Written Answers Nos. 510-529
510. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the regulations in place to minimise and mitigate the noise levels to residents in the Hollystown and surrounding areas in Dublin west from aircraft taking off and landing in Dublin Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18021/16]
View answerThe Environmental Noise Directive (END) 2002/49/EC sets out certain requirements for the assessment and management of environmental noise from transport sources, including from major airports with more than 50,000 aircraft take-off or landing movements per year. Dublin Airport is the only airport in Ireland that falls within this threshold.
The END was transposed into national law by the Environmental Noise Regulations 2006, which set out a two-stage process for addressing environmental noise. Firstly, environmental noise must be assessed through the preparation of strategic noise maps for areas and infrastructure falling within defined criteria. This is undertaken by prescribed noise mapping bodies, which includes Dublin Airport Authority (daa) and local authorities. Secondly, based on the results of the mapping process, the Regulations require the preparation of noise action plans for each area concerned, which is undertaken by the relevant local authority, the prescribed noise action planning body. The fundamental objective of action plans is the prevention and reduction of environmental noise.
The most recent noise mapping exercise found that 200 people are exposed to undesirable night-time levels above 55 dB(A) from aircraft using Dublin Airport. As compared to the previous mapping exercise in 2007, there has been an overall reduction in the number of people exposed to undesirable night-time noise levels.
In 2008, Dublin Airport Stakeholders Forum set up an Environmental Working Group that works closely with Fingal County Council. This group provides an effective forum for the discussion of all environment matters concerning the development and operation of the airport that have an impact on users, customers of the airport and on people living and working in the surrounding communities.
The management of noise abatement of operational procedures at Dublin Airport is shared by the airport operator, the daa, and the airlines operating at the airport. Under the European Communities (Air Navigation and Transport Rules and Procedures for Noise Related Operating Restrictions at Airports) Regulations 2003, the Irish Aviation Authority has the responsibility of ensuring that the airport operator has in place a system of noise monitoring.
In recognition of its responsibilities in this area, the daa has introduced, and continues to evaluate, a number of initiatives to monitor aircraft noise levels and to mitigate their impact. A flight tracking system is now operated that allows aircraft movements to be analysed and to respond to any complaints relating to aircraft noise. The primary objective of the Noise & Flight Track Department of the daa is to gather information on aircraft approach and departure routes and resultant noise levels at a number of key locations.
The regulatory regime for airport noise at EU airports with more than 50,000 aircraft take-off or landing movements per year has recently been enhanced with the entry into force on 13 June 2016 of Regulation (EU) No 598/2014 which requires that Member States adhere to a specific process known as the ICAO Balanced Approach when considering the introduction of operating restrictions at airports. My Department, along with the Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, is engaged in discussions regarding arrangements for the appropriate implementation of this Regulation in Ireland.
511. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the contacts he has had with his European Union colleagues in relation to the single European sky initiative; if he has taken into consideration the position paper and questionnaire (details supplied) from the European Union parliamentary rapporteur, single European sky; and when he may issue a response. [18024/16]
View answerThe position paper and questionnaire referred to by the Deputy has been circulated on behalf of the Dutch House of Representatives. I consider that national parliamentary initiatives of this nature can most appropriately be progressed in the Member State concerned in the first instance and subsequently, as necessary, in the institutions of the European Union.
It is important to emphasise that, in line with the agreed institutional arrangements for the European Union, discussions between Member State Governments on particular policy issues such as the Single European Sky are held in the formation of the Council of Transport Ministers of the EU. The Council works closely with the European Parliament through the appropriate channels for coordination. In these circumstances, it is not proposed to issue a response to this questionnaire at this time.
While I have not yet had an opportunity to discuss this initiative with my European Union counterparts at Transport Council, officials from my Department are engaged in Single European Sky (SES) discussions on an ongoing basis at EU level. These discussions are aimed at progressing various technical elements of the SES and are delivering positive results.
As previously advised to the House, Ireland has consistently given its full support to the Single European Sky initiative since its launch in 2004 and that policy position remains.
512. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the €2.4 billion Metro North project in County Dublin, including if this project will go ahead; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18055/16]
View answerThe Programme for Government includes a commitment to proceed with the New Metro North project and funding is provided in the Capital Plan "Building on Recovery Infrastructure & Capital Investment 2016-2021" to facilitate construction of the link commencing in 2021 with a view to delivery by 2026/2027.
The funding constraints that existed when the Capital Plan was being developed, and which continue to exist, mean that we are not in a position to deliver all that is required immediately. The first priority has to be ensuring that we maintain our existing transport infrastructure at what is termed "steady state" levels so that it remains safe and fit for purpose after a significant period of under-investment during the fiscal and economic crisis. The funding that is being provided in the Capital Plan for public transport investment will see us reach "steady state" funding levels by 2020. In addition, funding is provided to commence critical transport projects such as New Metro North to meet growing demand.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) have commenced preparatory work on planning and design of New Metro North and a dedicated project Steering Group has been established.
