Written Answers Nos. 978-990
978. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to introduce a flexible leap card option, similar to the one used in Dublin, for commuter rail users in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11609/15]
View answerResponsibility to develop, procure, implement, operate and maintain the Leap Card system is a function of the National Transport Authority (NTA).
Noting this I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
979. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if funding is available from any public source to support a women's rugby team (details supplied) who are travelling to Spain to take part in an international competition. [11610/15]
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, including the allocation of funding to the National Governing Bodies of Sport. In the case of rugby, funding is allocated to the IRFU.
I have referred the Deputy's question to the Irish Sports Council for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to inform my office if a reply is not received within 10 days.
980. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the estimated amount generated by the marine tourism sector in the years 2012 to 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11667/15]
View answer981. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the estimated number employed in the marine tourism sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11678/15]
View answer982. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount invested in water based tourism, by county, in the years 2012 to 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11682/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 980 to 982, inclusive, together.
My Department's role in relation to tourism lies primarily in the area of national policy. It is not involved in the administration of tourism-related funding programmes or in support to specific tourism sectors, which are the responsibility of Fáilte Ireland.
Accordingly, I have 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.
983. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide in tabular form on a county basis the number of appeals against driving test decisions; the number of appeals that were successful in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and to date in 2015 and if he will make a decision on the matter. [11684/15]
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.
984. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to amend Statutory Instrument No. 541 of the Road Traffic Act 2011 where it states that reports will be provided in both English and Irish in view of the fact that this statement is leading to drink-driving cases being adjourned and thrown out of court where drivers were only provided the report in English, as was highlighted at a meeting (details supplied), and in view of the fact that this is now affecting drink-driving prosecutions around the country. [11735/15]
View answerWhile I cannot comment on specific court cases, I would be happy to clarify the general position.
Section 12 of the Road Traffic Act 2010 provides for the taking of specimens of breath, blood or urine following an arrest under Part 2 of that Act, which deals with intoxicated driving. Section 13 of the Act sets out procedures to be followed after the taking of a specimen of breath under section 12.
Section 13(2) requires that, in cases where testing of a breath specimen has indicated an alcohol concentration higher than the legal limit, the apparatus should print '2 identical statements' of the result in a prescribed form. The form itself was subsequently prescribed by SI 541 of 2011.
So that there is no misunderstanding I should clarify that, as the section makes clear, one of the 2 identical statements is to be signed by the individual and retained by An Garda Síochána, while the other is retained by the individual. In this way, both the Guards and the individual retain identical records of the test results. It is not the case that reports are provided in both English and Irish and it would not be appropriate to delete the section.
I am satisfied following consultation with the Gardaí that there is no requirement to change the Road Traffic Act 2010 to make amendments of the kind suggested by the Deputy.
985. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of occasions since the start of 2014 in which the secretary general of his Department has been involved in the clearing or approval of material for release under Freedom of Information legislation. [11807/15]
View answerThe Minister is empowered under the Freedom of Information Act 2014 to delegate functions of the Act to staff of the Department. Generally, staff at Higher Executive Officer and above are delegated with functions, including in relation to granting or refusing access to records in accordance with the provisions of the Act. Requests when received are assigned to a delegated individual (a decision maker).
In delegating functions in this way, the decision makers are given full autonomy under the Act in making decisions on requests and, while they may consult with other relevant persons in reaching their decision to grant, part-grant or refuse access to a record or records, full decision making powers rests with the decision maker and no other officer of the Department, including the Secretary General, has an approval role in relation to such decisions.
The Secretary General has not acted as a decision maker for any request and nor has he had a role in approving any such decisions.
986. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 163 of 11 March 2015, if he will provide details of allocations made rather than providing a website (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11837/15]
View answerIn the interests of efficiency, it is long established practice to direct Deputies to publicly available information in response to Parliamentary Questions. The full list of 2013 SportsNation allocations to Local Authorities, made in association with IPB insurance, is available at http://www.dttas.ie/sport/english/sports-capital-programme-awards-new.
As I stated in response on PQ 10716 of 11 March, the deadline for the drawdown of SportsNation allocations is 30 June 2015 and Local Authorities have been informed that this deadline is absolute. While I am not aware of any Local Authorities that may not be able to draw down their grants by this deadline, after the deadline I will examine, in association with IPB Insurance, any opportunities to reallocate this funding to projects that can go ahead.
987. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in view of the dangers of head injuries, his views on the compulsory use of helmets by cyclists on public roads; if he will promote the use of helmets by cyclists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11845/15]
View answerIt is longstanding Government policy to recommend and promote the wearing of helmets by cyclists. Both my Department and the Road Safety Authority – which has responsibility for information and awareness campaigns – encourage their use.
The question of whether we should make it compulsory to wear helmets when cycling has arisen on a number of occasions. Opinion is divided internationally on whether the wearing of safety helmets is best achieved through statutory requirements or through other strategies.
The matter was considered in the context of the preparation of the Road Safety Strategy 2013-2020. Although the Strategy strongly favours encouraging the use of helmets, it stopped short of recommending making their wearing compulsory.
I am of the view that the wearing of cycle helmets is better achieved by way of educational and publicity campaigns rather than by pursuing a punitive approach to the issue, particularly having regard to the large numbers of children and young people who cycle.
Consequently, I have no plans to make the wearing of bicycle safety helmets a legal requirement at this time.
988. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 179 of 4 February 2015, and the reply received from the National Transport Authority, his views that it is acceptable that the Agency has refused to publish the submissions it received as part of the public consultation and submission process it engaged in, given that this issue affects the livelihoods and incomes of taxi drivers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11881/15]
View answerThe regulation of the small public service vehicle sector is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013.
The NTA is an independent body and therefore a consultation process undertaken by the NTA is a matter for the NTA. I have no function in this.
989. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in view of the considerable disquiet among many taxi drivers over the requirement to fit new meters and the recent increases and changes in fares, his views that it is acceptable that the Taxi Advisory Committee has not met to date in 2015 and that efforts by taxi representative organisations to engage with the National Transport Authority and his Department on these matters are being ignored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11882/15]
View answerThe Taxi Advisory Committee: the TAC was established under the Taxi Regulation Act 2003 and continues in being under Section 72(1) of the Taxi Regulation Act, 2013. Section 72(14) of the 2013 Act provides that “the members of the Advisory Committee shall decide on the frequency of all meetings, subject to the Advisory Committee meeting at least once each year.” I have no function in the matter.
I have met on a number of occasions with representatives of taxi organisations and remain open to dialogue on policy matters. Pursuant to the Taxi Regulation Act, 2013, the National Transport Authority is the body that is responsible for SPSV regulatory matters and it is not appropriate, therefore, for me to engage in detailed discussion of matters, such as the recent changes to fares, that are within the remit of the NTA.
990. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 116 of 10 March 2015, if he will clarify his earlier comments (details supplied) regarding the Irish Airlines (General Employees) Superannuation Scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11897/15]
View answerMy response to Parliamentary Question No. 116 of 10 March last is on the record of the House. I said that the fund has received additional support from the employers involved totalling €260 million.
The funding I referred to was provided by the employers outside of the IASS and is intended to mitigate the benefit cuts under the approved IASS funding proposal. The funds were not put into the IASS fund directly and I hope this clarifies my previous comments.
