Vol. 688 No. 1
6 Deputy Seán Sherlock asked the Minister for Transport his views on airport security following recent proposals by an airline (details supplied) to request all passengers to carry their own luggage directly on to the aircraft; his views on whether such a measure would be compatible with standard operating procedures at national airports here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28404/09]
While I am aware of recent press articles about suggestions by the airline concerned that it plans to stop passengers checking in any baggage from next year, my Department has not received any proposal of this nature to date.
Security measures specifically in respect of both cabin and hold baggage are currently in place as part of the overall aviation security regime in the State. These measures are in accordance with EU regulations on aviation security and must also comply with the national civil aviation security programme. Any proposed changes to current procedures would have to comply fully with all EU and national aviation security requirements and therefore would have to be approved by the relevant national authorities in all jurisdictions concerned.
Reports suggested that Ryanair was considering a system whereby passengers would carry their main baggage through the check-in area and on to the tarmac and put it into the hold of the plane. Perhaps on landing, a passenger as fit and nimble as the Minister, Deputy Noel Dempsey, might hop into the hold and hand out the bags to the other passengers. This was to be one system. The other that the chief executive of the airline is apparently considering involves airplanes on which everyone would stand and perhaps hold a handgrip like those on the tube or DART. On a serious note, given that both our airlines have instituted steps to enable baggage to be swiftly transferred at least to the point where one boards the plane, are there security concerns that must be considered?
Is the Minister prepared to ask the Department of Finance to publish the cost-benefit analysis it carried out on the travel tax, which is due to yield only €95 million this year? It is alleged by the industry——
That is beyond the scope of the question, which concerns airline security.
I am broadening the question because it may well be that these kinds of loony proposals for cutting costs are the result of the imposition of unnecessary and counterproductive charges, such as the travel tax. Can we have the cost-benefit analysis of the Department of Finance on the travel tax?
I call the Minister. Deputy Broughan takes two minutes for his one-minute slot.
There is no such document and the tax was proposed on the back of a cigarette box.
I do not know why the Deputy would seek a cost-benefit analysis that he knows does not exist. I am not quite sure about his logic.
I asked because the Minister will not be able to produce it.
I will provide the Deputy with a very quick cost-benefit analysis, not even on the back of an envelope. The tax is €10 per passenger and the benefit will be €95 million this year and €156 million potentially in a full year. A month ago, I asked the Deputy where he would get the €95 million we would have to forgo if we did not impose the tax and I am still awaiting a response.
The Government jet would yield approximately €10 million.
Is the Deputy proposing to sell it?
I refer to the Government jet and the chopper that brings the Minister home to Navan.
Perhaps the Deputy will suggest disbanding the Army? Has he any other proposal?
It could be done.
On a serious point, I heard the suggestion about standing on airplanes some days ago. I had not been aware of it and all I could do was laugh. I am still laughing. With regard to security, there are rules and regulations stipulating what baggage one can bring to certain points in airports. These will be, and must be, enforced strictly.
I attended the European Aviation Conference in Strasbourg last Monday and the issue of logistics associated with baggage arose.
Has the Deputy a question?
My question is coming; the Leas-Cheann Comhairle should not worry. At the conference, the cost of scanners was mentioned. Many of them must be upgraded at a cost of millions of euro. Scanners, particularly those for hand luggage, only scan luggage weighing under 10 kg. Therefore, the logistics of trying to enforce the proposed system are not feasible.
I have a serious question on the issue of having passengers stand on airplanes. There was an application in this regard from a Chinese airline called Spring Airlines, which I understand is very serious about the proposal. This is a security matter. The airline proposes to have passengers stand while wearing seat belts and to cut down on food and water. It will be like getting on and off a bus.
Deputy Broughan referred to the travel tax. Ireland is the only country in Europe imposing such a tax to yield revenue to make up for bad governance.
We cannot discuss that issue.
