Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions
6. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the action taken by him to address the fact that Iarnród Éireann’s new timetable has reduced the service to commuters in Portmarnock. [37718/18]
View answer53. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the considerable issues that are presented by the recent review of Irish Rail timetables; the steps he will take to address these issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37872/18]
View answerI am shocked that we are only concluding priority questions now, at 11.20 a.m. I assure the Minister that I will be sticking to the allotted time and I hope he does too.
Like other Deputies in my constituency, I had to spend the summer, especially the last two weeks, dealing with very irate Portmarnock train users who were the victims of a so-called improvement in Iarnród Éireann DART services to the north side of Dublin and beyond. It came at the expense of Portmarnock residents. I wonder if the Minister is aware of it. Has he done anything about it?
I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 53 together.
As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding relating to public transport. I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. The operation of Iarnród Éireann services, including the new DART timetables, is a matter for the company with oversight by the National Transport Authority, NTA.
The DART and commuter sail services carried almost 33 million passenger journeys in the Dublin region in 2017, an increase of 6% compared with 2016. The DART had a growth rate of 29% in the period from 2013 to 2017.
That refers to the people using the service.
As I mentioned in my response to Deputy Troy, the DART expansion programme is a key feature of Dublin's future transport infrastructure that is proposed in the NTA's transport strategy for the greater Dublin area for 2016 to 2035. The DART expansion programme is a series of projects that will create a full metropolitan area DART network for Dublin with all the lines linked and connected. The estimated cost of the DART expansion programme is €2 billion. The NTA and Iarnród Éireann are in the process of defining an overall integrated schedule for the DART expansion programme with numerous projects to be completed by 2027.
As I mentioned, as part of the DART expansion programme and the move to a ten-minute frequency for DART services, Iarnród Éireann introduced a new timetable on Sunday, 9 September to provide for enhanced DART frequency. The new DART timetable involves increasing services between Bray and Howth Junction and Donaghmede from a 15 minute frequency to a ten-minute frequency, with the Howth Junction and Donaghmede to Howth and Malahide segments of the network improving from a 30 minute DART service to a 20 minute service. The DART service from Greystones to Bray remains at a 30 minute frequency.
Frequently, the introduction of new timetables gives rise to some teething issues that need to be addressed to improve the service for customers. As I indicated in my response to the Deputy's earlier priority question, the main issue that has arisen with this timetable change relates to capacity on the north side of Dublin. I am assured that Iarnród Éireann is working with the NTA to iron out those problems, and I am aware that as a direct response to customer feedback, Iarnród Éireann has introduced additional services which will particularly benefit those commuters in Portmarnock.
In summary, with the two additional services now added by Iarnród Éireann, Portmarnock now has the same number of peak morning services as it had before the timetable change and Clongriffin has one extra. Iarnród Éireann has stated that it believes that these changes will address the frequency concerns from customers from Portmarnock and Clongriffin and the capacity issues that have arisen, especially at DART stations such as Harmonstown and Killester.
As the Minister says, Portmarnock now has the same numbers. I put it to him that this is as a result of the outcry from commuters, which had to be articulated by public representatives, and the week or ten days of nightmare they had to endure. He might also note the fact that the evening service has not been restored and is not up to par. No one expects the Minister to micromanage Iarnród Éireann and he was not asked to do that. Presumably, however, as he is responsible for Iarnród Éireann, the Minister has a role to play in commenting on situations where the health and safety of passengers is endangered. Presumably he has a view on a situation where public representatives must contact Iarnród Éireann seeking information on why Portmarnock was selected for a reduced service supposedly to enhance the service in other areas. When we ask how that decision was reached and what passenger data were used to say that Portmarnock, an area with 1,000 new houses coming on stream, should be the service that would be hit, presumably the Minister has a view and a role to play . He could step in and do something to correct those bad practices.
I am glad that the Deputy acknowledges that I am not expected to micromanage every railway route in the country, which is something I cannot do. I think it is the first such acknowledgement I have had in this House from anybody. What I can do, and I obviously do, is monitor new projects of this sort very closely when they are introduced to see if they are successful, and to see if passengers are being discommoded generally or in specific places.
In the cases raised by Deputy Troy and by Deputy Clare Daly, I have been struck by the fact that the NTA has reacted very positively and very quickly to the inevitable difficulties. We have seen difficulties in north Dublin with the DART expansion scheme, which is inevitable when a large scheme of this sort happens. We have seen similar difficulties with the Luas in south Dublin. These instances have been marked by the fact that where there were difficulties, the trains were switched back and restored. In fact, the overcrowding which Deputy Clare Daly has addressed has in fact been sorted. That is what a good train or bus operator should do. It should be prepared to make radical changes, and when it has miscalculated - it is not an exact science - it should adjust accordingly. I suggest that is what it has done in Portmarnock.
