Written Answers Nos. 531-552
531. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the Turf Club incurred legal costs that were paid for by his Department; the amount of these legal costs; when covering these legal costs ceased; and the reasons for ceasing. [32107/16]
View answerHorse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and is responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry.
State funding is provided for Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund. Administration of this fund is an operational matter for HRI, including any funding payable to the Turf Club.
However, I understand from Horse Racing Ireland that, in the normal course of business, the Turf Club is reimbursed for legal fees in relation to the operation of certain integrity functions, largely relating to appeals and referrals.
532. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will outline in detail the aspects of the business and organisation of An Post that fall under his Department's remit. [31497/16]
View answerAs Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, I have overall responsibility for the postal sector including governance of An Post to ensure the company is fully compliant with the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies and the governance functions included in the statutory framework underpinning An Post.
Operational matters and the role of developing commercial strategies for the post office network are a matter for the Board and management of An Post and not one in which I, as Minister, have a statutory function.
In recognition of the changing commercial environment within which An Post operates my predecessor established the Post Office Network Business Development Group last year, the remit of which was to examine the potential from existing and new Government and commercial business that could be transacted through the post office network. The final report of the Post Office Network Business Development Group was published in January this year. On foot of the reconfiguration of Government Departments earlier this year, responsibility for the Post Office network transferred to the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
533. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the timeline towards ratifying the COP 21 agreement on climate change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31588/16]
View answerThe Paris Agreement puts in place the necessary framework for all countries to take ambitious action as well as providing for a transparency system to ensure that all countries can have confidence in each other's efforts. The Agreement aims to tackle 95% of global emissions through 188 Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). Ireland will contribute to the Paris Agreement via the INDC tabled by the EU on behalf of its Member States which commits to 40% reduction in EU-wide emissions by 2030 compared to 1990. The specific details of the contribution to be made by each Member State to this overall ambition remains to be finalised, and Ireland is currently examining proposals made by the European Commission in this regard.
As of Monday 24 October 2016, 84 Parties to the Convention (including the EU and ten Member States) accounting in total for 60.99 per cent of the total global greenhouse gas emissions have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval. Therefore in accordance with Article 21 (1) the Agreement will enter into force at the next Conference of the Parties (COP22) which will be held in Marrakesh from 7 to 18 November 2016.
Ireland is a strong supporter of the Paris Agreement and indicated its continuing commitment by signing the Agreement, along with other EU member states, at the signing ceremony in New York on 22nd April this year. Ireland began its domestic ratification process on 18 October with the agreement of Government to seek the approval of Dáil Éireann for Ireland to ratify the agreement. The Paris Agreement has since been laid before the Dáil and will be debated on Thursday 27th October with the aim of completing the process prior to COP 22, which takes place in Marrakesh from 7 to 18 November 2016.
534. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of television licences issued in 2015. [31657/16]
View answer535. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of exempted households for the television licence in 2015. [31658/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 534 and 535 together.
The total number of licences issued in 2015 was 1,433,752. This included direct sales by An Post of 1,018,444 and 415,308 free licences issued by the Department of Social Protection to qualifying applicants under that Department's Household Benefits Scheme.
An Post received 7,205 Statutory Declaration forms under Section 147 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 from households indicating that they had no television set.
536. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the percentage of the 310 MW of renewable energy that was achieved through the REFIT 3 scheme. [31735/16]
View answerThe total number of applications received by my Department for the REFIT 3 support scheme exceeded the capacity threshold of 310 Megawatts (MWs) of renewable energy.
To date, 55% (or 171 MWs) of the total applications received have been deemed compliant for support under the scheme and have received a Letter of Offer.
The remainder of the REFIT 3 applications are being processed according to the rules of the scheme and the Department will make final decisions on these applications in the coming weeks.
REFIT 3 applicants that are still awaiting final decisions from the relevant planning authorities and grid operators have until the 31 December 2016 to secure these decisions. The Department cannot make a final decision on each outstanding application until all supporting documentation has been submitted for consideration.
537. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on whether it will not be possible, under current energy policy, to reach the 2020 renewable electricity target without deploying a broader range of renewable technologies, including offshore wind and solar, in view of the fact that Ireland’s 2020 EU targets for renewable electricity are legally binding and that failure to reach these targets will result in fines that may well be higher than the cost of achieving the targets. [31864/16]
View answer538. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on whether offshore wind has an important role to play in reaching our renewable obligations for 2020 in view of the fact that the cost of offshore wind is set to fall dramatically. [31865/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 537 and 538 together.
The EU Renewable Energy Directive set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy demand from renewable sources by 2020. Ireland is committed to achieving this target through meeting 40% of electricity demand, 12% of heat and 10% of transport from renewable energy sources, with the latter target also being legally binding.
The Government has a range of policy measures and schemes to incentivise the use of renewable energy and although good progress towards the target has been made to date, meeting the 16% target remains challenging. The Renewable Energy Feed-in-Tariff schemes support the development of a range of renewable electricity technologies including hydro, biomass combustion, biomass combined heat and power, landfill gas and onshore wind. In 2015, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has estimated that 25.3% of electricity was generated by renewable sources, of which 22.8% was generated by onshore wind.
In addition to our onshore wind resource, bioenergy, solar, offshore wind and other technologies may play a critical role in diversifying our renewable generation portfolio over the period to 2030. The 2014 Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP) sets out Government policy in relation to the sustainable development of our indigenous offshore wind, wave and tidal energy resources.
My Department is currently developing a proposed new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS). In-depth economic analysis is underway to inform the actual cost of a new scheme and, while no decision has been taken on the precise renewable technologies to be supported, the cost and technical viability of solar photovoltaic (PV), bio-energy and offshore wind are being examined as part of the assessment process.
While I am aware that there have been some recent competitive bids for offshore wind in other EU member states which is to be welcomed, it would be important to understand whether this is a one-off phenomenon or indicative of an underlying trend. If it is the latter, and the price continues to fall, then the Deputy will appreciate it is vitally important that if a support tariff is to be offered for offshore wind it is struck at a level that is competitive and minimises the cost to consumers.
Once the detailed economic analysis is complete, there will be an additional public consultation phase on the design of the new scheme. The details of this will be advertised on the Department's website www.dccae.gov.ie. The introduction of any new scheme - including the overall costs and technologies to be supported - will be subject to Government approval and State aid clearance from the European Commission.
The clear focus of my Department is on implementing the range of actions set out in the White Paper on Energy Policy and Programme for Government that are aimed at meeting our energy and climate change targets.
539. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the environmental and health impact assessments which have been carried out on the use of human biosolids as fertiliser; the regulations in place on the storage and spreading of this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31891/16]
View answerThe spreading of sewage sludge, including human biosolids, is subject to a range of regulatory controls under waste management, water protection, planning and other applicable legislation.
Persons seeking to spread sewage sludge are required, inter alia, under waste management legislation to:
- ensure that sludge is not used except in accordance with a nutrient management plan in line with the Waste Management (Use of Sewage Sludge in Agriculture) Regulations 1998;
- satisfy themselves as to whether a Waste Licence, Permit or Certificate of Registration is also required for their proposed spreading activity and apply to the relevant authority where necessary;
- apply to the Local Authority in whose area the sludge is to be stored, as required under the Waste Management (Registration of Sewage Sludge Facility) Regulations 2010;
- supply the information required for the Sludge Register to the Local Authority, in a format and frequency required by the Local Authority; and
- ensure that vehicles transporting the waste hold a Waste Collection Permit as required under the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007.
There is also an onus on a person to investigate whether the activity of spreading or the storage of sewage sludge requires Planning Permission.
