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Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 15 Feb 2017

Vol. 250 No. 2

Transport and Tourism: Statements

It is a pleasure to be back in the Seanad. I anticipate an interesting exchange of views and look forward to hearing the comments of Senators.

Since my last visit, road safety continues to be a major concern. As we are all aware, the road safety fatality figures are still at a very high level and it is disappointing that they are running at the same level as last year already, based on recent figures. Industrial unrest in the transport sector still exists, and also there is an increasing awareness of the impact that Brexit poses for the tourism sector. Senators have asked that I comment on these issues today.

The increase in road deaths last year was very disappointing, and I would like to offer my condolences to all those who lost loved ones. I assure the House that I am working tirelessly in the Department and with the Road Safety Authority to tackle the main causes of serious road collisions causing death and major injuries. Road traffic legislation has been strengthened continually in recent years. The Road Traffic Act 2016, signed by the President in December, provides a further range of improvements.

An Garda Síochána will now have power to test drivers at the roadside for a wide range of drugs. There will be a new optional speed limit of 20 km/h where appropriate. New measures will ensure that written-off vehicles are recorded and we will introduce mutual recognition of driving disqualifications with the UK. I am working to commence these measures as soon as possible. I am also working on a programme of further legislation for 2017. As a priority, I will bring in a Bill to remove the provision that allows some people who are guilty of drink-driving to receive penalty points in place of disqualification. Shockingly, there is still an average of 152 drivers arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence every week. The ministerial committee on road safety is now meeting more regularly and I and my partners in road safety, the Road Safety Authority, the Department of Justice and Equality, the Garda Síochána, the local authorities, the Health and Safety Authority and the Office of the Attorney General, are working together to tackle the upward trend in road deaths. I welcome the assurance by An Garda Síochána that road safety enforcement is a priority in the Garda policing plan for 2017, that there will be a stronger focus on road traffic enforcement in Garda training and an increase of 10% in the traffic corps, which will result in more checkpoints and greater enforcement of road traffic laws.

I now turn to Bus Éireann. I have no doubt that Senators share my concern about the industrial relations tensions that currently exist. I welcome that the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, will today meet relevant parties to begin exploratory discussions. This is an important first step in what I have no doubt will be difficult discussions for everybody concerned. However, as I have said, this situation will only be resolved through such discussions and I urge all parties to engage constructively with the WRC. In the context of some of the commentary of recent weeks, I would like to briefly refer to a couple of issues on which I have no doubt Senators will have their own view. Some have said that the situation is a result of Government policy. I am clear as to what Government public transport policy should be about. It should be about the citizen. It should be about encouraging greater use of public transport. It should facilitate better services, more choice and competitive fares. I believe that is what Government policy in commercial bus licensing has achieved and I would like to think that Senators can at least agree in principle with these policy objectives.

Others have raised the issue of Government subsidy. We need to be clear about what that subsidy is provided for. It is used to fund socially necessary but financially unviable services. It cannot be used to fund commercial services such as Bus Éireann's Expressway services. That is not just a principle; it is a matter of law. The State cannot legally fund one commercial bus operator but not the rest. We have increased the public service obligation, PSO, subsidy over 2016 and again in 2017. Last year, Bus Éireann received 21% more than it received in 2015 and this year it will receive even more thanks to the 11% increase I secured in the budget for 2017 for PSO services generally. As I have said, that subsidy cannot be used to fund commercial services. I have no doubt that Senators will have concerns as regards the impact of any potential Expressway changes upon rural Ireland. I share those concerns but have been assured by the National Transport Authority, NTA, that it will work with any affected rural community to ensure continued public transport connectivity in cases where services are reconfigured. The authority has done that in the past and will do that again. Let us be clear. Bus Éireann loses money. These losses stem from its commercial services. Losses must be addressed and it must do so in consultation with its employees and with a view to restoring the company to a sustainable and viable future. I am hopeful that today’s exploratory talks will provide the basis required for more substantive discussions in the coming days. In 2017 we will invest €354 million in public transport and sustainable transport infrastructure. A significant number of projects are under way and planned to increase capacity on our public transport network. Projects such as Luas cross city and ten-minute DART frequencies will help manage the increasing demand on the light rail and heavy rail networks in the greater Dublin area. The Luas cross city project will commence operation before end of 2017 and will provide for an estimated 10 million annual additional journeys. Other projects that are being progressed that will improve capacity on the rail network in Dublin and nationally include the city centre resignalling project and the construction of a new central traffic control centre for the commuter and intercity rail network.

Funding is being provided for replacement and expansion of the PSO fleet with 110 buses to be purchased in 2017 for the Dublin region and 70 for the Bus Éireann PSO fleet. Funding is also being allocated for the development or upgrading of quality bus corridors in both the greater Dublin area and in regional cities. The NTA has statutory responsibility for the development of public transport infrastructure in the greater Dublin area, including the new metro north project. The decision to proceed with metro north followed consideration of the Fingal-north Dublin transport study and the NTA’s recommendations on the study, which identified the light rail link as the optimal long-term public transport solution on the Swords and airport to city centre corridor.

It is expected that the service will offer capacity for 9,900 passengers per hour per direction with potential to expand services in the future. Funding for the project is provided under the Government’s capital plan, allowing initially for the planning and design phases of the project, followed by the construction phase, which is expected to commence in 2021 with a view to delivering the project by 2026 or 2027.

I recognise there is considerable evidence emerging of increased travel demand across the Dublin region, with growing traffic levels on many of the region’s roads and streets. The welcome increase in the number in employment has impacted on transport, not only through the beginning of a recovery in public transport numbers but also through increased car use and re-emergence of peak period congestion. As Dublin city centre is the target destination of many of the journeys being undertaken in the region, there is a substantial degree of congestion evident at many locations on the road network approaching the city. A significant deterioration in M50 journey times has also been observed. In so far as congestion issues in Dublin are concerned, my Department is in close contact with the NTA about addressing travel demand growth in the Dublin region with a view to intensifying efforts to combat congestion in the short to medium term through greater use of bus priority, demand management and other alleviating measures.

I must emphasise that a step change in the funding of public transport is required if we are to deliver and maintain a well-functioning transport system that will cater for increased travel demand, deliver modal shift and support economic recovery. A mid-term review of the capital plan has been initiated and I will make the case for increased funding for public transport in that context to cater for increasing demand for public transport as the economy continues to improve and to encourage people to get out of their cars and onto public transport and more sustainable forms of transport.

In common with the rest of Government, there has been considerable analysis of the challenges which tourism faces arising from the UK referendum. In this context, on 23 January 2017, the Minister of State, Deputy O’Donovan, and I hosted an all-island dialogue on the impact of Brexit on the tourism and hospitality sector. Research shows that 7% of people living in Britain say they are less likely to holiday overseas in 2017. The research also indicates that spending patterns are likely to change. For example, 50% of people say they will spend less while on holiday abroad. Tourism Ireland also presented research which estimated that outbound travel from Britain will decline by 2.5% in 2017. Given Ireland’s reliance on Britain, from where 41% of our overseas visitors came in 2016, tourism to Ireland is likely to be more affected than to any other destination. Tourism Ireland’s strategy for responding to Brexit will involve various strands, including defending key segments of the British market, very focused competition in existing markets in Europe and North America and pursuing new, potentially lucrative, markets further afield. A commitment is given on markets further afield in the Government's tourism policy statement, People, Place and Policy - Growing Tourism to 2025, to prioritising tourism marketing efforts towards those markets providing higher revenue returns. The programme for Government commits to implementing the policy objectives in the policy statement and achieving the targets for Irish tourism contained therein. The UK vote does not change this.

In 2017, Tourism Ireland will continue to implement its market diversification strategy and intends to maximise holiday revenue through investment in mainland Europe and North America. In addition, the depreciation of the pound against the euro since the UK referendum means that value for money will be a key message for Tourism Ireland in Britain this year. A strong focus on the culturally curious, who tend to stay longer and spend more, will assist in the defence of the British market. Looking to the medium term, Tourism Ireland is currently finalising its corporate plan for the period 2017 to 2019. This plan will include the agency’s response to marketing Ireland in Britain in the situation that has developed following the referendum.

Ireland has successfully cleared the applicant phase of the bid to host the Rugby World Cup in 2023 and is now in the candidate phase. We are working closely with our Northern Ireland counterparts to ensure the best possible submission will be made by 1 June 2017. World Rugby will make its selection in November 2017. Hosting the event would provide a platform to showcase the island of Ireland globally. We have the stadiums, the tourism infrastructure and ease of access, and a friendly Irish welcome is guaranteed. We have the confidence and the capacity required to deliver a highly successful Rugby World Cup, with an ideal mix of stadiums throughout the country right in the hearts of our cities and towns.