I would suggest that it did not. I can tell the Minister that it was not very fast for the people who were on the front line dealing with this issue solidly for the past week or indeed for the passengers who had to endure it. I have never said that the Minister should micromanage the service, but presumably as the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport he has a role when the national rail operator puts forward an improvement in the service, bringing more DARTs but fewer carriages and more frequency but less space for people. He agrees that there is a problem, as he said in his introduction. There is a problem with capacity, not on the south side of Dublin but on the north side. What is he doing to address that problem more expediently?
This is the area where we expect growth. Taking Portmarnock as an example, 1,000 new houses are due in the next year alone. Many more thousands are planned in the immediate future. These are the people the Taoiseach loves, the people who get up in the morning to stand in Portmarnock DART station as the trains go by them, or to be mashed in, with pregnant women and children standing the whole way into town. It is unacceptable and the Minister should be doing a hell of a lot more on it.
I will take the opportunity to seek clarification from the Minister. He has responsibility for the funding given to Irish Rail to purchase new rolling stock. If I can be very clear, as the Minister said I was not so in my original questions, have the reconditioned carriages been ordered? If so, when were they ordered and when does the Minister expect delivery of same? That is, in what quarter of 2019? How many reconditioned carriages will be delivered for use by Irish Rail? If they have not been ordered, when will they be ordered? The Minister alluded to 300 new carriages in 2020. When were they ordered or have they been ordered? If not, when are they due to be ordered and when will they be delivered and in use? I ask the Minister for a specific year and quarter.
I told the Deputy the answer to his question, but maybe he was not happy with the answers. The procurement process for additional DART fleet is expected to commence this year, with the contract for approximately 300 new rail carriages expected to be awarded in the second half of 2019. Some 28 refurbished carriages are to re-enter service in 2019, and this will add capacity to a number of services.
When will the new ones be introduced?
Iarnród Eireann and the NTA are assessing the availability of additional fleet that could be introduced to passenger services on the rail network across Ireland in the short term.
That is a considerable commitment to provide new carriages in the coming years, which I hope will satisfy the Deputy.
Deputy Clare Daly mentioned the number of new houses being built in Portmarnock. She is correct in saying there are 1,000 new houses. That is absolutely to be welcomed. I am glad that the Deputy is acknowledging that there are houses being built in the area. There is, of course, a race to meet them with the necessary infrastructure and that is what is being done. A critical problem is trying to keep the infrastructure going at the same pace as houses are being built. That is what is being achieved by the projects being introduced, not only involving the DART but also the Luas and bus services. To suggest we are not meeting the requirements and do not have the energy or ambition to meet the requirements in the provision of the housing that is also being supplied is disingenuous.
7. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to ensure the proposed revision of bus services affecting the main towns in north County Kildare will be carried out in such a way so as to ensure existing services are not interfered with, that the convenience for commuters and passengers remains paramount and that particular attention will given to meeting the needs of persons with mobility issues who find it difficult to avail of some of the revised services and schedules, as proposed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37851/18]
View answerThis question relates to the ongoing BusConnects review of services which is intended to improve and expand the efficiency and availability of services. In some cases, however, it has a negative effect on existing services; hence the reason I am asking the question.
Last month the National Transport Authority, NTA, published the Dublin area bus network redesign public consultation report. The report notes that the existing bus network in Dublin and the main towns in north County Kildare is very complex and that it has been designed primarily around overlapping and long radial routes from the city's suburbs taking people into the city centre but with very few orbital routes. Also, recent and proposed improvements to the rail and tram networks require changes to bus services in order to gain the full potential from the improvements. As the Deputy is aware, the city and the greater Dublin area, including its main towns such as Maynooth and Celbridge, are growing and changing, as are the bus journeys people are taking. The report identifies four key strategies to address the issues with the current network: standardise service categories; simplify radial services; build frequent orbitals; and grow suburban feeder networks.
