Written Answers Nos. 618-633
618. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he has had meetings with a company (details supplied); the outcome of these meetings; the likely impact of this company's proposed operations on the roll-out of broadband nationally, under the national broadband scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18683/15]
View answerAs part of the detailed planning phase of the National Broadband Plan, my officials continue to engage with a wide range of industry and stakeholder groups. This engagement process also included a recent meeting with a representative of the company referred to in the Deputy's question.
The meeting afforded my officials an opportunity to outline the scope and detail behind the proposed State intervention under the National Broadband Plan while the representative from the company concerned outlined its proposed involvement in the Irish broadband market, including a proposal to run a number of pilot fixed wireless projects nationwide. The company has not provided the Department with details of the location of any such pilots. Investment decisions by telecommunications networks providers, including the specific location of particular investments, are of course commercial decisions for the companies concerned.
In delivering this combination of commercial and State-led investment in high speed broadband, my Department continues to engage intensively with all commercial operators. Details of our engagement with industry are provided in monthly updates on the Department's mapping website www.broadband.gov.ie.
619. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the sharp rise in the cost of motor insurance in 2015; the causes of this; his plans to address the spiralling cost of car insurance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18142/15]
View answerThird Party motor insurance is required under the Road Traffic Acts for the use of all mechanically propelled vehicles in a public place.
Motor insurance costs as measured by the CSO, and available from the CSO StatBank, have increased by 4% from January to March 2015, but motor insurance costs in March 2015 still remain almost 15% below the prevailing level in 2003. The establishment of the Injuries Board in 2003, the enactment of the Civil Liabilities and Courts Act 2004, and the improvement in road safety have all been significant factors in reducing motor insurance costs over the past decade or so.
While I am concerned with the recent trend towards increasing motor insurance costs, motor insurance is provided by private companies in an open and competitive market and the setting of motor insurance prices is a matter for the industry and I have no role in the regulation of insurers.
I am confident that the implementation of the actions set out in the Road Safety Strategy 2013-2020 will, over time, lead to a reduction in road traffic collisions, fatalities and injuries which will further assist in reducing the cost of motor insurance.
Encouragingly, as of Friday 8 May 2015 there were 14 fewer deaths as a result of road collisions than in the same period last year.
Consumers are encouraged to seek quotes and compare costs at the time of insurance renewal and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (www.ccpc.ie ) publishes information to assist consumers in purchasing motor insurance.
620. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide details, including cost and source of funding, of the projects for Ireland which will proceed under the Trans-European Network for Transport and the Connecting Europe Facility Regulations 2014 to 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18100/15]
View answerThe deadline for applications under the first Call for proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF)for transport projects was in March 2015. Decisions on projects made under this Call are not due to be finalised until after September 2015.
As part of the application process, applicants must provide details of all funding sources proposed for the project. The ratio of funding available from the CEF is outlined in the CEF Regulations and varies depending on the type, nature and mode of the project. Applications for funding for Studies can be eligible for up to 50% of project cost and, for capital projects, at various levels of up to 10%, 20%, 30% or 40% depending on the nature and mode of the project.
Ultimately, the level of CEF transport co-funding available will be determined in the decision making process and set out in final decisions given to successful applicants.
621. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the projects for the west of Ireland that will proceed under the Trans-European Network for Transport and the Connecting Europe Facility Regulations 2014 to 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18102/15]
View answerThe deadline for applications under the first Call for proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility for transport projects was in March 2015. Decisions on projects made under this Call are not due to be finalised until after September 2015.
622. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has received a submission from the Irish Petrol Retailers Association in connection with the problem of forecourt drive-offs; his views on the content of this submission; the initiatives he proposes in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18131/15]
View answer628. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if consideration has been given to proposals by the Irish Petrol Retailers Association with regard to tackling forecourt drive-offs; if the Government is considering any proposals to counteract such illegal activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18348/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 622 and 628 together.
I have received recent communication on behalf of the Irish Petrol Retailers Association (IPRA) in connection with theft of motor fuel at filling stations.
