Written Answers Nos. 131-154
131. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the establishment of a museum for Irish sport; the efforts he is taking to establish such a body; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52569/12]
View answerI believe that a sports museum would be an excellent addition to Ireland's sporting and cultural experience and has the potential to attract widespread public interest.
A committee, which is being chaired by Minister of State Michael Ring, has been established to examine the feasibility of developing a Museum of Irish Sport. The first meeting of the committee took place on 24th October.
136. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the discussions for the proposed Public Private Partnership of the M17/M18 motorway from Gort to Tuam, County Galway, announced in the recent stimulus package; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51427/12]
View answer147. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update in the proposed N17/N18 Gort to Tuam road, County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52656/12]
View answer156. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the N17/N18 Gort to Tuam road, County Galway, as promised in the stimulus plan will be given a starting date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52657/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 136, 147 and 156 together.
As Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The planning, design and implementation of individual road projects is a matter for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.
The Gort-Tuam PPP projects is one of a number of road projects identified in the Government's Financial Stimulus Package. As the Investment and Capital Expenditure Framework 2012-2016 did not include a financial provision for this project, an additional multi-annual allocation is required to cover the Exchequer element of the project costs. As the allocation of such funds is related to the planned sale of State assets, clarification has been sought from the Department of Public Expenditure on the timelines involved. Once appropriate funding arrangements are put in place, the NRA will be in a position to prepare the project implementation schedule.
137. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the work he is doing to see that the full details of the closing of the Waterford Pilot Training College are investigated and that no company will be able to operate in such a manner again, leaving students with debts. [52669/12]
View answerOn 28 September last the High Court ordered the liquidation of the Pilot Training College Waterford (PTC). I fully understand the frustrations of the students and their families who have lost considerable sums of money to this company and while I have great sympathy for their plight, neither the Government, nor the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), have any liability in this regard; the taxpayer cannot be liable for the failures of private sector companies.
Flight training organisations in the EU are approved on the basis of common rules and IAA's approval of PTC as a flight training organisation was in accordance with these rules. Unfortunately PTC is not an isolated example – there have been other similar failures in other European Member States in the recent past, including in the UK, where students also suffered losses.
I understand that a complaint has been made to the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement in relation to this company and that body is the appropriate body to investigate any potential breaches of company law.
138. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the timeframe for the implementation of mutual recognition of penalty points on both sides of the Border; if this scheme will allow for the alternative of attendance at a recognised speed awareness course, as is the practice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, to receiving penalty points; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52542/12]
View answerThe mutual recognition of penalty points between Ireland and Northern Ireland is being dealt with under the auspices of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC). Initially this work involves the mutual recognition of penalty points in each jurisdiction for the road traffic offences of speeding, drink/drug driving, non-wearing of seatbelts and using a mobile phone while driving.
The detailed timetable agreed at the North South Ministerial Council Meeting held on 5 October 2012 for the drafting, passage and enactment of parallel legislation, North and South, is the 31 December 2014.
Alternative sentencing options that exist in Northern Ireland, in lieu of penalty points, do not form part of the mutual recognition of penalty points project.
140. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the work being done in the prisons by the street leagues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52693/12]
View answerI am aware of the work that is being done by the Homeless street leagues, including the leagues that are operating in the prisons. Sports programmes such as the homeless street leagues can have a positive impact for those involved and present an excellent opportunity for participants to become involved in sport.
I understand that the street leagues are affiliated to the FAI and that the FAI has been providing financial support to the Leagues and the Homeless World Cup squad through its Football for All programme since 2006.
142. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the measures he will take to keep the cost of taking driving tests down in view of the large increase in recent years. [52699/12]
View answerThe fee for the driving test was last increased shortly before I became Minister. At that time, the fee for tests in vehicles of category EC1, EC, ED1 or ED, and also C1, C, D1 or D, was raised from €110 to €120, while the fee for all other categories was raised from €75 to €85. The fee is waived where the application relates to vehicles in categories C1, C, D1, D, EC1, EC, ED1 or ED and the applicant has been unemployed for the 12 months immediately preceding the date of application and is registered with Forás Áiseanna Saothair (FÁS).
Driver testing is operated by the Road Safety Authority (RSA). The RSA has been under pressure in recent years, like all public bodies, to reduce its cost to the Exchequer while also increasing the efficiency of its services, and has made significant progress. The most recent fee increase, in 2011, was, I understand, approved in the context of reduced Exchequer funding and further efficiency savings identified by the RSA. The fee increase was necessary to ensure that the RSA could continue to provide services as required.