Ireland is a major international tourist destination, with 10 million visitors to Ireland in 2016. We have the range of accommodation to cater for all fans. Our tourism infrastructure has the capacity to host all visitors we would expect to come for the tournament. Regarding connectivity, Ireland is easy to travel to, and it is very easy to travel around to all parts of the country.

The 2023 Rugby World Cup also has incredible potential to engage with our Irish abroad, the Irish diaspora. That Ireland set a US rugby attendance record for the match against New Zealand underscores Ireland's ability to tap into and mobilise the diaspora, particularly in the United States.

Ireland also has a proven track record of successfully staging major international sporting events and we continue to attract high-profile global events. We are ready to host the Rugby World Cup as one of the premier global sporting events with significant attendance and overseas viewing. Hosting it would provide a unique platform to showcase Ireland globally.

The tournament would have very considerable potential. The direct economic return of hosting the tournament would be derived primarily from the spending by overseas visitors. Based on the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England, there would be an estimated all-island economic impact of €800 million from 450,000 visitors.

Rugby, and sport in general, will be a key beneficiary of the tournament's domestic legacy, including a multimillion sustainable investment in the enhancement of existing stadiums. Ireland's 2023 legacy would produce a network of improved community and grassroots facilities for the next generation of players. We will reach out to Ireland's diaspora for its support and we are confident, given the success of The Gathering, that Ireland will see tangible support for a staging of the tournament by way of many of the diaspora travelling to Ireland for the tournament. Should we be successful, we will work closely with the tourism bodies to ensure this happens.

That concludes my overview. I thank Senators for their time and patience and I look forward to hearing their contributions.

I welcome the Minister, who is also my local Teachta Dála. He is very welcome back to the Seanad Chamber, where I know he spent many happy years, probably longer than almost anyone else has ever spent here. It is good to see Senators doing well in Cabinet. There are quite a number of former Senators in the current Cabinet.

I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak on tourism and transport. Ireland's tourism industry has seen its overseas visitor numbers grow consistently in recent years, with growth of 13% in 2015. Overseas visitors spent an estimated €6 billion in the State in 2015, a growth of 16% on the previous year. However, to remain competitive in the global tourism market, Ireland must ensure the quality of our services remains high, our prices remain reasonable and access to our ports and airports is maintained and improved. The savings created by the retention of the 9% VAT rate for the tourism sector must be passed on to the consumer. While the tourism experience offered in Ireland is unrivalled, we cannot afford to neglect the overall quality of tourism product in the country. The Department, tourism agencies and local authorities have a key role in devising tourism product and promotion strategies and policies. For all these bodies, we cannot get carried away with the success we have had in attracting tourists over recent years and we must not rest on our laurels.

The Gathering was very successful, but since then the Government has neglected tourism product development and domestic and overseas marketing. In budget 2017, the capital budget for tourism was cut by 4%. In the light of Brexit and sterling devaluation, to which the Minister referred, this is a shocking statistic. Brexit poses a real threat to further stable growth in the tourism industry, as the Minister outlined. We must be very cognisant not only of what Brexit has done for the psychology and the way people think of Britain but also of the very real and immediate drop in the value of sterling. It is imperative the Minister moves to publish immediately a new overarching tourism policy document to reassure the industry that a strategy is in place to deal with the potential consequences of Brexit.

The Government lacks a comprehensive vision and strategic plan for how to cope with future public transport demand not only in the core Dublin city area but also in the greater Dublin area as well as the rest of the country. The capital plan published in September is emblematic of the lack of ambition, vision and forward planning for public transport that the Government has been following. In the period 2007 to 2010, the Fianna Fáil Government set in motion two rail projects which would have radically transformed public transport in the greater Dublin area. Both these projects, DART underground and metro north, are vital to increasing productivity and economic output in the capital into the coming decades. Both were significantly progressed by the time the current Government came to power. DART underground already had a railway order and was ready to go, while planning for metro north was in its final stage. However, the Government chose to cancel both these projects in the capital plan. While metro north has been replaced with a scaled-back alternative, the Government's decision to abandon these projects has effectively set back public rail transit in the capital for decades.

It is vital that the DART underground project goes ahead. The project has economic benefits which reach far beyond the greater Dublin area. If completed, it will link up our southern and western rail lines with the DART, eastern and northern rail lines. It will more than double capacity on the Maynooth and Kildare route, which in turn will enable more frequent and better integrated rail services. The project would allow people to travel from Dublin Airport directly to Cork, Limerick and Galway. The previous Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, claimed he was unconvinced by the business case for the project. This was a disingenuous claim, especially when one considers the strong endorsement put forward by the National Transport Authority at the time. Analysts have long warned of the massive challenges facing transport in the greater Dublin area. The M50 has already reached peak capacity, as the Minister outlined, and commuters are already all too aware of the difficulties facing our transport network. It has been suggested the Government now realises the mistake it made and is considering advancing DART underground, which is positive. However, it is disappointing that Deputy Donohoe's previous statement will result in much higher costs for and a much greater delay to the project when and if it ever happens.

Last week, works began in Cherrywood, an area the Minister would know well, in south Dublin. I outlined this yesterday on the Order of Business. It is fantastic to see the groundbreaking ceremony happen. This development will potentially lead to 8,000 houses, with an increase in the population of between 20,000 and 25,000 projected. As the Minister knows, many of the Luas green line stations in his constituency - my constituency too - are effectively at capacity for a significant part of the day. One hears of people in Dundrum going up the line to Kilmacud to cross over the tracks to get back in because one cannot get on at Dundrum. This is before 8,000 homes and 20,000 people are added to Cherrywood. What will we do about the Luas green line? I do not know how it might be handled. I am not a transport engineer. I do not know whether it is possible to lengthen the carriages - probably not - or whether the frequency of trains can be further increased, but the line is very busy all day before the addition of another 20,000 people. Ideally, Cherrywood could be a self-sustaining community in which many of the facilities and services are on site. However, it is unrealistic to believe that all 8,000 homes and the entirety of the population living there will not need a good quality, efficient transport service with adequate capacity.

The competitiveness and attractiveness of Dublin and its surrounding counties as a destination for living, visiting and doing business will be seriously undermined unless actions are taken to increase the capacity and usability of public transport to better manage traffic during peak periods and reduce private car share. The population of the greater Dublin area is expected to grow by 22% by 2030 and by 26% in the mid-east region, including Kildare, Meath and Wicklow. Increasing investment in bus services as well as DART underground, metro north and Luas is vital.

I have a few other small points. The Minister referred to road safety. What he is doing in this field is commendable but, and this is as much a matter for the Minister for Justice and Equality as it is for him, enforcement and the Garda traffic corps are noticeably absent on the roads. That is the only way of putting it. Not enough people are worried about being caught. People are taking chances. The Minister's predecessor both in Dublin South and in the Department, Seamus Brennan, introduced a penalty points system. There was great resistance to it by officials initially, but it had a very positive effect in terms of lives saved. Enforcement is the key. We in the Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach dealt with the cost of motor insurance. The cost of motor insurance is related to the number of claims, and the claims are related to the number of accidents.

It is disappointing that whereas the Minister's statement referred to sustainable modes of transport, nowhere was cycling mentioned in his entire speech.

In Dublin especially we need to provide proper cycling facilities. This means not only better surfaces - they are often not joined up – but we need to ensure that employees have safe places to lock their bikes as well as decent changing facilities in buildings.

The Minister referenced demand management. That expression is usually code for road pricing and I am concerned. Will the Minister outline what he means by that and whether he is referring to demand management on the M50 and further tolls?

There was a proposal approximately ten years ago called the blue line. It related to a rapid bus transit project along the eastern bypass corridor through much of Dublin and Rathdown. The idea was to connect the Luas and DART with UCD and RTE. At this stage, the road reservation is there and the proposal for the eastern bypass will not start before 2035 and may never progress. It would be good to use that corridor as a way of delivering high-quality public transport along a route that has many trip generators, in particular UCD, Dundrum Town Centre and Sandyford business district. It could connect the DART and Luas with all other major trip generators on that line. I thank the Minister for his time and I look forward to his response.

I welcome the Minister to the House. I wish to concentrate on issues around transport. I realise it is only part of the overall brief and responsibility of the Minister.

I note the Minister's emphasis on the Road Safety Authority. The Minister will recall that the last time he was in the House I asked for some detail or clarification relating to vacancies for directors on the RSA board. The Minister outlined a course of action and associated reasons. He explained that he had more names than people and that he did not quite know what their recommendations were. He said he wanted to review the whole matter. That is the Minister's prerogative and I acknowledge that. However, I believe it is important that the Road Safety Authority has all the necessary resources and personnel to do its job. After all, the authority has a statutory remit.

The Minister also mentioned an ongoing report or review of the RSA. The Minister might share with us the position at this point. Where is the RSA review? Has it been completed? What are its recommendations, if it is complete? When does the Minister intend to fill the three vacancies on the board of directors of the RSA?