In the event that additional funding becomes available in the next few years, this preparatory work that is now underway will position us to progress the project in line with available funding.
513. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the funding the State awarded to Athletics Ireland in each of the years 2010 to 2016 to date. [18059/16]
View answerSport Ireland, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the promotion, development and co-ordination of sport. This includes responsibility for the allocation of current expenditure funding to National Governing Bodies of Sport.
I have referred the Deputy's Question to Sport Ireland for direct reply in relation to funding provided to Athletics Ireland under Sport Ireland's funding programmes. I would ask the Deputy to inform my office if a reply is not received within 10 days.
Additionally, details of all Sports Capital allocations made under my Department's Sports Capital Programme are available on the Department's website. No new allocations have been made so far in 2016.
514. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is aware of the status of safety of Poulgorm Cross where the R569 meets the N22 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18078/16]
View answerAs indicated in my response to PQ 16719/16, as 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 Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) (formerly known as the NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993 to 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 Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) in accordance with Section 19 of the Roads Act.
Noting the above position, I have referred your question to TII for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you don't receive a reply within 10 working days.
515. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason for the lack of hackney licences being granted (details supplied). [18080/16]
View answerThe regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including the granting of SPSV licences, is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013.
I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.
516. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will legislate for seat belts on public buses; if not, why not; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18088/16]
View answerIreland's Entry into Service regulations requires all buses to have Type Approval, which includes the specified standards for safety belts, where they are required, before they are used on the road.
I understand that buses designed to operate in an urban environment, operating at reduced speeds (maximum 65km/h in Ireland if carrying standees) and with passengers in many instances, only having a short journey time, are not, in accordance with EU legislation, required to be fitted with safety belts. Due to the number of people these vehicles can carry, often for short distances, and at reduced speeds for safety reasons their design takes these factors into account while also considering the efficient and swift movement of passengers getting on and off the vehicle.
Legislative provisions pertaining to safety belts on such buses will be reviewed in line with any future proposed amendments to European legislation in this regard.
517. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to outline the rules regarding the deployment of the Coast Guard helicopter to inland waterways particularly in cases where this may be more expedient in getting to the scene than the Garda Sub-Aqua team; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18096/16]
View answerThe Irish Coast Guard which is a Division of my Department provides a response and coordination service for Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR). Irish Coast Guard helicopters provide a day and night-time service, operating out of bases in Sligo, Shannon, Waterford and Dublin. Operations include the mobilisation, organisation and tasking of adequate resources to respond to persons in distress at sea, or to persons at risk of injury or death on the cliffs, shoreline and inland waterways of Ireland. Such tasking may include a direct response initiated by the Coast Guard or a response on foot of a request from an Garda Síochána.
In accordance with the Framework for Major Emergency Management the coordination of an inter-agency response to emergencies on inland waterways is the responsibility of an Garda Síochána, although they may assign the co-ordination of Search and Rescue (SAR) deployments to the Coast Guard.
518. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has been made aware of a computer systems failure at the National Driver Licensing Service office in Donegal Town; the date on which the system first became inoperative and the date on which this issue was resolved; the impact which this failure has had on services and what alternative arrangements were put in place for customers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18124/16]
View answerThe operation of the National Driver Licensing Service is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority, and I have no role in the matters described. I have therefore referred the Question to the Authority for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
519. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the date of the last and next meetings of his Department's accessibility consultative committee; his plans to engage with the disability sector in improving transport services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18147/16]
View answerMy Department's Accessibility Consultative Committee last met on 25 November 2015. A date for the next meeting has not yet been arranged. Transport Access for All, my Department's Sectoral Plan under the Disability Act 2005, was prepared following an extensive consultative process with all stakeholders and continues to guide Departmental policy in improving accessibility to public transport for people with mobility, sensory and cognitive impairments. My Department is also involved in the National Disability Inclusion Strategy which is working across Departments to support and encourage participation of people with disabilities in society.
520. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he agrees that Broomfield and District Residents Association do tremendous work in beautifying and litter prevention predominantly in the area of County Meath close to Mellifont Abbey in the context of the Ireland's Ancient East programme; and if funding is available to help such organisations. [18159/16]
View answerThe role of my Department in relation to tourism lies primarily in the area of national tourism policy. It does not develop or fund individual projects, which is a matter for the Board and Management of Fáilte Ireland.
Accordingly, I have referred the Deputy's question to Fáilte Ireland for direct reply. Please contact my private office if a response is not received within ten working days.
521. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to provide the funding in 2016 to complete the process of the compulsory purchase of the land required to commence construction of the link road R150 from Bettystown to Laytown. [18184/16]
View answerAs indicated previously to the Deputy, the improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads in Co. Meath is the statutory responsibility of Meath County Council, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from the Council's own resources supplemented by State road grants.
