Written Answers Nos. 528-541
528. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport following confirmation by the Road Safety Authority, the efforts to secure improved accommodation for driving test centres in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7142/15]
View answerThe operation of the driver testing 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.
529. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if consideration will be provided to allocate funding to upgrade a beach road along the Wild Atlantic Way route (details supplied) in County Mayo. [6595/15]
View answerThe improvement and maintenance of public 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. The selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority. The grant allocations to local authorities for this year were released on 3 February and the details are in the allocations booklet in the Dáil Library.
As regards roads not taken in charge by local authorities, that is private roads, the maintenance and improvement of these is, in the first instance, a matter for the relevant landowner.
The Local Improvement Scheme for regional and local roads remains in place and under this Scheme Councils can provide funding for roads and laneways not taken in charge. At present, local authorities may use up to 15% of their initial Discretionary Grant towards local improvement schemes should they wish to do so. The local contribution for these schemes is 20% of the total cost of the project. Furthermore, it is open to local authorities to supplement the percentage of their Discretionary Grant that they can use for the LIS with their own resources.
Some local authorities want a ring-fenced LIS allocation for private roads while others prefer to put the funding into public roads. I think this decision is best made at a local level.
530. Deputy Seán Conlan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide funding for a club (details supplied) in County Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6654/15]
View answerThe Irish Sports Council, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the promotion, development and co-ordination of sport. This includes responsibility for the allocation of current expenditure grant funding for sporting organisations.
As this question relates to current expenditure grant funding, I have referred it to the Irish Sports Council for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to inform my office if a reply is not received within ten days.
531. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the concerns of taxi drivers (details supplied) regarding fare increases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6692/15]
View answerThe review of taxi fares is a matter for the National Transport Authority as the independent regulatory authority for the small public service vehicle sector under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013.
I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.
532. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the upgrading of the Coast Guard station at Ballyglass, County Mayo. [6724/15]
View answerThe Ballyglass Volunteer Coast Guard Unit, which is designated as a search unit, is currently operating out of an old building, generally classified as a rocket house.
The Coast Guard, which is a division of my Department, has been in on-going consultations with the Office of Public Works with regard to the acquisition of a site from Údarás na Gaeltachta. The Office of Public Works are finalising a number of necessary reports prior to submitting an application for outline planning permission for this site.
As this has been a long running project, it is expected that a final decision will be taken over the next few months with regard to more detailed options for the Ballyglass Unit.
533. Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to re-open the local authority swimming pool programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6727/15]
View answerThe current round of the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme was closed to new applicants on 31 July 2000. Since 2000, 58 projects have been or are being dealt with under the Programme of which 49 have been completed and the other 9 projects are at various stages of the Programme.
No decision has been taken on any new round of the Programme. My priority now is the completion of the projects in the existing Programme.
534. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to introduce a new sports capital programme this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6740/15]
View answer535. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the next round of sports capital grants will be open for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6754/15]
View answer542. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the sports capital programme will be open for new applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7058/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 534, 535 and 542 together.
I expect to be in a position to announce details of the 2015 Sports Capital Programme in the near future.
Any interested group should register now on www.sportscapitalprogramme.ie as this will be the only way to apply under any future rounds of the Programme.
536. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to improve the quality of service of the driving licence centre in Drogheda, County Louth by either extending the opening hours on Saturday or opening one or two late evenings to facilitate those who work full-time and cannot avail of the service during the week (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6814/15]
View answerThe 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.
537. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the powers the Road Safety Authority has to enforce scheduled maintenance inspections, at regular intervals, on owners of commercial vehicles; the legislation which confers such powers; the reason the authority is insisting such inspections can only take place at approved centres; the reason some inspectors are enforcing inspections, based on a period of time rather than mileage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6815/15]
View answerThe Road Safety Authority (Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness) Act 2012 and the regulations made thereunder provides the legislative basis for the roadworthiness testing of commercial vehicles by the Road Safety Authority (RSA). All commercial vehicles must be tested when they are over one year old and annually after that. The test is known as the Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness Test (CVRT).
As the RSA has responsibility for the CVRT, I have forwarded the Deputy's questions in relation to the implementation of the testing programme to the RSA for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
538. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if funding can be sourced to provide traffic lights at a junction (details supplied) in Dublin 11 within the current budget for 2015 as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6930/15]
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. The selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.