The RSA will continue to seek efficiencies where possible and I would hope to keep driver testing fees at the current levels.
143. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will report on the extra subvention of €36 million being allocated to CIE; his plans to support and maintain public transport services in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52246/12]
View answerOn 24th July last, the Government decided to provide additional funding of €36 million to CIÉ to ensure that the companies could continue to operate for the rest of 2012. This would bring the total subvention for this year to €278m, higher than the subvention level for 2010 and is the fifth highest level of subvention ever. To date €16 million of the additional subvention has been paid by the National Transport Authority to CIÉ and the remaining allocation will be paid before the end of 2012.
The Government plans to again allocate very significant funds to support and maintain public transport services across the country in 2013. There will however also be a need for further cost efficiencies to be achieved so that the public transport system can be effectively delivered.
My Department and the National Transport Authority are working with public transport operators to increase the efficiency and attractiveness of existing public transport services. We are not in a financial position to make further significant investment in our public transport network but we can get a better return from our existing public transport system, through targeted investment, better use of resources and by using smart technology to make public transport more responsive and user friendly.
Targeted investment is essential in these financially straitened times. An example is the Luas BXD project to link the LUAS lines. Government has also continued to invest in the bus companies, including the recent decision to purchase 80 new buses for Dublin Bus at a cost of €26m and 60 new buses for Bus Éireann in 2011 at a cost to the Exchequer of €19m. Considerable funding has also taken place in recent years on measures to make public transport more attractive such as the Leap Card, Real Time Passenger Information, Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) and providing wi-fi.
CIÉ is progressing the preparation of a revised 5-year Business Plan to address the underlying financial challenges facing CIÉ so that the CIÉ’s public transport services can be provided efficiently and cost effectively over the Plan period.
146. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on progress made in improving safety regulations for pilots across the EU but especially in Ireland where some work conditions are not conducive to ensuring that pilots are at their best when flying in particular flight time limitations; if he is concerned that current proposals are not sufficiently in line with what research has found to be best practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52660/12]
View answerThe subject matter of this particular question, the safety regulation of aviation, and in particular, flight time limitations for flight crews, is the statutory responsibility of the Irish Aviation Authority, and I have referred the question to them for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a reply has not been received within 10 working days.
149. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the decision to cut bus routes is taken by the National Transport Authority, Bus Éireann or his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49429/12]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my replies to his questions 705 of 23rd October and 1210 of 6th November 2012.
150. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the speed limits review that is being undertaken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52503/12]
View answerEarlier this year, I announced that a review of speed limits would be undertaken and to that end, my Department established a stakeholder group to progress this work.
The Automobile Association, An Garda Síochána, the Road Safety Authority, the National Roads Authority, the National Transport Authority and representatives of local authorities accepted my invitation to participate in the Working Group. The work of the Group is on-going and I expect to receive their report by the end of the year.
I will give careful consideration to implementing any recommendations contained in their Report.
153. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the action he has taken to ensure that the tourism sector is delivering added employment from the 9% rate of VAT; if he will outline the effects of the changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52694/12]
View answerAfter the VAT reduction was introduced, I wrote to the main representative bodies in the tourism industry emphasising to them the need to ensure that the reduced rate was passed on to consumers. Since then, I have been in regular contact with sectors within the tourism industry and I have consistently urged them to ensure that the reduced VAT rate is passed on to consumers whenever possible.
Indications to date are that the policy is working. The CSO Quarterly National Household Survey reported that employment among accommodation and food providers increased by 6,300 (seasonally adjusted) from the second quarter of 2011 to the equivalent period in 2012. A recent examination of the VAT rate cut by the Department of Finance found that this 6% increase in employment in the sector compared very favourably to a 3% decline in overall market services employment (excluding accommodation and food and public sector employment) in that period. Accordingly, they estimate that there has been a net employment growth of 9% in accommodation and food services since the introduction of the reduced VAT rate compared to comparable market service sectors. Allowing for inflationary pressures elsewhere in the economy, the evidence also shows that the VAT reduction has had an impact in terms of prices charged to consumers. I am confident that the VAT reduction has helped to sustain employment and businesses by making them more competitive.
That is why the rate is being maintained in 2013. This is a further example of the importance that Government attaches to the tourism industry and its contribution to the economy, particularly in the context of continued pressure on the public finances.
