Written Answers Nos. 823-838
823. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will outline the legislation on the Statute Book that facilitates ordering vessel owners to move or raise wrecked vessels that are a hazard or visually unattractive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29818/15]
View answerThe relevant legislation is the Merchant Shipping (Salvage and Wreck) Act, 1993. Section 51 in particular prescribes that the owner of the wreck shall as soon as possible after the incident raise and remove or otherwise render it harmless. It also prescribes that the appropriate authority shall by way of serving notices require the owner to raise and remove or otherwise render harmless the wreck and if after 7 days of serving this notice the owner has failed to comply, the authority may proceed to raise and remove or otherwise render harmless the wreck.
This legislation also provides for fines and penalties associated with offences set out in the legislation.
824. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his Department's priorities for the remainder of this Dáil; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29592/15]
View answerShortly after taking up office in 2014, I set out my priorities up to March 2016. These are available on my Department's website at the following link, www.dttas.ie/corporate/english/minister-and-department-priorities.
825. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the funding available from his Department for the specific improvement grant scheme in 2015; if he will support the provision of funding for a scheme (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29614/15]
View answerThe improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is a statutory function of each road authority within its area, in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act, 1993. Works on such roads are a matter for the relevant local authority to be funded from its own resources, supplemented by State road grants. Cork County Council has been allocated a total of €32.2 million in grant funding this year, including a Discretionary Grant of €3.5 million. Given the challenging economic climate, the Specific Improvement Grants Scheme has been curtailed in order to maximise the funding available for repair and strengthening work.
In this context the purpose of Exchequer funding is to supplement the own resources of the local authority and I have been emphasising to local authorities the importance of prioritising expenditure on roads when allocating own resources, including revenue from Local Property Tax receipts.
826. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the usage statistics for the individual bike stations of the Cork bike scheme are available; the frequency with which the statistics are collated; if he will provide details of such statistics; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29621/15]
View answerThe National Transport Authority (NTA) is responsible for the roll-out and administration of the Public Bike Scheme in the Greater Dublin Area and the regional cities of Limerick, Galway and Cork.
I have forwarded your question to the NTA for direct response. If you have not received a response within 10 working days please contact my private office.
827. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the usage statistics for the Cork bike scheme are available; the frequency with which the statistics are collated; if he will provide details of such statistics, including the number of registered users, the average use of the scheme per user, the frequency of various hire periods; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29622/15]
View answerThe National Transport Authority (NTA) is responsible for the roll-out and administration of the Public Bike Scheme in the Greater Dublin Area and the regional cities of Limerick, Galway and Cork.
I have forwarded your question to the NTA for direct response to you. If you have not received a response within 10 working days please contact my private office.
828. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a section of roadway (details supplied) in County Kerry will be resurfaced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29683/15]
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 2015 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.
829. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason full and proper US driving licences are only given provisional status here with a 12-month duration; his plans to review the policy in place, which inhibits annual visitors from the United States of America to Ireland from driving freely; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29844/15]
View answerIrish driver licensing law operates within a framework of EU law. As such, we have mutual exchange of licences with all EU Member States. In the case of non-EU States, we can reach bilateral arrangements for mutual recognition of driving licences. Bilateral agreements are not a straightforward matter. They are preceded by detailed comparison of the two licensing systems, so that the licensing authorities in both jurisdictions can be satisfied that the systems are compatible. On the Irish side, this task is undertaken by the Road Safety Authority (RSA).
We do not have such an agreement with the USA. US driver licensing operates at State rather than federal level. Reaching agreement would therefore mean reaching 50 separate agreements, each of which would have to take account of the further relationship between each State and the other 49 States. I am advised by the RSA that this is not practicable.
Separately, under international agreements reaching back to the 1920s, Ireland allows visitors to drive here for up to a year on their own national licences, even if we do not recognise them for exchange purposes. A person who visits Ireland annually, as instanced by the Deputy, should be able to drive here as a visitor on a US licence.
830. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding speed limit restrictions in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29884/15]
View answerSection 10 of the Road Traffic Act 2004 provides the legislative basis under which a "road works speed limit order" may be applied by a county or city council manager to a road, motorway or part of such a road in their administrative area. Under section 10, "road works speed limit orders" cannot be made in respect or a national road or motorway without the prior written consent of the National Roads Authority.
I have no function in the matter referred to.
831. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 775 of 17 June 2014, previous parliamentary questions and correspondence with him and his Department over the past 20 years, if he has consulted recently with the Dublin Airport Authority regarding the actions of his former agent, Aer Rianta, in this matter; and, notwithstanding ongoing court proceedings, if he is satisfied that there was no conflict of interests, breach of official policy, misrepresentation, or concealment or wrongdoing on the part of his former agent, Aer Rianta, in this matter. [29885/15]
View answerAs this matter is the subject of legal proceedings and is therefore sub judice, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the issues raised.
832. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will review the clamping arrangements that are in place at railway station car parks (details supplied) [29929/15]
View answerI have no regulatory role in relation to the clamping of vehicles.
