Written Answers Nos. 597-612
597. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the proposed use for the new card-style driver licences; and if these licences will have chip technology containing all relevant information pertinent to that licence holder. [2261/15]
View answerThe plastic card format of driving licence was introduced in January 2013 in accordance with EU requirements.
The plastic card format offers a number of advantages over the previous paper licence. It is smaller and therefore easier to carry, it is more durable; and the enhanced security elements makes it is more difficult to forge.
The card also contains a microchip. At the time when Ireland introduced the card, there was as yet no agreement at EU level as to what information might be stored on the chip. In consequence, the chip was not in use when the card licence was introduced.
The EU has since agreed rules for the storage of data on the cards. In essence, it has been agreed that the licence microchip would contain, as a minimum, the information printed on the face of the card. However, the possibility exists for each Member State to include additional information. The RSA is examining this matter with a view to determining what additional information could be included on the chip that would assist and enhance in the enforcement of road traffic legislation and the measures necessary to allow this information to be accessed by relevant state bodies.
598. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of shares in Aer Lingus owned by the Irish State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2264/15]
View answerThe Irish State owns 134,109,026 shares in Aer Lingus. This currently represents 25.11% of the company's issued shares. The shares are held in the name of the Minister for Finance. This information is publicly available on the Aer Lingus Group's corporate website.
599. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the conversion of Irish driver licences in Alberta, Canada; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2304/15]
View answerDriver licensing law in Ireland operates within a framework of EU law. On this basis, we have mutual exchange of driving licences with other EU Member States. In the case of non-EU jurisdictions, we can reach bilateral agreements on mutual exchange of licences.
The process of reaching these agreements involves detailed comparison of the two regimes by the licensing authorities on both sides, to ensure that they are compatible. On the Irish side, this work is undertaken by the Road Safety Authority (RSA).
The RSA has been engaging for some time with the authorities in Canada with a view to reaching agreements on mutual exchange of driving licences. In Canada, driver licensing operates at provincial rather than national level. This means that the RSA has to engage with the authorities in each province separately, and inevitably lengthens the process.
It was decided from the beginning to prioritise agreement with Ontario, due to the large number of Irish residents there. The Ontario agreement, the first such agreement with any Canadian province, came into effect last October.
The RSA has continued to engage with the other Canadian provinces. It is my understanding that the next agreements to be reached are likely to be with Manitoba and with Newfoundland & Labrador. The RSA will continue to work with Alberta and other provinces with a view to getting agreements in place as soon as possible.
600. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 641 and 642 of 16 December 2014, the number of meetings between the Minister or Minister of State and the management advisory committee, MAC, for the years 2011 to 2014, inclusive; the number of meetings of the MAC for the years 2011 to 2014, inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2456/15]
View answerI refer the Deputy to Dáil Questions Nos. 641 and 642 of 16th of December 2014. The position remains the same.
The information requested by the Deputy would require an inordinate amount of time to compile as the number of meetings involved is quite substantial.
The Management Board (MB) of the Department is comprised of the Secretary General and currently five Assistant Secretaries. Meetings of the MB normally take place every Tuesday morning with the only exceptions to this being the month of August and the Christmas/New Year period and are typically also attended by the Secretary to the MB. The special Advisor to the Minister and a representative from the Minister of States' Office would also attend for a standard agenda item of "Ministerial, Government and Oireachtas Business". Other Departmental civil servants may be required to attend where agenda items are of direct relevance to them or their areas of responsibility.
The Ministerial Management Board (MMB) is comprised of the Minister, Minister of State and the MB. Meetings of the MMB normally take place once a month, again with the exception of August and Christmas/New Year, and are also attended by the Secretary to the MB, the Advisors to the Ministers and the Private Secretaries to the Ministers and the Secretary General. The Financial Report is a standard agenda item for every meeting and typically the Principal Officer and a number of his staff from the Departments' Finance Division would attend for this item. As with MB meetings, where a specific item is raised, the relevant Departmental civil servant may be requested to attend.
Neither I or my Ministerial colleagues have held any separate meetings with the MB as a whole outside of the scheduled monthly Ministerial Management Board meetings. We would naturally have various formal and informal discussions with individual members of the MB where necessary on issues across the range of their Departmental responsibilities and it would be impossible to produce a statistical summary of these.
601. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount spent by his Department on special advisers for each of the past four years; the way this compares with the four years from 2007 to 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2514/15]
View answerThe information requested is set out in the table on a year by year basis.
|
Year |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
|
Cost |
€ 226,505 |
€ 194,569 |
€ 189,954 |
€ 181,891 |
€ 216,602 |
€ 206,331 |
€ 196,045 |
€ 180,871 |
The costs year on year are not directly comparable due to a number of changes of personnel through the years associated with Ministerial moves or a change in administration. For example the yearly cost in 2011 includes pension contributions paid to outgoing Advisors of the previous administration. Salary costs also show a reduction in 2013 and 2014 due to a combination of pay cuts under the Haddington Road Agreement and changes at Ministerial and Minister of State posts in 2014.
602. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount spent by his Department on ministerial drivers and associated travel expenses for each of the past four years; the way this compares with similar expenditure for the four years from 2007 to 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2530/15]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is being compiled and will be forwarded as soon as possible.
603. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the reinstatement on the specific improvement grant for local and regional roads; the amount of funding for the scheme in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2592/15]
View answerThe improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities' own resources supplemented by State road grants.
Given the cutbacks in the funding available for roads, the Specific and Strategic Grants Schemes for road improvement projects have had to be curtailed in order to protect funding for road maintenance and repair. This will remain the position in 2015.
I expect to announce the 2015 regional and local road grants in the coming weeks.
604. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of sports capital grants that have not been drawn down over the past three years in County Longford; the amount not drawn down for the rest of the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2620/15]
View answerUnder the Sports Capital Programme a total of €333,208 is outstanding to grantees in County Longford from allocations made between 2012-2014. The corresponding figure for the rest of the country is €53,689,536.
605. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will ensure that funding is provided to upgrade the N55 Granard-Ballymahon-Athlone route, particularly the section approaching Ballymahon from Edgeworthstown, in view of the heavy volume of traffic using this road; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2637/15]
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. Within its capital budget, the assessment and prioritisation of individual projects (including the N55) is a matter in the first instance for the NRA in accordance with Section 19 of the Roads Act.
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 ten working days.
606. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the work undertaken to date by his Department and the challenges faced in implementing the new tourism strategy for counties Longford and Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2638/15]
View answerA review of tourism policy began in 2013, to look at all aspects of Irish tourism. A consultation paper was published and stakeholders were invited to submit their views. In order to further facilitate the tourism sector, a number of regional seminars with key stakeholders (including one seminar in Athlone) were held from October to December 2013.
A first Draft of a Tourism Policy Statement was published in July 2014, which provided an opportunity for tourism stakeholders to provide feedback on the initial text. Over 70 responses were received in response to the Draft Tourism Policy Statement.
The finalised Tourism Policy Statement – “People, Place and Policy – Growing Tourism to 2025” was approved by Cabinet last week and I will publish it in the coming weeks.
The key headline goals in the Tourism Policy Statement are that, by 2025:
- revenue from overseas tourism, excluding carrier receipts (air fares and ferry charges) will be €5 billion per year (at 2014 prices i.e. adjusted for inflation between now and 2025). The comparable figure for 2013 is €3.3 billion;
- employment in tourism will reach 250,000 (approximately 200,000 at present); and
- there will be ten million overseas visits to Ireland annually by 2025 (compared to an estimated 7.3 million in 2014).
The Tourism Policy Statement sets out key policy objectives under a range of headings, including a central role in tourism for Local Authorities and communities, which will enable areas like Longford and Westmeath to achieve their full tourism potential.
A series of Tourism Action Plans, the first of which will cover the period 2015-2018, will be prepared to set out specific actions that will be required to achieve the policy objectives and headline goals.
Furthermore, as the Deputy will be aware, operational responsibility for development of tourism in individual regions is a matter for the Board and management of Fáilte Ireland. Accordingly, I have also referred the Deputy's question to Fáilte Ireland for further information and direct reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
607. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the national aviation policy will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2649/15]
View answerThe drafting of the final policy document is at an advanced stage and it is my intention to publish it in the near future.
608. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will report on the treaty arrangements with the UK for the mutual recognition of driving disqualifications; and the timeline for implementing this treaty. [2666/15]
View answerSince 2010, under the terms of an EU Convention, Ireland has operated a bilateral agreement with the UK for the Mutual Recognition of Driver Disqualifications. The UK decided, in 2014, to withdraw from a number of EU Conventions, including the Mutual Recognition of Driver Disqualifications, and, therefore, since 1 December 2014, the terms of the agreement ceased to apply. My Department held a number of meeting with the UK authorities during 2014 to conclude a replacement agreement. Discussions are at an advanced stage and only some technical legal issues remain to be resolved.