There are travel taxes in the United Kingdom, France and elsewhere. In the United Kingdom the revenue is ringfenced for sports, and so on. Will the Minister comment on that?
The Minister may reply on the part of the question that is relevant.
It is not the practice to comment on specific security measures that are in place or which might be implemented at any of the State's airports. As I stated to Deputy Broughan, passengers are not permitted to carry certain articles into security-restricted areas or the cabin of the aircraft. Obviously some such articles are permitted in checked-in, hold-destined bags. Any change to current procedures would have to be approved. Any change must be put to the national civil aviation security committee, which is chaired by a senior official from my Department and includes airline pilots and representatives from various Departments, including the Department of Defence, Customs and Excise and the Irish Aviation Authority.
7 Deputy Seán Barrett asked the Minister for Transport when he expects to introduce a lower drink driving blood alcohol limit; the reason for not meeting the deadline as set out in the road safety strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28490/09]
24 Deputy Arthur Morgan asked the Minister for Transport when legislation will come into effect to reduce the drink driving limit. [28344/09]
35 Deputy Joe Costello asked the Minister for Transport if he will reduce the legal blood alcohol level from 80 mg per 100 ml to 50 mg per 100 ml; if this measure will be provided for in the new road traffic Bill; when this Bill will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28386/09]
64 Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Transport the reason he has not published the new road traffic (amendment) Bill; if he will include a provision for the mandatory testing of all drivers involved in a road collision in the legislation; the other key headings and objectives of the bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28385/09]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 7, 24, 35 and 64 together.
In my reply to Question No. 5, I outlined the provisions on blood alcohol concentration and mandatory testing that will be included in the road traffic Bill, which is nearing completion. Clearly, I cannot at this stage specify when the new regime will come into place as the passage of the legislation will be a matter for the Oireachtas. As already mentioned, the new limits will require the recalibration or replacement of roadside breathalysers and evidential breath-testing machines in Garda stations.
The Bill will also provide for several amendments to existing legislation to improve the effectiveness of the fixed charge and penalty points system.
Will the maximum blood alcohol level recommended by the Road Safety Authority be included in the Bill? Does the Minister intend to have graduated penalties? Existing legislation permits the Minister to make an order to allow those whose blood alcohol levels are less than a certain limit to consent to surrendering their licences immediately and go off the road voluntarily, thus preventing their having to appear in court and eliminating the expense of court action. He has not made such an order to date.
The Deputy is referring to administrative penalties. We stated on another occasion that the provisions in section 5, although in law, have never been commenced.
That is right. The Minister has not commenced them.
The administrative penalties come under section 5. The Garda, the Courts Service and various others have a strong desire to ensure section 5 would become operational because it would free up significant time for the Garda and the courts. There was a difficulty about records and establishing what happened over the previous five years but that has been overcome and I hope to be able to put that into effect for many of the offences. On the other issues, because the Government has not approved the Bill I can say only that I take my advice on limits from the Road Safety Authority, RSA. It has advocated a reduction from 80 mg to 50 mg and to 20 mg in certain cases.
Will the Minister expand on his point about what he will actually do in respect of this section?
I have the same question. We are still waiting for the road traffic legislation. When will it be published? Will that be when the Dáil is not sitting? When can it be implemented? It is reported that last night at the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting the Minister met severe opposition to the introduction of the 0.5 mg level, presumably from those representing vintners. Is the Minister seriously committed to implementing the RSA recommendation because the record shows that 37% of all fatal crashes involve alcohol and it is also a factor in approximately 50% of crashes involving young men. Will the lower, 0.2 mg limit, be in the legislation in respect of professional and learner drivers?
The Bill will take account of the blood alcohol concentration levels that the RSA proposed last year. I cannot anticipate Government decisions on this. When a few issues about fixed penalties are sorted out I will bring the final draft of the Bill to Government. It will be published as soon as Government has passed it and I hope it will have a speedy passage through the House.