I want to raise an issue that I raised with the Minister previously on numerous occasions. It relates to the inordinate delays for everyone - young people in particular are affected – who wishes to do a driving test. We know there are major delays in Donegal, Sligo and, to a lesser extent, Galway. Young people want to do a driving test in these places but they are repeatedly delayed. The problem is especially acute in parts of rural Ireland where there is a high reliance on private cars. They do not have the public transport network to get around.

The evidence shows that many young people are driving without an experienced accompanying driver. They are leaping from village to town. That is not right. We cannot condone that but that is the reality. These young people want to do their test and get it. It impacts on their insurance and independence. I believe it is appropriate to put some measures in place to fast-track applications where there are backlogs in the system. People who want to do their driving test should be able to do it. I got a call this morning from Councillor Nicholas Crossan from Donegal. He said it is one of the major issues in his clinic in Buncrana week in, week out. Young people in their 20s and 30s are waiting for months. That is unacceptable and I am keen to hear what the Minister has to say about it.

More pressing is the potential of a major travel dispute that will affect public transport next week. I took the time to look over the submission by the National Bus and Rail Union and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport. It was submitted by the NBRU spokesman, Dermot O'Leary, and Patrick McCusker. I will not reread the submission. The joint committee raised several issues. Clearly, we have a major travel dispute and industrial dispute under way.

It cannot really be said that the Minister does not have a role in respect of transport. A number of the Minister's colleagues in the Independent Alliance would be fully aware of the implications for rural transport. It is one of the planks of this Government's policy in the partnership Government manifesto, to which the Minister is a party and to which his colleagues are committed. The aim is to bridge the shortcomings in terms of infrastructure for rural communities. Rural communities rely heavily on public transport and they avail of various modes of transport provided by Bus Éireann.

We really have a critical issue. We also have issues relating to the Department of Social Protection. That Department funds aspects of the rural travel system and the fees are being paid by that Department. I am not suggesting that the Department should be lumbered with fees. However, the reality is that public transport is a service, especially in rural communities. The Minister does have a role, as does the Minister for Social Protection, the NTA and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in resolving this dispute.

It is a question of public health. If there is insufficient money, we have to deal with it. Transport is a critical issue for people, especially in rural communities. I am keen to hear how the Minister intends to take some responsibility in terms of negotiating with all parties to get some resolution. Certainly, there must be reform and cost-cutting measures. However, the reality is this is not a level playing pitch. Some private people operate on some routes. Some of the routes have been cherry-picked as a result of NTA encouragement over many years. The public sector companies are taking up the bad routes and many of them are not profitable.

A key issue arises for the Minister's political group. I know that the Minister and his group are absolutely committed to balanced regional and rural development. I believe this is one aspect of the dispute. I am keen to hear what the Minister has to say. I believe this is critical. A great deal is at stake here. We need to look at it.

I welcome the opportunity, in the time allotted to me, to cover several points relating to transport, tourism and sport. In the past three weeks the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs published a plan for sustainable communities and regional development. The Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government has launched a plan for the period from 2020 to 2040. These proposals should, if implemented, lead to greater balanced regional development. However, the history of such plans has shown that they tend to become hijacked politically and not implemented.

For these plans to be successful it is important that the roll out of transport infrastructure throughout the country connects the west coast with the east coast and the north west and so on. That is crucial. Obviously, the need for metro plans in Dublin and the other cities has been raised. However, let us look ahead 20 years. We could have a situation whereby the east coast is totally choked and the west coast is totally devoid. We need connections. It is vital to plan for and roll out the infrastructure. We do not expect it to be done by next year, but we need to see the development of motorways such as the M4 and M5 as well as the M17 Gort to Tuam motorway. That will be completed next year. That route needs to be continued to Sligo and on to Donegal for balanced development. This is the key to the other plans relating to the spines and connectivity that we see.

The need is similar in the case of regional airports. I was at a meeting in Ireland West Airport Knock on Monday. Those at the meeting articulated the development taking place there. They had a record year with 750,000 passengers, more than all the other regional airports put together. It is not an airport for Mayo; it is an airport for the west and the north west. It needs to be continually supported. Those at the meeting outlined that €1.2 million was contributed in PRSI and tax to the Government as a result of people directly employed there. A further 900 indirect jobs are supported by the airport.

However it needs more support for capital spending. I know the restrictions of state aid rules. Funding for capital spending has been reduced from 90% to 75%. I understand the Government had made a submission to Brussels to allow for a case to be made, in exceptional circumstances, for such funding to be increased to 90%. The Minister might comment on that aspect.

Tourism has been the one industry that has delivered for this country when we needed it most at the time of the economic crash and downturn. We had 9.5 million visitors to this country last year. I compliment the agencies involved, Tourism Ireland, Fáilte Ireland and so on, on their targeted marketing in recent years. They upped their game and the results are there for everybody to see. The Minister outlined the concerns regarding Brexit and it is important that he and everybody involved in the sector are on top of that and the dangers it implies. In other words, we cannot become complacent about what is happening. There are also dangers within our tourism industry. It relates to Dublin and the major cities with high prices for accommodation and a shortage of beds. If we are not careful, we will kill the goose that has laid the gold egg. That needs to be addressed with the Irish Hotels Federation. When there are major events in the capital week after week, be it a sporting or entertainment event, the prices are hiked up. That needs to addressed.

I have been involved in sport all my life. It has the ability to continuously lift communities and the nation in a way that no other activity can. There are some great developments happening in sport. The Minister presided at the opening of the new national indoor arena in Abbotstown a few weeks ago. The developments in sports at that site have been phenomenal. They enhance our ability to maximise the level of participation and the potential for our athletes and elite athletes to perform on the international stage at the highest level. That potential continues to be supported and unleashed with such developments.

There has been major scrutiny of the governance of sport in recent times. We have seen that at world level in various sports, including cycling and soccer, and at home with the Olympic Council of Ireland. I very much welcome the appointment of Sarah Keane as the new President of the Olympic Council of Ireland. The new president and her board face many challenges to bring about change and transparency in the way the council operates. It is staggering that it has spent almost €1 million because of the controversies that happened during the summer. It is important to bear in mind that the Olympic Council of Ireland and all other governing bodies are there to serve and not to be served. The concept of the Olympic movement is under question. I read an article in The Irish Times this week on the venues and stadiums at the Rio Olympics, where many of the venues already have fallen into a state of disrepair. They were largely abandoned after the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. Vandals ripped out thousands of seats, stole televisions and abandoned prefabricated huts are to be found next to the Olympic golf course. The Olympic movement and model, as well as the ideals of Olympian sport, have been taken over by the corporations. That also needs to be examined in an international context.

I will revisit issues I have raised with the Minister in this Chamber and elsewhere on a number of occasions. One issue is the huge gap in access to transport services for the people of the north west. On the last occasion I pointed to the map in the excellent Connected report produced by IBEC and the CBI. It sets out the motorway infrastructure and on the few pages following it the rail infrastructure is set out but there is huge gap in that half a million people in counties Donegal, Derry and Tyrone have no motorway access, rail access or air access to the capital city in Dublin. Given the new plan, Ireland 2040, and given that a huge proportion of our population, public service and jobs are based in the capital, people must have the required level of access to it. We need justice in this regard. The Minister has committed to work on a number of the issues and I appreciate that.

On Monday of this week, the Minister's colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, and the Minister of Heath in the North, Michelle O'Neill, jointly opened the new North West Cancer Centre in Derry. It will provide radiotherapy services for the population based in that region. It is a tremendous model of the Governments working together in the interests of the people of the region and it is also a vision for the future.

I appreciated the Minister's commitment regarding the A5 and his strong words of support on the last occasion, so I will not go over that again, but I wish to raise a number of issues with him. We are fortunate in my region to have two chief executives, namely, John Kelpie in Derry City and Strabane District Council and Seamus Neely in Donegal County Council, who are working together collectively in terms of the city region. Their vision is to double the size of Letterkenny and to work with Derry city to develop them into being magnets for investment for the region, whereby if one is in west, north or east Donegal, County Derry or in County Tyrone, one could link into those two cities as magnets for investment. There is traffic gridlock in Letterkenny town that we hope to develop into a city. The Minister will say that there is traffic gridlock in all the major cities, but the difficulty in Letterkenny is that it has a very poor public transport system. Therefore, people do not have alternatives. They have to use their cars to travel from the rural areas to the town to go to the hospital, the institute of technology or to their jobs, and I am sure having those facilities in place is the vision the Government would have for developing the regions. I ask the Minister to do all he can to ensure funding is provided for the N56 Letterkenny relief road, which would greatly reduce the pressure of that gridlock and in the overall scheme of things it would not involve a huge amount of money. The plans have been completed and submitted. I ask that in the review of the Government's capital plan that the Minister will consider putting forward that project as one of the key drivers of developing Letterkenny towards becoming a city and hopefully developing the economy of County Donegal for the future.