The Vehicle Clamping Act 2015 was signed into law by the President on May 6. Under this Act the National Transport Authority will be the national independent regulator for clamping activities wherever clamping is used as a means of parking control. I am currently consulting with the NTA concerning the appropriate time to commence the legislation with a view to ensuring that the new arrangements operate effectively.
833. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the cost of public advertising, statutory and non-statutory, funded by his Department in 2013 and 2014; the corresponding figure for agencies under the control of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30032/15]
View answerDetails of expenditure can be found on my Department's website at the following link, www.dttas.ie/corporate/english/expenditure-external-services. Details of expenses by agencies are a matter for the agencies themselves. I will forward your query to them for direct response to you. If you do not receive a reply within 10 working days, please contact my private office.
834. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the cost in 2013 and 2014 of printing reports by his Department and agencies under the control of his Department; the corresponding figure for annual reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30047/15]
View answerDetails of expenditure can be found on my Department's website at the following link, www.dttas.ie/corporate/english/expenditure-external-services. Details of expenses by agencies are a matter for the agencies themselves. I will forward your query to them for direct response to you. If you do not receive a reply within 10 working days, please contact my private office.
835. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the cost in 2013 and 2014 of issuing hardcopy payslips to staff or retired staff by his Department and agencies under the control of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30062/15]
View answerElectronic payslips have been in operation for employees of my Department since September 2008. With regard to the agencies, the information requested by the Deputy is a matter for the agencies themselves, I have however forwarded the Deputy’s question to the agencies concerned for their direct response. If you do not receive a reply within 10 working days please contact my private office.
836. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will outline and itemise all expenditure undertaken by his Department on private travel for him and-or for his private office, on legal fees, on consultancy fees and on hotel accommodation, during the 12-month period to 30 June 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30077/15]
View answerMy Department does not pay for private travel either for myself or for any of my private staff or general Departmental staff. Details of expenditure on official travel undertaken by myself, including subsistence, is available on the Department's website at www.dttas.ie/about-us/2014/travel-expenses-minister-donohoe. Details of expenditure on legal and consultancy fees can be found on my Department's website at the following link: www.dttas.ie/corporate/english/expenditure-external-services.
The data for the months January to June 2015 is currently being collated and will be published on the Department's website in the coming weeks.
837. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is responsible for all board appointments where such power to appoint persons to State boards is vested in him by statute; if any politically appointed State employee outside of his Department is involved in decision-making concerning such appointments, in particular, if, during the lifetime of the Government, a named person (details supplied) has had any influence over any appointments made by him; if he or officials from his Department have corresponded with that person regarding the composition of and appointments to State boards to which he has statutory power to make appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30117/15]
View answerThere are a number of appointments to State Boards that require the approval of Government or where an appointee is nominated by a third party (e.g. Worker Directors). Building on the Government's Decision of 2011 which established an open process operated by the Public Appointment Service, a revised model for Ministerial appointments to State Boards is now in operation. Since 2011, board vacancies have been filled on the basis of expressions of interest received on the stateboards.ie portal. Recent reforms complement the current system with a more structured approach requiring that all appointments to vacancies on State Boards must be advertised openly on the State Boards portal www.stateboards.ie operated by the Public Appointments Service (PAS); meet specific and detailed criteria determined by the relevant Minister as necessary for the effective performance of the relevant role; and be processed by way of a transparent assessment system designed and implemented by the independent Public Appointments Service (PAS) to support the relevant Minister in making appointments to State Boards under his/her remit.
In all cases I, as Minister, make the relevant appointments and, where necessary, bring nominations to Government for approval.
838. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the current and capital funding allocated to his Department; the underspend or overspend in 2015 to date under each category based on his Department's spending profile; the funding made available within and external to his Department's functions to support innovation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30132/15]
View answer2015 REV and expenditure position as at end June 2015 is summarised below, in terms of current and capital spend. Current expenditure is behind profile by 2.5% (over €8m). Capital spend is ahead by 14% (€30m approx.) due mainly to faster drawdown on NRA national roads programme and NTA's public transport programmes. I expect spend across all programmes to come in on budget by year end. We do not have a specific provision of funding to support innovation per se. That said, there are examples of innovative projects under all programme headings.
|
- |
REV Allocation |
Spend |
- |
|
(end June) |
Remaining |
||
|
Gross Current Expenditure |
674,880 |
301,536 |
373,344 |
|
Current A-in-A |
126,286 |
13,991 |
112,295 |
|
Net Current |
548,594 |
287,545 |
261,049 |
|
Gross Capital Expenditure |
937,808 |
240,260 |
697,548 |
|
Capital Carryover |
29,105 |
8,935 |
20,170 |
|
Gross total |
966,913 |
249,195 |
717,718 |
|
Capital A-in-A |
270,470 |
61,710 |
208,760 |
|
Net Capital |
696,443 |
187,484 |
508,959 |
|
NET VOTE TOTAL |
1,245,037 |
475,029 |
770,008 |