I have raised the matter of fixed penalty points in question No. 9 so I will postpone that discussion. Will the Minister commence the section soon that provides that someone who has a low blood alcohol concentration but is technically over the limit can opt to surrender his or her licence on the spot without going to court? Can he give us a date? How will that operate?
Section 5 of the 2006 Act provides that if a person whose blood alcohol concentration is found to be between 80 mg and 100 mg accepts that fact and takes the fixed penalty he will be fined €300 — I think that is the fine — and will have to hand up his licence. Instead of going to court where he would be disqualified for 12 months he would be automatically disqualified for six months. That is the provision and we will operate on that principle.
When does the Minister intend to commence that?
We have to make a change to the Road Traffic Bill to make it feasible because there was a difficulty about the five——
We will not see it before Christmas.
It will be ready sometime in the autumn.
Mandatory testing at crash sites will be part of the Bill but is the Minister concerned that so many deadlines for the actions on the timetable in the road safety strategy are being missed? He has not delivered any of the following, the change to the blood alcohol concentration limit, due in the second quarter of 2009; action 72, the graduated driver licence, due in the third quarter, 2008; action 41, the random roadside mechanical checking programme, second quarter of 2008; action 34, the new speed limit engineering guidance for setting speed limits, third quarter of 2008; above all, action 26, the 6,000 hours of cameras, second quarter 2008; and action 23, the full roll-out of the traffic corps, fourth quarter 2008. I could go on. The Minister has failed again and again. Does the Minister recall the day he launched the strategy in the presence of Gay Byrne, Noel Brett and the rest of us? Is it not deplorable that he has missed so many targets in the road safety programme? Is he serious about this?
This is the subject of a later question but the Deputy will be delighted to know, because he usually celebrates all our successes, all the actions listed for 2007 have been completed. A total of 24 actions of the RSA, which is the lead, or joint lead agency are under way and most are completed. A range of other actions across the road safety strategy, some of which were not due until 2010 and 2011, have been completed. I would like to stick to the indicative timetable as much as possible but sometimes the opportunity arises to do something further down the list and that causes slight delays in the earlier part of the list. The important point is that the road safety strategy is being implemented and is having a significant effect.
8 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Transport when the chief executive officer, CEO, for the Dublin Transport Authority, DTA, will be appointed; the estimated salary for the new, CEO of the DTA; the person he plans to appoint to the board of the DTA; the mechanism for appointing members of the public to the DTA board and advisory body; when he will publish promised legislation to transform the DTA into a new national transport regulator; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28383/09]
My Department is proceeding with preparations for the establishment of the Dublin Transport Authority during 2009. A key part of those preparations is the recruitment of a CEO. The necessary recruitment process has now been concluded and I expect to be in a position to announce the outcome in the near future. The annual salary for the CEO post will be €211,363.
In accordance with section 14 of the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, the Minister for Transport is responsible for appointing the members of the DTA. Membership of the authority will comprise a chairperson, three ex officio members and six ordinary members. The chairperson and six ordinary members must be persons who, in the opinion of the Minister for Transport, have wide experience of transport, industrial, commercial, financial, land use planning or environmental matters, the organisation of workers or administration.
Last March I invited applications from people who wish to be considered for appointment as an ordinary member of the new authority. The purpose of the application process was to encourage people who believe that they can make a positive contribution to the development of the transport system in the greater Dublin area to put their names forward for consideration. The process yielded 66 applications, which I am considering. The procedure for the appointment of the 24 members of the Dublin Transport Advisory Council is set out in section 17 of the 2008 Act.
