Written Answers Nos. 261-268
261. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the health and safety guidelines under which authorised Road Safety Authority inspectors operate in selecting locations for conducting road side enforcement checkpoints. [48541/14]
View answer262. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of Road Safety Authority roadside enforcement checkpoints by road number and by county conducted to date in 2014. [48542/14]
View answer263. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of operator premises visits carried out by the Road Safety Authority enforcement inspectors in respect of drivers' hours regulations to date during 2014. [48543/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 261 to 263, inclusive, together.
The issues of health and safety, roadside vehicle checks and premises checks are a matter for the Road Safety Authority. Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006 (Conferral of Functions) Order 2006 (S.I. No. 477 of 2006) the Road Safety Authority has responsibility for the appointment of Transport Officers, and the duties of those officers and the terms and conditions of their work contracts are also a matter for the Road Safety Authority.
Therefore, I have referred the Deputy's questions to the Road Safety Authority for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
264. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to introduce own account operator licensing in the road haulage sector. [48544/14]
View answerThe Road Safety Strategy 2013-2020 includes a commitment to "review policy on licensing of road transport operators to assess if own account operators should be included."
A review of own account operator licensing is currently being carried out in my Department. The policy will be finalised in 2015, following a stakeholder consultation.
265. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to introduce refresher training on a periodic basis for those who have completed the transport management certificate of professional competence, CPC, course. [48545/14]
View answerMy officials have concluded a review of the conditions relating to the requirement of professional competence provided for in Regulation (EC) 1071/2009. I propose to make new regulations shortly that will enable me to authorise a body to provide transport managers with continuous training to update their knowledge.
266. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will continue his efforts at the North-South Ministerial Council to get the Northern authorities to review their recent decision in respect of the imposition of the UK heavy goods vehicle levy in respect of trucks registered in the Twenty-six Counties and in respect of trucks using the A5 as the main transit route between north Donegal and Dublin. [48546/14]
View answerThe introduction of the UK HGV road user levy was an unwelcome development for Irish hauliers, particularly for those operating in areas around the border with Northern Ireland. My Department lobbied extensively against the application of the levy in Northern Ireland, but the UK Minister for Transport refused to grant any significant exemption beyond certain small sections of NI roads that criss-cross the border.
The Northern Ireland Assembly recently voted in favour of introducing the secondary legislation necessary for the enforcement of the levy in Northern Ireland. A proposal to repeal the legislation was debated in the Assembly but was rejected by the majority of MLAs.
My Department, in co-operation with the Northern Ireland Department of the Environment, is monitoring the imposition of the levy in Northern Ireland and its impact on Irish hauliers. I will continue to discuss the issue with Minister Durkan under the aegis of the North South Ministerial Council, and to seek to identify ways to mitigate the impact of the charge on Irish hauliers.
267. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the routes in the Border counties in respect of which the Northern Ireland authorities granted exemptions to southern hauliers from the UK heavy goods vehicle levy. [48547/14]
View answerThe HGV Road User Levy introduced on 1 April 2014 in the United Kingdom and including Northern Ireland is a matter under the remit of the central U.K. Government in Westminster. The U.K. Minister For Transport has exempted approximately 7 km of roads that repeatedly criss-cross the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, as follows:
- A section of the A3 intersecting with the N54, being the usual route used to access Monaghan town coming from central Ireland; and
- A section of the A37 intersecting with the N53, used to access Monaghan and Castleblayney by traffic coming from locations east of those towns.
268. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the fact that, under EU regulations, a coach driver on an international journey carrying passengers can legally drive subject to certain conditions for 12 consecutive days, while a truck driver carrying goods must take at least 24 hours rest after six consecutive days driving; his further views that goods are more strenuous to transport or are more valuable than human life; and his plans to raise this issue at EU level. [48548/14]
View answerArticle 29 of Regulation (EC) 1073/2009 amended Article 8 of Regulation (EC) 561/2006 and its application to certain forms of passenger transport with effect from 4 June 2010. As a result, a coach driver on an international coach tour trip can avail of driving time regulations known as the “12 Day Rule”. Certain conditions apply, however, which are intended to protect the safety of the driver, the passengers and other road users. The conditions include:
- The driver must be engaged in a single international trip.
- The driver must take a rest period of at least 45 hours immediately before the journey.
- The driver must continue to take daily rest and breaks in line with existing requirements.
- For 24 hours of the 12 days, the driver and the coach tour passengers must be in a different country (includes Northern Ireland) than where the trip started.
- After the trip, the driver must take a longer than regular rest period.
- From 1 January 2014, the vehicle must be fitted with a digital tachograph and if the driving time is between 22:00 and 06:00 there must be more than one driver, otherwise the driver cannot drive for more than 3 hours without a break.
In view of these important safeguards, I believe the regulations are appropriate.