The second issue connected to this theme is the City of Derry Airport. I reiterate that the Wild Atlantic Way has been a tremendous success, as has the Causeway Coastal Route. The way we can join all that together to ensure they complement each other is by investing in the City of Derry Airport. One might ask why I would say that as a Donegal man but 40% of the passengers who use the City of Derry Airport are from Donegal - 150,000 every year. That airport is the centre of the economic and tourism future of the north west, that region comprising half a million people, but it is not getting one cent of investment. It used to get investment from the Irish Government but it does not now. I appreciate that the Minister has a plan for the airports and there is a concern in his Department about public service obligations, PSOs, but I ask that he meet members of the management of the City of Derry Airport. I understand the board of the airport will by now have made a request to meet him. I believe he will be very impressed with them and their vision. He will know that there will be a PSO route linking Derry to London and possibly to other British cities. It would be important to also get a link to Dublin. It is not only a commuter connection.

When one flies into Ireland from North America or Europe it is more than likely that one will land at Dublin Airport. If we are serious about attracting tourists to the north west to develop its economy and have balanced regional developments then we need a connecting flight between Derry and Dublin. The only way to do so is through some form of contribution, whatever that might be, or partnership with the Irish Government. I ask that the Minister meets airport management from the City of Derry Airport and listens to their case because there may be something that can be done to assist the airport further.

My final point is on Bus Éireann. The Minister will have heard from his colleagues the concerns expressed by persons who live in rural and urban Ireland about the loss of some bus routes and the threat to the Expressway service. Ministers must often talk to the Dáil or Seanad about issues that they have inherited. The Minister has inherited a situation whereby many of these routes were allowed to be privatised and opened to competition with private providers that cherry-picked the routes. I have no issue with private companies seeking to make a living and make a profit because that is what they do. We had a policy that allowed such a scenario. That is at the core of the sustainability of many of these routes. The policy must be revisited as part of this process. I ask the Minister to realise that this is not an industrial relations issue. The Minister has inherited a situation that arose as a result of a long-standing Government policy. I ask him to consider the long-term sustainability of these routes because they connect cities to regions. To resolve the matter we need an intervention and policy change at Government level. The Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government has talked about the new plan for 2040 and balanced regional development, just like every Government, investment and transport agency. If we are serious about implementing a plan then there must be an intervention to protect the routes in the interests of the public. I plead with the Minister to consider doing so.

I welcome the Minister back to the House. I am clearly going to focus on people with disabilities but I shall start by discussing the programme for Government. It states:

Throughout their lives, people with disabilities should be supported in maximising their potential, by removing barriers which impact on access to services, education, work or healthcare. In achieving this aim, the new Partnership Government should be guided by two principles: equality of opportunity and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.

Recently the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport published its statement of strategy. In the first paragraph of the foreword the Minister states: "All elements of our new government are working well together and though we face many challenges ahead we are more than ready to meet them." I have no sense that the challenges to provide an accessible public transport system for people located across this country, who have disabilities and mobility impairment, were reflected in the statement of strategy. It would take another day to debate how much the Department has addressed the challenges but the challenges must be reflected in the statement of strategy.

Earlier the Minister spoke about the Rugby World Cup. I shall use a different sporting analogy by saying the Minister must face the puck out. I have not seen that happen in the work of his Department.

In the second paragraph of the foreword the Minister states: "Safety, accessibility and sustainability will be very much part of these plans." I did not see an ambition for accessibility and participation by people with disabilities in the statement.

The statement of strategy consists of 22 pages. Unfortunately, it contained no reference to the ratification or implementation of the UN convention, which is a major commitment and ambition that was outlined in the programme for Government.

At the end of the statement of strategy the Minister mentioned two commitments. The first commitment is as follows:

We will invest to make public transport services more accessible for people with disabilities. Examples of such investment include increased wheelchair access to bus and train stations, bus fleet enhancement and audio announcements on train and bus services, to aid the visually impaired.

When and how soon will we see the details of what is going to be done? I shall highlight the chronic issues that exist today.

The second commitment is as follows: "We will also introduce a provision whereby taxi companies who wish to bid for state procurement contracts must ensure that a minimum of 10% of their fleet is wheelchair accessible." It is nine months since this commitment was written in the programme for Government so we are well into the game. I cannot see why the Government has not delivered on this aim if the Minister and his officials were working on this goal.

Let me give a few examples of the kinds of issues that people must face. In Cork only Bus Éireann supervisors are allowed to operate the lifts on buses. Therefore, if someone wants to travel he or she must book 24 hours ahead, a fact that we already know. That is different from what everyone else needs to do. A supervisor must meet the person at his or her desired location, load the passenger on to the bus, follow the bus to the intended location and finally unload the passenger. That process, even though it is not a solution, seems to me to be highly inefficient and cumbersome. I cannot see why drivers cannot be trained to do these functions. If a person is competent enough to drive a bus that carries between 50 to 100 people then surely to God he or she can be trained to operate a lift on a bus.

Why is Dublin Bus the only service to have integrated assistive technology on its fleet of buses for visually and hearing impaired passengers? I have made this point before. The situation seems to suggest that there is one standard for the Pale and another for the rest of the country. These are real issues for people.

A huge proportion of Bus Éireann's fleet has nothing to aid visually and hearing impaired passengers in order to experience an independent journey. I raise this issue because people want to independently move from A to B and get on with their business.

I know people, some of whom are no longer with us, who got out of their wheelchairs on a constant basis and moved up the steps of buses on their bums. I am thinking of the late Dermot Walsh, Martin Naughton and many others who embarrassed the daylights out of the public bus company and the Department in order to make buses accessible. In fairness, bus stops may be very accessible because a lot of work has been done on this issue. Now it is routine that when somebody goes to a bus stop he or she will find that somebody has parked a buggy in the wheelchair space. The embarrassed driver must apologise to the person with a disability and offer to ask the owner of the buggy to move it but generally nothing can be done. I believe that something can be done about the situation. I am not saying that one should not facilitate other people but people fought hard for disabled spaces to be provided for people in wheelchairs and people with mobility impairment. The spaces need to be protected but I am not saying they cannot be used by others when not in use.

Like anyone else, I hope that Ireland is successful in its bid to host the Rugby World Cup. I am not sure that rugby fans from different parts of Ireland who have mobility impairment and disabilities would be able to get to the matches independently using public transport. If they cannot do so then tourists who travel here will be unable to do so.

People with disabilities and their families are unhappy about the way things are. There was an ambition and commitment given in the programme for Government to do something about this problem and the Government needs to crack on. I have not seen the ambition mentioned in the Minister's statement of strategy. Perhaps it does exist but I have not seen it.

I ask the Minister to return to the House at an early date and outline the detail to show what will be achieved by the end of 2017, 2018, 2019 and perhaps even by the end of 2020. There is life left in this Administration and it has to deliver for people.

I welcome the Minister to the House. There has been a welcome increase of 12% in the number of overseas visitors. At the start of the end of recession, there were an additional 850,000 visitors and this year the additional number of visitors was 2.19 million.

Many people are employed in the tourism sector, but I am very concerned about the skills shortage, in particular those with culinary skills, chefs and so on. I ask the Minister to examine this area.

I have raised issues with the Minister on the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland's Ancient East. I proposed that Limerick city should be added to the Wild Atlantic Way. While I welcome the announcement of the Shannon Estuary Drive, which includes Limerick city, I still would like the Minister to consider my proposal. To achieve balanced regional development I would like the Minister to reconsider the inclusion of Limerick city in the Wild Atlantic Way. Fáilte Ireland has provided €1.5 million towards these initiatives and I would love to see Limerick city being included.

I welcome the allocation of €324 million for regional and local roads. When one is driving in rural areas outside of Dublin, one sees roads in a deplorable state. It is important that we maintain both our local and regional roads. Members have raised the issues concerning the N20, the Cork to Limerick road, and I know he has committed to examining it, but I would like to add to that list the N24, the Limerick to Waterford road. Limerick city is the regional driver for the mid west and there is no official linkage or motorway between Limerick and Cork and Limerick and Waterford. Issues in respect of these roads have been raised with Members in terms of business development. Shannon Airport is on our doorstep. I welcome the fact that Shannon Airport is autonomous, which was granted by a previous Minister. This has been a great success story for the region. In terms of regional airports, it is so important to look after our airport and our ports because they create employment and bring people into the country.

As an avid Garryowen, Munster and Ireland supporter I have travelled around the world following the teams. I know a very positive sports programme has been put in place. I think we have a very good chance that our bid to host the Rugby World Cup will be successful. I agree with the Minister's view that it would bring a great deal of money to the country. This proposal has to be worked on and no stone should be left unturned in bringing this event to Ireland. The four provinces and Northern Ireland are united and involved in the bid.

Last Monday evening I attended one of the workshops in Thomond Park. All the sports clubs were very positive about the sports capital grants. I think we must commit to this on an annual basis. There are a great many people involved in sports clubs, be it in GAA, rugby or boxing. It is great to see the number of young people involved in sport and how beneficial this is for their health.