In January 2009, the Government approved the general scheme of the Public Transport Regulation Bill which contains proposals for a new bus licensing regime which will replace the Road Transport Act 1932 and the provisions of the Transport Act 1958 that relate to the provision of bus services by the State bus companies. It is proposed that responsibility for bus licensing and public transport services contracts nationwide will be assigned to the DTA under the Bill, which will also provide for the absorption of the Commission for Taxi Regulation into the DTA. The Bill will also provide for the renaming of the DTA as the National Transport Authority given its proposed national focus in relation to commercial bus licensing, future bus and rail subvention and the regulation of small public service vehicles. The draft Bill has now been prepared and has been circulated to Departments for observations. On their receipt, it is my intention to seek Government approval for the publication of the Bill as soon as possible.
Is the new chief executive from this country? The Minister said it was an international competition. On the appointment of members of the public, it is good news that a number of people have put themselves forward for that position. It was my view on Committee Stage of the Dublin Transport Authority Bill that the people should elect the key members of the board, as would happen in many other countries. These are people with an expertise and interest in the matter.
Will the criteria for membership change now that the body is to become the national transport authority rather than just one for the Dublin area? We spent approximately 13 hours on Committee Stage of the DTA Bill because it was so significant but is the Minister envisaging any of the powers of the regulator being changed in any way in the new Bill? For example, what will be the ability of the new regulator to grant bus contracts and other public contracts for the whole of Ireland?
I presume the new national transport authority will now have authority over all public service contracts throughout the country. Does the Minister envisage that the licensing Bill will bring about the final changes for that to happen and what will be the timeframe on it?
I will call the Deputy again. Otherwise we will lose track of all the questions.
It was difficult to keep up. With regard to the composition of the authority, I do not anticipate the need to change the criteria for people who will go on the DTA when it changes to a national transport authority. The same types of skills — a wide experience in transport, industrial, commercial and financial land use, planning or environmental matters and the organisation or workers and administration — mean such people can stay as they are. I may have to consider a geographic spread of the people involved.
From 9 December this year, all PSO contracts and subvention will be subject to a contract, and any new PSO will be subject to open public tender from any operator, public or private. The DTA will administer all of that. When the national transport authority comes into existence, it will look after the licensing at the time and it will have the responsibility which currently resides in the Department.
I will call on Deputy Broughan so as not to break his sequence. I will then go back to Deputy O'Dowd.
When does the Minister envisage the Commission for Taxi Regulation will be absorbed? Does he agree there is an ideal opportunity to change the remit of the taxi regulator, which relates to some of the points I made earlier? Deputy O'Dowd mentioned the next matter earlier. What is the final timeframe on integrated ticketing in the greater Dublin area?
We hope to have the Commission for Taxi Regulation absorbed into the national transport authority as quickly as possible. There are considerations regarding transfers of staff and so on that will have to be taken into account, and some industrial relations matters will also have to be dealt with, along with pensions and so on. It will happen as quickly as possible because we want to build up a critical mass in the DTA at an early stage.
What was the second point? It was something unrelated to the original question.
I asked about integrated ticketing, which is a key task.
It is expected to have it completely rolled out at the end of 2010 and early 2011.
When the Bill went through the Dáil I made the point that the Minister should have opted for the national transport authority as the DTA has limitations. One of the problem areas relates to counties Meath and Louth. Much of the Bill is excellent, particularly as it relates to land use and strategy but, for example, planning permissions in County Meath must conform to transport plans, while in County Louth they do not need to regard them at all.
It is very important for that anomaly to be cleared up around the country because when the economy recovers and the building industry picks up again, we want to ensure there is joined-up thinking, with transport plans linked to housing estates rather than what has happened over the past 12 years.
With regard to licensing, which currently resides with the Department, I presume that authority will go to the DTA or the national transport authority when it comes along. There have been many cutbacks in Bus Éireann around the country and people are up in arms over them. I was told that two years ago Bus Éireann in Drogheda requested from the Department a consent to vary a route so as to include a railway station in the mornings. It has waited two years for that decision.
Is the Department operating in Soviet Russia or why is there such slow and unacceptably ridiculous decision making and bureaucracy? Why will the Department not approve the route straight away?
The Deputy is extending the boundaries of the question.
