Written Answers Nos. 696-707
696. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if it is compulsory for all boat users to complete a course and test in order to be provided with a licence to take to the water; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3801/17]
View answerI take it that the Deputy is referring primarily to the owners and users of pleasure craft. There are no current requirements for such owners and users to complete a course of instruction or hold a licence to operate such craft. However, it is recommended that a person taking to the water should undertake appropriate training for the type of craft being used. As outlined in the Maritime Safety Strategy 2015 -2019, regulation of recreational craft in Ireland is focused on the safe operation of craft, the provision of certain items of safety equipment, the carriage and use of personal flotation devices (lifejackets/buoyancy aids), and the manufacture and sale of safe recreational craft under the EU Recreational Craft and Personal Watercraft Directive. My Department promotes maritime safety awareness on an ongoing basis through Marine Notices, advice, guidance, safety publications and leaflets. A Code of Practice for the Safe Operation of Recreational Craft has been published by my Department and provides information on the legislation governing recreational craft as well as offering practical safety advice. Those engaged in leisure pursuits on the water are encouraged to be aware of and familiar with the contents of the Code of Practice and to comply with the safety requirements. The Code of Practice, which is currently under review, is available free of charge from my Department and is also available to view or download from the Department's website www.dttas.ie or www.safetyonthewater.ie. As regards the licensed, commercial passenger boat sector (i.e. vessels that carry no more than twelve passengers), there are certain specific requirements. In particular, a vessel may not be used as a passenger boat without a valid licence, and manning requirements are provided for in the Merchant Shipping (Passenger Boat Manning) Regulations 2005 (S.I. Number 649 of 2005) and as set out in Marine Notice Number 27 of 2005, which requires certification of the masters of such boats (and their crew in certain instances).
697. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if it is compulsory for all pleasure craft users to wear life jackets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3802/17]
View answer702. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the need for all pleasure craft users regardless of age to wear a lifejacket; and his plans to improve safety in use of pleasure crafts. [4058/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 697 and 702 together.
The requirements in relation to the wearing of Personal Flotation Devices (lifejackets/buoyancy aids) on pleasure craft are set out in the Pleasure Craft Regulations of 2005 (S.I. No. 921 of 2005), as amended by S.I. No. 349 of 2012.
The master or owner of a pleasure craft must ensure that there are sufficient suitable Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) available at all times on board the craft for each person on board. The regulations also set out provisions relating to the wearing of PFDs.
There are certain exceptions for where the craft is being used for rescue, emergency or law enforcement, and for rowers in boats which are designed and specifically used in boat races or other events. Failure to comply with the PFD requirements is an offence.
While not a requirement of the regulations, my Department recommends that (i) anyone using a pleasure craft alone should wear a PFD at all times regardless of weather conditions, the size of the craft or whether it is made fast to the shore or at anchor, and (ii) persons should wear lifejackets at all times while on open decked vessels over 7 metres length that are not fitted with inherent buoyancy.
There are no plans to revise the PFD regulations in relation to pleasure craft. The provisions relating to wearing PFD on pleasure craft of less than 7 metres length include all the high risk classes of craft such as dinghies, jet skis, open sail boats, small motor boats, etc. Pleasure craft of 7 metres length and greater generally offer improved safety and stability features. The requirement to wear a PFD by a person under 16, regardless of the length of the craft, contributes to the education of those using pleasure craft from an early age.
698. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the proposals his Department is working on in conjunction with the NTA to deliver on action points 250 to 254 of the action plan for rural development to work with rural communities to assess and implement improvements to existing rural transport routes and develop new rural transport routes as necessary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4108/17]
View answer701. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the proposals his Department is working on in conjunction with the NTA to deliver on action points 250 to 254 of the action plan for rural development to work with rural communities to assess and implement improvements to existing rural transport routes and develop new rural transport routes as necessary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4250/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 698 and 701 together.
My Department provides funding for the Rural Transport Programme (RTP) to the National Transport Authority (NTA) which has national responsibility for integrated local and rural transport, including management of the RTP.
