Written Answers Nos. 1646-1657
1646. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will revise his plans for public transport infrastructure to serve Swords and north Dublin more generally, given that a Luas line or bus rapid transit service falls short of adequately serving this area. [31935/15]
View answerDecisions in relation to public transport infrastructure to serve the Swords / North Dublin corridor will be announced shortly in the context of the Government's new Capital Plan, which will include a major programme of transport investment for the coming years. In particular, the Plan will set out a comprehensive response to the public transport needs of the Greater Dublin Area, based on the updated analysis carried out by the National Transport Authority over the past year or so, including the North Dublin Transport Study.
It is imperative that we invest in our transport system to ensure that we can meet growing demand and tackle congestion to support economic growth. It is also important that in planning our investment strategy, we plan appropriately so that areas which will see major development and population growth in the future such as Fingal will be properly served by public transport. I am confident that the new Capital Plan will provide the investment required to meet these objectives.
1647. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views that proposals moved by the Taxi Regulation Review Group in 2011, and which currently form part of the public consultation document on taxi roof signs and mandatory SPSV driver safety equipment, would make in-car CCTV and partitions mandatory in all taxis; if he has considered the effects these proposals will have, if implemented, on costs to taxi drivers and their working conditions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31959/15]
View answerThe regulation of the taxi industry is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act, 2013. I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. I ask her to advise my private office if she does not receive a reply within ten working days.
1648. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company sought his advice and-or consent with regards to placing a 0.47 ha site up for sale; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31960/15]
View answerI met Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company in May 2015 in relation to the future plans for the port. A number of projects, including the sale of the 0.47 ha site, were discussed.
Under section 15 of the Harbours Act 1996, the disposal of land is a statutory matter for the directors of the Company and not one in which I, as Minister, have any legal function.
1649. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide a progress report on the due diligence into the finances of Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company that is being carried out by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31961/15]
View answerMy Department is not carrying out due diligence into the finances of any of the designated Ports of Regional Significance. However, and as the Deputy has been previously informed, my Department has made funding available if a local authority wishes to conduct due diligence as part of the future transfer of control of the Ports of Regional Significance under the Harbours Bill 2015. The procurement and management of any such due diligence process is a matter for the relevant local authority.
It is my understanding that Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has procured consultants to conduct due diligence of Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company and that the review has not yet been completed.
1650. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views that issues and difficulties could have been foreseen in the initial planning of the now shelved DART underground that could have saved the Exchequer the €50 million; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31962/15]
View answerThis question appears to be based on media conjecture in recent weeks and much of the detail in the reports is far off the mark. The issue was considered by Government this morning and Government agreed that the DART underground project should be redesigned to provide a lower cost technical solution - it is not being cancelled. Indeed, the overall DART expansion programme, of which the underground tunnel is a critical element, remains central to the Government's strategy to meet the growing transport needs of the Greater Dublin Area. As originally designed, however, the underground tunnel element would account for approximately €3 billion of the overall cost of €4 billion for the whole DART expansion programme. At the Government's request, the National Transport Authority (NTA) carried out an updated analysis of the business case and found that the tunnel element of the programme could be redesigned to deliver a lower cost technical solution while maintaining the full connectivity of the original Programme. The Government has now agreed that this redesign should proceed and this work will be funded under the new capital plan which will be announced shortly. The Government has also decided that other elements of the DART expansion programme will be progressed under the new capital plan including the DART extension to Balbriggan and works to increase frequency of existing services.
It is imperative that we invest in our transport system to ensure that we can meet growing demand and tackle congestion so that it does not hinder economic growth. It is also important that in planning our investment strategy, we plan appropriately so that areas which will see major development and population growth in the future, such as north Dublin, will be properly served by public transport. I am confident that this decision and the new capital plan will deliver on these objectives.
1651. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in view of the fact that Lucan, County Dublin, is one of the biggest population growth areas in the State, that there is a lack of a public swimming pool to support a population of over 50,000 people and that grant assistance is an integral part of the financing of elements of South Dublin County Council’s water leisure strategy, and that the council could not of its own resources provide a swimming pool for the area, if he will commit to reopening the local authority swimming pool grant scheme in order to provide a swimming pool facility for Lucan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31997/15]
View answerUnder the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme, grant aid to a maximum of €3.8 million is provided to local authorities towards the capital costs of new swimming pools or the refurbishment of existing pools. The current round of the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme was closed to new applicants on 31 July 2000.
My priority now is the completion of the projects in the existing Programme.