To the Kremlin only.
If the Deputy had given me some notice I could have informed him on that issue. I have had similar complaints from Bus Éireann in Deputy Broughan's area and from other Deputies. Nearly every time I went to investigate, I found that the company had started a service which was in direct competition with an existing service that was licensed. It was told it could not do so under the terms of the 1958 Act and that it had to seek consent. If it had sought consent it would be dealt with. In about 80% of the cases, consent was not sought but the company complained about not getting the service. I do not know if that is the case in Drogheda but I will check it out.
In this case there was no competition.
I agree with the Deputy's other points. We had a discussion on the DTA Bill and I wanted to get the DTA element through at the time. The Deputy rightly pointed out that we would return to this issue and I indicated that I would introduce proposals for a national transport authority. We are doing this because it is important to get the land use and transport.
9 Deputy Fergus O’Dowd asked the Minister for Transport his proposals to improve the fixed charge processing system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28523/09]
Some 36 fixed charge offences under the Road Traffic Acts are covered by the Garda fixed charge processing system. If a person makes a payment of up to €80 within 26 days, or a higher payment of up to €120 within a second period of 26 days, a prosecution will not be proceeded with. Some 31 fixed charges also attract penalty points. An Garda Síochána operates the fixed charge system itself.
There is ongoing liaison between my Department, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, An Garda Síochána and other parties, including the Courts Service, on the effective enforcement of the Road Traffic Acts, including the fixed charge system. As a result of these contacts I will take the opportunity in the forthcoming road traffic Bill to introduce measures to amend certain provisions relating to the operation of the fixed charge and penalty point system to improve its effectiveness and to support the better use of the resources of the gardaí and the Courts Service. My overall objective is to maximise the number of cases dealt with under the fixed charge system rather than proceeding to court.
Implementation of the system itself in accordance with the legislative provisions in the Road Traffic Acts is a matter for An Garda Síochána.
The key point is that the Courts Service is being clogged up and Garda time is being wasted. The figures we have for 2007 show that in the first six months, 88,000 people chose not to pay the fixed penalties and court notices were issued. Some 23,700 were struck out, 43,000 were not served and only 14,000 resulted in fines. That is extremely unfair to people who opt to pay their fines and not go to court.
The key change the Minister must make is to introduce a default position whereby if people opt not to go to court in the first seven days or whatever, the level of the fine should be automatically increased if it is not paid within 20 or 40 days. As I understand it, the Courts Service is being prevented from doing its normal work because it is obliged to process these minor infringements, which were never intended to go before the courts in any event. The sooner the Minister introduces legislation to amend the position, the better.
The Deputy raised this matter on previous occasions and has pursued it quite vigorously in the interim. As a result of issues he raised on a previous Question Time, I asked the officials of my Department to examine the position. They did so, in consultation with the various interested organisations, and it is our intention to bring forward proposals which can be discussed in the context of the Road Traffic Acts.
I welcome that development.
10 Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Transport if he has explored interest with domestic and international private bus operators to enter the market here to compensate for reduced and lost bus transport systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28503/09]
In recent years, private bus operators have shown a much stronger interest in the provision of bus services and are now well established in parts of the national bus market. They compete with Bus Éireann on most of the major national routes in and out of Dublin and provide some limited services within the Dublin metropolitan area. The provision of public bus services on specific routes or to service particular areas is an operational matter that must be determined by the State bus companies or by private bus operators.
The Road Transport Act 1932 provides the statutory basis for regulating the provision of public bus services by private bus operators. Under that Act, it is open to such operators to submit proposals to my Department for licences for the provision of bus services. Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann are not subject to the 1932 Act. However, they are obliged to notify my Department with regard to the initiation or alteration of a bus service and they must obtain my specific consent under section 25 of the Transport Act 1958 where a proposed new service or an alteration to an existing service would give rise to competition with a service licensed under the 1932 Act.
