Vol. 1029 No. 2
6. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Transport the options open to a community (details supplied) in north County Louth, which is campaigning for traffic-calming measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54989/22]
What options are open to the parents and community in and around Bellurgan National School in north Louth? These parents have been campaigning for a considerable time for traffic calming measures. There has been back and forth with many elected representatives, including myself, and, in particular, Councillor Antóin Watters, with the local authority and others. We have not been able to deliver a solution that is necessary. Whatever can be done needs to be done.
Local authorities are the statutory road authorities responsible for the maintenance and improvement of regional and local roads, together with traffic management, within their functional area. My Department provides grant assistance to local authorities under the regional and local road grant programme for a range of targeted programmes, including the safety improvement programme. Applications are sought each year from local authorities under this programme for consideration for funding in the subsequent year. In this context, funding can be sought for traffic calming measures. When making an application, councils are asked to submit schemes in order of priority. I understand that Louth County Council has included traffic calming measures at Bellurgan National School in its 2023 safety improvement programme application. The 2023 allocations will be decided following consideration of councils' applications by the Department and the allocations will be notified to councils as part of the general grant allocation process early next year.
As regards speed limits, the Road Traffic Act 2004 sets out default speed limits for the road network. Local authorities have the discretion to decide on varying these limits through special speed limit by-laws for roads within their administrative area. The making of such by-laws is a reserved function of the elected members of the council. Section 9 of the Road Traffic Act 2004, amended by section 86 of the Road Traffic Act 2010, sets out the range of special speed limits that may be applied through by-laws. To assist local authorities in the application of special speed limits, my Department's Guidelines for Setting and Managing Speed Limits in Ireland is available on www.speedlimits.ie. This applies to all public roads and provides guidelines to local authorities, as the roads authorities in their administrative areas, on how to decide appropriate speed limits. In addition, I launched a speed limit appeals process in December 2021 that allows members of the public or interested parties to appeal an existing speed limit to the relevant road authority, with an option to escalate the appeal to a regional panel, should the applicant be dissatisfied with the road authority's decision. Further information on this process can be obtained on www.speedlimits.ie/appeals.
There is an element of frustration in me raising this issue. The parents have been out campaigning before school starts and alongside elected representatives and others, to a degree, stopping traffic and more generally making a point of highlighting the dangers that are there. In fairness, the Minister has set out a number of options. I believe the local authority needs to be more proactive on this issue. There will be a need for me and others to deal with the community. We will have to look at reviewing the speed limits. I would like to think that the traffic calming measures would be considered favourably by the Department. This is a necessity. Beyond that, there probably needs to be an overall review across the board of that entire stretch of road and the run out to the Cooley Peninsula from Dundalk on the R173, which the Minister might know.
The Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, and I were there recently at a good Coast Guard event. I know the character of the road. I see the need for measures to be taken. Just to provide details which might be useful for the Deputy in his own work on this issue, there are a number of grant headings under the safety improvement programme. One is for works costing less than €200,000 and there is a specific grant programme for works costing in excess of €200,000 and less than €5 million. It is open to local authorities to use their own resources as well to fund such measures. Specifically with regard to the Bellurgan National School, I understand that Louth County Council is seeking funding for the provision of traffic calming measures under the safety improvement programme for the school as part of its 2023 application. It will be considered for funding under that programme. Local authorities are asked to list proposed projects in order of priority on their applications.
Louth County Council's safety improvement application was received on 26 October. Bellurgan traffic calming was listed among the 24 measures included. My Department's engineering inspectorate will review the overall application before recommendations on allocations are made.
I hope the Department conducts that review thoroughly. I accept that the Minister is aware of the stretch of road in question. Perhaps we must look at the modalities and protocols by which we deal with wide stretches of roads with a considerable volume of traffic because of an increased number of people living nearby. Schools in the area are thriving and we must ensure they are safe places for parents, children and all others.
I know that Councillor Watters attended a recent meeting in respect of the Bush Post Primary School in that region. The issue there relates to traffic calming and safety measures. I will follow up with the local authority. We need to ensure we can deliver a solution for these parents and children.
I understand that Louth County Council has indicated that redevelopment is planned for the Bush Post Primary School. The council is awaiting clarity on the detail of the public road interface. It will be a matter for the council to seek funding under the appropriate grant programme in that regard, should it wish to do so. It seems that the right thing to do would be to try to manage the traffic issue when the school is being redeveloped. Traffic is an issue on that entire road. It is a wide road on which vehicles travel at high speed. The volumes of traffic are increasing. Change is needed.
7. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the measures that he is taking to support the delivery of the Road Safety Authority, RSA, road safety strategy; if he will outline a timeline for associated enabling legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55358/22]
What measures is the Minister taking to support the delivery of the RSA road safety strategy? I ask him to outline a timeline for associated enabling legislation.