Arising from the introduction of the Local Property Tax and the Government commitment that local authorities will retain 80% of the tax revenues from 2015, the Department for Environment, Community and Local Government issued a Circular to five Councils (including Fingal County Council) in October 2014. The Circular informed the Councils that in view of the fact that they would be in a surplus position as a result of local retention of the Local Property Tax they would be required to self-fund some services, including roads.
It is, therefore, a matter for Fingal Council to decide on spending on roads within its area of responsibility.
539. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide details of the new taxi regulations; if persons who previously had convictions will now be suspended, even if they already have served a period without a licence, due to the conviction, on applying first; his views that this amounts to two penalties for the same conviction, and over and above whatever penalties or sentence that were applied by the courts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6959/15]
View answerPart 4 of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013, commenced on 6 April 2014, provides for the mandatory disqualification for holding a small public service vehicle (SPSV) drivers licence upon conviction for specified offences. The specification of offences to which mandatory disqualification applies is based on the principle of ensuring the welfare and safety of passengers.
In the case of the most serious indictable offences specified under section 30 (2) of the Act, the disqualification applies whether the person has been convicted before or after the commencement of that subsection. However, where a disqualification arises from convictions obtained before the commencement of the Act, the disqualification is suspended for a period of 12 months from that commencement. During that period an application may be made by the person to the appropriate court to be allowed continue to hold his or her licence.
The appropriate court in determining whether to grant or refuse such application is required by the Act to have regard to a range of matters of specified matters which include consideration of any sanctions already imposed for a relevant conviction.
I understand that, subsequent to the commencement of the Taxi Regulation Act 2012, the National Transport Authority, which is the regulator for the sector, contacted holders of SPSV driver licences advising them of the new provisions in relation to mandatory disqualification and also informing them of the right to make an appeal to the courts where applicable.
540. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding haulage licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7021/15]
View answerOne of the criteria to hold a road transport operator’s licence is that the operator must satisfy the requirement of financial standing. Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009 sets out the conditions relating to the requirement of financial standing. It states that “in order to satisfy this requirement an undertaking shall at all times be able to meet its financial obligations in the course of the annual accounting year. To this end, the undertaking shall demonstrate, on the basis of annual accounts certified by an auditor or duly accredited person, that, every year it has at its disposal capital and reserves totalling at least €9,000 when only one vehicle is used and €5,000 for each additional vehicle used.”
My Department carried out a review of the policy in relation to financial standing in 2014, which resulted in an updating of the road transport operator guidelines in July 2014. The legislation requires that the annual accounts of the undertaking be certified by an auditor or duly accredited person. During the review my officials contacted Accounting Technicians Ireland and they indicated that while their members can prepare annual accounts they do not have the authority to certify annual accounts. It appears that the individual (details supplied) is a member of this body. My officials also sought the advice of the Irish Auditing and Accountancy Supervisory Authority (IAASA) who specified the persons that can certify accounts and also confirmed that members of Accounting Technicians Ireland cannot certify accounts. The rules governing who can certify annual accounts are not within the remit of my Department.
541. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the timeframe on the completion of a greenway cycle route (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7042/15]
View answerThere is currently no proposal with my Department for the delivery of a greenway from Cork to Kinsale.
Cork Co Council (CCC) was awarded €30,000 from my Department under the Seed Finance Scheme 2013 to engage consultants to undertake a structural investigation of three of the major structures associated with the disused Cork to Kinsale railway line and to procure mapping and other data for the proposed greenway route. The seed finance scheme was established in 2013 to allocate seed finance to local authorities, on a competitive basis, to develop initial planning and design work for greenway projects of merit for which the authority would not otherwise have had the resources, and which would allow the authority to be in a position to submit a developed proposal under the next tranche of funding.
While the aforementioned studies were undertaken CCC were not in a position to submit a developed proposal to my Department under the National Cycle Network Funding Programme 2014-2016. I understand that CCC's Greenways Project Manager has been progressing planning for greenway projects in the interim and has recently requested a meeting with my officials to discuss progress on this and other projects in the County.
Unfortunately, all funding from my Department for the development of greenways is fully committed up to 2016. However, I look forward to CCC submitting a proposal for this project under future funding initiatives and opportunities.