There have been many successful greenway projects. I cycled the Waterford greenway only recently. It is very positive. It is great to see investment in the shared walking and cycling pathways and in particular the old canal bank in Limerick which links the university with the city. Greater investment in such projects is to be commended.

I welcome the Minister. I will try to stay away from rugby internationals because we covered that when he was previously in the House.

It is expected by 2020 that there will be an additional 2.1 million more tonnes of CO2 produced in Ireland if current trends continues. That is an increase in the range of 13% to 19%. What is the plan to deal with this?

The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Denis Naughten has already come to the House, and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine will come to the House to deal with the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015. When will the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport comply with section 14 of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 because his Department has not given the House a date as to when it will comply in spite of the fact that other Ministers already comply with the Act?

The proposed DART underground is a key infrastructure for Dublin. Deputy Ross has already mentioned that the M50 is becoming gridlocked for most of the day. This infrastructure is badly needed. At present we are looking at 2022, as the best estimate before we will see a sod turned or a hole dug. In the meantime, the Minister must keep his eyes on what is happening in and around the city.

Some months ago I highlighted a planning application on the site for the proposed station on Pearse Street. To date, I have received no reply. That planning application is still live and if it is granted planning permission, it will prevent a station being built and puts a very large question mark over the integration of the DART underground with Pearse station. What is the Minister's position on that?

It is welcome that Dublin Bus has engaged with the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, but should the Minister intend to throw anybody under a bus today, he would need to ensure the buses are still running. I know he is meeting the Taoiseach later on.

I welcome the investment in additional buses for the Dublin region. May I ask precisely how many of the buses are energy efficient and low emissions? How many buses will be operated by electricity or other new technologies?

Only 1% of the Department's budget is allocated for cycling infrastructure. When I was a member of the Dublin City Council I was fortunate enough to work with Andrew Montague on the dublinbikes scheme to get it up and running. It has been extremely successful. We need further investment in the dublinbikes scheme to connect the urban villages, that would make a significantly positive impact on the transport infrastructure. dublinbikes is part of the public transport infrastructure for the city and need to be developed and rolled out. Has the Minister plans for dublinbikes?

The 9% VAT on the tourism industry was introduced at a time of great recession and financial crisis, where the Government of the day, of which I was a member, made a decision to invest and encourage the tourist industry. There is no free ride. The reduction in the VAT is worth approximately €300 million in tax forgone every year, money that could be invested in other areas.

In the urban centres, particularly in Dublin and Galway, I would say we have seen such a rise in the cost of hotel bedrooms and in the ever-increasing cost of meals and services in hotels that it is exploitation. I call on the Minister to conduct a cost-benefit analysis. The reduction of VAT to 9% was introduced as a short-term measure, which has been retained and now is a permanent fixture. I think there is the possibility of investing the more than €300 million in tax forgone in other areas of the economy, where we can stimulate growth. At the very least the terms and conditions of those employed in the industry should be of the highest quality, considering the subsidy the taxpayer is giving the sector.

Real time display for buses, DART, Luas and trains has been very successful in encouraging people on to public transport. Does the Minister intend to invest further in it? Will he outline his investment in this?

Has research been conducted on traffic levels with a view to introducing congestion tolling in cities? Is that part of the Minister's plan for the future? The Rock Road has reached capacity and if one is sitting in a traffic jam, one has to consider whether one is part of the problem. Is congestion tolling part of our future? I have an open mind and that is the reason I believe we must conduct research rather than reaching a rushed decision on investment in public transport, cycling and pedestrians. We have to consider whether congestion tolling should be part of our traffic management plan for Dublin. Is the Minister carrying out any research in that area?

There is no doubt that the Minister has one of the most challenging briefs. That is the reason I urge him to concentrate on transport because we have seen very few initiatives or various projects.

There is a proposed flyover across the DART line with the closure of the Merrion Road level crossing along the Sandymount to Blackrock corridor. We have seen no real thought out proposal. There is a rough and questionable figure of €26 million for a flyover, whereas if we want to see the Minister's proposed ten minute interval DART operating as quickly as possible, we will have to invest in signalling. That has been set aside. That would involve upgrading the signalling at Lansdowne Road, Sandymount and Sidney Parade. The impact that would have on local residents for the duration of the stations' closure would be quite severe and would be quite a disturbance in their daily lives.

The Minister is nearly a year in office as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. Now is the time we should start to see real plans for climate change, reducing emissions in transport and proper integrated public transport for the greater Dublin area.

The Minister is very welcome to the House this afternoon. I wish to concentrate on the tourism industry. As the Minister is no doubt aware, as we all are, Brexit holds difficulties for us across many sectors, and tourism is one example. It is especially important as almost 41% of all the visitors who come to this country are from Northern Ireland or the United Kingdom. That shows how dependent we are on that market. It is our closest neighbour. I would like to hear what strategy the Minister has in place in respect of Brexit and how it will affect the tourism industry, in particular the large number of visitors, 41%, who come from Northern Ireland or the United Kingdom.

Tourism has been a significant source of income for the State. We are thankful it has been successful in recent years and the investment we have made has been very much rewarded. Last year, the centenary of 1916, the commemorations were a major success. This demonstrates that when this country puts on a show, it does it in a way of which we can be very proud. The number of visitors continually increases, particularly visitors to our capital city. I note that during the weekend of the rugby international, St Patrick's weekend, it is nearly impossible to get a bed in the city.

It is harder to get a ticket.

Yes, it is hard to get a ticket as well. There is the rugby international between Ireland and France, the all-Ireland club championship finals and we have GamerCon, which I understand will be the largest gaming event in Europe this year. All that adds up to a hugely successful weekend.

The challenge we have is getting the tourists from the capital, Dublin, Kerry and the west to regional Ireland, and counties such as Cavan and Monaghan spring to mind. The inland counties, which are less than an hour from this House, have many facilities that would compete with anything we have on this island. I am very proud to say that we have some very distinguished visitors in our county for two or three days. The Irish rugby team under Joe Schmidt will stay in a hotel in Monaghan town and will avail of the facilities in and around the region for the next three days. It goes to show that a county such as Monaghan, which is not renowned for its tourism attractions, still has a lot to offer. We have the challenge of getting visitors out to such locations.

A number of my colleagues have mentioned Bus Éireann and the importance of the regional bus service to places like Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal and elsewhere. I know the Minister has a lot on his plate with such a large portfolio, but this dispute is one area that deserves his full attention.

My colleague Senator Mac Lochlainn outlined the case of the Derry to Ardee road. We look forward to that project being progressed. In respect of the aspect that affects County Monaghan, currently we have a stretch of roadway from Clontibret to the Border with County Tyrone, which is 400 metres wide and stretches for 28 kilometres. That large portion of ground is basically frozen at present until such time as the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport releases €1 million to €1.5 million to narrow that corridor from its current 400 metres down to 100 metres. I would stress upon the Minister that it is important the funding is allocated. That portion of land is sterilised which means that businesses along that area that want to expand or young people who want to build houses are precluded from doing so because of the width of the corridor. I ask the Minister to take that on board and ensure the funding is provided in order that the project can proceed.

When the Minister was in the House last week, I mentioned the large number of fatalities that occur on the existing N2 Dublin to Derry road. It is important that the Minister, Deputy Ross, keeps that road in focus as well and that any funding that would be required to improve it would be forthcoming.

I have had quite a number of complaints recently about the waiting times for young people who wish to sit their driving test. Some counties are more affected than others. A number of people from County Donegal have contacted me and that seems to be especially bad. I ask the Minister to look at the issue nationwide, but to focus on Donegal in order that with additional staff, the waiting list could be tackled and young people could have the opportunity to sit their test and pass it.

I welcome the Minister and thank him for his contribution. I apologise for coming in and going out during this discussion but there is a committee meeting running concurrently. From our previous engagement, I learned that the Minister's is a massive portfolio so I will focus on what some would call a niche part of the sports area, namely, the need for the fast-tracking of the construction of a national cricket stadium in Malahide. I know the Minister is a fan of the game and is as aware of it as I am. Irish cricket has come ridiculously far in the past decade. It is only ten years since we beat Pakistan on St. Patrick's Day at the Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean. The game has come so far since the days when I was playing. It was a hidden sport then, restricted to certain parts of north County Dublin, Ulster and a few other parts of the country. It is now easily the fastest growing sport, with 50,000 boys, girls, men and women playing across the country. There are new clubs emerging regularly, such as the one in Cabinteely, and the Sandyford Cricket Club in Marlay Park has gone from fielding one team to fielding three in a matter of years. Great progress is being made and the results are getting better and better. Our international women's teams have enjoyed excellent results in the last week and crucially our men's teams, after a series of excellent performances, are now on the verge of test status. It cannot be taken for granted how important the elevation to test status would be to the development of the game domestically and to the standing of Ireland as a cricket playing nation. It is huge and the financial potential for the game and for the related industries of tourism and hospitality is magnificent. The structures of the game can only benefit from Ireland playing at the highest level.