BusConnects Dublin aims to overhaul the current bus system in the wider Dublin region by building a network of new bus corridors on the busiest bus routes to make passenger bus journeys faster, predictable and reliable; completely redesigning the network of bus routes to provide passengers with a more efficient network, connecting more places and carrying more people; developing a state-of-the-art ticketing system using credit and debit cards or mobile phones to link with payment accounts and making payment much more convenient for the travelling public; implementing a cashless payment system to vastly speed up passenger boarding times; revamping the fare system to provide a simpler fare structure; allowing seamless movement of passengers between different public transport services without financial penalty; implementing a new bus livery providing a modern look and feel to the new bus system; rolling out new bus stops with better signage and passenger information and increasing the provision of additional bus shelters; and transitioning - starting now - to a new bus fleet using low-emission vehicle technologies
Against this context, the NTA is progressing the roll-out of BusConnects, commencing in Dublin. BusConnects Dublin provides the foundation for this overall transport system, with the revised bus system projected to carry the majority of passengers across the region and provide key linkages to serve the needs of Dublin into the future.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
While there will be concerns about any change, these strategies will deliver many benefits for the customer: much simpler city services; a much simpler fare structure and provide more frequent all-day services through new and frequent orbital services, interchanging with local services and high frequency radial spines. Under the proposals, an overall increase in services of 27% is expected, which, as far as customers are concerned, can only be good. The NTA estimates that, of people who currently have a direct service to the city centre, 92% will continue to have such a service under the new bus network proposals.
As the Deputy is aware, the NTA, supported by Dublin Bus, has embarked on a process of full public consultation on these bus proposals involving local brochures, local face to face events organised at various locations around the city and the surrounding region, digital imaging of the network, online surveys and consultation with user groups. They are both listening to people who have suggestions to make on how these plans can be made even better. The public consultation process will run until 28 September and presents a great opportunity for people to have their say before the plans are finalised by the NTA. The NTA expects to publish the findings of the public consultation phase before year end.
The NTA understands the issue of interchange is more difficult for elderly people and people with disabilities. Accordingly, it intends to make changes between services as seamless as possible. It is planning that each key interchange location will have a bus shelter, seating, lighting and passenger information. Where bus routes intersect at a junction, the bus stops will be moved as close as possible to the junction to minimise any walking required during the bus interchange and pedestrian crossings will be added, where necessary.
It is envisaged that BusConnects will deliver a bus system that will enable more people to travel by bus than ever before and allow bus commuting to become a viable and attractive choice for employees, students, shoppers and visitors travelling between the city and surrounding regions.
I thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. The presumption is that the target is to improve the quality, frequency and efficiency of services in moving people from A to B as quickly and effectively as possible. Unfortunately, it also involves interference with some of the existing services in a way that might be difficult for people with mobility issues and who have already become accustomed to certain services. Will the Minister make a particular effort to ensure people who are generally in the middle of the towns or close-by will continue to have available to them the services to which they have become accustomed? I ask this for the very obvious reason that if one takes something away from people who have become accustomed to it during the years, it creates a problem.
I can understand the Deputy is concerned. There are always significant concerns when something as major as this happens, particularly among those who have travelled on the same bus route at the same time for many years, particularly senior citizens, who find the changes difficult to cope with. However, the changes are necessary and people will come to accept them because they will get them from one place to another much more quickly.
On mobility concerns which the Deputy addressed specifically, at the interchange points being introduced as part of the BusConnects project special efforts will be made to ensure changes are close to each other in order that people with mobility concerns will not have to move very far, particularly at junctions. There will also be special information available to accommodate them, in addition to special shelters. The Deputy will be aware that I have appointed to all of the transport companies directors with experience of dealing with people with disabilities or who have been disability service advocates. I believe they will look after mobility concerns particularly well in this project.
I thank the Minister for his reply. The only thing that worries me is that I saw a reply to a letter I sent to the Department recently, in which it was indicated that one bus stop was close to another. I assure the Minister that, for people with mobility issues, it was not. The reality is that the stops were at least 300 m or 400 m apart. To an able-bodied person, that is nothing, but to a person with a mobility issue, it is a long distance. Insofar as it is possible to do so, the Minister should do his best to ensure services to which people have become accustomed will be retained. Incidentally, there was no bus service between Maynooth and Celbridge when I first became involved in this business. There was also no bus service to Captain's Hill in Leixlip. I would certainly like to see the services continue uninterrupted and to see them enhanced, rather than interfered with, to deal with the wider issues that need to be dealt with. It is a matter of doing the two together, if possible.
I sympathise with the Deputy in what he is saying. Some of the changes, as portrayed, will not be suitable. Every Deputy should take seriously the point that there has been widespread consultation. A large number of meetings have been held throughout the Dublin region to accommodate people who have difficulties. Some of the concerns being expressed are totally justified and some will be considered by the NTA sympathetically, particularly where communities are being cut off or inconvenienced unacceptably. From my conversations with the NTA when it made the presentations and the feedback I am getting at the consultations, there is real dialogue on BusConnects, with the result that where there are real difficulties and a large number of people encountering problems, there will be some adjustments made.
8. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress and timescale of the legislation for the establishment of the competent authority under EU Regulation No. 598/14. [37715/18]
View answerI am wondering where is the legislation to establish the competent authority under EU Regulation No. 598/14. I pose the question particularly in the context that Fingal County Council is advertising a Dublin Airport noise action plan and operating as the competent authority, which, as we know, is the preference of the Government. However, the authority has not been given that power in law. I wonder what the Minister will do if we decide not to give it to it.
I note and welcome the Deputy's consistent interest in this issue. As she is aware, the Government has agreed to my proposal to pursue an accelerated process in support of draft legislation to give effect to EU Regulation No. 598/14. Before the summer recess, I presented an outline of the proposed legislative approach and a detailed timeline for its implementation to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport, very shortly after it had been endorsed by the Government. I also directed my officials to brief other Members of the House on the same matter. I understand a number of advisers attended in place of some Members.
Good progress has been made during the summer. My Department, in close co-operation with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, has been working in accordance with the agreed timeline, which envisages the publication of a Bill at the end of October and anticipates a speedy legislative process to make it an Act by the end of the year. This is a challenge, but every effort is being made to ensure it happens as planned.
The complexity in the drafting of this Bill should not be underestimated given that there is significant amount of interaction between Regulation 598/14, the 2002 environmental noise directive, and our domestic planning and development framework. It is important to note that the EU regulation requires full public consultation before the competent authority makes a final decision about noise related operating measures or restrictions at the airport, and we are working to ensure that the Bill will afford all stakeholders the opportunity to express their views.
The Bill will also provide for an independent appeals process, with An Bord Pleanála to be appointed as the appeals body. As I have said in this House, I have every intention of bringing forward a Bill that strikes a balance between the rights of local residents, the DAA as the regulated entity, and the broader national interest, in recognition of the crucial importance of our primary national airport.
As a next step, a general scheme of the Bill will be presented to and discussed in session with the Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport within the next few weeks in accordance with pre-legislative scrutiny arrangements. The formal Bill will then be finalised during October in advance of being presented to this House in very early November. I am more than happy to keep Deputies apprised of developments as we move through the next month or so, and I very much hope that this will allow broad support for the Bill when it is presented.
I have studied all of the documents from the Minister's briefing. I note his point that he is confident that he is on schedule. We will take that it up with him in time. The Minister did not, however, respond to my question on what he will do if, in the period of consultation and the coming before this House of the legislation, this House does not agree with the Government's decision to appoint Fingal County Council as the competent authority, which has been an incredibly controversial decision locally. I refer to the Minister's response to a question from Deputy Troy on this issue during a recent meeting of the Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport in which he said that some jurisdictions appointed organisations that are equivalent of the IAA but that most appointed bodies similar to Fingal County Council. In this regard, the Minister mentioned Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Hungary, Greece, Finland and France. I put it to the Minister that the Danish transport authority, the Dutch ministry for infrastructure and water management, the Luxembourg ministry of sustainable development and infrastructure, the Hungarian ministry for national development, the French directorate general of civil aviation and the department of environment, and the Finnish transport safety agency are not the equivalent of Fingal County Council.
I am not saying they are the equivalent of Fingal County Council. On the Deputy's question regarding what actions are being taken by Fingal County Council, it is preparing for this appointment. It is the competent authority-designate in anticipation of Members of this House approving the appointment. This House is sovereign and, if it does not approve it, we will have to return to the drawing board.
For the fourth time.
We are making preparations for this because it is urgent. This has to be done as soon as possible. As the Deputy will be well aware, earlier in this story there were delays which were unexpected, mostly in the Attorney General's office, which meant that we unexpectedly had to make decisions we did not anticipate would have to be made. We are now on target.
On target two years later.
Fingal County Council is the competent authority-designate. If the House decides differently, that is a matter for the House.
The Minister says he is making the preparations, but in doing so he is spending a lot of public money that might be wasted. If he were really making the preparations, he would have brought forward the legislation to this House as the first step. Ireland is an outlier in that it is taking a different route from most of Europe. I note that the Minister used the term "similar" rather than "equivalent" but Fingal County Council is not similar to any of the organisations I mentioned. The DAA is its biggest ratepayer and it has operated in regard to the previous planning permission such that in no way could it be viewed as independent. Independence in regard to noise regulation is key in terms of this regulation. It is supposed to be for the benefit of communities and in that sense a listening experience. Will the Minister respond to my point? He said that the House could overturn the decision, which could be a huge waste amount of money in terms of the preparations that are being made by Fingal County Council. Why has this route been chosen when no other jurisdiction has done similar?