All land-spreading, including the spreading of sewage sludge, is required to be carried out in accordance with the European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2014. The Regulations are designed to provide additional protection to waters from agricultural sources and include measures such as:
- set periods when the land spreading of fertilisers are prohibited;
- limits on the land application of fertilisers;
- set distances from water bodies including boreholes, springs and wells for the abstraction of water used for human consumption;
- storage requirements; and
- record keeping.
In addition to the above, local authorities require that the spreading of sewage sludge is subject to compliance with relevant codes of practice such as the Code of Good Practice for the Use of Biosolids in Agriculture. This Code has been designed to ensure that the use of biosolids in agriculture will, inter alia, not pose a risk to human, animal or plant health; avoid water and air pollution; and minimise public inconvenience. In this regard, the Code includes guidelines on the minimum buffer zones to be observed when spreading biosolids in the vicinity of particular structures or features, such as sensitive buildings, dwellings, domestic wells, lakes or small watercourses.
In terms of research or studies carried out on the issue, the Environmental Protection Agency is best placed to answer such questions. Contact details are available at www.epa.ie
540. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the delegated responsibilities he has given to Ministers of State in his Department; when the order of delegated responsibility was signed; if he included his Ministers of State in direct discussions or meetings with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform as part of pre-budget discussions; if so, the dates of such meetings and the attendance at each meeting; if the Ministers of State were not included the reason this was the position in view of the designated responsibilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31911/16]
View answerThe Energy and Natural Resources (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2016 (SI No. 420 of 2016) was signed by the Taoiseach on 13 July 2016 and delegates certain functions in my Department to Minister of State Sean Kyne. A copy of the Order is available at http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2016/si/420/made/en/print.
The principal functions delegated to Minister of State Kyne are in energy and natural resources and comprise the areas of:
- Mineral and Petroleum Exploration;
- Inland Fisheries; and
- The Geological Survey of Ireland.
Other duties may be assigned by me on an administrative basis to the Minister of State from time to time.
While the delegation of Ministerial functions provide that I retain responsibility for the preparation and negotiation of the annual estimates and determination of overall financial allocations, Minister Kyne accompanied me at an estimates bilateral meeting with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on 22 September. This meeting was also attended by the Secretary General of my Department, the Assistant Secretary for Energy, the Finance Officer and my Special Advisor as well as officials from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Minister Kyne was also briefed on the estimates at various stages during the estimates process.
541. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the arrangements he plans to put in place to ensure householders do not have to pay by weight for adult incontinence pads; the arrangement in place to ensure that waste management companies comply with this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32013/16]
View answer542. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps he is taking to raise public awareness and understanding of customers of the new pay by weight system (details supplied); the proposed structure of the intended review; the person he proposes would carry out this review; the terms of reference in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32014/16]
View answer543. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will outline the full details of the terms of the agreement reached with the Irish Waste Management Association; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32015/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 541 to 543, inclusive, together.
The charges applied by waste management companies are a matter between those companies and their customers, subject to compliance with all applicable environmental and other relevant legislation, including contract and consumer legislation.
The waste management industry had committed to providing a full weight allowance for the disposal of non-infancy incontinence wear to patients supplied with such products by the HSE, if a mandatory pay-by-weight per kilogramme charging system was introduced for household waste collection on 1 July 2016.
As the waste industry began releasing its proposed prices under a mandatory pay-by-weight system in June 2016, the Government relayed its concern to the industry regarding the reported escalation of waste bills for customers of certain companies and it was not implemented. However, my Department engaged with representatives of the waste industry to agree a way forward that results in all customers paying no more for the same level of service than they were currently paying for waste collection over the 12 month period to 1 July 2017. The Irish Waste Management Association, Greyhound and CityBin were directly involved in the discussions which led to the agreement.
My Department, in consultation with the Regional Waste Management Planning Offices, had designed a public awareness campaign to coincide with the introduction of a mandatory pay-by-weight charging structure. However, with the removal of mandatory pay-by-weight charging, this campaign was withdrawn. As previously announced, a review of pay-by-weight is to take place prior to the end of the agreement in July 2017. Depending on the outcome of this review, a new publicity campaign will be rolled out as appropriate.
544. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when broadband will be available in Abbeyshrule, County Longford, and throughout the county. [32032/16]
View answerThe National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to deliver high speed services to every city, town, village and individual premises in Ireland. The Programme for Government commits to the delivery of the NBP as a matter of priority. This is being achieved through private investment by commercial telecommunications companies and through a State intervention in areas where commercial investment is not forthcoming. The formal procurement process for the State Intervention commenced in December 2015.
The High Speed Broadband Map, which is available on the Department's website, shows the extent of the State Intervention area:
- The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have previously indicated plans to deliver high speed broadband services.
- The areas marked AMBER on the High Speed Broadband Map represent the target areas for the State Intervention which are the subject of the current procurement process.
The map provides information on a county by county basis with a breakdown of coverage across the townlands in every county including Co Longford. Individuals can check whether their premises is in a BLUE or an AMBER area by scrolling through the map online or entering their Eircode. The Department also has a dedicated mailbox and anyone with a query in relation to the Map should email the Department, quoting their Eircode, to broadband@dcenr.gov.ie.
Over 11,000 premises in County Longford are within the AMBER area and will be covered by the State Intervention including the townland of Abbeyshrule, and will therefore be included in the procurement process.
The Department is now in a formal procurement process to select a company or companies who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network in the State Intervention Area comprising over 750,000 premises in Ireland, covering 100,000 km of road network and 96% of the land area of Ireland. Since bidders were invited to participate in dialogue with the Department, there have been approximately 150 hours of meetings, with considerable more interaction to follow over the coming months.
Earlier this year, before I came into office, the Department announced that it would be June 2017 before contract(s) were awarded under the NBP. The bidders in the process have recently indicated that they may need more time to conclude the procurement process. The timing of each stage of the procurement continues to be dependent on a range of factors including the complexities that may be encountered by the procurement team, and bidders, during the procurement process. Bidders need adequate time to prepare detailed proposals and their final formal bids and get the relevant shareholder and funding approvals at key stages of the process.
During the Department's extensive stakeholder consultations in 2015, telecommunications service providers indicated that it could take 3-5 years to roll-out a network of the scale envisaged under the NBP. It is however open to bidder(s) to suggest more aggressive timescales as part of their bids.
As part of the competitive process, the Department will engage with winning bidder(s) on the best roll-out strategy, in order to target areas of particularly poor service, business needs and/or high demand. This will need to be balanced with the most efficient network roll-out plan. A prioritisation programme will be put in place in this regard, in consultation with the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. A detailed roll-out plan for the network will be published once contract(s) are in place.
The Programme for Government also commits to measures to assist in the roll-out of the network once a contract is awarded. In this regard, Minister Humphreys is leading on the establishment of two regional action groups, working with Local Authorities, Local Enterprise Offices and other relevant agencies to help accelerate the broadband network build in rural Ireland, once a contract(s) has been awarded.
545. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when the research initiative into the cessation of eel fishing will be complete; when a hardship scheme will be introduced for the fishermen who lost their livelihood due to the decision to ban eel fishing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32033/16]
View answerIreland's Eel Management Plan (EMP) under EU Regulation 1100/2007, which included a closure of commercial fishing for an initial three year period, was approved by the European Commission in 2009. Ireland's EMP and its conservation measures were reviewed in 2012 and again in 2015 in accordance with the EU Regulation. Both reviews involved an examination of the latest scientific data and the conservation measures, the results of which the subject of public consultation processes.
Based on management advice from Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) and having considered all aspects of the 2015 review, the existing conservation measures remain in place up to mid-2018 at which time a further review is required. IFI have been provided funding for a new collaborative research initiative involving IFI scientists and a number of former eel fishermen to further develop national knowledge of the species and its medium to longer term potential for recovery. This scientific fishery was commenced this year and is expected to continue for three years to increase data and knowledge ahead of further review of eel management measures in 2018.
