Thursday, 7 Nov 2013

Written Answers Nos. 1-19

Capital Programme Expenditure

Questions (9)

Robert Troy

Question:

9. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will outline the proposed quantum of money to be assigned to the sports capital programme and the road capital programme, including maintenance and construction, in view of the revenue raised from the sale of the national lottery; if he intends to allocate the sports capital and road capital money prior to the 2014 local and European elections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47173/13]

Written answers

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

 As part of the €200m Stimulus Package announced by the Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform in Budget 2014 additional capital funding is being allocated to my Department’s Vote.

I hope that an announcement can be made before the end of the year in relation to a new round of the Sports Capital Programme. The Department has not yet been informed how much money will be in the SCP subhead in 2014 and consequently it is not possible at this stage to give a date for allocations. Minister Ring is due to answer a question on this later in this question session and I will defer to him on this matter.

I understood that an allocation will be directed towards regional and local roads, specifically for road maintenance and repair. This additional investment in 2014, follows on from the €50m Stimulus in 2013 and will offset the significant cut (of €116m) which had been programmed for the Regional and Local Roads funding line for 2014.  It is now projected that  the overall allocation for this purpose will be €334m (down from €400m in 2013).

It is already acknowledged that there will be no scope for new projects or improvements in 2014 and that while the reduction in funding will be challenging, every effort will be made to make the most of limited resources. My Department’s grants are not - and never were - intended to cover the full maintenance cost of regional and local roads. Local authorities have other revenue sources to assist with the funding of such works.  

It is expected that the allocation of the road capital stimulus funding for 2014 will be announced along with the normal regional and local and grant allocations early in the New Year.

Questions Nos. 10 and 11 answered orally.

Departmental Funding

Questions (12)

Sandra McLellan

Question:

12. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will discuss the 7% reduction to the budget of the Irish Sports Council; his views on what effect this will have on the delivery of front-line services by national governing sports bodies and on the high performance programme. [47113/13]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (Deputy Michael Ring)

 The difficult economic situation is having an impact on public spending across all sectors of society and spending on sport is no different. The cut in the budget for the Irish Sports Council for 2014 currently stands at €3m. It is hoped that we will be able to alleviate that somewhat through adjustments in the Department's Vote but we will have to see the details of the Council's proposals before doing so. Given the very limited resources available, we need to be satisfied that any funding that can be reallocated from other uses will deliver a very substantial additional benefit for sport.

I would point out to the Deputy that the total Sports budget will go up from €74.6m to €93.5m, which is a substantial increase of over 25%. This increase will enable us to launch another round of the Sports Capital Programme and commence work on the long outstanding Indoor Arena at the National Sports Campus. This is welcome news for community sports clubs across the country and will increase participation in sport. Clubs will be able to apply for essential works like new changing rooms, pitches, lighting and other projects for the second time since this Government took office. It will also mean that we will be able to fund regional projects as happened with the last Programme.

This increased funding for sport comes at a time when there are many calls on limited Government resources and demonstrates the Government's commitment to sport and its understanding of its value both to the economy and the health of the nation.

Tourism Data

Questions (13)

Sandra McLellan

Question:

13. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if there has been any noticeable increase in visitors from China, India, Brazil, Russia and south east Asia in recent years; the targets he has for these markets; and the strategies that exist to ensure that Ireland increases its penetration of these markets. [47111/13]

Written answers

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

Figures published by the Central Statistics Office show that Irish tourism is enjoying a very good year and all of our main overseas markets are showing growth. For the nine month period between January and September, the number of overseas visits to Ireland increased by 6.4% to over 5.4 million. Visits from North America were up by 14.6%; visits from Mainland Europe were up by 5.1% while visits from Great Britain were up by 3.5% for the nine month period. Due to the relatively small numbers involved, the CSO does not publish individual country breakdowns for other long-haul markets. The Office does provide an overall figure however, and the number of visits from these markets increased by 13.7% compared by the same period in 2012.   

Tourism Ireland is the agency with responsibility for the overseas marketing of the Island of Ireland as a holiday destination.The agency continues to roll out major marketing campaigns in all of our main overseas markets and is working hard to put Ireland on the map in emerging markets. This year's activity in this regard includes arranging familiarisation visits for leading travel agents and tour operators from these markets and also cooperative campaigns with airlines and tour operators serving these regions. The Visa Waiver introduced by Government under the Jobs Initiative has assisted greatly in both facilitating more visits from those markets which are visa-required and also in encouraging operators from those markets to include Ireland in their itineraries.

With regard to tourism strategies for the medium to longer term, Tourism Ireland  is currently finalising its three year Corporate Plan to cover the 2014 -2017 period which will, inter alia, outline strategies for each of our main overseas tourism markets.    In addition, I am currently engaged in consultations as part of my review of tourism policy, the closing date for responses to which has been extended to the 22nd November, and one of the issues raised is that of Ireland's priority markets/best prospects.

Question No. 14 answered orally.

Departmental Funding

Questions (15)

Timmy Dooley

Question:

15. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the resources to be allocated to the Road Safety Authority for the coming year; his views on whether these resources are satisfactory; if he is concerned at the increasing number of deaths on the roads here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47163/13]

Written answers

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is funded through a combination of Exchequer and non-Exchequer funding.  The detail of the Estimates for my Department in 2014 are currently being finalised.    In consultation with the RSA, which has significant income and reserves of its own available, I will ensure that the Authority has adequate resources to fulfil its functions.     

