Wednesday, 29 May 2013

Written Answers Nos. 255 - 262

Aviation Issues

Questions (255)

Andrew Doyle

Question:

255. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will outline the legal status and legislative basis for the Federal Air Marshal Service of the Transportation Security Administration of the United States Department of Homeland Security and their passage through airports here; if they are required to notify his Department of their possession of foreign registered firearms when arriving or departing on flights between Ireland and the United States; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26150/13]

Written answers

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

Aviation security arrangements including those related to the carriage of firearms on board aircraft at Irish airports are kept under continuous review by my Department, by the Irish Aviation Authority and by the National Civil Aviation Security Committee. It is not the practice to comment on specific security measures and arrangements in place at Irish airports or on the monitoring activities carried out.

Road Safety

Questions (256)

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

256. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he intends to bring forward or amend legislation dealing with the failure to stop and remain at the scene of an accident following the recommendation to do so by the jury at the inquest into the death of a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan after they were struck by a car on the N2 Dublin to Derry road between Carrickmacross and Castleblaney at Tollyvara Upper on 2 August 2011. [26175/13]

Written answers

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

Section 106 of the Road Traffic Act 1961, as amended, provides for the responsibilities of drivers in the event of road collisions, including the requirement to remain at the scene. The section also provides for the penalties, on summary conviction, for a person who contravenes those requirements.  Where death is caused in a road traffic collision and whether or not the person remains at the scene of the collision, it is usual that charges are imposed under Section 53 (Dangerous driving) of the Road Traffic Act 1961, as amended.  All such charges are at the discretion of the Director for Public Prosecutions.

Under Section 53, the sanction in cases where a driver is found liable on conviction on indictment of dangerous driving causing death or serious bodily harm to another person, is imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or a fine not exceeding €20,000 or to both.   In any other case, the person is liable, on  summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding €5,000 or to imprisonment for any term not exceeding six months or to both. I will, however,  have the jury recommendation, referred to by the Deputy, examined and will determine if an amendment to the legislation is warranted as a result.

EU-Israel Aviation Agreement

Questions (257)

Andrew Doyle

Question:

257. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will outline the details of the EU-Israel Aviation Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25963/13]

Written answers

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

Part of the EU's external aviation policy is to negotiate comprehensive air services agreements with neighbouring countries, in particular in the Mediterranean region. The Euro-Mediterranean Aviation Agreement between the EU, its Member States,  and Israel, is one of a number of such agreements that have been negotiated by the European Commission over the last number of years.  Air services between the EU and Israel currently operate on the basis of bilateral agreements between individual Member States and Israel. The Agreement replaced this with a comprehensive 'open skies' agreement. In summary the Agreement aims at:

- gradual market opening in terms of access to routes and capacity on a reciprocal basis;

- promoting regulatory cooperation and harmonisation of regulations and approaches based on EU legislation in the field of aviation;

- promoting air services based on competition among air carriers with minimum government interference and regulation;

- non-discrimination and a level playing field for economic operators.

Ireland is fully supportive of the EU policy to negotiate such agreements. No Irish airline currently operates scheduled services to Israel. One Israeli airline operates a summer-only scheduled service to Ireland. However, this Agreement will open up the entire EU-Israel aviation market to Irish airlines, both Ireland-Israel routes, and services from other EU points to Israel.  The agreement will be signed at the upcoming Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council on 10 June 2013. The advice of the Attorney General is that the Agreement requires Dáil approval prior to signature. The process is currently underway and is expected to be finalised this week.

Roads Maintenance Funding

Questions (258)

Kevin Humphreys

Question:

258. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 265 of 22 May 2013 in which he indicated that the sections of national road that lie within the M50 C ring, namely, N1 to Whitehall, N2, N3, N4, N11 to Mount Merrion Avenue and N81 were reclassified from national to regional roads, the extra funding that has been provided to Dublin City Council for the maintenance and upkeep of these regional roads since responsibility was removed from the National Roads Authority. [26072/13]

Written answers

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities own resources supplemented by State road grants. I announced the 2013 regional and local road grant allocations on 25 January this year. A total of €350 million is being provided under the Regional and Local Roads Investment Programme this year.  From that allocation, Dublin City Council is being provided with an allocation of over €6.2 million.

