Written Answers Nos. 951-965
951. Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the security procedures that are in place at Dublin Airport to allow intending passengers who previously had hip or knee replacements to board flights without having to endure strip searches or body examinations. [1460/14]
View answerThe matter raised by the Deputy at Dublin Airport is an operational matter for the Dublin Airport Authority. Accordingly, I have forwarded the question to the DAA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
952. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the renewal of a provisional driver's licence will be processed in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11, the reason for the delay in the processing of this application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1469/14]
View answerThe subject matter of this question, which relates to the operation of the National Driver Licensing Service, is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority. I have therefore referred the question to the Authority for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
953. Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views regarding the difficulty experienced by commuters in purchasing child tickets at ticket machines in train and DART stations. [1497/14]
View answerThe issue raised is a matter for Iarnród Éireann and I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
954. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding a dangerous section of the N72 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1515/14]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, Tourism and 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.
Within its capital budget it is a matter for the NRA to assess projects and determine priorities. I have, therefore, forwarded the Deputy's Question to the NRA for further reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
955. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his future plans for the PSO levy on Kerry to Dublin flights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1524/14]
View answerThere is no levy. The Kerry-Dublin Public Service Obligation (PSO) flight is one of only two subsidised air services still supported by my Department. As the Deputy may be aware, the current PSO air services Scheme, which includes the Kerry/Dublin route, ends in November this year. The policy on regional airports post-2014 is currently being developed in my Department and will reflect the outcomes of the recently published IWA Knock Study and will also have to comply with the revised EU Guidelines on State Aid once they are finalised. No final decisions have been made in respect of future PSO supports for the Kerry/Dublin or any other routes at this time.
956. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the waiting list for obtaining a driving licence at each of the new driving licence centres; what he views as an acceptable waiting time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1551/14]
View answerThe Road Safety Authority has responsibility for the operation of the National Driver Licensing Service and I have therefore forwarded the question of the waiting times at each of the new driving licence centres to the Authority for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
With regard to waiting times in general, the target of the NDLS is to issue a licence to customers between 5-8 days of receiving an application. The RSA has advised me that applications for driver licences received that have been completed fully and correctly are now being issued within 8 days.
957. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the clearance and other regulatory requirements a person would have to meet to start operating a local bus tour sightseeing service for tourists in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1557/14]
View answerIn order to operate such a service, a person will require a Road Passenger Transport Operator Licence issued by my Department's Road Transport Operator Licensing Unit. In addition, he or she must have a Large Public Service Vehicle Licence issued by An Garda Síochána. If the service is to operate on a timetable along a fixed route and with predetermined stops for picking up and dropping off passengers, a route licence may also be required. Route licences are issued by the National Transport Authority.
An applicant for a Road Passenger Transport Operator Licence must meet a number of requirements relating to establishment, good repute, financial standing and professional competence. Full details are available in the guidelines published on the Road Transport Operator Licensing Unit's website www.rtol.ie.
958. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update regarding the N17-18 project; when it is envisaged that contracts will be signed; when it is expected that work on the project will begin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1577/14]
View answerThe planning, design and implementation of individual national 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 do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
959. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the possible constraints on cattle numbers due to the new weight regulations being proposed for cattle trailers drawn by jeeps, 4x4s and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1625/14]
View answerThere are no new weight regulations being proposed for trailers towed by jeeps or four by four vehicles for the carriage of animals, and the position regarding the maximum weight that such vehicles may tow remains unchanged. The maximum weight which a vehicle may tow is dependent on the towing vehicle's rated towing capacity which is established by the manufacturer and which can be found in the owner's hand book or on the vehicle's specifications and identification plate.
963. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on reports that more than 200,000 written-off cars are still being driven; his views on whether this is a factor in the 18% increase in road deaths in 2013 compared with 2012; the safeguards currently in place to ensure written-off cars do not re-enter the car sales market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1725/14]
View answerThe use of written-off vehicles on Irish roads is of concern to me and their effective control is an important factor in ensuring a high standard of safety on Irish roads. It is an offence under road traffic law to drive an unsafe vehicle that presents a danger to road users.
My Department has an administrative arrangement whereby motor vehicle insurers notify us of vehicles that are damaged beyond repair in order to ensure certain written-off vehicles are not put back on the road. The details of these vehicles are then "locked down" on the National Vehicle Driver File (NVDF). That means that no transactions, such as renewal of annual motor tax, change of ownership, etc., can be recorded in respect of that vehicle. I am advised that approximately 40,000 such vehicles have had their NVDF records locked down in the last five years. The administrative process, however, does not have a statutory footing and does not account for vehicles often referred to as "economic write-offs", even where such vehicles are badly damaged. Written-off vehicles imported from another country are also not accounted for.
In order to tackle these issues, I am proposing to introduce a statutory control procedure in relation to written-off vehicles. The objective of this would be to ensure that severely and irreparably damaged vehicles are never let back on the road, and, where a written-off vehicle can be repaired, it will only be allowed back into service if repaired to acceptable standards, with such repairs being independently assessed and certified.
As the collision database does not include information on the involvement of written-off vehicles, we do not have statistical evidence to determine the extent to which written-off vehicles may have contributed to the increase in road fatalities in 2013.
964. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide in tabular form the 2013 and 2014 regional and local road grant allocations by county from his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1726/14]
View answerCopies of booklets detailing the road allocations in respect of regional and local roads for 2013 to each Local Authority are available to Deputies in the Dáil Library. Details of the 2014 regional and local road grants will be communicated to local authorities shortly. These will also be available in the Dáil Library.