In January 2009 the Government approved the general scheme of the public transport regulation Bill, which contains proposals for a new bus licensing regime for all commercial services. This new regime will replace that provided for under the Road Transport Act 1932 and the provisions of the Transport Act 1958 which relate to the provision of bus services by the State bus companies. In accordance with the programme for Government commitment, the proposed licensing regime will provide a level playing field for all bus market participants.
The general scheme of the Bill also contains proposals for extending nationally the contractual arrangements for the procurement of bus and rail services established in the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 in respect of the greater Dublin area. That Act provides that future growth in the market for subvented bus services will be addressed by public service contracts entered into following open tendering processes.
The Bill will assign responsibility to the Dublin Transport Authority, DTA, for bus route licensing and the award of public service contracts nationwide. Given its proposed national responsibility in respect of commercial bus licensing, bus and rail subvention and also the regulation of small public service vehicles, the Bill will also provide for the renaming of the DTA as the national transport authority. In the light of Government approval of the general scheme to which I refer, the draft public transport regulation Bill has been prepared and circulated to Departments for observations. When the latter are received, it is my intention to seek Government approval for the publication of the Bill at the earliest opportunity.
Has the Department received any approaches from companies from outside the State which may wish to provide services here?
I am not aware of any such approaches being made. However, there are a couple of companies which operate in Ireland, the parent companies of which are located abroad. One of the latter has its headquarters in Singapore. I met representatives of that company when I visited Singapore, either last year or the year before, to examine its transport system. I am not aware of any formal approaches being made to the Department in respect of the provision of bus services but I will check on the matter for the Deputy.
The Joint Committee on Transport discussed the issue of international operators in the context of the relevant European directive. Did any discussions take place with international companies in respect of that matter? For example, I understand there may have been discussions with some Polish companies.
How many applications for bus licences — of any type — are currently lodged with the Department in respect of which decisions are awaited? How long does it take the Department to process such applications? Are there any ongoing legal disputes involving the Department and any private bus operators?
Approximately 600 licences are on issue in respect of public bus passenger services being provided by private bus operators throughout the country. In the first half of this year there has been an increase of over 40% in the number of applications. The total number of applications received for the first six months of 2009 was 152. Applications for annual passenger licences during that period increased by over 100% when compared to the first six months of 2008. It is clear, therefore, that something is happening in the market.
I am informed that no undue delays occur in respect of processing either bus licence applications for private operators or notifications from the State bus companies. In 2008 the Department received in the region of 500 applications for proposed services. These comprised applications for new licences from private operators, amendments to existing licences and notifications from the State bus companies. Some 90% of these applications were processed in 2008. Almost 100% of the remaining 2008 applications had been processed by the beginning of this month. A total of 601 cases were finalised in 2008, comprising 447 applications received in that year and 154 that were outstanding from previous years.
The aim is that, where possible and once all the necessary information has been provided, applications are processed with weeks of being received. In view of the level of complaints received, I insisted that this be the case when I took up my portfolio.
So a problem did exist.
Yes. In addition, difficulties continue to arise in cases where State bus companies or private operators make prior applications. In such circumstances, one application must be processed before the other. Of the 336 cases received up to 7 July of this year, 72% have been processed, that is, an offer has been made to the relevant operator.
The bus service provided by Bus Éireann in the west is particularly bad. In 2005 Bus Éireann agreed to commence providing a range of services between Knock Airport and the surrounding towns. The Minister and his Department were lobbied in respect of this matter. In March 2007 — oddly enough, prior to the general election — the department decided to sanction the provision of such services. To date, however, a service to the airport has not been provided. Will the Minister indicate the position with regard to this matter?
The matter to which the Deputy refers is extremely specific in nature. If he tables a parliamentary question in respect of it, I will endeavour to obtain the information he requires. If it took two years to process the application — I have no reason to doubt the veracity of the Deputy's claims in that regard — then information must have been outstanding and this prevented the making of a decision. The fact that, two years after the licence was granted, bus services are not being provided, indicates to me that the fault may not lie with the Department.
