Written Answers Nos. 1087-1102
1087. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding each local authority in County Waterford has received from his Department under the transport capital investment programme’s roads sub-programme in each of the past six years. [27083/13]
View answer1090. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding each local authority in County Waterford has received from his Department under the non-national roads grants programme in each of the past six years. [27086/13]
View answer1091. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding each local authority in County Waterford has received from his Department under the national roads programme in each of the past seven years. [27087/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1087, 1090 and 1091 together.
Details of funding for regional and local roads provided by my Department to local authorities in County Waterford are outlined in the regional and local road payment booklets available in the Dáil Library.
With regard to national roads, details of the allocations to each local authorities are also available in the Dail library. However, details of the actual drawdowns for these roads are a matter for the National Roads Authority.
Noting the above position, I have referred the Deputy’s question to the NRA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you don’t receive a reply within 10 working days.
1088. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding each local authority in County Waterford has received from his Department under the transport capital investment programme’s public transport sub-programme in each of the past six years. [27084/13]
View answer1089. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding each local authority in County Waterford has received from his Department under the transport capital investment programme’s Smarter Travel sub-programme in each of the past three years. [27085/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1088 and 1089 together.
The following Exchequer payments were made to Waterford City & County Councils in respect of the public transport capital investment programme in the period 2007-2012:
|
Waterford City Council |
2012 |
2011 |
2010 |
2009 |
2008 |
2007 |
|
Regional Cities Programme |
640,941 |
1,892,460*
|
1,033,732
|
712,913 |
174,000 |
73,239 |
|
National Cycle Network Funding Programme 2012/2013 |
289,000 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Carbon Reduction Measures |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
37,500 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Total |
929,941 |
1,892,460 |
1,033,732 |
750,413 |
174,000 |
73,239 |
|
Waterford Co Council |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Smarter Travel Areas Programme 2012-2017 |
7,200,000 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
National Cycle Network Funding Programme 2012/2013 |
310,500 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Active Travel Towns Funding Programme - Development of Walking and Cycling Strategies |
20,000 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Smarter Travel Jobs Initiative Funding Programme Rounds 1,2,&3 |
N/A |
619,902 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Smarter Travel Areas Jobs Initiative funding |
N/A |
125,731 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Total |
7,530,500 |
745,633 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
* Includes €1.093m under Regional Cities Jobs Initiative Scheme.
1092. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding County Waterford operators have received from his Department under the rural transport programme in each of the past seven years. [27088/13]
View answerAs Minister of State for Public and Commuter Transport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to the Rural Transport Programme (RTP). The RTP including allocation of funding was managed on behalf of the Department by Pobal until 31st March 2012. Following the Government Decision of 26th January 2012 in relation to integrated local and rural transport, responsibility for the management of the RTP was assigned to the National Transport Authority (NTA) with effect from 1st April 2012. The Programme is currently managed by Pobal in conjunction with the NTA as part of the Programme transition.
Noting this I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA/Pobal for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
1093. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding Waterford Airport Company has received from his Department under the regional airports operational expenditure subvention scheme in each of the past eight years, 2013 inclusive. [27089/13]
View answer1094. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding Waterford Airport Company has received from his Department under the capital expenditure grant scheme in each of the past eight years, 2013 inclusive. [27090/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1093 and 1094 together.
Exchequer funding provided to Waterford Airport under the capital expenditure grant (Capex) scheme and under the operational expenditure subvention (Opex) scheme from 2006 to date is set out in the following table.
|
- |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
|
Operational Subvention (Opex) (€) |
687,685 |
1,352,000 |
1,540,000 |
1,494,000 |
1,584,458 |
1,272,071 |
1,290,000 |
Opex applications will be invited later in 2013 |
|
Capital Expenditure (Capex) (€)
|
0 |
1,174,489 |
1,907,729 |
223,607 |
23,380 |
795,582 |
1,333,830 |
74,728 to date |
|
Total Exchequer Support (€) |
686,685 |
2,526,489 |
3,447,729 |
1,717,607 |
1,607,838 |
2,067,653 |
2,623,830 |
74,728 to date |
1095. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the total amount of grant aid his Department has historically allocated for works, including construction and land acquisition costs, specifically relating to the Waterford Airport Road, which is designated as a strategic non-national route. [27091/13]
View answerThe improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads in its area, is a statutory function of each road authority in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act, 1993. Works on such roads are a matter, for the relevant local authority to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.