I thank the Deputy. The primary aim of the Government's Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 is to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on Irish roads by 50%. As stated at the launch of the strategy in December 2021, this means reducing deaths on Ireland’s roads annually from 144 to 72 or lower and reducing serious injuries from 1,259 to 630 or lower by 2030. This will be the first step in Ireland’s journey towards realising Vision Zero, the international strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable and sustainable mobility for all by 2050. Implementation of this ambitious strategy is supported by a comprehensive set of 186 high-impact and supporting actions. The strategy will be delivered over three phases with action plans for each. I am happy to reassure the Deputy that my Department, in conjunction with stakeholders and associated Government agencies, is well under way in the delivery of phase 1 for 2021 to 2024. The subsequent phases 2 and 3 of the strategy and their associated actions will be developed in the six months leading up to the launch of each of those phases. This development will, in each case, take account of a review of the action outcomes of the preceding phase of the strategy.
As I have no doubt the Deputy will agree, the delivery of an ambitious strategy such as this requires a robust governance structure, and I assure him that this is currently in place to support and enable what is essentially a transformative road safety programme.
At the top of this framework sits the ministerial committee on road safety, which I chair jointly with the Minister for Justice. A senior officials' group, comprising senior figures from the key bodies charged with implementing the published road safety actions for each phase of the strategy, known as the road safety transformation partnership board, stands below the ministerial committee. This cross-departmental, multi-agency partnership board provides executive accountability, advice and quarterly updates to the ministerial committee on the delivery of the Government’s strategy. Both the ministerial committee and the road safety transformation partnership board meet quarterly.
Supporting the road safety action owners charged with implementing various aspects of the strategy are a number of cross-agency enabler groups, including a legislative enabler group.
These are serious issues. We have a strategy and the Minister of State outlined the activity relating to it, the various groups and enablers involved. When it comes down to it, we are going in the wrong direction. We know that to be the case. Instead of decreasing, the number of accidents and near-misses is increasing. Most regrettably, the number of fatalities and serious injuries is increasing. We are told time and again that the biggest deterrent is, understandably, the fear of being caught. Over a two-year period, there has been a 5% reduction in the number of roads police while there has been a 14% increase in fatalities. Is that priority number one for the Minister of State and the Minister for Justice? Will it be addressed immediately?
I agree that enforcement is key. The chairmanship of the high-level ministerial group is shared by me and the Minister for Justice. I am equally concerned with the number of road deaths and serious injuries on our roads. I acted quickly during the summer as a result of the increase in serious injuries and deaths on our roads to bring forward regulations. We are also working on legislative proposals but the regulations allowed for an immediate response. The real killers on our roads are speed, people using mobile phones while driving, not obeying traffic wardens outside schools and not wearing seat belts. People ignoring basic rules of the road is causing a considerable number of serious injuries and deaths on our roads. I doubled the fines in respect of such offences. I absolutely agree that enforcement is key. The role of enforcement lies with the Garda, which is represented on that committee. The Garda has rolled out extra speeding enforcement points throughout the country. We have an ongoing collaborative engagement with the Garda and if more needs to be done, it will be done.
The road safety strategy calls for the maintenance of dedicated roads policing and a report on that capacity annually. That analysis could be done more frequently. There needs to be a focus on this issue and policing makes a serious difference, as we know. This is something we can and should do.
There are a number of other measures to consider. We have seen an increasing number of people caught with poly drug use. There is a need for enabling legislation to allow for sanctions in that regard. Is that something the Minister of State will bring forward? There has been a consistent call for an online portal to allow people to upload footage from dashboards or helmet cameras. Will she consider that?
On a related issue, the road hauliers have raised an issue in respect of the Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021 relating to the national fleet database. Will the Minister of State meet with that group in advance of the remaining Stages of that Bill?
The Deputy asked about an online portal and drug testing. The Medical Bureau of Road Safety is also represented on that high-level ministerial group. Those areas were considered in the road safety strategy and we are making progress in that regard.
I am in regular contact with the Irish Road Hauliers Association, IRHA, and the Freight Transit Association of Ireland, FTAI. Those organisations know that my door is always open for them to raise any issues with me. That is no problem. The Bill the Deputy mentioned is currently going through the Seanad. It has been approved by the Dáil and has passed Second Stage in the Seanad. We hope to proceed to Committee Stage as soon as possible. More enforcement measures are included in the Bill, which regulates e-scooters and e-bikes. It aims to eradicate antisocial behaviour related to scramblers through increased Garda powers and the seizure and banning of the use of scramblers. Those are just a few of the relevant measures. Work is progressing on the legislative process.
8. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport the present emissions profile of the Irish public transport fleet; the past and future trends; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55845/22]
Can the 51% reduction in carbon emissions from our public transport be delivered within the period to 2030? Is there a path with distinctive milestones between now and then?
I thank the Deputy. Enhancing and decarbonising our public transport systems forms a key pillar of the Government's climate action strategy. Investment in public transport has increased in line with Government policy to encourage modal shift and planned capital expenditure under the national development plan favours new public transport schemes over road projects on a 2:1 ratio.
