Written Answers Nos. 939-949
939. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will respond to a query (details supplied) regarding changes to the train timetable and their effect on Mullingar commuters. [1298/16]
View answerThe issue raised is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) in conjunction with Iarnród Éireann and I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
940. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount paid in annual subsidies and other payments to the company responsible for the new N7 motorway in County Laois in each of the past five years. [1340/16]
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 (TII) under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.
Furthermore, the statutory power to levy tolls on national roads such as the M7, to make toll bye-laws and to enter into toll agreements with private investors in respect of national roads is vested in TII under Part V of the Roads Act 1993 (as amended by the Planning and Development Act 2000 and the Roads Act 2007).
Noting the above position, I have referred the Deputy's question to the TII for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
941. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding driving licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1346/16]
View answerThe period of validity of a driving licence is set out in regulations. For a full licence, depending on the category, this is either five or ten years. Where the person is between 60 and 66 years of age, the licence is valid until their 70th birthday. Applicants aged 67 and over receive a three-year licence.
Licences were previously issued for the appropriate period plus the unexpired period remaining on the previous licence. In 2015 I changed the regulations to remove reference to the unexpired period of the previous licence. This was necessary because the European Commission informed me that Ireland was not compliant with EU law in regard to certain categories of licence, which had to be of a fixed period specified in EU law. Ireland was therefore required to remove reference to the unexpired period of the previous licence in some cases. I decided to eliminate this reference for all cases in order to avoid confusion.
942. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the discussions his Department has had with suppliers or service contractors to his Department or agencies of his Department to ensure employees of such suppliers and contractors are paid the living wage of €11.50 per hour; the cost of implementing this wage for these employees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1379/16]
View answerThe Living Wage is a voluntary societal initiative centred on the social, business and economic case that, wherever it can be afforded, employers will pay a rate of pay that provides an income that is sufficient to meet an individual's basic needs, such as housing, food, clothing, transport and healthcare. The Living Wage is voluntary and has no legislative basis and is therefore not a statutory entitlement and cannot be imposed on suppliers or contractors.
There have been no discussions between this Department and suppliers or service contractors to this Department in relation to the living wage.
The position regarding the agencies under the remit of this Department is a matter for them. I have forwarded a copy of your question to them for a direct reply. If you have not heard from the Agencies within ten working days, please contact my private office.
943. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the average cost per square metre incurred by each local authority outside of Dublin for road resurfacing of regional roads in each of the years 2010 to 2015; if his decision to set maximum costs for surface dressing of regional roads in 2011 helped to reduce excessive costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1389/16]
View answerSurface dressing involves the uniform application of a bituminous binder sprayed onto a road surface followed by a layer of single sized chippings. The application of a surface dressing is a maintenance treatment which is aimed at extending the life of a road pavement by sealing the road and preventing the ingress of water into the road pavement. Because of the process involved it is suited to rural roads rather than to urban roads.
In urban areas, alternative, more expensive, processes and more expensive materials need to be used. Apart from being more expensive, these materials have a greater depth than surface dressing material (and thus strengthen the road as well as seal it). The more built up an area is, the less likely it is that the less expensive surface dressing option can be used. Factors such as the cost of traffic control measures, grade of bitumen emulsion used, extent of preparation works and material transportation distances will also affect costs. It is the case, therefore, that there can be valid reasons for significant variations in costs between local authorities. The cost of bitumen emulsion is a major factor which affects the overall cost of surface dressing across all councils each year.
I can confirm that the maximum rates for surface dressing of €5.50 for regional roads and €4.50 for local roads work are being adhered to. In addition, the introduction of those maximum rates has clarified the range of different treatments which local authorities were undertaking under the heading of routine maintenance (which impacted on average costs). Because of this, the Department has been looking at the classification of works and reporting arrangements with a view to ensuring a consistent approach across local authorities, which in turn will allow for more consistent cost comparisons which are not available from historic data. In this context, local authorities will be advised this year they can only claim for surface dressing work under the Road Maintenance grant and that other road treatments should be charged to the Restoration Improvement Grant.
944. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he or Transport Infrastructure Ireland intend to engage with the Irish Deer Management Forum to ensure safety measures including fencing are put in place to safeguard the well-being of persons living in an area (details supplied) in County Kerry; his views on driver safety and the need to mitigate risk from deer-related accidents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1401/16]
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 maintenance of individual roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (formerly known as the NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.
Noting the above position, I have referred the Deputy's question to TII for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
945. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will request Iarnród Éireann to increase the number of carriages on the 5 p.m. service from Greystones in County Wicklow to Malahide in County Dublin from four to six; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1498/16]
View answerThe issue raised is an operational matter for Iarnród Éireann in conjunction with the National Transport Authority (NTA) and I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
946. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of jobs (details supplied) in the National Parks and Wildlife Service in Killarney, County Kerry (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46548/15]
View answerThe final phase of works to the house began in early January 2014 and the works, including the new extension, are now substantially complete. Work is also nearing completion with regard to the landscaping of the grounds and ornamental gardens, with planting expected to be concluded during Spring 2016. The interpretation/exhibition phase of the project is advancing. I expect that the various elements of works will be completed in the coming months and it is intended that these amenities will be open to the public as soon as possible in 2016.
Staffing requirements at this location, as with all other areas of my Department, remains the subject of ongoing consideration in light of the overall business needs and within the pay framework approved for 2016. Once this interpretation/exhibition phase has been moved forward sufficiently, the staffing requirements of the project will be addressed. In this regard, the nature of the posts required, as well as the numbers involved and the budgetary implications, will be determined in due course.
947. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of Údarás na Gaeltachta-supported jobs, by county, at 1 January 2015 and at 31 December 2015, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1037/16]
View answerI am advised that employment figures in Údarás na Gaeltachta client companies at the end of 2014 by county were as set out in the following table.
|
County |
Year end 31/12/2014 |
|
Donegal |
1,942 |
|
Mayo |
685 |
|
Galway |
2,835 |
|
Meath |
186 |
|
Kerry |
671 |
|
Cork |
586 |
|
Waterford |
148 |
|
Total |
7,053 |
Údarás na Gaeltachta has informed me that the comparable figures for the year to end-2015 are currently being finalised. It is intended that will be available early next week when Údarás publishes its end of year statement for 2015.
948. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps she is taking to eradicate or control Japanese knotweed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1343/16]
View answerI am aware that there is a growing public awareness and concern about the impact of invasive species here, including Japanese Knotweed. In this regard, I wish to advise that my Department is responsible for the enforcement of the Wildlife Acts and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 477/2011), both of which prohibit the spreading of invasive species.
In general, control of invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed is a matter for landowners. However, my Department carries out considerable work on control of such species in National Parks and Nature Reserves - for example, work undertaken over many years to deal with the rhododendron threat in Killarney National Park. My Department does not have the resources required to extend such work into urban areas, or indeed the wider countryside, and is not in a position to provide dedicated funds for such work to other bodies.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department worked with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) to fund and manage the Invasive Species Ireland Project between 2006 and 2103. This initiative provides advice and guidance on the management of a range of invasive species, including the Japanese Knotweed. Best Practice Management Guidelines for Japanese Knotweed have been published and can be accessed on the project website at www.invasivespeciesireland.com. These guidelines provide practical advice to persons and organisations, including local authorities, on the removal and disposal of these species.
In addition, my Department is currently supporting the development of a Japanese Knotweed protocol for Ireland. A number of agencies, including the National Biodiversity Data Centre (NBDC), Inland Fisheries Ireland and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, are involved in drafting the protocol, which it is to be completed this year. I am aware too that a number of local authorities are already carrying out control programmes for problem species, including Japanese Knotweed.
949. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will reconsider favourably a request for funding by the Patrick Kavanagh Centre in Inniskeen, County Monaghan to help defray costs involved in organising the Brian Boru ceremony some time ago; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46467/15]
View answerMy Department has not received an application for funding from the Patrick Kavanagh Centre. However, it has received correspondence from a local group involved in an event commemorating Brian Ború, which used the facilities at the Centre for that purpose. My Department is dealing directly with the organisers from that group in relation to its request for funding.
