Results 1-20 of 1,014 for speaker:Conor Murphy

Northern Ireland Assembly: Ministerial Statement: Transport Sectoral Format (17 Nov 2009)

Conor Murphy: As I said in response to previous questions, I appreciate that road-build projects that are being built though open countryside will cause substantial issues for landowners and farmers and, in some instances, properties will be lost. Substantial processes need to be in place to deal with the consultations and discussions on such issues as access and compensation. Such procedures lengthen the...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Ministerial Statement: Transport Sectoral Format (17 Nov 2009)

Conor Murphy: The process for dealing with landowners who are affected is well established. It has worked for major road projects, including the Newry/Dundalk route and the Newry bypass, with which I am familiar, and the A4 Dungannon to Ballygawley route, which affected, I think, a couple of hundred landowners. Issues such as compensation, access, severance of farms and removal of buildings arose and were...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Ministerial Statement: Transport Sectoral Format (17 Nov 2009)

Conor Murphy: That is already being done. Various public events were held to discuss the proposed routes and, after its selection, the preferred corridor. An open invitation was extended to those events, which were held in three locations along the route of the A5: Strabane, Omagh and the Ballygawley area. Following those meetings, one-on-one engagements commenced between Roads Service, the consultants...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Ministerial Statement: Transport Sectoral Format (17 Nov 2009)

Conor Murphy: The project has already started on the basis that the money for the A5 and A8 projects has been identified and secured from future Budgets. The money has also been identified and secured by the Southern Government. They intend to make their first payment of €9 million in advance of the next North/South Ministerial Council meeting in plenary format, which takes place in mid-December...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Ministerial Statement: Transport Sectoral Format (17 Nov 2009)

Conor Murphy: The Member will know from my statement of a few weeks ago on the reform of public transport that a driving factor behind that is to try to integrate ticketing as much as possible, so people can move from one form of public transport to the other. More people will use public transport if it is easier to do so, more accessible and more understandable for people who want to plot journeys that...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Ministerial Statement: Transport Sectoral Format (17 Nov 2009)

Conor Murphy: The short answer is yes, the decisions are non-dismissible and the process robust. The A5 project, to which the Member referred, is a good example of that, because it is a joint project, as was the Newry to Dundalk road, which was also very successful. It was delivered and paid for jointly by both Administrations. The working relationship between the National Roads Authority in the South and...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Ministerial Statement: Transport Sectoral Format (17 Nov 2009)

Conor Murphy: As I said in a previous answer, there is a range of measures, including changes to training and testing, the introduction of a graduated driver licensing system and consideration being given to lowering the drink-driving limit. In addition, there will be research into ongoing issues, including those relating to motorcycling, and the regulatory regimes for taxis and goods services will be...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Ministerial Statement: Transport Sectoral Format (17 Nov 2009)

Conor Murphy: I do not accept that the process was not followed properly. The process is well tried and tested, and when the Newry/Dundalk road was being built, before I took up my position in the Department for Regional Development, I experienced the process from the other side. So, I have seen the process at work in my own area. Perhaps organisations such as the Ulster Farmers’ Union did not show...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Ministerial Statement: Transport Sectoral Format (17 Nov 2009)

Conor Murphy: Sustainable travel and transport is increasingly prominent on the agendas of transport meetings, and that is necessarily so. We were pleased to announce that the formal launch of the north-west car share project will take place soon, if it has not taken place already. As the Member knows, a range of initiatives can be taken to encourage sustainable transport. One of them, as he rightly says,...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Ministerial Statement: Transport Sectoral Format (17 Nov 2009)

Conor Murphy: A LeasCheann Comhairle, in compliance with section 52 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, I wish to make the following statement on the seventh North/South Ministerial Council meeting in transport sectoral format, which was held in Dublin on Wednesday 4 November 2009. The Minister of the Environment, Edwin Poots, has approved the report, and I make the statement on his behalf. The Executive...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Ministerial Statement: Transport Sectoral Format (17 Nov 2009)

Conor Murphy: I assume that the Member refers to the southern relief road in Newry. We announced that the first study on that road showed that the construction of such a project was economically viable and presented a number of options. I am not sure whether the Member is terribly familiar with the area, but it is environmentally sensitive because it crosses an area that leads down to Carlingford Lough....

Northern Ireland Assembly: Ministerial Statement: Transport Sectoral Format (17 Nov 2009)

Conor Murphy: Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) and Iarnród Éireann have a revenue-sharing agreement on the Enterprise service, and the final figures for 2009-2010 have still to be agreed. However, revenue was down by more than 50% in September compared to the same month last year. Overall, the shortfall in revenue for NIR is estimated to be close to £1 million; however, it could be higher,...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Ministerial Statement: Transport Sectoral Format (17 Nov 2009)

Conor Murphy: That specific issue was not discussed at the meeting that was held in Dublin, but I know that the Department of the Environment continues to raise awareness of road safety issues through extensive advertising and publicity and a programme of road safety education in schools. Significant changes to the training and testing of learner drivers are being considered in consultation with the...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Ministerial Statement: Transport Sectoral Format (17 Nov 2009)

Conor Murphy: In the South, the decisions have not yet been taken. It is a matter of some debate, and the discussion about lowering the limit was the key focus of interest, certainly for the media, after the meeting was held. I know that Minister Dempsey and Minister Poots are considering a similar approach of lowering the current limit of 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to new limits of 50mg for...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Regional Development: Flooding: Foyle (16 Nov 2009)

Conor Murphy: NI Water has advised that between Friday 30 October and Sunday 1 November it received a total of 6 reports of flooding on private property in the Foyle area. One report of internal flooding was received from Fallowlea Park, and five reports of external flooding were received — one each at Summerhill, Brae Head Road and Pennyburn industrial estate and two at Faughan View Park. NI Water...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Regional Development: A29 Passenger Transport (16 Nov 2009)

Conor Murphy: I have not had discussions with Translink on the matter. In previous correspondence with the Member, I explained that it remains an operational matter for Translink. I understand that Translink’s chief operating officer has written to the Member to explain that there is little evidence of sufficient demand to justify an increase in services on the A29 or a diversion of other services to...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Regional Development: A29 Passenger Transport (16 Nov 2009)

Conor Murphy: The purpose of public transport is not to get people in and out of Belfast. The purpose of public transport is to get people about their business without them having to use a private car. Public transport services in the North cover a vast, but largely rural, area, which means that some routes are underused. As with all other agencies and Departments, the figures in public transport must...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Regional Development: A29 Passenger Transport (16 Nov 2009)

Conor Murphy: There are Translink services on the A29, including Goldline service 278, which runs between Portrush and Monaghan, and Ulsterbus service 116, which runs between Coleraine and Magherafelt. However, Translink is not the only provider of rural transport systems. I agree that we must provide rural transport, and I have been very supportive of the rural community transport networks that are in...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Regional Development: A29 Passenger Transport (16 Nov 2009)

Conor Murphy: I have regular meetings with Translink at which we discuss its services and operations generally. There must be consultation to ensure that local people know how to access whatever service is being provided. However, I am sure that the Member agrees that some services are underused, perhaps as a result of demographic changes. People may no longer live in a certain area, or there may have been...

Northern Ireland Assembly: Regional Development: A5 Dual Carriageway (16 Nov 2009)

Conor Murphy: Provided that there are no challenges to the procurement process, it is expected that contractors will be appointed by the end of November this year to provide design advice and to construct the proposed dualling of the A5.