Budget 2017 provided for a €2 million increase in funding to this Programme this year, which is part of an overall increase of €31 million for public transport services in the Budget. The increase in RTP funding brings the total allocated to the Programme in 2017 to some €14 million. This increased level of funding for the RTP will enable a continuation of the process already underway of making improvements to existing services and developing new routes.
Responsibility for the implementation of action no. 250 of the Action Plan for Rural Development is matter for the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional and Gaeltacht Affairs, in conjunction with local authorities. The review of public transport policy, including the rural transport dimension to ensure it meets the needs of rural communities, under action no. 251 of the Action Plan will be initiated shortly by my Department and will be conducted in consultation with the NTA and other key stakeholders.
Action nos. 252 to 254 of the Action Plan fall to the NTA to implement, given its responsibility to manage the RTP and I have referred this aspect of your question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.
The referred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
699. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the work his Department has carried out to date regarding the investment of €10 million in regional airports, in particular Waterford Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4110/17]
View answer700. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the work his Department has carried out to date regarding the investment of €10 million in regional airports, in particular Waterford airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4248/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 699 and 700 together.
The Programme for Government commitment is to provide an additional €10 million over the lifetime of the Capital Plan to support the four regional airports which of course includes Waterford Airport, along with the airports in Donegal, Ireland West Airport Knock and Kerry. These airports are already being supported by my Department under the Regional Airports Programme for safety and security related investments and operations. Last year, Waterford Airport received over €1 million in support from this Programme.
The commitment in respect of the extra €10 million, together with other Programme for Government commitments of a capital nature, will be considered as part of the mid-term review of the Capital Plan which has just been commenced by my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
703. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress of the Luas extension; the improvements to transport in the Dublin 15 and Dublin 7 areas to connect with the Broombridge terminus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3777/17]
View answerThe National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the development of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) and securing the provision of public transport passenger services. The NTA's Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2016-2035 provides a framework for the planning and delivery of transport infrastructure and services in the GDA over the next two decades.
The Luas Cross City project is on time and within budget with operations scheduled to commence in quarter 4 of this year. I understand from the NTA that all of the on-street Luas track work is now complete and the majority of works in 2017 will involve footpath, tram stops, overhead cabling system and electrical works.
Once completed, the Luas Cross City project will help to create an integrated public transport system in Dublin by extending the existing Green Line at St. Stephen's Green to Broombridge and providing an interchange between the existing Red and Green Lines in the City Centre. It will also serve the new Dublin Institute of Technology campus at Grangegorman and is expected to create up to 10 million additional Luas journeys per annum.
In light of the NTA's responsibility for this matter, I have referred your query to the NTA for a more detailed response. Please advise my private office if you have not received a reply within 10 working days.
The referred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
704. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps he, his Department and the NTA need to take with a specific relevant timeline to facilitate the opening of Kishogue railway station, Lucan, County Dublin in view of the fact that the Phoenix Park tunnel has been open since November 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3816/17]
View answerThe National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the development and implementation of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA). The opening of the Phoenix Park Tunnel Link in November 2016 has allowed train services on the Kildare line to directly access stations in the city centre including Connolly, Tara, Pearse and Grand Canal Dock Stations. In the initial period, peak hour services are being operated through the tunnel link. The NTA has informed me that it is hoped to extend that arrangement to include off-peak and weekend services in a second phase later this year. I understand that the NTA intends to await the introduction and bedding down of the additional off-peak and weekend services through the Phoenix Park Tunnel before undertaking a review of the likely usage of Kishogue Station in advance of the development of surrounding lands. The NTA has advised that it is likely to be end 2017 or early 2018 before this review is undertaken.
705. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is satisfied with the National Transport Authority's implementation of its published transport strategy for the GDA in view of the continued increasing traffic congestion in Dublin; if he is further satisfied that the strategy is suitable and appropriate to meet the needs of an expanding city and county; his views on whether the strategy needs to be reviewed or priority given to implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3817/17]
View answerThe National Transport Authority's (NTA) Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2016-2035 provides a framework for the planning and delivery of transport infrastructure and services in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) over the next two decades. The need to address urban congestion was a key element in the development of the strategy. The NTA is currently in the process of preparing an Implementation Plan for the delivery of the strategy for the period 2017-2022. Key to implementation over this period is the capital funding that will be available for investment in public transport infrastructure over the period. The Public Transport Investment Programme has a capital budget of €345 million in 2017. This includes funding for ongoing maintenance of the heavy rail network but also includes funding for capacity enhancements to our public transport system including completion of the Luas Cross City Project which will provide an additional 10m passenger journeys annually, renewal and replacement of the PSO bus fleet and other improvements to the bus and rail networks to improve efficiency and capacity. Over the period of the Capital Plan, the level of annual funding for public transport investment will increase to more than €800m by 2022. This will facilitate a significant upgrade to the public transport system in the GDA so that it has the capacity to meet growing demand which would otherwise be detrimental to competitiveness, economic growth and quality of life. Construction of a metro link between the city centre, Dublin Airport and Swords will commence around 2021 so as to be operational around 2026/27. The upgrade will also include further progress in the DART expansion programme including, in particular, the extension of the Dart to Balbriggan.
As the Deputy is aware, the Government is embarking on a Mid-Term Review of the Capital Plan, which will take stock of progress and provide the Government with an opportunity to consider the scope for increased levels of investment, including in the transport sector, taking economic growth and fiscal progress into account and I will be making the case for increased capital funding for public transport in that context.
706. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the specific actions he and his Department will take in conjunction with the NTA in 2017 to address the increasing congestion in Dublin and on the M50; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3818/17]
View answerI recognise that there is considerable evidence emerging of increased travel demand across the Dublin region, with growing traffic levels on many of the region's roads and streets. The increase in the number in employment has impacted on transport through the beginning of a recovery in public transport numbers, but also through increased car use and re-emergence of peak period congestion. Insofar as congestion issues in Dublin are concerned, the National Transport Authority (NTA) has overall responsibility for the implementation of their published Transport Strategy for the GDA. My Department is working closely with the NTA with a view to intensifying efforts to combat congestion in the short to medium term through greater use of bus priority, demand management and other alleviating measures. I expect this work will help to strengthen the case for increased public transport investment, as part of the Mid-Term Review of the Government's Capital Plan in 2017. With regard to the M50, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), along with other stakeholders are continuing to implement a number of measures on the M50 to manage demand and optimise operational efficiency, including changes to merge and diverge layouts at junctions; the introduction of permanently signed emergency diversion routes; increased incident access points and increased provision of incident response units together with enhanced interagency co-ordination to improve incident management. TII have also established a project team to manage the design and procurement of a system of Mandatory Variable Speed Limits for the M50 and will progress this project in 2017.
707. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the new action he, his Department and the Road Safety Authority have specifically taken in the past six months to address the issue of road safety and the increase in fatalities on our roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3819/17]
View answerThe Road Traffic Act 2016 of December 2016 includes provisions regarding drug driving, provisions to give effect to an agreement with the UK on mutual recognition of driver disqualifications, and creates a new option for local authorities to impose a special speed limit of 20km/h in built-up areas. In the last six months, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) held a number of road safety campaigns and organised specific events, in conjunction with An Garda Siochana, aimed at increasing public awareness of road safety including at bank holidays and over the Christmas and New Year period. The mid-term review of the Road Safety Strategy commenced in November 2016, with a seminar at which road safety stakeholders, including my Department, the RSA, the Department of Justice and Equality, an Garda Siochana, the Health Service Executive, and others, examined the Road Safety Strategy in detail. I expect the RSA to submit a report on this review to my office shortly. I have increased the frequency of meetings of the Road Safety Ministerial Committee with meetings on 21 November 2016, 12 January 2017 and a meeting scheduled for late March 2017.
I very much welcome the assurance provided by An Garda Siochana at the January meeting, that there will be an increase of 10% in the traffic corps with greater enforcement of traffic law during 2017.