At the end of October the number of fatalities on Irish roads was higher than for the equivalent period in 2012.  I am concerned at the increase in road fatalities, particularly as the number of road deaths in recent years decreased year on year to the point that 2012 was the safest year on Irish roads since records began in 1959.  Both the Gardaí and the RSA meet regularly to discuss the causes of collisions and the steps necessary to reduce them.  

All stakeholders involved must continue with the effort and commitment that resulted in year on year reductions over the past seven years. Earlier this year, I launched the Road Safety Strategy 2013-2020 which identifies a total of 144 Actions to be implemented by key stakeholders within the timeframes set.  Implementation of these Actions will lead to a further significant reduction in fatalities and serious injuries on our roads.  

In addition to the new Strategy, I recently introduced the Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill in the Dáil. The Bill provides for adjustment of penalty points for certain offences, introduces a new concept of novice driver, assists the Gardaí in determining the presence of intoxicants in drivers through an impairment testing system and provides for the testing for intoxicants of drivers left incapacitated by a road collision. The provisions of the Bill will also assist in making our roads safer.

Budget 2014

Questions (16, 37)

Robert Troy

Question:

16. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will outline in detail the way the reduction of €12.9 million in revenue allocation for the tourism section from his Department will impact on that sector in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47141/13]

Sandra McLellan

Question:

37. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the 11% reduction in tourism funding in budget 2014; the ramifications for Tourism Ireland’s ability to promote Ireland internationally and on Fáilte Ireland’s ability to promote Irish holiday destinations domestically and generally on the impact on the tourism industry here. [47115/13]

Written answers

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 and 37 together.

This was a very good budget for tourism with the most significant result being the retention of the reduced VAT rate for the tourism sector. This measure has been critical to reviving the fortunes of this sector since its introduction.  This is complemented by the reduction of the air travel tax to zero - the impact of which is already visible in terms of new services. 

The industry will also benefit from measures such as the increase in the cash receipts threshold for VAT from €1.25 million to €2 million and the continuation of the diesel rebate for coach tour operators. 

In line with the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure, there has been a reduction on the allocation for tourism services, to €123m.  The bulk of the saving in current expenditure is accounted for by the ending of once-off funding of the Gathering - some €7m in 2013.  The remainder is made up of pay and programme savings as well as operational efficiencies across the tourism agencies.  Excluding this, the net reduction is some €9m.  However, with the Budget Stimulus package providing an extra €8m for the Wild Atlantic Way project, the real reduction in recurring funding is equivalent to just €1m.

In the first nine months of 2013, overseas visitors to Ireland have increased by 6.4%.  The challenge for the tourism sector in 2014 will be to build on the success of this year. I am happy that the provision that is now being made for tourism services this year is sufficient to assist the sector to do just that.

Motor Tax Collection

Questions (17)

Heather Humphreys

Question:

17. Deputy Heather Humphreys asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the introduction of a pay as you go motor tax system for the haulage industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47062/13]

Written answers

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

There are no plans at present to introduce a pay-as-you-go road user charge for HGVs in Ireland.   

As the Deputy will appreciate, such a decision would have cross-Governmental implications and could only be taken after extensive consideration. However, the National Roads Authority has carried out preliminary work on the issue of HGV road charging. This work includes identifying the options available, given that there are a number of European Directives in this area; the international experience and trends on road user charging; and the issues that will need to be considered in an Irish context. 

Following receipt of this report, I met with the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government, Phil Hogan TD and we have agreed to establish a cross-Departmental group to consider the matter. The intention is that this group will report in the middle of next year with a recommendation on what direction to pursue based on which we will revert to Government.

I am not seeking to pre-empt the outcome of the group, but if change to a pay-as-you-go road user charge regime is proposed, it is important to state that any changes of such a significant nature will require detailed consideration and a considerable lead in time. 

Question No. 18 answered with Question No. 14.

Road Safety Statistics

Questions (19)

Noel Coonan

Question:

19. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the road safety performance for the year to date; the measures the National Roads Authority is considering to improve road safety; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46950/13]

Written answers

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

After a record low in the number of road deaths in 2012 and a year-on-year reduction in each of the previous seven years, it appears as if there will be an increase in the number of road fatalities this year and this is of great concern to me.  I am aware that the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and the Gardaí meet regularly to discuss the causes of road accidents and the steps necessary to address the issues arising.  

Earlier this year I launched the Road Safety Strategy 2013 – 2020, which sets out 144 Actions that will improve road safety. Each Action has a target date for implementation by identified agencies and Government Departments in the period up to 2020. 

The RSA has overall responsibility for the Strategy and I have established a Committee to oversee implementation of the Strategy with relevant Ministers, senior Department and Agency officials, and An Garda Siochana represented.  This Committee, which I chair, met as recently as last Monday. Every effort is being made to focus the attention of all road users on relevant issues including excessive speed, failure to wear seat belts and driving under the influence of intoxicants.

The National Roads Authority (NRA) was an active participant in developing the Road Safety Strategy and the Strategy is directly feeding into the NRA’s work programme for next year and subsequent years. The Actions associated with the NRA include implementation of the EU Road Infrastructure Safety Management Directive on all national roads, implementation of 150 minor realignment schemes on the national road network over the lifetime of the Strategy, a reduction in the number of national access points on the road network and pavement condition improvement.