Written Answers Nos. 618-627
618. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the three linked road upgrade schemes in north Kildare (details supplied); if tenders recently issued for the three projects to be taken together; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14354/16]
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 (including the N7) is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (formerly known as the NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the relevant local authority - in this case, Kildare County Council. Within its capital budget, the assessment and prioritisation of individual projects is a matter in the first instance for TII in accordance with Section 19 of the Roads Act. As regards regional and local roads, responsibility for implementation of improvement projects rests with the relevant local authority which is Kildare County Council in this instance.
As TII, in conjunction with Kildare County Council, is progressing the projects mentioned by the Deputy I have referred the Deputy's question to TII for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you don't receive a reply within 10 working days.
619. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will intervene with Athletics Ireland and the Olympic Council of Ireland with regard to the non-selection of a person (details supplied) to the three-man marathon team to represent Ireland at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14359/16]
View answerThe selection of team members to represent Ireland in athletics events at the Olympic Games is a matter for Athletics Ireland as the National Governing Body for Athletics. All National Governing Bodies of Sport are independent, autonomous bodies and are responsible for their own governance procedures and competition rules for their sports. I have no role in relation to team selection by Athletics Ireland or any of the sporting bodies and it would be inappropriate for me to intervene in this matter.
620. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if supplementary roads funding will be provided to Kerry County Council to address the deterioration of the condition of the county's roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14363/16]
View answerThe improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads in Kerry is a statutory function of Kerry County Council in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act, 1993. Works on such roads are a matter for the Council to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of projects to be funded from these monies is a matter for the Council.
In addition to the 2016 regional and local road allocations announced in January this year, my predecessor announced a further €85m in additional funding for regional and local roads in February this year as part of the Tranche 1 funding to local authorities to remedy damage caused by severe weather. On 27 May I approved a further allocation under Tranche 2 of the severe weather funding to local authorities as notified through Circular RW 9/2016. All available funding for 2016 has now been allocated.
When allocating grant funding my Department has emphasised that the commitment of local authorities to contribute significantly from their own resources towards the cost of improving and maintaining the regional and local roads network is essential and that full consideration needs to be given to utilising the Local Property Tax to boost own resources expenditure on regional and local road maintenance and renewal.
621. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of an acting inspector position in the Killarney bus station (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14364/16]
View answerThe issue raised is a matter for Bus Éireann and I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
622. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding bus inspections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14401/16]
View answer623. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the inspection of buses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14402/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 622 and 623 together.
A vehicle must be roadworthy at all times when being used on the public road. Since September 2013, all commercial vehicle operators, including bus operators, are required to have inspection and maintenance systems in place to ensure that their vehicles are maintained in a safe and roadworthy condition over their lifetime. The relevant Regulations in this regard are the Road Safety Authority (Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness) (Vehicle Maintenance and Repair) Regulations 2013 – S.I. 348 of 2013.
While the Road Safety Authority has responsibility in relation to the enforcement of these Regulations, it is the vehicle owners and operators themselves, including Bus Éireann and their subcontractors, who are responsible for ensuring that their vehicles are compliant with the law. I have therefore referred the Deputy's Question to Bus Éireann for direct reply.
624. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is satisfied with the level of data that is collected on the issues which come under his Department's remit; the steps he will take to work with the administration in Northern Ireland to collect data under his aegis on a North-South basis; and the budgets he will put in place to undertake this work (details supplied). [14449/16]
View answerThe Economic and Financial Evaluation Unit (EFEU) of my Department is currently conducting a review of data in the Department. This is assessing, on a sector-by-sector basis, the extent to which data availability, quality, use, and management in the Department is sufficient to deliver the Department's policy priorities and objectives. The outcome of this will be a DTTaS Data Strategy, to be published later this year. This will summarise the assessment, identify any areas for improvement, and set out an action plan to maintain and improve data availability and use in the Department.
Currently the Central Statistics Office (CSO) publish a number of Tourism related releases, including the Overseas Travel release (information on the number of overseas trips (inbound and outbound), the Tourism and Travel release, (information on expenditure, purpose of visit and overnight stays) and the Household Travel Survey (information on Irish households' travel and tourism (both at home and overseas)).
In addition, Tourism Ireland, the agency with responsibility for the marketing of the island of Ireland as a holiday destination overseas, produces annual all-island tourism statistics using information provided by the CSO and the Northern Ireland agencies, www.tourismireland.com/Research/Visitor-Facts-Figures. There is also an all-island tourism statistics liaison group that meets on a regular basis with representatives from Tourism Ireland, the Department for the Economy, Tourism Northern Ireland, Fáilte Ireland and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.
Sport Ireland also collects various data from all National Governing Bodies (NGBs), including all-island NGBs, as part of the funding process, regarding, for example, membership figures and budgets.
625. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on correspondence (details supplied) with regard to operation of the 100X bus route servicing Dublin Airport to Dundalk; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14526/16]
View answerThe issue raised is a matter for Bus Éireann and I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
626. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the 2016 capital sports grants scheme will be published in order to enable sports and community groups and associations to apply for much needed funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14539/16]
View answerNo decision has been made on the timing of any future rounds of the Sports Capital Programme.
Any interested group should register online now at www.sportscapitalprogramme.ie as this portal will be the only way to apply under any future rounds of the Programme.
627. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will take steps to ensure that the necessary funding to enable the N4 realignment project between counties Westmeath and Longford to proceed is allocated, as the route corridor has been identified, necessitating a decision he made on the emerging preferred route, without further delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14552/16]
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 (including the N4) is a matter for the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (formerly known as the NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.
Within its capital budget, the assessment and prioritisation of individual projects is a matter in the first instance for TII in accordance with Section 19 of the Roads Act.
Noting the above position, I have referred the Deputy’s question to TII for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you don’t receive a reply within 10 working days.