We already have a well functioning domestic game, with more and more of our top players able to make their living from cricket by staying in Ireland and playing in the inter-provincial series. We are seeing cricket spreading into new clubs and counties. Cricket is a very inclusive sport. Many of the families involved in the game in Ireland are originally from places such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and South Africa and for them to see their kids getting to meet so many different people and to play a game that they know and love is hugely impressive. That is being matched by the ambition of Cricket Ireland. As an organisation, I cannot fault it. I am very impressed by its genuinely optimistic and positive outlook. The investment made by Cricket Ireland in the development of the new training facility in Abbotstown can only be commended. It will be the envy of so many tier one cricketing nations, far beyond Ireland and our current status. However, the investment made by Cricket Ireland needs to be matched by Government investment. The Government must make a capital investment to the tune of €2 million in the stadium in Malahide, either through the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport alone or in co-operation with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. That sum, together with the finances that have already been put up by Cricket Ireland, the International Cricket Council and the local authority, will suffice. This is an investment that will see a return almost immediately. It will see scores of top-level matches coming to Malahide, with huge tourism potential. We have seen what can happen when England commits to playing games in Malahide. It is really exciting to see Ireland being invited to play England at Lord's this year. We are at the edge of the top table and we just need this last little move to get there. Then the game itself, not just at the professional level but at all levels, with more and more men, women, boys and girls getting involved, will flourish. It just needs that last nudge. I am using my time to issue a very direct appeal to the Minister to take this on board, take the initiative and make it happen.

I welcome the Minister back to his political alma mater. Deputy Ross is one of our most distinguished alumni and we are delighted to have him here. I will follow the trend set by my distinguished colleague, Senator Richmond, and identify a few specific issues within the Minister's huge brief that I would like him to address.

While there is a parochial dimension to what I am going to mention, it is also a regional and national issue. I refer to the construction of the east-west link, that is, the roadway from Dundalk to Sligo. I am specifically concerned about the section that links Dundalk to Cavan town. The project was granted-aided up to 2014 for preliminary design work. The projected cost of the work is €150 million but the project was not included in the 2015 seven-year plan. The road is so important to the region. We have Carton Brothers in Shercock, a small village in Cavan, employing up to 700 people who would not be able to find alternative employment in the area. That company is an extremely important employer in the region. It moves a huge amount of freight and has lots of small growers and farmers associated with it. Abbott in Cootehill is another major employer and there are numerous small, indigenous employers in the area too. The only way to create jobs in the region in question is through indigenous employers but they cannot function with the current roadway situation. I appeal to the Minister to look at this project again in the light of better than expected revenue returns and so forth. The east-west link is a very necessary infrastructural project, particularly the Dundalk to Cavan section, as well as the remainder of the route to Sligo. The cost would be €150 million but it would be money well spent. I appeal to the Minister to look at that.

It is important to acknowledge progress. In that regard, I am happy that the Minister has increased the roads allocation for County Cavan by 8%. The allocation for Monaghan has also increased and that is very welcome. However, the Minister must take cognisance of the fact that there was a 50% reduction over the lean years and we now need to take advantage of the better years to incrementally restore the allocation because the roads and by-roads in the region have suffered.

There is a serious issue in Cavan at the moment which is delaying the approval of the roads grant in the county. The issue held up the most recent local authority meeting in Cavan and the roads programme has not yet been agreed because of it. It is a very interesting issue and I hope the Minister will address and resolve it. There are small laneways or what could be called tertiary roads in rural Ireland that veer off by-roads and go up to two or three houses. The people in those houses are taxpayers and citizens. They are socially compliant and very civic-minded people and are part of our population. They have similar rights to people who live in urban centres. Their rights cannot be lesser under the Constitution but they are being denied access to medical services, emergency services and their ability to farm is being compromised because their little laneways are broken down. Local democracy would suggest that local councillors should decide these matters but these people do not have enough local representatives in their area. In that context, I ask the Minister to consider ring-fencing a section of future road allocations to counties such as Cavan for those little laneways or tertiary roads adjacent to which real people with real families live. They need medical services, school buses and they need to be able to use farm machinery and so forth but the roads leading to their homes are not fit for purpose. I ask the Minister to look at that issue and would appreciate it if he could revert to me on it.

In the time remaining I wish to make reference to the very successful tourism sector. We have seen a 12% increase in tourism which is very good. However, I would like to see counties like Cavan and Monaghan marketed more as part of the overall tourism product. Our lakes, drumlins and topography are special and I ask the Minister to examine the degree to which we are marketing more remote locations. We tend to concentrate our marketing efforts on areas like the south west and the north west because they are well-known tourism areas but I am not sure we are doing enough for places such as Cavan and Monaghan and other regional centres.

Finally, I welcome the Minister's reference in his opening remarks to the need to focus on the diaspora. They are the people, whatever their level of linkage here, who are most likely to visit Ireland, to spend money when they are here and to make return visits. I congratulate the Minister on his report. I am afraid I will not be able to stay to hear his response to this debate because I have a prior commitment but I will look at the transcripts later. I would be very grateful if the Minister could address the specific issues I raised because there are lots of people who are interested in his response.

I welcome the Minister. I wish to raise three issues, the first of which is cycling.

While I would like to talk at length, given the time constraints I will move quickly to questions on the area. We know that cycling is an efficient, cheap, healthy and environmentally friendly mode of transport. It moves across all areas of the Minister's brief covering sport, transport and tourism. Cycling has not only been important for tourism, it is also beneficial for the life of our towns and cities. It is also important in the context of commuting.

In that context, I raised the following issue on the previous occasion the Minister was in the House but he did not have the opportunity to reply. I hope he will have that opportunity this time. What are his intentions regarding the implementation of the national cycling framework? Does he intend to appoint a national cycling officer? How does he propose to achieve the target of having 10% of all journeys in urban and rural settings being made on bicycles? The current figure in that regard is 2%? Will the National Transport Authority set a spending target in respect of cycling infrastructure? At present, cycling is allocated just 0.5% of the overall transport budget. If we are trying to get to 10% of journeys being made on bicycles, will we move from that 0.5% closer to 10% of expenditure going on this area?

I raise the question of infrastructure not just because I believe that achieving our cycling targets is crucial to the sustainability of our future and beneficial as a whole, but also because infrastructure is crucial for safety. Last week, a cyclist tragically died in County Kildare. There were 12 deaths in 2016. We know that the fear this engenders has an impact. For example, Ireland has an imbalance in participation in cycling where three quarters of those cycling are men. Boys are ten times more likely than girls to be cycling. In countries with investment in infrastructure, there is far more inclusion. There is a gender balance in participation in cycling in countries such as Poland and Holland. There is also far more participation by younger people and older people in cycling. Those issues need to be addressed and I would appreciate clear answers on them.

I ask the Minister to give an update on the review of US immigration pre-clearance at Dublin and Shannon Airports to ensure compatibility with Irish, EU and UN law. It is important that we ensure that all those laws are being fully abided by on Irish soil.

The Minister has answered parliamentary questions on Shannon Airport, most recently on 17 January. I commend him because I believe he gave a far more detailed response than the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade has given. I know there is a division of responsibility between the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in terms of military and civilian aircraft. However, there is an overlap and we have seen many cases of military operations involving civilian aircraft. The Minister noted that over 22,700 troops came through Shannon Airport in a six-month period last year and that 462 civilian aircraft requested permission to land while carrying munitions, of which 411 were granted with a number refused on the advice of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and some at the discretion of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. Does the Minister intend to engage with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in respect of the military use of Shannon Airport and military use of civilian aircraft at the facility, particularly in light of the comments on torture made by the new US Administration and the potential appointment of Steve Bannon to the US National Security Council? When will move from an information-request mode to an inspection mode? Does the Minister envisage that in the foreseeable future? What are his plans for the next two to three months in respect of this matter? This should be on the agenda before the Taoiseach's visit to Washington in March.

My final point in respect of buses-----

The Senator has one minute remaining.

I will be able to make my point in just under one minute.

In his principles of public transport, the Minister talks about encouraging the use of buses. How do we also protect public delivery of and public accountability regarding public services, particularly given that, for example, in recent trade agreements we have protected intercity routes but we have not explicitly protected other areas of our public transport and reserved them for public delivery? That is a matter to consider.

The Minister mentioned that the bus service loses money. I say that it costs money; it is not a matter of losing money.

To what is the Senator referring?

The Minister said that there are areas of our bus service that lose money. I am saying that we should frame it as costing money because it is not a question of subsidy, but investment. We talk about sustainability and the Minister talks about a sustainable future. I am concerned that he may be speaking about being sustainable as a viable business. When we talk about public transport, sustainability must have a much wider interpretation which is not about its profitability or loss making but which relates to the role it plays in the sustainability of society, rural and urban, and also the achievement of our environmental targets for sustainability.