The Capital Plan 2016-2021 provides that a number of schemes targeting bottlenecks in the road network will be progressed subject to necessary approvals. The R150 Laytown to Bettystown Spine road is one of the projects included in the Capital Plan, subject to necessary approvals including planning. I understand that Meath County Council is liaising with my officials in relation to the project, including the timescale for implementation. An allocation of €50,000 has made in relation to the project this year. All available grant funding for 2016 has now been allocated.
522. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a person (details supplied) has made any representations to his Department regarding military use of Knock Airport, by the United States of America; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18244/16]
View answerS.I. No. 74/1952 - Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order - provides that the permission of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade is required for any foreign military aircraft to enter Irish airspace or land at an Irish airport. I have no function in that regard.
No representations have been made to me or my Department regarding military use of Knock Airport by the United States of America.
523. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport why there are no insurance companies which will at this time give a quotation to a person who is a first-time taxi licence holder for a wheelchair accessible vehicle. [18251/16]
View answerMotor Insurance is a private contractual matter between the insurance company and their customers. I have no powers to intervene in the matter.
The Central Bank is the Insurance Regulator. As my colleague, the Minister for Finance stated in the Dáil in a statement on insurance costs on 20 April, the Department of Finance will over the coming months be focusing on a broad review of policy in the insurance sector, in consultation with agencies such as the Central Bank, Departments, and other stakeholders. In that context, queries regarding the practices engaged in by the motor insurance companies could be raised with my colleague, the Minister for Finance and with the Department of Finance in the context of that review.
Insurance Ireland operates a free Insurance Information Service for those who have queries, or difficulties in relation to obtaining insurance. If a person is unable to obtain a quotation for motor insurance or feels that the premium proposed or the terms are so excessive that it amounts to a refusal to give them motor insurance, they should contact Insurance Ireland, 5 Harbourmaster Place, IFSC, Dublin 1 DO1 E7E8 Tel. 01.6761820 Fax 01 676 1943 email info@insuranceireland.eu quoting the Declined Cases Agreement. Under the Agreement, the Declined Cases Committee of Insurance Ireland deals with any cases of difficulty in obtaining motor insurance.
524. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is aware that persons from the Inishowen peninsula in County Donegal have to travel an unreasonable distance to attain a learner permit or driving licence at the National Driving Licence Service office in Letterkenny; if he will support the locating of a new office in the Inishowen peninsula. [18256/16]
View answerThe operation of the National Driver Licensing Service (NDLS), including the location of front offices, is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority, and I have no role in operational matters such as the location of NDLS offices. I have therefore referred the question to the Authority for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
525. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to address the exorbitant cost of car insurance (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18311/16]
View answerMotor insurance is provided by private companies in an open and competitive market. Pricing is a matter for the industry and I have no role in the regulation of insurers although I am concerned with the recent trend towards increasing motor insurance costs. As my colleague, the Minister for Finance stated in the Dail in a statement on insurance costs on 20 April, the Department of Finance will over the coming months be focussing on a broad review of policy in the insurance sector, in consultation with agencies such as the Central Bank, Departments, and other stakeholders, and the cost of insurance will be a particular focus of that review.
The only area within my remit whereby I can influence, albeit indirectly, motor insurance costs is through providing An Garda Síochána with the necessary legislative supports for the enforcement of uninsured driving. To that end, the Road Traffic Bill 2016, which is currently awaiting passage through this House having been passed by the Seanad, contains an amendment to the existing requirements which will allow for more robust enforcement by the Garda Síochána.
I am confident that such robust enforcement has the capacity to deliver significant savings to the Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland in terms of reducing the number of claims with respect to compensating victims of road traffic collisions, which costs the industry and insured drivers here some €50 to €60 million per annum, where uninsured vehicles were responsible for the collision. Those savings should, in turn, have the effect of reducing the overall costs of motor insurance premiums.
526. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of funding for a road (details supplied) that requires immediate attention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18339/16]
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. 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. All available funding for 2016 has now been allocated.
527. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to review traffic safety on Jamestown Road (details supplied). [18351/16]
View answerThe improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of local authorities, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities' own resources supplemented by State road grants, where applicable. The selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority. In addition, traffic management in its area is a matter for each local authority under the relevant Road Traffic Acts. Arising from the introduction of the Local Property Tax and the Government decision that local authorities will retain 80% of the tax revenues, the four Dublin Councils became self funding for regional and local roads under the main road grant categories from 2015.
528. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when plans for Finglas village traffic management will be included in the works programme. [18353/16]
View answerThe improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads in Finglas village is the statutory responsibility of Dublin City Council, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities' own resources supplemented by State road grants, where applicable. The selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority. In addition, traffic management measures in Finglas are also the responsibility of the local authority. Arising from the introduction of the Local Property Tax and the Government commitment that local authorities will retain 80% of the tax revenues, the four Dublin Councils became self funding for regional and local roads under the main road grant categories from 2015.
529. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the criteria he uses to allocate funding under the public service obligation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18402/16]
View answerThe criteria used to allocate funding under the Public Service Obligation Scheme is governed by the Public Transport Contracts between the National Transport Authority (NTA) and the public transport providers 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.