The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded from these State grants is also a matter for the local authority and it will be necessary for the Council to prioritise the works to be undertaken on regional and local roads in its administrative area from within its existing budgets. It is also important to re-iterate that the role of Exchequer grants for regional and local roads is to supplement Councils like Dublin City Council in their spending in this area.

Road Tolls

Questions (259)

Dominic Hannigan

Question:

259. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to engage in discussions with Eurolink who operate the M3 motorway to offer road hauliers a free month of use on the M3 as happens on the M6 in England for the month of July as an incentive for them to make more use of the motorway network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26076/13]

Written answers

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

As the Deputy will be aware, as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have overall responsibility for policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The implementation of individual national road schemes which provide for tolling is a matter for the National Roads Authority(NRA)under the Roads Acts 1993 - 2007.  Moreover, the statutory power to levy tolls on national roads, to make toll bye-laws and to enter into toll agreements with private investors in respect of national roads is very specifically vested in the NRA under Part V of the Roads Act, 1993 (as amended).  Noting the above position, I have referred the Deputy’s suggestion to the NRA for direct reply.  Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

Sports Capital Programme Eligibility

Questions (260)

Sandra McLellan

Question:

260. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason funding was refused to Dublin City Council under the sports capital programme for work at Brickfields Park, Bushy Park, and St. Anne's Park when the Chief State Solicitor's office has confirmed that his Department is fully aware that the council's titles are capable of supporting a charge registered or unregistered title and, accordingly, are suitable for grants from the national lottery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26109/13]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

The applications under the 2012 Sports Capital Programme from Dublin City Council for projects at Brickfields Park and Bushy Park were invalid for 3 separate reasons: 

1. the Council did not provide the Department with the required evidence of title to the properties on which the proposed projects were to be located;

2. professionally prepared quotations were not provided; and

3. the application forms did not include an original signature.

All of these requirements were set out in the published guide to filling out the application form for the 2012 Sports Capital Programme.  Letters setting out these reasons were sent to Dublin City Council.  Dublin City Council's application for works at St Anne's Park was successful under the 2012 Sports Capital Programme and was allocated €21,540. Ten allocations to Dublin City Council were made under the 2012 Sports Capital Programme with a total value of €810,000.

The Department is reviewing the operation of the 2012 Sports Capital Programme.  This review has included discussions with the Chief State Solicitor's Office on the title requirements to provide security for the State's investment.  It is always the Department's aim to make the Programme as accessible as possible to the maximum number of applicants while also not exposing the State's expenditure to unnecessary risk.  The results of this review will contribute to the design of any future rounds of the Programme.

Sports Council Funding

Questions (261, 262)

Sandra McLellan

Question:

261. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport in view of recent concerns regarding the financial situation of Irish hockey and the loss in excess of €200,000 that it made in 2008, if he will provide details of audits of the Irish Hockey Association that have been carried out by the Irish Sports Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26110/13]

Gerry Adams

Question:

262. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport the procedures and checks that have been put in place to monitor the way the Irish Hockey Association spends public money it receives from the Irish Sports Council; and if the ISC has increased its monitoring of Irish hockey since financial concerns were raised in the media in late 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26113/13]

Written answers

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

I propose to take Questions Nos. 261 and  262 together.

The Irish Sports Council, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the promotion, development and co-ordination of sport, including the allocation of funding for the National Governing Bodies of Sport and related governance procedures. As the questions raised are a matter for the Irish Sports Council I have referred them to the Council for direct reply. I would ask the Deputies to inform my office if a reply is not received within 10 days.