The latest advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) for 2016 (published October 2015) is that “the status of eel remains critical and that all anthropogenic mortality (e.g. recreational and commercial fishing, hydropower, pumping stations, and pollution) affecting production and escapement of silver eels should be reduced to – or kept as close to – zero as possible. There is no change in the status of the stock as being critically endangered".
While I recognise fully the difficulty facing eel fishermen, there is no property right attaching to public eel licences and currently there are no plans to introduce a hardship scheme as outlined by the Deputy, given that the closure of the fishery was applied for conservation reasons under the Fisheries Acts.
546. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when he expects to publish his Department's renewable electricity policy and development framework, which closed for submissions earlier in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32080/16]
View answerThe Energy White Paper sets out a vision to accelerate the development and diversification of renewable energy in Ireland. To ensure that Ireland meets its future needs for renewable electricity in a sustainable manner, compatible with the environmental and cultural heritage, landscape and amenity considerations, a draft Renewable Electricity Policy and Development Framework (REPDF) has been formulated. The REPDF is aimed at optimising the opportunities for producing electricity from renewable energy sources in projects of significant scale on land and is to be underpinned by a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and an Appropriate Assessment.
The REPDF is intended to provide guidance to citizens, industry, An Bord Pleanála, and other public authorities, and is for use in conjunction with the Wind Energy Development Guidelines, which are also being updated. This work, along with a review of the Guidelines, will set a clear framework for the development of renewable energy infrastructure into the future.
The public consultation on the draft Scoping Report for the SEA closed in April 2016 and the submissions in response to this process are published on my Department's website at www.dccae.gov.ie. A further consultation on the Environmental Report and the draft Framework is planned, with notice of the finalisation of the SEA and adoption of the Framework in 2017.
547. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on whether the current 2020 electric vehicle uptake targets are achievable in meeting climate change challenges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32110/16]
View answerIreland's third National Energy Efficiency Action Plan to 2020, published in 2014, estimated that approximately 50,000 electric vehicles (EVs) could form part of the transport fleet in 2020.
Apart from general macroeconomic considerations, technology advancement, affordability and consumer choice are the most important levers in triggering consumers to move from petrol and diesel to electric vehicles. Notwithstanding substantial exchequer support of €10,000 to each electric vehicle, the reality of a halving of the price of oil and the pace of technology improvement has very significantly impacted electric vehicle market penetration.
Nevertheless we have seen increasing numbers of EVs registered in Ireland particularly in the last two years. More vehicles were grant aided in 2015 under the Electric Vehicle Grant Scheme, which provides grants towards the purchase of new EVs, than in the previous four years of the scheme combined. The figure of 555 EVs supported in 2015 has already been surpassed this year with 572 vehicles grant aided to date in 2016.
548. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when tariff support for photovoltaic, PV, solar energy production here will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32111/16]
View answerThe Programme for Government contains a commitment to facilitate the development of solar energy projects in Ireland. This builds on the Energy White Paper published in December 2015 and recognises that solar also has the potential to provide a community dividend, thereby also enhancing citizen participation in Ireland's energy future. With this in mind, Solar Photovoltaics (PV) is one of the technologies being considered in the context of a new support scheme for renewable electricity generation which is under development.
The first Technology Review public consultation on a new renewable support scheme was published in 2015 and following the completion of detailed economic analysis on the viability and cost effectiveness of supporting a range of renewable technologies - including Solar (PV) - a second public consultation will be published in early 2017. Details of the next public consultation will be advertised on the Department's website www.dccae.gov.ie.
Before any new scheme is introduced, it will need to secure Government approval and State aid clearance from the European Commission. The new support scheme for renewable electricity is expected to become available in late 2017.
549. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the likely energy cost implications and the effect on the single electricity market, SEM, the integrated single electricity market, I-SEM, and the electricity market, as well as on the existing energy interconnection between the UK and Ireland, following the decision by UK voters to leave the EU in its recent referendum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32119/16]
View answerThe all-island Single Electricity Market has delivered an efficient, competitive, and secure market for customers since its establishment in 2007. The governance framework that applies to the all-island electricity market remains in place and is based on national legislation adopted by the Oireachtas and the British Parliament. The Regulator-led Integrated Single Electricity Market or I-SEM project is amending the technical trading rules of the market and is scheduled to be in place by the end of 2017. This project does not affect the existing legislative and governance structures of the SEM. I brought forward the necessary legislation in the Energy Act 2016 to facilitate the Regulators in amending the detailed operating rules of the wholesale electricity markets, to deliver efficiencies that will benefit consumers and also provide more flexible market arrangements, for generators, suppliers, demand and renewable electricity producers.
Existing energy trading and interconnection arrangements between Ireland and the UK, ensuring the continuity of mutually dependent energy arrangements and maintaining the long standing history of beneficial cooperation in this sphere, are key priorities for both Ireland and the UK.
Prime Minister May's recent letter to the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland recognises that resolving energy issues arising for Northern Ireland from the UK's exit from the EU, including any issues for the Single Electricity Market, is a priority for the UK Government.
The relevant Departments, Regulators, and stakeholders in Ireland and Northern Ireland continue to work in the all-island context of the Single Electricity Market and are preparing for the consequences of the UK referendum as they arise, to ensure timely assessment and that the best possible outcomes will be achieved.
550. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the safety requirements in place for the many different road trailers on roads to ensure their roadworthiness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31472/16]
View answerTrailers are classified according to their Design Gross Vehicle Weight (DGVW) which includes the weight of the trailer and the maximum manufacturer specified load it can carry. Under current road traffic regulations it is the responsibility of vehicle owners to ensure that both the towing vehicle and trailer are mechanically sound, fit for purpose, and compliant with road traffic legislation.
The categories of vehicles subject to roadworthiness testing and the frequency of such tests are governed by EC Directive 2009/40/EC on the roadworthiness testing of motor vehicles and their trailers. Under this Directive, category O1 and O2 trailers (with a DGVW of between 750kg to 3,500kg) are exempt from annual roadworthiness testing. However, since October 2012, O1 and O2 trailers must be type approved before they are sold thus ensuring that they are manufactured to a recognised and approved safety standard.
Heavy category O3 and O4 trailers (DGVW from 3,500kg to in excess of 10,000kg) are subject to Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness Testing (CVRT). The CVRT is only one component of the preventative measures required to ensure safer vehicles on our roads. To ensure that vehicles are kept in a safe and roadworthy condition throughout their lifetime it is essential that they are regularly maintained and serviced in line with manufacturers guidelines. Commercial vehicle operators are statutorily obliged to have appropriate maintenance and repair systems in place, conduct daily walk around checks of their vehicles and to make an annual declaration on their maintenance to the Road Safety Authority.
551. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extent to which financial shortfalls have occurred in providing the north Kildare greenway project; if he has received requests for additional funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31479/16]
View answerOn the 1st July, 2016 I announced the award of c.€2.5m to Kildare County Council and Meath County Council to construct sections of the Galway to Dublin Greenway within Kildare and Meath.
Kildare County Council has been awarded c.€740,000 and I understand that work has commenced on the project and the section of the Galway to Dublin Greenway in Kilcock is expected to be finished by year end.
This funding demonstrates a commitment to proceeding with construction of the Galway to Dublin Greenway and I look forward to seeing the completion of the Maynooth to Athlone section by the end of 2017. This will provide a wonderful facility for all to use and allied with the investment in extending the Royal Canal Greenway to Ballymahon in County Longford will attract a significant number of users.
552. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if funding will be provided in 2017 to enable Transport Infrastructure Ireland to progress a proposed road project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31480/16]
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 is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) 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 do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
The referred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