The Environmental Protection Agency's provisional 2021 emissions data demonstrate that public transport is responsible for less than 5% of Ireland’s overall transport emissions. When considered in terms of land transport emissions, road-based bus services, which carry the majority of public transport passengers, are responsible for approximately 7% of total road transport emissions.
Climate Action Plan 2021 set out our target to have 1,500 electric buses deployed in our public service obligation fleet and an expansion to the network of electrified rail services. Over the past year, my Department has been working with transport modelling teams on the identification of a pathway to achieve a 50% reduction in transport emissions by 2030 and these public transport measures are estimated to deliver 0.4 mega tonne of the total 6 mega tonne annual emissions reduction that is needed by 2030.
This transition has already begun. Last year 250 new hybrid buses for PSO bus fleets were delivered, which has been followed by the first orders for fully battery-electric buses which were placed in July 2021 and March 2022. That will see these 45 single-deck buses and 120 double-deck buses, respectively, delivered by the year end.
We have also engaged in the purchase of the first battery-electric rail services, which will have a significant role in improving the public transport service. Thirteen five-car battery-electric units and six five-car electric multiple units were ordered in December 2021 and I expect to do more. I look forward to the Deputy's feedback. That on its own will not be enough. As I said in response to a question from Deputy Naughten earlier, we will need to go further with a range of actions to meet our target. I would happily discuss that further with the Deputy.
I thank the Minister. I could not sum together the numbers, but it sounded that 0.4 mega tonnes would be less than one third of the impact of public transport. It sounds like we have some way to go given the decisions already taken. Can we quickly move to a path? For example, we could move fairly rapidly to achieve an electric taxi fleet in our key cities. It would need minimal roll-out of EV charging networks to support them. Are we now dependent on new technologies like hydrogen to achieve 51% within the fleet? Could we have a very clear pathway for each of the elements of the fleet within 12 months just to see how we stand and what more do we need to do?
The Deputy is absolutely right on the taxi fleet. That is one area where we can make significant changes. Because taxis are used extensively, as well as the vehicles themselves if they switch over, the kilometres they do as a percentage of our overall kilometres is significant. In that regard there are encouraging signs showing we can change. We introduced very generous grants for the switchover. Already 1,177 fully electric taxis, 3,300 hybrid taxis and 40 plug-in hybrid taxis have been introduced into the taxi fleet, representing 24% of the fleet. The taxi drivers using them realise that their running costs and maintenance costs which are important for the taxi industry are a fraction of the fossil fuel alternative.
Regarding the fleet, I agree we need to look at the technology, but we also need to look at the usage particularly of buses. Part of the problem is that those buses are caught in traffic just like all other vehicles. Traffic in Dublin was intense yesterday for a variety of reasons. We need to give buses the space. It is not just the technology, but also their turnaround speed. The efficiency of passenger kilometres because of the buses being used more often is key.
I welcome the Minister's commitment to make a move on the taxi fleet. It would justify a significant initiative by the Department to pull together all the interests in that area - the providers, drivers and various agencies that support them - to make a concerted effort in that area. It may need more public money to prime the pump.
I also agree that high utilisation of our bus fleet and the wider public transport fleet is crucial. Is there any innovative thinking on how we can get higher utilisation from our fleets apart from the congestion charge, which would obviously help? A very substantial fleet of buses remains idle for most of the day. Is higher utilisation and finding new more carbon-efficient public transport vehicles a potential avenue?
This was discussed in an earlier question. The OECD report, commissioned by the Climate Change Advisory Council, provides the model for how we do this and it requires systemic change. Central to that is the reallocation of road space to provide the priority bus lanes which get efficiency. The more frequent services we have, the more people will use it. That also benefits the taxi fleet which has access to the same bus lanes and will get the same prioritisation. They are in a sense part of what the OECD argued for - a move towards a much more car-sharing system. Taxis, in effect, provide that in a very useful way. The key question for local authorities and Members is whether we are willing and able to make the fast reallocation of road space possible to get our entire transport system working, not just for decarbonisation but because the current system with the roads clogged with cars does not work for anyone. The gridlock witnessed in Dublin city centre yesterday evening cannot be solved other than by improvement in public transport services and active travel.
9. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Transport his plans to increase the shared station-less e-bike schemes in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55884/22]
In the complexity of reaching our climate action targets, one of the easiest ways we can take action is by cycling. One of the best ways of introducing people to that and giving them flexibility is bike sharing. What are the Minister's plans for station-less bike sharing schemes in Dublin and other cities?
I will again refer to the OECD report I just mentioned, which sets out a requirement for large behavioural change in the direction of sustainable modes, travel reductions and shared mobility. Along with road space reallocation and communication efforts to address car-centric mindsets, it identifies the mainstreaming of on-demand shared services as one of the policy areas with a high transformative potential to reduce car dependency.