Waterford County Council was provided with a total of €11,085,091 towards the R708 Airport Road between 2003 and 2009.
1096. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the work his Department is currently undertaking on various pieces of upcoming legislation, through a potential Bill to go through the Houses of the Oireachtas or through Statutory Instrument, to ensure Ireland is in compliance with the upcoming deadlines of Directives from the European Union; the deadline in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27482/13]
View answerWork is on-going on Statutory Instruments required to transpose the following EU Directives into Irish Law up to the end of 2013. Deadlines where applicable are shown.
Directive 2012/45 EC Amending Directive 2008/68 EC on the inland transportation of dangerous goods - deadline of 30 June 2013; Directive 2011/76/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 September 2011 amending Directive 1999/62/EC on the charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures - deadline of 16 October 2013; Directive 2008/106/EC of 19 November 2008 on minimum level of training for seafarers (recast) - no deadline specified in the recast Directive.
1097. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide, in tabular form for the years 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013, the total revenues raised by late payment penalties to eFlow; and the number of vehicle owners who were subject to additional late penalties to eFlow during this period. [27489/13]
View answerAs 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).
In order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I am referring his Question to the NRA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
1098. Deputy Paschal Donohoe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when issues surrounding category two driving licences will be resolved in view of the fact that renewal applicants with medical conditions will not be eligible to reapply for such a licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27513/13]
View answerI assume that the Deputy is referring to the two Groups into which driving licences are divided for the purpose of legislation on medical fitness to drive.
Irish legislation with regard to medical fitness to drive is governed by EU law, which we are required to follow. The legislation in this regard is set out in the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 537 of 2006), as amended, in particular, by the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2010 (S.I. No. 544 of 2010). The most recent change to regulations regarding medical fitness to drive was made in S.I. No. 544 of 2010, which transposed into Irish law two EU Directives, Commission Directive No. 2009/112/EC of 25 August 2009 and Commission Directive No. 2009/113/EC of 25 August 2009. These Directives revised EU standards on medical fitness to drive in a number of areas, including eyesight, epilepsy, and diabetes mellitus.
The Deputy may wish to note my replies to Question 634 of 12 June 2012 and Question 541 of 10 July 2012 on this matter.
We are compliant with EU law, and there are no planned revisions.
1099. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the Lough Ree RNLI lifeboat service will become a permanent safety fixture on the lake and River Shannon after serving its 12-month probation; if he will acknowledge the important contribution the service has made to safety on the water since its operation in June 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27529/13]
View answerAlthough the many Royal National Lifeboat Institution services are an important declared resource for the Irish Coast Guard, the establishment of RNLI lifeboat services either temporarily or permanently is a matter for the RNLI itself.
1100. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the towing of car trailers; if he will outline the regulations regarding same; if there are any new regulations being considered; if an awareness campaign is planned in relation to this; the steps available to persons wishing to comply with these regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27603/13]
View answerThe driver licensing regulations are set out in the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 537 of 2006), as amended. The most recent change to the categories of licences came into effect in January of this year, in accordance with the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 483 of 2011).
A category B licence covers cars with a trailer where the design gross vehicle weight of the trailer is not greater than 750 kg. A category B licence with code 106 covers a combination where the design gross vehicle weight of the trailer may exceed 750 kg and where the design gross vehicle weight of drawing vehicle and trailer combined does not exceed 4,250 kg.
A category BE licence entitled the holder to drive a category B and trailer where the design gross vehicle weight of the trailer is not greater than 3,500 kg.
On 12th January 2013, the Road Safety Authority became the driver licensing authority for the country. Further information on licence categories can be obtained from the RSA who are also responsible for public information campaigns in this area.
1101. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will request Bus Éireann to provide a bus shelter in the vicinity of the junction of a club (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27611/13]
View answerThe issue of bus stop improvement is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) in conjunction with the relevant transport provider and I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
1102. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide the estimated reduction in journey time from Greystones to Gorey on the N11 once the upgrade is complete; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27617/13]
View answerAs 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.
Noting the above position, I have referred the Deputy’s question to the NRA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you don’t receive a reply within 10 working days.