I welcome the Minister. I particularly welcome his comments on the metro, which is very important to us. However, we now have an opportunity for a more expeditious delivery time than the 2021 target, with money available from the European Investment Bank. I would like the Minister to make a plea at Cabinet for part of that funding to invest in metro. Metro is an ideal investment for the European Investment Bank because it will have a fair income stream from which to repay the loan. As other speakers said, it is also critical in meeting our environmental commitments because its energy requirement for electricity can be generated through many environmentally friendly methods.

I refer to the importance of the metro to Dublin Airport, which has had nearly 27 million passengers in the past 12 months. This could be increased further with better connectivity to the city. More business opportunities will arise through Brexit, with many companies looking to Ireland as a place to do business with the EU now that the UK is leaving. There will also be opportunities for companies from many other countries that are seeking a platform into Europe. Their staff will be able to fly into Dublin, hop on a metro and get to their place of business in the city or at other locations throughout the country. I refer, in that regard, to the other investments which are in hand and to which the Minister referred in the context of DART underground and the electrification of the DART line to Balbriggan. This will allow tremendous opportunities for both business and local people, particularly our young population - it is the youngest in the country - to avail of the job opportunities and the educational facilities in Dublin.

As we attract more business, we will need more office accommodation. Dublin Airport already has a first-phase plan for 10,000 jobs and has 75 acres of land zoned for development that could accommodate many of these offices. Fingal is the obvious place if we need more land, as we obviously do, to house our current population and also new workers who will be coming to work here.

I also wish to touch on tourism. There is a real need for investment to provide a coastal walk along Fingal, from Portmarnock, through Malahide, Donabate, Rush, Loughshinny, Skerries and on to Balbriggan. That would be a huge boost for tourism with all the cafés and restaurants that would spring up along the route. It is something done widely across Europe. More importantly, as somebody who lives in Fingal and who is interested in health, I feel it would provide a safe place for families, parents and their children to go cycling and walking. Although we have beautiful scenery in north County Dublin, it is very difficult to say it would be safe to cycle with young children on our roads. I appeal to the Minister to look at that.

I am very supportive of our bid for the Rugby World Cup. Irish people are very well known to be sports enthusiasts. Many people follow, rugby, Gaelic games and soccer, and are not cast in any one code. On sport, Fingal has led the way with many all-weather pitches being shared between the different codes.

There are job opportunities. There is a need to address our carbon emissions issue. The metro fits those. I appeal to the Minister to avail of the opportunity the European Investment Bank presents us in terms of investment in that project.

The Order of Business states that the Minister has ten minutes to respond.

I thank the Senators for their contributions. I will address as many as I can. I cannot do them all. I will start with Senator O'Mahony because he is in the Chamber. I think the Senator will find that the Government is extremely conscious of balanced regional development, not just in a token way but in rolling out transport, which is essential for that. The Senator spoke about the contrast between the east and west coasts. He is right about that. The N4 and the N5, to which he referred, will certainly feature in the mid-term capital review. I cannot give any promises about the priority. It would be very foolish of me to do so. I know they are already being kept in mind, not only by the Senator but also by others. They will be represented and will get due consideration.

On regional airports, while I have not been to Knock yet, I am intending to go there very shortly. I have had several invitations. I was in Waterford on Monday. I appreciate the difficulties some of these regional airports have, but the Government is fully committed to continuing their subventions where it is legal. As the Senator knows and has referred to, there are difficulties in terms of the EU rules, from which restrictions arise with regard to these particular problems. I think he will see that since I came into office the subventions which have gone to Knock, Waterford and other regional airports have not been ungenerous. They have undoubtedly been a reflection of the fact we in Government know the value of these airports to their areas. They are a key part of regional policy and will certainly be maintained as such.

I agree with the Senator that there can be no complacency around Brexit. This area is being addressed aggressively and energetically in terms of tourism. As everybody knows, there are difficulties in respect of the tourism aspect of Brexit. One is the foreign currency situation, over which we have no control. The collapse of sterling makes it more expensive to come here. It may well recover but we are at the mercy of the currency markets when we talk about that. We cannot do anything about it. As Senators on all sides have said, we can market very aggressively and we can look for new markets, and we are doing that. Several people have paid tribute to the tourism agencies. They plan to diversify. They are not as downbeat as some people might be about this. They say that tourism from Britain will retreat a bit this year but they are talking about that happening in terms of small, single digit figures. They have made projections. I was at one of their conferences recently and they are making projections of growth regardless of what happens in the area of Brexit.

Senator Mac Lochlainn is without parallel in advocating for Donegal. There is no way Donegal would be lost to me if I came to the House often enough. It is raised every time I come here. I am meeting a group talking about connectivity in Donegal. I believe that will be next Monday. The Senator probably knows Brendan Flanagan and the Rev. David Crooks. They are coming, and the Senator is welcome to join them I am sure. They are particularly interested in connectivity with Donegal. They have very ambitious plans for railways and roads. I take what they say, and what the Senator says, very seriously. I know the difficulties there are in Donegal. I cannot and I will not make any specific promises to any area today, and the Senator would not expect me to do so. I actively meet people from Donegal and I will continue to do so because of the representations the Senator has made.

On the City of Derry Airport, I will, of course, meet the board. The Senator spoke about the Derry to Dublin flight. I ask the Senator to note that I endorsed the Derry hub recently. I do not know if the Senator is aware of it. One of Sinn Féin's ministers, Chris Hazzard, who I think is quite busy at the moment, is involved. He and I co-operated and the proposals are going to be considered by a special EU body very shortly. That is, I hope, real progress for the region. It indicates that the region is not being ignored in any way.

I will start at the beginning again. I will not get through all the replies. There is no possibility of that. I will guarantee to reply to anybody in a written form. I will get my officials to respond if I do not get through them because my time is very limited and it will all be taken up.

I note what Senator Horkan said about the capital budgets for tourism being cut by 4%. The agencies are, to some extent, the victims of their own success. Like everybody else, they are looking for extra money, especially on the capital side, but the incredible success of Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland sometimes weakens their case. The figures speak for themselves. We are very conscious that there may be a need for certain projects and an emphasis on different areas and on costs elsewhere as well, but at the moment let us not complain about Irish tourism. It is a real good news story and we are really proud of it. We do not even find the Brexit threat to be something that will be that untoward in its damaging effects.

We spoke about the Rugby World Cup. That is the most incredibly exciting flag that one could fly overseas for Ireland at the moment, and both Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland are flying it. The idea that we could win an international competition which could fly the Irish flag North and South is a really great advertisement for sports tourism and for bringing people here. It may or may not be at a cost to the Irish Government, but the side effects and side benefits will be considerable. We are very optimistic about tourism. If there are signs that it needs more encouragement, we will not be found wanting, but at the moment this is a success story. There are some really pressing needs elsewhere in the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. This area is flying along, as we can see.

On Brexit, which the Senator also mentioned, there is no lack of enthusiasm or hard work being done on that. The problem is not just the currency. It is not knowing exactly what will happen or where we are going to be hit, as is the case for everywhere else involved in Brexit. The Senator will find that both the main agencies and the Government are preparing for every eventuality. Some of that work will be wasted. There is no doubt about it. We will find that some of it never happens, but I think the Senator will find that we are ready, that we are successful and that tourism will continue because of the commitment, the projects and the global greening, for example.

I do not know whether the Senator saw the recent launch of the global greening for St. Patrick's Day. I cannot remember the number of cities around the world that will be greened on St. Patrick's Day but it is quite phenomenal. I believe it is 27 or maybe more. I cannot remember but it is a phenomenal number and that is at a very low cost. It is extraordinary that not only do we get access to cities and governments around the world through Ministers on St. Patrick's Day, but we also can let people in every city in the world know that Ireland is alive and thriving. We are talking about the Colosseum, the Eiffel Tower and all these places which are going to be lit up. Let us celebrate Irish tourism.

Senator Horkan went on to speak about a lack of vision in transport. He mentioned the DART underground, the M50 and his own constituency. I thought his constituency was the county council panel. I did not realise he had a geographical constituency.

That is where I live.

That is where he lives.

I did allude to that and I think Minister knows that anyway.

It is a geographical constituency and another constituency. That is right. The Senator is welcome to it in any event.

I have no plans to toll the M50, to be plain.

The DART underground and the metro north were referred to. The reason for the DART underground - which started under the Government before last - being cancelled was quite obvious. It was a project which was begun and had to be abandoned because of cost. The cost was absolutely prohibitive. I am looking for the figures I have for it but I think it was €3 billion or €4 billion, and at that time it would have been impossible to continue it. Senator Horkan referred eloquently to how it is necessary and should be continued or revived. That is the plan and there are moves afoot at the moment but funds are very tight. Funds are very tight, particularly for the underground, for the metro north and for any of these big capital projects. It would be very wrong to say that we are going to have it and spend a huge amount of money. A lot of what the Senator said was very aspirational, which is fair, and it is the privilege of anybody in opposition to say these things should be done now. We have to actually find the cash in government and while it would be difficult to find the cash for the DART underground at the moment, there is a commitment to do it. There is no reneging on that but it is a matter of time. The Government recognises that the difficulties, particularly in Dublin, merit a project of this sort. It certainly will do it when the money is there.