My Department's national sustainable mobility policy, SMP, was published in April. It sets out a strategic framework for promoting active travel and public transport in line with targets under the climate action plan. Action 87 of the SMP seeks to "expand shared car, bike and powered personal transporters (PPT) services at transport hubs and interchanges" and has an output to develop a strategy for the roll-out of expanded shared services next year. The NTA, which is leading on this action, has confirmed that it is undertaking a study into the provision of shared station-less e-bike schemes in the greater Dublin area and how it is expected to evolve over the coming years. This study will examine issues such as licensing and management to ensure an equitable distribution of shared e-bikes across the greater Dublin area. The report is expected to be completed in the first quarter of next year.
The SMP recognises the need to promote the adoption of shared mobility schemes and the integration of newer modes, such as electric scooters, with other modes and our public transport system. While Ireland already has examples of shared car and bike schemes, mainly in the five cities, policy and market development in the area of shared mobility continue to evolve, particularly the expansion of on-demand micro transport services.
My Department regularly engages with key stakeholders in this area and is planning further engagement through the delivery, next year of a national sustainable mobility forum. The real beacon of hope is what we saw in Finglas - the Deputy attended its opening - where Dublin City Council put in a shared e-bike, car-sharing and charging system on council land. We might look to replicate that model across the city and other cities. I would be interested to hear the Deputy's experience of how that is working and whether it could be replicated across other areas in the city.
The Minister is right. I served for ten years on Dublin City Council and I am passionate about bike sharing because I saw how Dublin Bikes worked and how much the people of the city love it.
I am often asked when it will expand. We know the technology has moved on and we are moving towards stationless bikes. We also see a worrying trend in other cities where bike sharing companies are withdrawing from the market. I would like to see a model similar to that which we operate for buses. Let the NTA own the fleet and buy the 5,000 bikes we need in the city, after which we could issue a tender for existing companies to provide that service. That would ensure interoperability. It would also ensure that the State had control if any company were to encounter financial difficulties and ensure universal coverage. There is the matter of picking and choosing where parts of the city have this service and others do not.
I agree with the Deputy that the Dublin Bikes scheme was transformative. Dublin City Council led it out and the public loved it. I also agree that we now need to look at the next stage. I am speaking about Dublin and the supply to other cities to make sure bike schemes expand into other areas. It is confined and relatively restricted at the moment. I am interested in having that concept included in the study and the ongoing discussion. We do not want to interfere with what is for many people a successful working model for a number of different companies. We must be careful not to lose the good services we currently have. There has been significant roll-out. On the issue of the stationless system, that has worked and we have found that it is a viable model. This is a matter of striking a balance between making sure we do not lose what is working and looking at expansion.
The Minister hit the nail on the head. We need to work with existing companies but many of them are telling us that the capital costs of providing e-bikes across the whole city are significant and the State should be involved. They are, however, happy to be involved in the operation and delivery of the service. That would give the State control and provide stability in the city as people would know the bikes were owned by the State but operated by the different companies. The existing companies are open to dealing with the NTA and I have written extensively to the NTA on the matter. It says the capital expenditure is there but it needs a small budget allocation for the operation of such a scheme. I know we have done it in other cities and I think we could do it in Dublin.
I agree with the Minister. In as far as possible, we should not kill off those who are entrepreneurial enough to get the systems up and running. I would like to hear from the Minister about what sorts of incentives he is thinking of in terms of the strategy that is being developed. This can be the big game-changer if employers adopt it, priority is given in terms of road space, parking space and other assets and we can spread the schemes to wider geographical ranges. I am interested to know what policy tools the Minister is examining in the strategy evaluation.
This is just one element to it because what we do will have to be quite extensive. I mentioned an example in Finglas where Dublin City Council had installed facilities for e-car and e-bike charging. That was attractive and it could be an opportunity to provide access to a variety of different providers. I am looking at the climate fund to see if we could support such infrastructure being rolled out on a much more widespread basis in our five cities as a way of encouraging private operators into this space. The municipal authorities could provide some of the physical infrastructure, particularly for e-car charging. That will not be a small project but it could be done in an open way. That is one example that I am keen to look at as a way of giving a real stimulus to e-bike sharing and e-car sharing systems.
10. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Transport his plans to develop the port infrastructure here to enable the deployment of offshore wind farms, particularly on the west coast, in view of a report finding that Belfast Harbour is the only port capable of supporting large fixed and floating wind projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55750/22]
What are the Department's plans to develop port infrastructure to enable the deployment of offshore wind farms, particularly along our west coast, in light of the report by Wind Energy Ireland which found that only Belfast is suitable?
I welcome the contents of the national port study which was commissioned by Wind Energy Ireland. It provides a useful profile of port infrastructure and the proposed development plans of the port companies for both fixed and floating installations. Ireland has ambitious plans with regard to the development of offshore renewable energy in the seas around Ireland. This report aligns with the Government policy I published last December on the facilitation of offshore renewable energy by Irish commercial ports in identifying that a number of port facilities will be required for deployment activity and that multiple ports will be needed for operation and maintenance operations.
