Written Answers Nos. 235-245
235. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the expenditure on consultancy by the Commission for Aviation Regulation; the number of consultants engaged by the commission in the years 2011 to 2014; the names of the consultancy companies awarded contracts; and the steps that have been taken to reduce the expenditure on consultancy and the reliance on consultants by the commission in these years and for the future. [18982/15]
View answerThese questions relate to operational matters for the Commission for Aviation Regulation. I have referred the Deputy's question to the Commission for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
236. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the expenditure on consultancy by the National Roads Authority in 2012, 2013 and 2014; the number of consultants engaged by the authority in the years 2011 to 2014; the names of the consultancy companies awarded contracts; and the steps that have been taken to reduce the expenditure on consultancy and the reliance on consultants by the authority in these years and for the future. [18983/15]
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. I have therefore referred the Deputy's question regarding expenditure on consultancy in the period 2011-2014 to the NRA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you don't receive a reply within 10 working days.
The Roads Act 2015 provides for the merger of the NRA and RPA later this year. The merger is consistent with Government plans for public sector reform and in particular, its programme for rationalisation of state agencies. The merger will also facilitate the sharing of professional expertise and is expected to lead to a reduction in reliance on external consultants.
237. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding granted in respect of a road (details supplied) in County Kerry; the purpose and location for the spending of the funding in the years 2011 to 2014 and in 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19009/15]
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, such as those on the N70 is a matter for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.
Noting the above position, 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.
238. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the National Roads Authority will erect signage at a location (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19033/15]
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 (and the provision of signage on them) is a matter for the National Roads Authority under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.
Noting the above position, 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.
239. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding being allocated to Mayo County Council to implement his recently published guidelines for setting and managing speed limits; if he will provide for the construction of speed bumps and other traffic calming measures to ensure new designated slow zones in urban residential areas are self-enforcing, particularly in the interest of road safety for children at play in housing estates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19045/15]
View answerOn 3 February, I announced the 2015 regional and local road allocations and my Department issued Circular (RW 2/2015) notifying all local authorities of their allocations. I have set aside funding of €2m this year to support a signage programme/engineering measures in line with the actions proposed in Circular RSD 01/2014 of 15 October 2014. The intention is to allocate this funding as local authorities come forward with their proposals in respect of implementing 30km/h speed limits in housing areas. Since then the new Speed Limit Guidelines have been issued which provide further guidance for road authorities in respect of 30 km/h speed limit zones and the provision of speed limit signs or new warning signs for such areas as appropriate.
Local authorities have been requested to reply to my Department by this Friday (15 May) with an estimate (as accurately as possible) of their signage requirements to the end of November 2015. The Department has advised that account needs to be taken of the timescale required for Councils to apply bye-laws and to individually procure signs and posts. It is intended that these figures (to end November 2015) will be used as a basis for calculating additional grant allocations for local authorities in the current year. There will be an opportunity to modify the "post-November 2015" requirements later in the year as this initiative will continue into next year. Part of the overall process is an assessment by local authorities of compliance levels in terms of the new speed limits and whether further engineering measures will be required to assist in slowing traffic.
240. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the process of opening bus routes to open competition; the extent of this process; the current status of this process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19068/15]
View answer242. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide a list of the bus routes being put out to open competition; if he will provide an explanation for this process for each of these bus routes; and the stage the process for each of these routes is currently at. [19070/15]
View answer243. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress and rationale for the tendering of 10% of public service obligation bus routes; the way the chosen routes were selected; if they are profitable routes; if it is open to foreign companies to apply for them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19073/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 240, 242 and 243 together.
Government's intention is for the NTA to procure bus services through a combination of direct award and tendering in the best interests of quality, integrated public transport to serve the needs of the travelling public. This is provided for in legislation dating back to 2008 that reflects EU competition law. The NTA made its decision after a public consultation.
The NTA believes that some competition in awarding operating contracts will be good for the bus market and for the travelling public in encouraging transport operators to provide enhanced services. Following the consultation phase, the NTA decided that 10% was sufficient to achieve this without fundamentally damaging the market as it stands or the existing network. Routes were chosen on this basis and Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann can compete for the routes in this tender process.
The tendering will also allow the NTA to consider whether they are getting the right value for the taxpayer and the travelling public in awarding the other routes to Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann as more money continues to be invested in public transport.
The detailed issues raised on the tendering process itself are matters for the National Transport Authority (NTA) and I have referred the Deputies' questions to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
241. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the impact, or otherwise, on workers in Bus Éireann and Bus Átha Cliath of certain bus routes being put out to open competition. [19069/15]
View answerI offered reassurances to Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann workers when I issued a statement on 28th April which dealt with the industrial relations issues involved in the current dispute between SIPTU and NBRU and the bus companies. I confirmed that Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann were prepared to commit that no current employee of the two companies would have to transfer to another employer should their company be unsuccessful in retaining the routes being tendered out. As this means that the terms and conditions of all those employees are protected, I provided a basis for the unions to return to the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) to formalise an agreement with the companies and to agree a process to deal with any implementation issues which might arise. As discussions are taking place in the LRC I have no additional comments to make at this stage.
244. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the financial supports available from his Department to those who are blind or visually impaired and who require assistance with their transport needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19075/15]
View answerMy Department does not provide direct financial support to blind or visually impaired people who require assistance with their transport needs. However, I understand that such assistance is provided by other Government Departments, principally the Department of Social Protection. From my Department's perspective, accessibility improvements to public transport services are being advanced in the context of Transport Access for All(my Department's Sectoral Plan under the Disability Act 2005) and in the context of the Government's National Disability Strategy Implementation Plan.
Transport Access for All sets out a series of policy objectives and targets for accessible public transport across all modes. The Plan is premised on the principle that through accessibility improvements to the public transport system for people with disabilities, access for all people will be improved. This is being done as extensively as possible having regard to the availability of resources.
Targets in Transport Access for All are reflected in the National Disability Strategy Implementation Plan. Both Plans contain monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which involve representatives of people with disabilities including representatives of people with visual impairments.
245. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding vital funding in respect of a children's sports club (details supplied) in Dublin 1; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19124/15]
View answerIt is open to any organisation with a suitable project to apply for funding under future rounds of the Sports Capital Programme. The deadline for applications for the 2015 round of the programme was Friday 24 April. No application was received from the organisation referred to by the Deputy.
