Written Answers Nos. 721 - 733
721. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding that was allocated by his Department to Kildare in 2015 and 2016 for tourism and hospitality training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4323/17]
View answer724. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the funding allocated to Cork North Central by his Department for tourism and hospitality skills during 2015 and 2016. [4405/17]
View answer730. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the total funding allocated by his Department to County Donegal-based training facilities for the provision of tourism and-or hospitality related training courses and programmes for 2015 and 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4476/17]
View answer731. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the total funding allocated by his Department to all institutions and training facilities for the provision of tourism and-or hospitality related training courses and programmes for 2015 and 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4477/17]
View answer737. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding allocated to the Mayo constituency for tourism and hospitality skills training in 2015 and 2016 by his Department. [4652/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 721, 724, 730, 731 and 737 together.
The Department of Education and Skills has overall lead responsibility for skills development policy generally across all sectors, including hospitality and tourism, and oversees the bulk of training provided nationally, channelling funding through its agency SOLAS for further education and through the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for higher education.
A limited number of complementary tourism-related business development and training supports are provided by Fáilte Ireland, in line with its responsibility for encouraging, promoting and supporting tourism as a leading indigenous component of the Irish economy.
As this is an operational matter for the Board and management of Fáilte Ireland, I have referred the Deputies' questions on to Fáilte Ireland for direct reply with the specific funding information sought. Please contact my private office if a response is not received within ten working days.
The referred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
722. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress being made by the inquiry into practices in the Olympic Council of Ireland; if he has received an interim report or updated memorandum; if so, his plans to publish same; when he expects the investigation to be complete; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4355/17]
View answerAt the request of Judge Carroll Moran, an extension to end March 2017 has been granted for the completion of this Inquiry. No interim report has been received and none is expected in advance of the expected presentation of the final report at end March 2017. Subject to consideration of any legal issues arising, it is envisaged that the report will be published shortly thereafter.
723. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide a summary of the plan that was presented to his Department in early 2016 from Bus Éireann regarding the commercial business, in addition to the advice received from NewERA relating to financial difficulties at the company; and if he will publish the report. [4367/17]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, Bus Éireann is developing plans to address its financial position. The company is currently loss-making and these losses are not sustainable. The Company's difficulties stem from its commercial Expressway services which are not subsidised by the taxpayer and operate in competition with other non-subsidised operators.
During the course of 2016 Bus Éireann management worked on developing a business plan to address the loss making situation in its commercial Expressway business. Several drafts of Bus Éireann's proposals were presented to my Department and NewERA – my Department's financial advisors – and were discussed. These discussions highlighted some shortcomings that existed in the draft proposals.
In September 2016 the Board of Bus Éireann commissioned its own independent consultants, Grant Thornton, to review the company's proposals and to advise the Board. The consultants' confidential report to the Board - which was widely commented upon in the media - essentially came up with a similar analysis as that which had been given over the preceeding months by the Department and NewERA. Arising from the Board's consideration of the Grant Thornton advice, the company has now embarked upon developing a new plan to address the company's loss making situation and restore it to a sustainable future, and it aims to have this plan in a few weeks' time. Meanwhile it is taking various measures to address its costs. One of several elements of the plan will be proposals to address the Company's pay bill, and to this end the Company has put forward proposals on which it is seeking to negotiate with staff.
725. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the changes which can be expected from the road traffic (Prüm decisions) Bill; and if a date has been agreed as to when the Bill will be brought before Dáil Éireann. [4417/17]
View answerEU Council Decisions 2008/615/JHA and 2008/616/JHA, commonly referred to as the 'Prüm Decisions', relate to measures on the stepping up of cross-border cooperation, particularly in combatting terrorism and cross-border crime.
The Decisions include conditions and procedures for the automated exchange of DNA, fingerprint and vehicle registration data, with the latter falling within the remit of my Department and the National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF).
There are two dimensions in relation to the exchange of vehicle registration data under the Decisions, namely requests from other EU Member States for details on Irish registered vehicles and requests from Irish law enforcement authorities (An Garda Síochána and the Revenue Commissioners) for details on vehicles registered in other Member States.
While it is considered that the NVDF is best suited to fulfil the designated national contact point role for incoming requests for vehicle registration data, that role must be underpinned in primary legislation.
The General Scheme of a Road Traffic ('Prüm Decisions') Bill, which is currently being prepared by my officials, will provide such legal vires in addition to setting out the mechanisms for the exchange of vehicle registration data. I intend bringing a Memorandum to Government in that regard as soon as possible.
726. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a Bus Éireann Expressway service (details supplied) is being withdrawn; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4448/17]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, Bus Éireann is developing plans to address its financial position. The Company is currently loss-making and these losses are not sustainable.
In developing its plans, the Company is seeking to ensure a sustainable future for it in the years ahead; however, those plans remain under development and the company are seeking to engage with its employees on its proposals to secure the company's future. I am firmly of the belief that difficult issues such as this can only be resolved through open, constructive and realistic engagement between the company and its employees and I encourage both sides to engage constructively on the matter.
Separately I also recently met with the National Transport Authority who outlined to me their powers and responsibilities in relation to the provision of public transport services. I was assured by the NTA that it will work with local communities to maintain an appropriate level of public transport connectivity in the event of any reconfiguration of existing services. The NTA will ensure rural communities will stay connected even if there are any changes to Bus Eireann expressway services.
727. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the criteria that were used by his Department in deciding the allocations for the severe weather regional and local road funding in 2016; if these allocations were based on a needs assessment of impact of the flooding on roads in each local authority; if not, the reason this was the case; and if this funding could only be spent on repairing extraordinary damage caused by the severe weather. [4463/17]
View answer728. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason only €93.8 million was allocated to local authorities in 2016 to repair damage caused by severe weather, rather than the €106 million that was initially announced by the Minister on 19 February 2016. [4464/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 727 and 728 together.
Following receipt of initial estimates from local authorities of the cost of storm damage repairs, it was decided in January 2016 to allocate €106m to assist in the repair of storm and flood damage to transport infrastructure. The figure of €106 million comprised €8 million for repairs to the rail network, €8 million for national roads and the balance for regional and local roads. The regional and local allocation included funding set aside from my Department's Vote as well as additional funding made available by Government.
Following this decision, my Department sought detailed submissions from local authorities before allocating severe weather funding for regional and local roads. The funding was allocated in 2 tranches in February 2016 (to facilitate getting programmes underway as quickly as possible) and May (some funding was held back to allow time for further investigations e.g. on bridges). In total the Department received funding applications considerably in excess of the available funding. Following the review of local authority submissions by the Department, over €93 million was allocated to the local authorities affected by the severe weather and the final draw down is in line with that. Local authorities were given flexibility to prioritise projects when drawing up their programme of works.
Local authorities were informed that the Department of Public Expenditure, in approving the additional funding for repair works, had stipulated that the monies involved had to be drawn down in 2016 and that for that reason works listed in returns for implementation in 2017 could not be considered for funding.
729. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if funding will be provided to complete a road improvement at a junction (details supplied). [4466/17]
View answerThe improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads in its area is a statutory function of a local authority in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act, 1993. Works on such roads are a matter for the relevant local authority 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 each local authority.
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. 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.
733. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the details of exact funding approved for the Coonagh to Knockalisheen road in Limerick as part of his announcement on 24 January 2017. [4496/17]
View answerDetails of the 2017 regional and local road grant allocations to each local authority are available in the allocations booklet lodged in the Dáil Library.