Delivery of the necessary infrastructure is ongoing in ports to address the requirements of industry. Ireland will potentially need to build on a phased basis four or five standard offshore renewable energy port facilities, each of which should be capable of building 500 MW of offshore renewable energy annually that will act as construction and deployment points over the next 25 to 30 years. In addition, a number of smaller ports will be required for offshore renewable energy operations and maintenance activities. A multi-port approach will ultimately allow investments that are commercially viable in the long-term to progress without undermining the ability of any port to meet its primary obligations in relation to the facilitation of international trade.
Officials in the Department have engaged with Wind Energy Ireland in relation to the study and the association along with Marine Renewable Energy Ireland. They made a presentation last month to the offshore renewable energy port's co-ordination group which is chaired by the Department of Transport.
In relation to the study recommendations directed at the Department, arrangements are already being made to facilitate a more regular exchange of views and updates between the Department and industry representative associations. With regard to funding, it is envisaged that like all port infrastructure, offshore renewable energy facilities will be funded through a combination of port revenues, EU funding and borrowing from the Irish Strategic Investment Fund, ISIF, the European Investment Bank, EIB, and other financial institutions. My Department is already engaging with the various institutions, including the European Commission, about the availability of funding for ports in providing offshore renewable energy infrastructure to meet EU and Ireland's ambitions.
In relation to other recommendations, significant work is ongoing at official level across a number of Departments to accelerate a drive delivery and to capture the longer term potential in this area.
I thank the Minister of State for her answer. I am particularly interested in the west. Galway and Limerick have a major role to play as we develop our offshore resource. This is strongly linked to the development of rail. This issue is not just a matter of offshore renewable energy but about shifting rail freight from east to west. There is a fantastic opportunity in the Minister of State’s neck of the woods with the western rail corridor to bring that infrastructure down the coast. We have good news on the Shannon Foynes line as well. There is a fantastic opportunity for the west coast. I am concerned by the language used about developing on a phased basis. I echo the Taoiseach’s words from COP27 that we do not have a minute to lose. We need to go full steam ahead to develop this infrastructure as fast as we can. We need to move from the thinking that we develop the east coast first, then get to the south and then move to the west. We need to develop all our infrastructure as fast as possible.
I completely agree with the Deputy about the urgency around this. I know that all ports across the country, many of which the Minister and I have visited, are working on their own plans to tap into the opportunities in operation and maintenance in the west, for example, in Galway. With regard to Shannon Foynes, the Minister attended the launch of the port's Vision 2041 strategic review. I congratulate Shannon Foynes Port Company and Bechtel on their report, which sets out the opportunity in the Shannon Estuary as a hub for facilitating the development of offshore wind along with the production of clean fuels, including green hydrogen, ammonia and methanol.
This is a multi-port approach and our ports are positioning themselves. They are working with the Department and looking at funding opportunities, for example, the Connecting Europe Facility, CEF, to which I alluded earlier, which is potentially capable of providing funding for studies and infrastructure across our ports. There is, therefore, substantial work taking place between industry, the Department and the ports examining what is required, particularly in the run-up to the approaching auctions.
I welcome the Minister of State’s response and I fully agree with the multi-port approach. I encourage the Government to leave no stone unturned in developing all our ports as quickly as possible. An important point to make about the development of these ports is that they are keystone projects in realising a wider and positive vision.
We in this country can be accused of siloing many of our challenges, but the ports unlock a great deal of potential for the country to shift from being a carbon-intensive society. I talk about my neck of the woods much of the time, but I will speak about the wider vision for a moment. If we can develop Foynes as an offshore hub and start to develop the west coast resource and towns like Foynes, Askeaton and Adare as well as Limerick city, the benefit will extend all the way up the west coast. The offshore renewable potential is an opportunity to achieve balanced regional development, something that the State has not achieved since its inception 100 years ago.
The Deputy alluded to the multiport approach well. Every port has its role to play, for example, Shannon Foynes in terms of larger infrastructure development and Galway and smaller ports in terms of operations and maintenance. I am encouraged by the engagement between our ports and industry on working towards potential funding opportunities at EU level, for example, from the EIB and the ISIF.
This is a very large endeavour and is ambitious, as it has to be. As the Deputy and I both know from living on the west coast, its offshore renewable energy potential is the new oil reserve that we need to tap into. Everything that can be done is being done. Industry must work with the ports and the Department and we must ensure that our ports are best placed to tap into funding, which will be done through their engagement with industry. It is about having the right infrastructure in the right place to tap into our offshore renewable space.
11. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 55 of 22 September 2022, the progress on the roll-out of park-and-ride facilities in Galway; the status of the draft park-and-ride study for Galway, and if it has been presented to both Galway city and county councils to date; the status of the site options analysis and feasibility studies for each of the zones identified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55752/22]
The Minister has a great interest in the roll-out of park-and-ride facilities in Galway. Will he update me on its status? I believe it has been presented to the city and county councils, so I do not need to put that question. What is the status of the site options analysis and feasibility study of each of the zones identified? I cannot convey my frustration enough at the slow pace of the roll-out.
The NTA has long recognised the importance of high-capacity park-and-ride facilities at designated public transport interchanges and has been providing these facilities as part of the ongoing investment in public transport. To support the timely delivery of park-and-ride sites and a cohesive overall programme, the NTA established the park and ride development office, PRDO, in February 2020. The office provides design services to assist in the delivery of park-and-ride projects across the State.
Regarding Galway, the PRDO has undertaken site option analyses and feasibility studies and is currently preparing a park-and-ride strategy for the Galway metropolitan area. The PRDO engaged with Galway city and county councils to discuss potential park-and-ride sites. A draft strategy was presented to Galway City Council on 10 October and a similar presentation will be made to Galway County Council this December. The draft strategy includes proposals for three bus-based strategic park-and-ride sites, the upgrade and expansion of the rail-based park-and-ride site at Oranmore, and two further possible future park-and-ride sites.
The PRDO is continuing detailed site option analyses and feasibility studies of each of the zones identified and these are expected to be completed in the coming months, taking into account the outcome of the strategy consultation with stakeholders. It should be noted that the development of particular sites will be aligned with the delivery of other supporting infrastructure, in particular bus corridor infrastructure. The NTA expects that the planning consent processes will commence in mid-2023.
Will the Minister at any stage depart from the script and give his opinion on Galway city, which is choked by traffic and one of five cities destined to grow? Park-and-ride facilities have been in its development plans since 2005 and we are now in 2022.
The one glaring error in the Minister's script was the statement that the NTA had "long recognised the importance of high-capacity park-and-ride facilities". No one has recognised it except the councillors in Galway and the people who included such facilities in the city development plan in 2005. Management and the NTA have failed to roll them out. They are only one part of the solution to the traffic congestion in Galway - clearly, the other part is the beginning of a feasibility study on light rail - but the development of park-and-ride facilities will stretch into 2023 or 2024 and there is no consideration of such facilities on the west side of the city at all.
The Minister is committed to public transport. People want to use it. We have a city choked by traffic because all of the eggs went into the basket of an outer bypass, which I never had any time for in the first place and which has gone down another cul-de-sac.
I do not disagree with the Deputy, and never have, on the need for a variety of public transport services in the greater Galway area, in particular Galway city, whose acute problems are, as everyone knows, probably worse than any other city's. The specific locations of the park-and-ride sites, the details of which I presume have been shared with Galway City Council, are at the likes of the M6-N6 junction on the way into the city, the N83 north of Claregalway and Oranmore railway station. For them to work, bus services must be prioritised. If we are going to install park-and-ride facilities for public transport, which is the right approach, then that public transport also has to work. One of the reasons we have included the cross-city public transport link in our Galway pathfinder project is that those public transport services have to be delivered in the next two years. We have set that as a 2025 target in all of our pathfinder projects.
Integration of any park-and-ride service with a wider upgrade of public transport and active travel systems within the city is critical. This has been one of the main issues. I heard what the Deputy said about Galway councillors being supportive, but we must also make difficult decisions on the likes of the N83 and the other approach roads to ensure that the bus priority that we would be depending on worked. That is probably one of the most critical issues alongside the question of how we deliver park-and-ride sites.
I will try to do the topic justice in one minute. Management and Government policy has gone down the route of an outer bypass and pursued no other solution. All of the other solutions are premised on the outer bypass, which is about to be quashed by An Bord Pleanála. A decision will have to be made on whether to send the proposal back to An Bord Pleanála after the board ignored what management in Galway city and county councils called a technical or narrow issue, namely, climate change. That is the mentality that is in charge of transformative action. It is not possible to get transformative action with that kind of mentality. We need leadership. Park-and-ride facilities cannot work without lifting traffic from the roads. Traffic can be lifted from the roads in a myriad of ways, for example, light rail, park-and-ride facilities, school transport, etc.
Today, I heard that the council was finally going to consider a new road for the R336 separately from the outer bypass. It has taken 20 or 30 years for the council to see that it should be considering that route independently.
Again, I do not disagree with the Deputy. I believe in the cross-city link. There is an opportunity for us to show that we can develop alternative public transport systems that work for the people of the city more than anyone else. Visitors are also critical, of course. We need public transport services, active travel and other measures that allow us to meet the climate change targets. The Deputy is correct, in that the scale of change needed to meet the 50% reduction in transport emissions and to reach net zero within three decades is beyond compare. Doing nothing is not an option. Ignoring climate change is not an option. That is not because of national law or European law, but because of the health, wealth and well-being of citizens in Galway. This will be a better system if we go with low-carbon, high-quality public transport, active travel, park-and-ride and other services. It is not impossible. It is a question of political will at local and national levels. I believe the political will exists across all parties, but now we have to deliver on it.
12. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Transport his plans to implement a public transport security strategy; if he plans to include An Garda Síochána in such a strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55761/22]
The issue of safety on our public transport system has arisen often lately. Has the Minister plans to implement a new public transport security strategy and will he include An Garda Síochána in any discussion on such a strategy? My view, which I will outline when I speak again, is that there has been an unhelpful stoking of the issue by some in politics, but the matter can be resolved through increased regular staffing and better co-ordination with An Garda Síochána.
I agree that the safety and security of public transport passengers and staff are critical matters that first and foremost must be managed by every transport company, working with An Garda Síochána, where appropriate. There are currently no plans to develop an overarching public transport security strategy. My Department and the National Transport Authority engage regularly with the public transport operators on the issue of security and ensuring the safety of passengers and staff. The NTA has established a working group on antisocial behaviour, which meets monthly to discuss any developing trends and share best practices.
Further, each of the operators has its own safety and security policies in place to deal with issues such as antisocial behaviour and they have introduced a number of initiatives in recent years to help combat the issue. These include increased investment in CCTV, text alert systems and joint initiatives with An Garda Síochána such as Operation Twin Tracks. There has been a 50% increase in spending on rail security in the past five years, from €3.7 million in 2016 to €5.7 million last year. Additionally, as part of my Department's sustainable mobility plan, the NTA has committed to develop and publish an annual public transport passenger safety and personal security report, and to implement measures where appropriate.
It should also be noted that the NTA meets regularly with An Garda Síochána and operator security managers to improve the security measures across all public transport services. The combined interventions implemented to date across all public transport services have substantially helped to tackle antisocial behaviour. This issue will, however, require ongoing monitoring. As such, I am committed to working collectively with all stakeholders to ensure the safest possible travel environment for members of the public and the safest possible working environment for the employees who provide our valuable public transport services.
Some of the measures outlined by the Minister, such as CCTV and text alerts, are all well and good but what we need is increased staffing in the public transport operators. Over the years, we have made a virtue of having staffless rail stations. This has been a problem. If we had the traditional stationmasters as well as workers present on platforms, who have authority by virtue of being public transport workers, it would go a long way towards increasing security so people can feel safe on our public transport system. We used to have inspectors on Dublin Bus. We need to go back to a system where we have inspectors. They are not there to throw their weight around but to provide passive security and passive surveillance. If we do that, along with measures such as CCTV and so on, which are already in place, it would help. That is where we need to go with regard to security.
I will go back to Deputy Smith's first comment that a lot of people are proposing a separate transport police. It is important that we address whether that is key, one way or the other. I recently visited a new control centre being built by Iarnród Éireann. It is an amazing facility behind Heuston Station. There we are seeing co-location of An Garda Síochána services with the Irish Rail management system. That this points in the right direction. We should have a continuing close connection between Irish Rail and An Garda Síochána. That co-location will further improve and develop that.
I had a meeting yesterday with our rail safety commissioner whose job it is to assess safety and review any accidents in the rail service. I asked him his view on whether we would be better off with a separate service. He firmly said "No". He felt that, as the Deputy said, the better operation of the existing systems would give a better return.
Last year, the NTA produced a significant report, Travelling in a Woman's Shoes, which addressed the issue of a wider sense of safety. The report stated, as the Deputy also said, that it is often design, presence, lighting and other basic safety features which are very important. It is not just about policing. It can be about presence, the local environment around public transport stations and so on. Following the recommendations of that report is a key and integral part of making the system safer for everyone.
The Minister and I are on the same page. I do not agree with having a separate transport police or the private outsourcing of security. I do not like the level of security on the Luas because it adds to the degree to which people feel unsafe. Rather than increasing security measures on public transport, I would rather see traditional staffing levels improved across our public transport system in line with a stronger, more rigorous and more visible Garda presence, where and how appropriate. I ask that we get back to first principles in the context of staffing and having a presence on the platforms and also, where we have difficulties in peak hours on certain services, that there is a Garda strategy in place that people can understand and people can see. We will not have gardaí on every bus, and nobody is saying that. We need to move towards having a system where we can have traditional transport workers who are visible to the public and making them feel safe. That should be the first measure in improving the security and safety on our public transport system.
We are at risk here of spending a lot of time on whataboutery. We talk to different people and they give us different perspectives, while the situation for passengers and workers on public transport continues to deteriorate. We do not have much rail in my county but we have a lot of buses. Navan services in particular have been pointed out by the National Bus and Rail Union, NBRU, as having real challenges. Rather than backbench and Opposition Deputies talking around the houses on this matter, the Government needs to come up with a strategy and a plan. Sinn Féin has put forward proposals, not for a separate transport police but for a unit within An Garda Síochána. If that is not the right solution, I ask the Minister to find the right solution to make public transport safe for people to use and work in.
