Written Answers Nos. 405-420
405. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when or if his Department will utilise section 6(1) of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 2013 to confirm a new title for his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23344/16]
View answerAn Order changing the name of my Department to the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment has been approved by Government; the change of title will be effective from 23 July.
406. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will consider increasing the public service obligation payments received by CIE, given that despite the increase in fare revenue and commercial income in 2015, CIE recorded a net loss of €26.4 million in 2015, according to its annual report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23025/16]
View answer417. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on increasing the public service obligation payments received by CIE, given that despite the increase in fare revenue and commercial income in 2015, CIE recorded a net loss of €26.4 million in 2015, according to its annual report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23023/16]
View answerI propose to answer Questions Nos. 417 and 406 together.
The Deputy will be aware that this year's total Public Service Obligation (PSO) subvention was increased by 13% when compared to last year and the total amount of money being made available to the National Transport Authority (NTA) in 2016 is €236.6m.
It is the statutory responsibility of the National Transport Authority (NTA) to allocate the funding to the PSO operators, including the CIÉ companies. All PSO services are provided in accordance with public service contracts concluded between the NTA and the relevant operator and all payments must comply with relevant domestic and European legislation.
I am fully aware of the financial position of the CIÉ Group of companies and my Department has been working closely with both the Group and the individual companies in recent years as challenges have arisen.
The recently published Summer Economic Statement outlines the anticipated public expenditure framework over the medium term and I will be engaging with Ministerial colleagues in the coming weeks as Budget 2017 is developed. Obviously PSO subvention is one relevant area of expenditure which will form part of that engagement. It is of course also an area which requires careful scrutiny to ensure the taxpayer receives value for money in respect of the services delivered given the considerable expenditure incurred.
407. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding introducing new security measures in airports in the State. [23253/16]
View answerThe terrible attack at Ataturk Airport, and earlier this year the attack at Brussels Airport, are part of the wider context of International terrorism, and my first thoughts are with the families, relatives and friends of the victims of these attacks. The Garda Commissioner has statutory responsibility for threat assessment in Ireland including the assessment of threats to civil aviation. Currently the threat level in Ireland related to international terrorism is assessed by An Garda Síochána as moderate; that an attack is possible but is not likely.
Considerations with regard to security in the public areas of an airport, such as the check-in area, are similar to the consideration for any public space where people congregate. Protection of these public spaces is also a matter for An Garda Síochána in consultation with the Airport Operator.
In terms of any threat to civil aviation, it is the responsibility of the Airport Operator to ensure that aviation security standards are maintained and, with regard to the landside areas of the airport, that any additional aviation security measures are considered based on a local risk assessment. Aviation security arrangements, including for Irish airports, are also kept under continuous review by the National Civil Aviation Security Committee, which is chaired by a senior official from my Department. The Committee comprises representatives of, among others, Government Departments, An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces, Airport Operators and Air Carriers.
For security reasons it is not possible for me to elaborate or comment on any specific security measures at airports in the State.
408. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the sports capital allocation by county for 2015 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22925/16]
View answer409. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the sporting organisations and their affiliated clubs and units that received funding from the sports capital programme in 2015 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22926/16]
View answer410. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the details of the clubs that have applied for sports capital funding for the 2016/2017 sports capital programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22927/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 408 to 410, inclusive, together.
Details of all allocations under the Sports Capital Programme, including those under the 2015 round of the SCP, are published on the Department's website, the link for which is www.dttas.ie.
No round of the SCP has been advertised to date in 2016, and no decision has been made on the timing of any future rounds of the 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.
411. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of the sports capital funding allocation in 2015 that remains to be drawn down; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22928/16]
View answer412. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the outstanding funding that remains to be drawn down from sports clubs under the sports capital programme for years prior to 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22929/16]
View answerI propose to answer Questions Nos. 411 and 412 together.
The total for Sports Capital Programme funding allocated in 2015 and yet to be drawn down amounts to €41.1m. For years prior to 2015, the total amount of Sports Capital Programme funding yet to be drawn down amounts to €46.2m. These figures include grants allocated under advertised rounds of the SCP, as well as special allocations.
413. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of persons who renewed the motor tax online in 2015; to indicate this number as a percentage of overall renewals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22952/16]
View answerMy Department facilitates the collection of motor tax through the National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF), including over the internet at www.motortax.ie. Some 3.352 million motor tax discs were issued through the online service in 2015, which represented approx. 67% of overall motor tax business.
414. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the allocation of funding for the provision of the Lucan swimming pool project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22985/16]
View answerThe Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme (LASPP) provides for grant aid to local authorities towards the capital costs of new swimming pools or the refurbishment of existing pools. In January of this year, the Department contacted local authorities and sought expressions of interest in a limited round of swimming pool allocations. There were three expressions of interest received for new pools, two of which were valid and both in Dublin. Having assessed existing commitments and the funding available, including funding that will become available from withdrawn projects, it was considered prudent to progress one additional pool project at that time. Following consideration of the expressions of interest it was decided to include the proposal from South Dublin County Council (SDCC) for a new swimming pool in Lucan in the LASPP.
The Department wrote to SDCC in April 2016 advising the Council to undertake the first stage in the four principal stages in a swimming pool project i.e. Preliminary Report (including Feasibility Study).
415. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the total cost to date to the State for the planning of the metro west orbital transport route project; his plans, to advance the planning process of the metro west orbital transport route; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22986/16]
View answerMetro West was proposed under the Transport 21 initiative as an orbital metro connecting Tallaght and Blanchardstown in the west of Dublin with the original Metro North proposal to Swords. In October 2010 the then Railway Procurement Agency submitted an application to An Bord Pleanála for a Railway Order for the Metro West project. In light of the financial crisis, it was decided that the Railway Order application should be withdrawn in September 2011. The total spend on the project was €18.7m. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA). As I previously confirmed to the Deputy, the NTA's recently adopted Transport Strategy 2016-2035 does not include the original Metro West proposal but instead proposes the future development of an east-west Luas line, commencing in the residential areas of Lucan and connecting into Dublin City Centre. This would provide a high capacity radial service from this area to the City Centre, sufficient to cater for the high transport demand along this corridor, and would serve Lucan, Liffey Valley and Ballyfermot along its route. The Strategy also envisages the development of a Core Bus Network, which would include a range of radial and orbital routes serving Dublin West, and a Bus Rapid Transit scheme linking Blanchardstown with UCD.
The Capital Plan does not include funding for the east-west Luas line so it will not be advanced during the period of the current Plan. The timeline for the project will be determined in the context of Integrated Implementation Plans brought forward by the NTA for implementation of its Transport Strategy and the availability of funding under future funding reviews.
416. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the total cost to date to the State for the planning of the Luas to Lucan project; his plans, if any, to advance the planning process for this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22987/16]
View answerThe National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the implementation and development of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA). The NTA's Transport Strategy for the GDA, 2016-2035 provides a framework for the planning and delivery of transport infrastructure and services in the GDA over the next two decades. It includes a proposal for the development of an east-west Luas line, commencing in the residential areas of Lucan and connecting into Dublin City Centre. The Capital Plan does not include funding for this project so it will not be advanced during the period of the plan. The timeline for the project will be determined in the context of future Integrated Implementation Plans brought forward by the NTA for implementation of the Transport Strategy and availability of funding under future Capital Funding Reviews.
418. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the degree to which regional airports are expected to continue to play a major part on the national transport network in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23081/16]
View answerThe National Aviation Policy, published by my Department last August, acknowledges the role played by the regional airports in Donegal, Ireland West Airport Knock, Kerry and Waterford as being important in promoting a level of international connectivity to support the tourism and business sectors in their regions. The Policy also confirms that these four airports are being given the opportunity to grow to a viable, self-sustaining position. In this regard, Exchequer support under the Regional Airports Programme 2015-2019 for safety and security projects and activities at these airports will be continued where appropriate. As the Deputy will be aware, an additional €10 million is provided in the Programme for Government for the regional airports. This is additional to the €28 million which was already provided for this purpose in the Capital Plan 2016 to 2022 and will enhance my Department's ability to support the four airports under the Regional Airports Programme.
It is of course a matter for the airports themselves to exploit all potential opportunities to develop air services at their facilities.
419. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the areas in the tourism sector which have shown the greatest potential for future development and expansion both internally and externally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23082/16]
View answerTourism continues to contribute significantly to Ireland's economic recovery. CSO figures for the first five months of 2016 show that there were over three million overseas visits to Ireland, an increase of 13.7% on the same period of 2015. Thankfully all of our main target markets are showing good growth levels with visits from North America up by over 18%, visits from Mainland Europe up by 11.5% and visits from Great Britain up by over 15%. With regard to revenue, the most recent CSO Quarterly Tourism and Travel publication shows that spending in Ireland by overseas visitors (excluding carrier receipts) in the first three months of 2016 amounted to over €693 million, an increase of 17.5% compared to the same period in 2015. Research carried out on behalf of the tourism agencies and tourism industry has found that certain market segments have a higher likelihood to select Ireland as a destination. Tourism Ireland's overseas marketing activity is weighted towards these segments in order to provide the best return on marketing investment.
In addition, the tourism brand experiences that have been developed by Fáilte Ireland, like the "Wild Atlantic Way", "Ireland's Ancient East", and "Dublin – A Breath of Fresh Air" – are all designed to meet the needs of the most promising consumer segments in overseas source markets.
The Government's Tourism Policy Statement "People, Place and Policy – Growing Tourism to 2025" was launched in March 2015. The main targets contained in the Tourism Policy Statement, to be achieved by 2025, are as follows:
- Overseas tourism revenue to increase to €5 billion net of inflation, compared to €3.5 billion in 2014;
- Overseas visits to Ireland to increase to ten million, compared to 7.6 million in 2014; and
- 250,000 people to be employed in the tourism sector, compared to around 205,000 at present.
In 2015, a Tourism Leadership Group was appointed to put in place a Tourism Action Plan containing key actions required in the period to 2018 in order to achieve the overall objectives in the Policy Statement. The Tourism Action Plan was published in January and contains actions across a range of key issues including skills in the tourism industry; supply of visitor accommodation; overseas tourism marketing; and the contribution of Local Authorities to tourism development. My Department is now working closely with the tourism agencies on the implementation of all of the 23 actions contained in the Plan.
420. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress to date regarding upgrade works in respect of the M7 Naas to Newbridge-Osberstown interchange and Sallins bypass as announced in the recent capital plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23083/16]
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 national road projects is a matter for the Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, (formerly known as the NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with 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 you are aware the transport element of the Capital Plan provides that work will commence on several roads projects which are targeted at removing critical bottlenecks or upgrading inadequate sections of road, including the M7 widening and the Sallins Bypass. Kildare County Council is responsible for the construction of the Osberstown Interchange.
In view of the lead role of TII, in conjunction with Kildare County Council, in relation to these projects I have referred the Deputy's question to TII for direct reply. If a reply is not received within 10 working days please contact my office.