The Senator also addressed road safety and the Garda traffic corps. We have ministerial road safety meetings frequently now because of deaths on the road. Representatives of the Garda attend that, as do the Minister for Justice and Equality and several other interested parties. A Garda assistant commissioner attended the last one in December and he made a commitment that he would now provide a 10% increase in checkpoints by the traffic corps. I presume that would be over the course of this year. The Garda stepped up its campaign during December, which resulted in a large number of extra arrests for drink-driving. There was a 35% increase, which was worrying but very effective. It is good news because they are catching a lot more people. It is bad news because now it has been discovered that the problem of drinking and driving is really bad and it is getting worse. It has to be acknowledged. Enforcement is increasing there, though probably not at the rate that we would like. The Senator is right and we have a lot of work to do in convincing people that they could be caught. Undoubtedly, one of the problems, among many others, is that they are not convinced of that. It will be partly up to the traffic corps to do that, and partly up to the Government to introduce legislation. The Government introduced legislation on road safety in 2016 as the Senator would be aware since it was initiated in this House. We intend to introduce measures to make disqualification automatic for people who are over the limit and other areas like that. It is a controversial area but it will be done. I take this very seriously but enforcement is part of it and it certainly will be stepped up.

I will address the points made by Senator Boyhan. He also referred to road safety and to the board. He was somewhat impatient about the fact that I have not made enough, if any, appointments to the board. The board was looking for a large number of extra people. I am not convinced under the new system I have introduced, which I will not go into in detail because my time is probably getting short-----

The Minister is over time but I am allowing it because we were scheduled in such a way as to allow discretion.

I will reply in detail. There were some detailed questions from Senators Higgins, Humphreys and Dolan to which I will reply in detail. I will have civil servants send some detailed answers to them.

And the other matters raised as well.

Perhaps the Minister will answer the precise questions. Will he able to do it now?

I will answer them if I can.

I will not answer those to which I do not have to hand the detailed answers but I will come back to the Senators about them. What was Senator Horkan's other question?

The Luas in Cherrywood and how we are going to handle the capacity on the Luas.

I agree that we will have to address the capacity on the Luas in the future. It is not too bad at the moment. We undoubtedly must make provision for that in respect of Cherrywood.

Senator Boyhan was talking about the Road Safety Authority, RSA. A new system has been introduced for making board appointments in my Department. It is exclusive to my Department. The RSA is part of that. The first criterion is that we look at the board and ask if it needs ten, 11 or whatever number of people. The RSA has a board membership of between six and 11. I am curious as to why 11 are needed for a body of that sort, because expertise in every area is not needed in such an agency. The expertise tends to be among the executive and that is very important. I am looking at that and I am determined that the RSA will not be inquorate. Some people were suggesting that it would be inquorate but the board will not be inquorate. The board will have sufficient expertise but the membership will have to go through a procedure which starts by asking if it is necessary to have these board members. It goes on to ask further questions about the numbers that come up to the Minister, because I have been very unhappy that in the RSA, the names of 21 people were sent to the last Minister of whom he was to select three. It was very difficult for him and would be very difficult for any Minister to select three out of 21 when he or she knows nothing about it. That is the situation in which the Minister would have found himself and in which I found myself as well.

I asked that it go before a body of self-assessment. It goes through the PAS system, as it always did before, but the numbers that come up to me as a Minister are limited to a maximum of three, to deliberately remove ministerial discretion in order that there is not the sort of political patronage that existed on these boards before. That process is now coming into being at the moment and we will appoint accordingly. I will preferably get one, but in certain cases I will probably get three. We are going to end the system in my Department where people get sent up to the Minister just because they qualify. There were more than 30 names for two places on the Irish Sports Council. The Minister gets 30 names, and I do not know how he or she appoints them. He or she finds people there who he or she thinks will be politically favourable.

On top of that, I introduced a system which will apply to the RSA and to any other State bodies in my Department in which interviews will be introduced. One of the most extraordinary features of board membership of the RSA and board membership under the remit of my Department and of other Departments was that the vacancies were being filled without interviews or anything like that at all. Consequently, ministerial discretion was absolute and we were getting people making appointments presumably on recommendation from outside and for other reasons. They were being done without interview. We are going to have an interview panel, which is independent in so far as it can be, which will select people who will go for ministerial approval or not. That should remove the accusation that there is political favouritism going on.

The backlog in driver tests was something which-----

I ask that the Order of Business be amended such that the Minister can reply until 2.45 p.m., because I would rather-----

I am allowing my discretion. In any case, I was allowing the Minister to respond.

I know Senator Higgins has a few questions. You have been speaking for 20 minutes now as opposed to ten, and I am more than happy to allow the time that you should have been here for anyway.

We have until 2.45 p.m., so I appreciate the extra five minutes. If we only have 0.5% of our funding for cycling I would appreciate if the Minister could give us 0.5% of his time to give us some indication of his policy direction, even if detailed replies have to follow.

I want to answer the driving test question first, which is important. This comes up regularly, and Senator Boyhan made a fair point on it. The driver testing service has seen almost a 10% increase in the levels of driving test applications over the last three years. This, coupled with the retirement of staff, has meant that the waiting times for customers at test centres have increased. Driving tests are delivered across 52 test centres nationally. The objective of the Road Safety Authority is to have a national average waiting time of no longer than ten weeks. The current overall national waiting time for a driving test is 13 weeks. The RSA has added ten extra driver testers who commenced duties in October 2016. A further seven driver testers are about to join the service, and these will complete their training in April 2017. While this will bring our driver tester numbers up to a full-time equivalent of 108.64 , the RSA will continue to monitor capacity against demand. The RSA continues to deploy driver testers to best meet the demand across all test centres. I have a table which I can give to Senator Boyhan if he wants to see it.

The industrial dispute in Bus Éireann was addressed by several Senators. I welcome the fact that the parties are going to the Workplace Relations Committee but I would like to respond to one or two things mentioned by Senators Boyhan, Mac Lochlainn and others. This is a very difficult dispute, but I do not agree with those who say that wider issues are involved or that I should get involved at this stage in an industrial relations dispute. I do not know how many times I have to respond to this question, but I will respond to it again and again. I will not be intervening in an industrial relations dispute. That is not my job as Minister for transport. I will not be coming in with a chequebook and sorting out the problem in that way. I have no intention of doing that in this dispute or in any other disputes in my Department. That is not something which I regard as appropriate or right. I have said that once this dispute has been settled I am happy to call a forum or to establish a platform where I will meet and talk as a stakeholder and shareholder with other stakeholders, by which I mean management, the unions and the NTA, to thrash out those particular policy issues they are speaking about.

You have less than a minute left as we have other legislation commencing according to the Order of Business.

It is very important that I get this message across, specifically as the parties are now speaking. I welcome that dialogue. I will talk to the unions and management, and I will join them in a forum once the dispute is settled. I will not get involved, under any circumstances, in an industrial relations dispute of this sort. That is the position we have taken from the beginning, and those who come back time and time again and say that we are going to have to intervene must get the message. It is not going to happen, and no false hope should go out to people that the State has some sort of funding or resources available in this dispute. This is a dispute which involves Expressway. This cannot be settled-----

I know we are over time, but I would just raise a point.

With respect to the Acting Chairman and the Minister, I will be raising this at the group leaders' meeting. We have had an interaction. All the direct questions have been given to the Minister. We have had no response. We have seen delay all the way regarding the answers. I would describe what we have listened to today as "Trumpesque".

As Acting Chairman I have no control over what the Minister says.

I know the Acting Chairman has done her best, and I want to give respect to the her. Not one question put by Senator Higgins or myself has been addressed, on the issues of climate change or-----

I am sorry, Senator, but the time is up now.

This is not the first time. We have had to listen to rugby before and rugby today. We had specific questions that the Minister obviously is not briefed on. He is not looking at his own Department and not looking after his own brief. Can he come prepared the next time, please?

I am going to have to conclude statements. Apologies to all.

As a point of information-----

There is no such thing as a point of information.

-----the Minister indicated he was answering a question of mine about public transport.

I would like to clarify that my question was not about the industrial dispute. My question was not answered. In fact, none of my questions on cycling, Shannon and pre-clearance or public sustainable transport has been answered.

Excuse me, I cannot control the Minister's responses, and I have allowed an extra 26 and a half minutes. I need to conclude statements.

The Minister fully intended to filibuster and that is what he did.

I need to conclude statements and move on to the next matter.

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