I disagree with Deputy Smith on one point. I agree that we do not need a separate policing service but from my long experience on the Luas, I believe that company's system, which is often about fare evasion as much as policing, provides a welcome and secure presence. Those workers and that company do a good job in that regard. I do not believe gardaí will check for fares and so on.
I agree with Deputy O'Rourke that it is an issue also for bus services and in particular spots or areas. As we all know, there are times, especially late at night, when people can feel very insecure. I agree that this requires further action and real attention. It is vital that people feel safe. The report, Travelling in a Woman's Shoes, points to the safety aspect, which applies to all of us - men, women, children and older people. Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus are taking real action on that. They recognise the issue for the safety and security of their drivers as well as for passengers. This will require further fitting of CCTV cameras. It is also critical that they have an ability to use radio and other systems.
13. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if he intends to intervene directly with bus transport companies in relation to the current crisis in driver shortages and recruitment; the way in which the BusConnects programme can be implemented in Dublin, given the failure to retain and recruit sufficient drivers needed for the expansion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55704/22]
23. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the steps that he is taking to address the bus driver shortage in Ireland; if he will address the delay in issuing licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55357/22]
Deputy Boyd Barrett has been nominated to discuss Question No. 13, which is in the name of Deputy Bríd Smith.
I have in front of me a litany of complaints from local constituents over bus services in their area. There are horror stories about the failure of buses to turn up at all or on time, in particular Go-Ahead buses. We have had similar complaints at the transport committee, at which Go-Ahead and Dublin Bus appeared today. I put it to the Minister very simply that the reason this is happening is the inability of bus companies to recruit and retain bus workers. That is because the pay and conditions for bus workers are so poor and because of the pressure of competitive tendering imposed by the NTA, the Minister and successive Ministers for Transport.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 23 together.
I am acutely aware of the service issues currently being experienced across the public transport network in Dublin and the negative impact it is having on the travelling public. I reassure the House that I and my officials have met with senior management from the National Transport Authority in relation to these service issues and we are keeping the situation under close review.
Unfortunately, many operators are experiencing staffing difficulties at present, both as a result of Covid-19 related absences and also in relation to recruiting new drivers. The NTA is working closely with operators to try to mitigate the impacts of these staff shortages through recruitment campaigns in recent months, engagement with the RSA to expedite the testing and licence process and working with operators to minimise service cancellations. Further, in instances where operators have failed to meet the performance standards agreed in the public service obligation contracts, the NTA has applied financial penalties to those operators. The steps being taken by the NTA and operators are positive ones but it is the case that different sectors of the labour market are experiencing recruitment difficulties post-Covid 19 for a variety of reasons.
My Department has engaged with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with regard to the potential inclusion of bus drivers on the critical skills and ineligible occupations lists which determine roles that are in critical short supply or ineligible for employment permits.
I firmly believe we need to expand our public transport offering in Dublin and across the country. We are committed to funding further expansion of public transport services next year and the details and phasing of that expansion are currently being considered. The right pay and conditions for workers are vital so that the system works for them, just as it will then work for passengers. We are committed to that as part of the overall solution to making the switch in the transport system we need to make.
Even the WHO has said that being a bus driver is one of the most stressful jobs. I think it is the third most stressful job you can have. With traffic congestion in Dublin and so on, that is made even worse.
Competitive tendering is creating a race to the bottom and Go-Ahead Ireland is the worst offender. It haemorrhaged bus drivers over the last year because pay and, particularly, conditions, including lack of work-life balance and long shifts, were so bad. That is also causing problems for Dublin Bus. When Dublin Bus workers rejected by 85% an attempt to further deteriorate their conditions, work-life balance and shifts, what was the main selling point of the company in trying to ram that deal down their throat? It was the need to compete with Go-Ahead Ireland. That is what they said. Go-Ahead Ireland is leading the race to the bottom. Competitive tendering and privatisation are creating the conditions where bus drivers do not want to join these companies. People do not want to be bus drivers because the pay, conditions, work-life balance and shifts are so flipping awful. That has to be addressed and privatisation is an obstacle to that. Go-Ahead Ireland exacerbates it and the ordinary user of bus services faces the horror stories I have in front of me concerning the 175, the 17, the 75 and the 114 not turning up, turning up hours late and so on.
I will let Deputy O'Rourke in for 30 seconds and we will have to conclude then.
Go raibh maith agat. We only have to look at what Go-Ahead Ireland and Dublin Bus said at the transport committee the other day. I have stood with Dublin Bus workers who have 40 years' experience with it; a lifetime's experience and dedication. Go-Ahead Ireland reports a 25% staff turnover annually from a staff of 500. That tells you everything you need to know. It is about the terms and conditions of employment. They need to be addressed.
Minister, apologies. We have to move on to the next slot. Unfortunately, we are out of time.
