Charlie McConalogue
Question:187. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when a reply will issue to the interim response LV/1363; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16834/14]
View answerTrans European Transport Network Programme
Questions (187)
Written answers
A full reply issued to the Deputy on 07 April 2014. The delay in issuing a final reply arose due to the large number of representations I received regarding the new Trans-European Network for Transport (TEN-T) and the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Regulations 2014-2020, as well as the suggestion of a “Western Arc”. In view of the strong interests in this matter I wanted to issue a comprehensive and substantive reply which would address all of the issues raised.
Public Service Obligation Services
Questions (188)
Dessie Ellis
Question:188. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the efforts he will make to ensure that the tendering of 10% of all PSO bus routes of Dublin services will not further undermine the wider public transport network and lead to wholesale privatisation; the criteria that will be used to identify the 10%; the criteria that will be used for the tendering; if there will be a guarantee that OAP disability bus passes will still be valid; the public consultation that will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16850/14]
View answerWritten answers
I refer the Deputy to my reply to Priority Question No. 2 which I answered on Wednesday, 2nd April 2014.
As indicated in that reply, the National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the awarding of contracts for the provision of Public Service Obligation (PSO) services. I have forwarded the Deputy's further question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
Dáil Question No: 2
To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the efforts he will make to ensure that the tendering of 10% of all PSO bus routes and 100% of Waterford city bus services will not further undermine the wider public transport network and lead to wholesale privatisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
- Dessie Ellis.
For PRIORITY answer on Wednesday, 2nd April, 2014.
Ref No: 15405/14 Lottery: 2
Answered by the Minister of State for Public and Commuter Transport Alan Kelly
REPLY
It is important to say that Dublin Bus or Bus Éireann are not being privatised and won't be over the lifetime of this Government. In fact they will have a guaranteed level of public service funding up to 2019.
The direct award contracts for the provision of Public Service Obligation (PSO) bus market services held by Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann expire later this year. The awarding of subsequent contracts is the statutory responsibility of the National Transport Authority (NTA). In accordance with the decision made by the NTA Board in December last on the arrangements for the award of public transport contracts after December 2014, all Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann routes will be included in the new five year direct award contracts which the NTA will enter into with the companies next December.
However, the NTA announced that 10% of publicly subvented bus services will only remain within the direct award contracts until the end of 2016 after which they will be operated under separate contracts that will have been competitively tendered. It must be recognised that the tendering decisions announced by the NTA are relatively modest and there will be a long lead-in before they take effect. Furthermore, it is open to the two incumbent companies to compete for any tendered routes and I am confident they will make strong bids.
The NTA considered it to be in the public interest to leave Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann with a scale of operation which remains efficient for each company’s resources and overheads. The NTA has determined that tendering about 10% of the market presents little, if any, risk to Dublin Bus or Bus Éireann’s overall operations while giving the opportunity to test market pricing, offer opportunities to improve efficiency and customer service, as well as the possibility, subject to the outcome of the competition, of bringing new operators into the market, and enabling benchmarking. No service changes will occur as a result of this process as it will still be the state, in the form of the NTA, that will determine the schedules, the frequency, the vehicle types and standards, the fares and the customer service requirements.
Sports Capital Programme Applications
Questions (189)
Catherine Murphy
Question:189. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when a decision will be made on an application for a sports capital grant in respect of a club (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16855/14]
View answerWritten answers
I can confirm that an application has been submitted by the organisation referred to by the Deputy under the 2014 Sports Capital Programme and the Deputy's interest in the project is noted. I hope to announce allocations later this year.
Sports Capital Programme Applications
Questions (190)
Catherine Murphy
Question:190. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when a decision will be made on an application for a sports capital grant in respect of a club (details supplied) in County Kildare; the criteria utilised in determining the level of grant assistance to be provided for applicants such as this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16856/14]
View answerWritten answers
I can confirm that an application has been submitted by the organisation referred to by the Deputy under the 2014 Sports Capital Programme and the Deputy's interest in the project is noted.
All applications received under the Programme are being assessed by officials in the Department. Applications are first checked to ensure eligibility, and eligible applications are then initially assessed against five criteria:
1. Likelihood of increasing participation and/or improving performance and sharing of facilities
2. Level of socio-economic disadvantage in the area
3. Technical merits of the project
4. Level of own funding available
5. Level of Sports Capital Programme funding received in the past
These criteria are designed to give higher scores to applications that will increase participation, where facilities will be shared, that are from designated disadvantaged areas, that have not received substantial funding in the past and are ready to be progressed as soon as possible.
I hope to announce allocations later this year.
Sports Capital Programme Applications
Questions (191)
Tom Fleming
Question:191. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will examine a sports capital grant by a club (details supplied) in County Kerry, as this club urgently need to finalise its development; if he will provide the necessary funding to this club at an early date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16899/14]
View answerWritten answers
I can confirm that an application has been submitted by the organisation referred to by the Deputy under the 2014 Sports Capital Programme and the Deputy's interest in the project is noted. I hope to announce allocations later this year.
Road Tolls
Questions (192)
Luke 'Ming' Flanagan
Question:192. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the new HGV road levy which came into effect on 1 April 2014 in the UK and Northern Ireland; if his attention has been drawn to the impact that this levy will have on haulage companies and other HGV users; if he is aware that due to the very high road tax on HGV vehicles in Ireland and the new HGV road levy, that many companies are now moving to Northern Ireland and that this will result in a significant loss of revenue to the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16902/14]
View answerWritten answers
I am very aware that the UK HGV road user levy is a cause of considerable concern for Irish HGV operators. I have had extensive discussions with my UK and Northern Ireland counterparts on the matter and have made representations to the UK authorities to completely exempt certain significant sections of Northern Ireland roads infrastructure from the levy, as it is not possible under EU law to have an exemption for just one country. My Department officials and I are committed to pursuing this issue to the fullest possible extent and are working closely with Northern Ireland Environment Minister Durkan’s office on our representations to UK Minister Hammond to exempt the A5 corridor for HGV traffic travelling to and from destinations in Ireland.
The Taoiseach raised this issue at his recent bilateral meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron, and I understand Deputy Joe McHugh met Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers lately to discuss this issue as well. In addition, my colleague Jim Higgins MEP, Ireland's representative on the European Parliament Transport Committee, has written to Commissioner for Transport, Siim Kallas, and the Internal Market Commissioner, Michel Barnier, on the matter and is to meet the European Parliament Transport Committee Chair soon to discuss it. I will be keeping in contact with Deputy McHugh and MEP Higgins regarding any developments resulting from their respective meetings.
Regarding HGV road tax, one of my priorities for this year to help ease the burden of the UK levy is to examine the feasibility of introducing a similar pay-as-you-go road tax scheme for HGVs in Ireland. For this purpose, I have established a cross-Departmental working group, following consultation with my colleague Phil Hogan, Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. The group is currently considering the wide-ranging aspects of this issue and is due to report to Government by the middle of this year with its recommendations. In the meantime, any reform of the existing motor tax regime is a matter for Minister Hogan.
On the issue of Irish HGV operators relocating their businesses to other jurisdictions, though some may choose this course of action, it remains to be seen if a large number of haulage operators will do so. Any haulage operators that relocate will then be subject to the cabotage regulations that apply to out-of-state operators and their transport operations within Ireland will consequently be greatly restricted by those regulations.