures for the amount of money that vandalism and destruction of property at each public transport body under the aegis of his Department has cost the State in each of the past five years; the amount of money that has been spent on providing security services in the same periods; the measures he proposes to tackle this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40873/13]

Road Tolls

Heather Humphreys

87. Deputy Heather Humphreys asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the proposed toll holiday for HGVs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40505/13]

Public Transport Issues

Alan Farrell

88. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the current financial viability of the CIE group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40788/13]

Adventure Activities Regulation

Eoghan Murphy

89. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on proposals to regulate the adventure sports industry and ensure safety in the sector. [40530/13]

Public Transport Issues

Robert Troy

90. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the reduction in services to Dublin Airport from Dublin city centre by private operators (details supplied); if he has had any communication with this private operator; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40843/13]

Road Tolls

John O'Mahony

91. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the proposed toll holiday for HGVs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40531/13]

Departmental Expenditure

Sean Fleming

92. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if there was an underspend of the capital allocation in his Department; the capital projects that have begun by his Department since the beginning of 2013; the capital projects his Department has planned to commence before the end of the year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40826/13]

Air Services Provision

Barry Cowen

93. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the actions he has taken to secure an air link between Ireland and China; if he has engaged with the Dublin Airport Authority in order to increase commercial airline activity in Dublin Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40823/13]

Sports Facilities Provision

Sandra McLellan

94. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has had any discussion with the Department of Education and Skills regarding the potential for using that Department’s capital building programme as an opportunity to increase the provision of sporting facilities in local communities, in particular youth sports facilities, through co-location of sports facilities with educational campuses; if he envisages that savings could be made to his Department's capital expenditure in that regard; if he will outline those savings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40890/13]

Aviation Policy Review

Jerry Buttimer

95. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the current status of and future plans for the aviation policy review; and the implications of this policy for Cork Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40770/13]

VAT Rate Increases

Pearse Doherty

96. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has had any discussions with the Department of Finance regarding the potential ramifications for the tourism and hospitality sector of an increase in VAT above the current 9% tax rate. [40902/13]

Tourism Promotion

Brian Stanley

97. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the targets he has for emerging tourism markets, in particular China, India, Brazil, Russia and south-east Asia; and the strategies that exist to ensure Ireland increases its penetration of these markets. [40892/13]

Light Rail Projects Status

Seán Crowe

98. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress to date of work on the new Luas line, including current money spent on project; the numbers employed at present; and projected time of completion. [40908/13]

Tourism Promotion

Peter Mathews

99. Deputy Peter Mathews asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reasons for the decline in tourist visitors from the UK between April and June of this year; and the steps he is taking to address this decline. [40879/13]