I wish to raise one closely related point and thank the Minister for the statistics. It is the first time Members have been provided with such statistics, which will enable Members to evaluate what is happening——
The Deputy should be brief, as I wish to include one last question.
Are there, at present, one or more legal disputes between the Department and a number of companies?
Yes, I am sure there is one or more.
Can the Minister provide information on them to Members?
The Deputy should drop a note to me and I will try to give him any information I can.
11 Deputy Michael D’Arcy asked the Minister for Transport if he will make future funding to CIE contingent on the company producing a strategy for ensuring a more sustainable fleet and for progress in implementing the Deloitte report on bus efficiency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28527/09]
Public service contracts with the CIE companies are due to be in place by early December. My Department will consider the inclusion in those contracts of provisions relating to emission standards to be met by buses and rail rolling stock and the implementation of the recommendations of the Deloitte report relating to the bus companies. A number of initiatives have already been undertaken across the three companies to ensure more sustainable fleets.
The complete renewal of rail rolling stock, funded under Transport 21 and earlier investment programmes, has resulted in a more fuel-efficient fleet, which generates less emissions. Iarnród Éireann has also in the past two years achieved energy savings of 26% through the use of regenerative braking on its DART fleet. Iarnród Éireann also has fitted fuel shut-down modifications to much of the diesel fleet, thereby saving 3.5 million litres of diesel per annum.
Transport 21 also has facilitated the introduction by Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann of buses and coaches meeting EU Euro 4 standards. Both companies have been using bio-diesel in their tour fleets since 2006 and Dublin Bus is currently piloting a hybrid electric bus. The Government's Smarter Travel policy, which I published in February 2009, provides that all public transport providers will prepare a plan for fleet replacement based on the most sustainable vehicle and fuel type.
The position in respect of the recommendations of the Deloitte report is that both Bus Átha Cliath and Bus Éireann have commenced implementation including, in the case of Dublin Bus, a complete review and redesign of its network to better meet the needs of its customers. The implementation of recommendations in the report relating to bus priority, integrated ticketing, bus licensing and the move to public service obligation, PSO, contracts are being pursued actively by my Department in conjunction with the key stakeholders
I welcome the Minister's reply. Will a percentage limit be placed on such companies? In other words, will an obligation be placed on the companies in order that, for example, 80% of their vehicles must use bio-fuels? What criteria will the Minister apply?
My Department has asked CIE to have a blend of at least 5%.
That is what was originally proposed.
Yes, that is what was originally proposed in the programme for Government. CIE purchases fuel for all three companies and its supplier has confirmed that in many cases, a 5% blend is applied by the fuel companies. In addition, both Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus have sought and received assurances that their new buses will be able to accommodate a 30% blend without affecting their warranty. They are pursuing the goal that any new buses will have a usage of 30%
While I welcome the thrust of the response to the question, would it not be advisable to make provision in the new legislation for all bus operators to be obliged to have more sustainable fleets, in order that the low CO2 emissions required of the captive fleets of the national companies would be applicable to all companies? I note in particular that recently, both Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus bought large new fleets contingent on the expansion of their service but the Minister then peremptorily, and as part of the Government cutbacks, slashed their allocations and forced them to rely on older fleets. Is this not part of the problem? Will the Minister include in the legislation a requirement to make it incumbent on all public transport operators to have more sustainable fleets?
It is quite to the contrary. The fact that Dublin Bus now operates with fewer buses than it used to recently——
The service has worsened. One now waits for 20 minutes instead of waiting for ten minutes.
The average age of the fleet has been improved——
It now will begin to decline.
——and the company now has buses that are much more fuel-efficient.
I will make one point in this regard. Costs must be taken into account and the cost of bio-fuel increased by 46% last year. This factor must be taken into account.
Written Answers follow Adjournment Debate.