As it will be considered as a formal international treaty, Government approval for the agreement will be required before final conclusion. Primary legislation will also be necessary to give legal effect to its conditions. I propose to include the necessary provisions in the next Road Traffic Bill, which I expect to bring to Government in the coming weeks.
609. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on interim arrangements for serving notices of fixed charges to drivers issued with penalty points. [2667/15]
View answerI understand that the Deputy is referring to the so called "third payment option" which is provided for in the Road Traffic Act 2010 and the possibility of an interim solution whereby fixed charge notices would be sent by registered post.
Currently, fixed charge notices are sent by post. If the person does not pay within 28 days, a further notice is sent informing them that they may pay the charge plus 50% within a further 28 days. If no payment is made at that point, court proceedings are begun.
Under the third payment option, an individual will receive, with their court summons, a fixed charge notice allowing them to pay up to seven days before the court hearing. This system was legislated for in the Road Traffic Act 2010, and I am moving to bring it in. One of the advantages of the system will be that people will not be able to claim in court that they did not receive a fixed charge notice, given that the third notice will have come with the summons to court.
Following the receipt of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform sanction, work on the implementation of the third payment option project has been ongoing. It is my understanding that An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service will continue to work on the project over the coming months with a view to having the necessary arrangements in place as soon as possible next year.
610. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will report on the roadside drug testing devices; and the timeframe for when these devices will be in use on roads here. [2668/15]
View answerIt is my policy to see roadside testing of drivers for drugs, along similar lines to existing tests for alcohol, in place as soon as practicable.
The technology for roadside testing for the presence of drugs is relatively new, and there are various devices on the market. The Medical Bureau of Road Safety (MBRS) published an invitation to tender for the provision of roadside devices to test for the presence of drugs in August 2014 which closed at the end of September 2014. The MBRS is currently assessing a number of devices, proposed as part of the tenders submitted, which will also be tested for their suitability in due course in conjunction with An Garda Síochána. I understand that this process will take some time and that the selection of a preferred device is expected to take place later this year.
In addition to the selection of the roadside devices, there is a need for primary legislation which will enable An Garda Síochána to undertake roadside drug tests. My Department is currently working on preparation of the Road Traffic Bill 2015, the main focus of which will be the testing of drivers for drugs.
611. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to consolidate the Road Traffic Acts; and the timeframe for this consolidation. [2669/15]
View answerAs I indicated to the House in December last, I propose to begin the process of consolidating road traffic legislation this year. A considerable amount of work is involved in this exercise involving as it does the examination and review of all primary and secondary legislation going back to 1961. The work will commence this year but will take considerable time to complete. Once the process has begun I will be better placed to provide an estimate of the timeframe involved.
612. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of slot pairs at Heathrow Airport owned by Aer Lingus; the restrictions that were applied to the sale of these following the flotation of Aer Lingus; if these restrictions still apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2710/15]
View answerAirport slots are a right granted to an airline which allows the airline to schedule a landing and departure during a specific time period. The slots are not 'owned' as such by the airlines. However, at congested airports, such as Heathrow, a secondary market has developed that has allowed airlines trade slots to meet their changing business needs.
The allocation of slots at congested airports in the EU is governed by EU Regulation. Aer Lingus has access to a significant portfolio of slots at London Heathrow on the basis of so-called 'grandfather rights'. The airline has these rights because it has been operating services to Heathrow for many decades. As long as Aer Lingus continues to use these slots, the airline has the right to retain them from season to season.
At the time of the Aer Lingus IPO in 2006 a specific mechanism was built into the company's Memorandum and Articles of Association whereby any proposed disposal of Heathrow slots, over which the airline had rights at the time of listing on the stock exchange, may be subject to a requirement for a resolution approved by shareholders voting at an extraordinary general meeting. Where a resolution by shareholders is called for, the voting threshold to prevent a disposal of Heathrow slots proposed by the Company is such that the percentage vote against disposal at the EGM must be greater than the percentage of the Company’s shares held by the Minister for Finance plus 5% (or 25% if greater). This mechanism still applies today.
The ability of the State's shareholding to block a disposal of slots is not guaranteed under this mechanism, as the support of at least another 5% of shareholders is required. Furthermore this mechanism relates only to a disposal - the company does not require any shareholder approval to change the routes for which it uses the slots.