Incidents of the nature mentioned in the Question are serious offences and, accordingly, are appropriate to An Garda Siochana for investigation and prosecution where warranted. An Garda Siochana have access to the data on my Department's National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF) to assist in such investigations.
There are provisions under Section 60 of the Finance Act 1993, as amended, and associated regulations whereby NVDF data may be released directly to certain parties. However, data releases involving vehicle ownership details, which is personal information, are primarily to public bodies including, as already mentioned, An Garda Siochana, to assist with delivery of various statutory obligations and for road safety related purposes. Any extension of access to the NVDF for other purposes would represent a fundamental departure in how the information on the NVDF system is accessed and used, a position which is supported by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner. There are also concerns that such a departure could adversely impact the integrity of the NVDF and detract from the primary purposes of the system which are the collection of motor tax and enforcement of vehicle regulation.
I am satisfied that there are not any compelling grounds in these circumstances for access to the NVDF for purposes other than those already mentioned.
623. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when a driving licence will be processed in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; the normal processing times for same; and if the matter will be expedited, in view of the fact that the person requires same to avail of a job opportunity. [18149/15]
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.
624. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount and nature of the debt ascribed to Cork Airport by the Dublin Airport Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18150/15]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, daa has statutory responsibility to operate, manage and develop both Dublin and Cork Airports and as such the debt level of Cork Airport is a matter for daa.
However, I understand that daa's balance sheet includes debt of around €220m assigned to Cork Airport relating to the cost of building a terminal and significant associated infrastrucure which was completed in 2006, with the daa servicing that debt.
Of course, the fundamental issue is not whether Cork has this debt or not. The real issue is about building sustainable traffic that supports the operating cost base for the Airport.
The Government is acutely aware of the importance of Cork Airport for business and tourism in the Cork region. The airport, which is the second larget airport in the State, had more than 2.1m passengers last year with 42 scheduled routes and excellent connectivity into the major European hub airports.
The daa and Cork Airport management are working hard to stabilise passenger numbers and restore Cork Airport to growth in the short to medium term. Moreover, I believe there are also opportunities to increase the number of incoming tourists in the Cork region and I have engaged with Tourism Ireland, which has undertaken significant co-operative marketing activity with carriers serving Cork Airport to promote flights to Cork and boost travel to the wider regions.
These marketing activities have to be underpinned by a cohesive product brand for the Cork region, providing a clear selling point for Cork as a destination in itself and as a gateway to other attractive destinations in Ireland. I am pleased that a Task Force comprising the two local authorities, the Chamber and the Tourism agencies along with daa and the Irish Touri Operators Association, is now working on delivering just such a destination brand for Cork, as well as a strategy and implementation plan for maximising inbound tourism growth opportunities. I look forward to seeing the Group's first planned output – a destination brand for Cork – at the end of May.
I urge everybody in the Munster region, not just around the airport, to work together to develop this product. In this context, focusing on the debt level of the Airport, which is part of the daa Group debt, is unhelpful.
625. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide details of the total amount of funding allocated per route, in tabular form, for all national primary roads and motorways, for each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18204/15]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The construction, improvement and maintenance of individual national roads is a matter for the National Roads Authority under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.
Noting this I have referred the Deputy's question to the NRA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you don't receive a reply within 10 working days.
626. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the funding available for a festival (details supplied) in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18216/15]
View answerMy Department's role in relation to tourism relates primarily to the area of national policy. I have no direct role in relation to the provision of funding for festivals and events, which is a matter for the board and management of Fáilte Ireland for national and regional events. I have no function in relation to decisions by local authorities in relation to funding of festivals.
Accordingly, I have referred the Deputy's question to Fáilte Ireland for further information and reply. Please contact my private office if you do not hear back from the agency within ten working days.
627. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a refund will be provided to a person (details supplied) in County Louth, who has been charged for non-attendance at a driver theory test, which non-attendance was due to a misunderstanding regarding the date of the test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18235/15]
View answerThe driver theory testing service is provided on behalf of the Road Safety Authority by an independent provider, and I have no role in it. 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.
629. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 142 of 29 April 2015, in which he stated that he had asked the Road Safety Authority to reply, if he will revisit the question, as the parliamentary question specifically requests his opinion on the authority's figures. [18396/15]
View answerA driver can be disqualified from driving either by the Courts or on accumulating 12 penalty points (7 penalty points in the case of learner permit holders or novice drivers).
Under regulation 45 of the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 537 of 2006), as amended by S.I. no. 6 of 2013, it is a legal requirement that people who are disqualified from driving must surrender their driving licences to the Road Safety Authority (RSA), in its capacity as the national driver licensing authority. Failure to do so is an offence.
While the numbers of licences surrendered to the RSA appear to be low, as the Deputy may be aware, it is still an offence to drive while disqualified, whether or not the licence has been surrendered. Currently, An Garda Síochána has the power to demand production of a driving licence and may seize such licence where the member has reasonable grounds for believing that the individual has been disqualified. In addition, I will shortly commence section 6(c) of the Road Traffic Act 2014 to create a Garda power of arrest in cases of people driving while disqualified.
I will also ensure that the matter of disqualified drivers surrendering licences continues to be considered in the context of the Criminal Justice Working Group deliberations of the Fixed Charge Processing System, with a view to ensuring that the most effective arrangements are in place for the surrender of all licences and related measures.
630. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of agencies, quangos or other bodies within his Department, funded by or established by his Department, which have been scrapped, merged or reduced since this Government was formed; the amount saved in each case; the reduction in staff as a result; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18442/15]
View answerDundalk Port Company was merged with Dublin Port Company on 12 July 2011, while Tralee and Fenit Harbour Commissioners transferred to the control of Kerry County Council on 1 October 2011.
In 2012 Dublin Tourism merged with its parent body Fáilte Ireland on 1 January, while both Baltimore and Skibbereen Harbour Commissioners and Kinsale Harbour Commissioners also transferred to the control of Cork County Council on 1 January 2012, along with Arklow Harbour Commissioners which transferred to the control of Wicklow County Council. Shannon Airport separated from the Dublin Airport Authority on 31st December 2012 to merge with a restructured Shannon Development to form a new integrated Shannon entity in public ownership.
The final Harbour Commission, Bantry Bay merged with the Port of Cork Company on 1 January 2014.
Coaching Ireland merged into the Irish Sports Council on 1 January 2013.
A Bill for the merger of Irish Sports Council and the National Sports Campus Development Authority and the Bill for the merger of the Railway Procurement Agency and the National Roads Authority have both completed their passage through the Oireachtas and the implementation of these mergers is progressing.
With regard to savings associated with Agency Rationalisation, I refer the Deputy to the report by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: A Report on the Implementation of the Agency Rationalisation Programme. The report sets out the estimated savings, which would take account of staff reductions, for each rationalisation.
631. Deputy Joe Costello asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the State boards, bodies or committees on which vacancies currently exist, or on which vacancies are anticipated to arise, up to and including 1 January 2016; the number of vacancies in each case; when the vacancy arose or will arise; if the vacancy relates to a chair or a member; if he will provide details of the appointment process in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18474/15]
View answerDetails of state board vacancies are available on my Departments website at the following link http://www.dttas.ie/corporate/english/state-board-membership-and-approved-fees.
The appointments process now falls under the remit of the Public Appointments Service (PAS) and details of the process can be found at the following link www.stateboards.ie.
632. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on a sports grant for a local community sports club (details supplied) in north Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18490/15]
View answerNo application has been received from the organisation referred to by the Deputy under the 2015 Sports Capital Programme nor are there any outstanding grants to the organisation.
633. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding a local community sports club (details supplied) in Dublin 5; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18491/15]
View answerThe Sports Capital Programme (SCP) is operated by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and provides grants to assist in the development or refurbishment of sports facilities and the provision of sports equipment.
It is open to any organisation with a suitable project to apply for funding under any future rounds of the Sports Capital Programme. The deadline for applications under the 2015 round of the Programme was Friday 24th April.
Any organisation that wishes to make an application for a future round of the Programme must register on www.sportscapitalprogramme.ie.
Information on how to make an application is available on www.sportscapitalprogramme.ie.
I would also advise this group to contact the Irish Amateur Boxing Association for advice on starting a boxing club.