No decision has been taken on any new round of the Programme. If the Programme reopens, it would be open to each Local Authority, including South Dublin County Council, to submit an application under the terms that would apply at that time.
1652. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of annual pension payments made by his Department that exceed €60,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32013/15]
View answerInformation on the number of annual pension payments that exceed €60,000 in respect of my Department will be provided by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. I have asked the State agencies under the aegis of my Department to provide the Deputy with the information requested. If he does not receive a reply from the agencies within 10 working days, he should advise my private office.
1653. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if funding will be provided for a section of roadway (details supplied) in County Kerry to be resurfaced; if the planning and design work on this scheme has been completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32041/15]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, Tourism and 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 Transport Infrastructure Ireland, formerly the National Roads Authority, 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 Transport Infrastructure Ireland for direct reply. I ask him to advise my private office if he does not receive a reply within 10 working days.
1654. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason the charges for landing airplanes in Cork Airport are much greater than other airports in the country; if this is hindering access to the south and south west of the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32051/15]
View answerThe matter which the Deputy refers to is an operational matter for the DAA, which has statutory responsibility for the management, operation and development of Dublin and Cork Airports.
This includes the airport charges applied and the services that are operated from those airports. I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the DAA in order for it to reply directly. If the Deputy does not receive a reply from the DAA within ten working days, he should advise my private office.
1655. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to promote and develop the tourism sector in the areas of the country that are not included in the ancient east or the Wild Atlantic Way; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31922/15]
View answerThe role of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in relation to tourism lies primarily in the area of national policy. The Department is not directly involved in its development or promotion of tourism in particular regions of the State, which is an operational matter for the board and management of Fáilte Ireland. Accordingly, I have asked Fáilte Ireland to reply to the Deputy directly in this regard. I ask him contact my private office if he does not hear from it within ten working days.
The Deputy may be interested to know that in addition to the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland's Ancient East, Fáilte Ireland is pursuing the implementation of "Destination Dublin: A Collective Strategy for Tourism Growth to 2020", through the Grow Dublin Tourism Alliance, and is also partnering with Waterways Ireland and the relevant local authorities to develop tourism along the Shannon waterways and associated wetlands.
1656. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to a campaign by residents of Bohola, County Mayo, to have speed limits on a primary road in their village reduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32080/15]
View answerWhere it is considered necessary and appropriate, road authorities have the necessary power to vary the default speed limits on any roads, or sections of road, within their functional areas. Section 9 of the 2004 Road Traffic Act sets out the range of special speed Limits that may be set by such authorities through by-laws.
To assist local authorities in the application of special speed limits, I launched my Department's updated guidelines for setting and managing speed limits in March last and these are available on the Department's website. These guidelines reiterate that the making of by-laws for special speed limits is a matter for the elected members of local authorities, subject to following Department guidelines and to the consent of the NRA in the case of national roads.
At the time of the issuing of these guidelines, local authorities were requested to review and update all speed limits in their administrative areas in accordance with the guidelines and this is currently ongoing. In the case of national roads, local authorities were requested to undertake this review in conjunction with the NRA (now part of Transport Infrastructure Ireland).
1657. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans for the funding of Ireland West Airport Knock now that EU Commission approval has been given to the Government's regional airport plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32081/15]
View answerIreland's 2015-2019 Regional Airports Programme provides for the continuance of Exchequer supports (state aid) under the Capital Expenditure Grant and Core Airport Management Operational Expenditure Subvention Schemes, where appropriate, to the four regional airports at Donegal, Kerry, Ireland West Airport Knock (IWAK) and Waterford. Following EU Commission approval of the Programme on 3 August, the four regional airports have been provided with the criteria necessary (and as set out in the programme) for submitting applications to my Department for Exchequer supports, including a five-year business plan, an economic evaluation of the airport's contribution to the region and other financial information. Detailed consideration within the Department is a prerequisite to the formal granting of approval to each airport for funding supports over the life of the Programme. My Department has just received an application from IWAK which is being evaluated. We are awaiting applications from the other three airports.
In addition to the above State aid supports, my Department will also provide, in accordance with the 2014 EU Guidelines on state aid to airports and airlines, financial supports to the four airports in respect of those airport activities that normally fall under the responsibility of the State in the exercise of its official powers as a public authority, such as air traffic control, customs, firefighting, passenger and baggage screening etc. These activities are not of an economic nature, fall within the remit of Public Policy Remit and in general do not come within the scope of EU rules on state aid. The actual level of Public Policy Remit funding supports to be made available in 2015 is in the process of being determined by my officials in consultation with the four regional airports.