As I explained to the joint committee in July, Fingal County Council has responsibilities under an EU environmental noise directive-----
That is a joke.
-----which encapsulates responsibilities relating to noise caused by conurbations and major transport infrastructures, including roads, railways and airports. In addition, having regard to its planning functions, it has considerable experience and expertise in the conduct of environmental impact assessments, EIAs, and in managing extensive public consultations. There are, therefore, synergies arising from the assignment of this additional role.
On the issue of whether Fingal County Council is conflicted, I am aware that concerns have been raised around the designation of Fingal County Council as the competent authority and whether it is independent given the rates it receives from the DAA. Following close examination of the figures, it is my understanding that the DAA rate of demand for 2018 is approximately 15% of the total rates levied by Fingal County Council and represents approximately 8% of the council's overall budgeted income. Therefore, I do not accept the claim that Fingal County Council is unduly beholden to the DAA for its income. Further, the council will be provided with the appropriate resources to undertake the additional role.
9. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a road traffic and speed survey on a portion of the N25, details supplied, will be considered. [37710/18]
View answerWill the Minister consider the undertaking a road traffic and speedy survey on a portion of the N25 from Kilmeaden to Carrolls Cross?
I thank Deputy Butler for her question. As stated in response to questions from other Deputies, as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in for the national roads programme but I will be as helpful as I can within that context.
Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015, the planning, design and operation of individual roads is a matter for the relevant road authority in relation to local and regional roads or for Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned in relation to national roads. Consequently, the TII and the local authorities have responsibility for signs and road markings in accordance with the traffic signs manual, TSM, which is issued under my direction as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. The TSM sets out the standards for signing and road markings to be used on all roads in the country.
With regard to the specific question raised by the Deputy, I understand from the TII, the N25 route was remarked under the national road delineation programme in 2015. Road markings on each road route are designed from end to end by a contracted competent team in accordance with the TSM. Any non-compliant markings or markings that do not accord with the provisions of the manual are removed as part of the remarking contract.
Proposals regarding safety improvement works are matters which are normally developed in the first instance by the relevant local authority, in this case Waterford City and County Council. For the TII to consider fully any such proposals relating to national roads, the local authority is required to carry out an analysis of the collision history at the location and design an appropriate scheme to deal with any safety issues identified. In addition, the local authority is required to carry out an economic appraisal of the proposal, cost the scheme fully, prepare a feasibility report, and prioritise the scheme relative to other works proposed by the local authority.
There are no specific road markings or arrows for so-called turn-offs for residential access. All junctions are marked in accordance with the provisions of the TSM, as I have just outlined.
Ultimately, the aim is to have consistency of approach across the country and it is the responsibility of each local authority, in conjunction with the TII with regard to national roads, to ensure that the appropriate standards, as set out in the TSM, are adhered to. Adhering to a consistent approach to road signs and markings delivers better safety results.
I thank the Minister for his reply, which explains the problem. The road concerned is the N25, which is the main road from Waterford to Cork, which services traffic exiting from Rosslare Port.
The traffic is naturally fast as the vehicles have just exited the motorway. The Minister has rightly said that the delineation was carried out in 2015. Unfortunately the delineation was very good in parts but not as good in others. The Minister said they will not put in markings in residential areas, however the problem is that people exit the motorway two miles up the road on the right hand side. There are eight houses on the road, called Kilmoyemoge East, which leads onto another road that has 100 houses. There is a great deal of traffic, including school buses, and residents are deeply concerned that there will be a serious accident. It is a simple thing to seek line markings on a road for safety.
The Deputy becomes more convincing the more I listen to her. Her point is a good one. The matter she is raising is one of road safety, which I had not understood from the question. If the Deputy wishes to make representations on this matter, it would be best that she do so to Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, to seek its response. It has a particular interest in this and has funding available for road safety black spots. When they address issues of this sort for special treatment they look at the collision record in this area. The TII is always especially sympathetic when road safety issues are raised, particularly when concerns that there are dangers on a particular stretch of road are evidence-based. She should suggest that to them.
I will make representations to the TII. I reiterate that the main reason for the residents' concern is that other road exits, whether lanes or secondary roads, have markings and they cannot understand why their roadway should have no markings. Every time they indicate to turn right, they are very concerned that they will be rear ended because of the speed of traffic exiting the motorway.
I cannot get involved in this directly, however the Deputy has made a very good case for this and I suggest that she provides a full record of what has happened on that road, particularly accidents, to make a convincing case and I will refer it to the TII. Road safety must be the top priority. TII spending on black spots is one of the ingredients in the road safety war. I will recommend that it put this on its list for examination and do so soon.
Deputy Mick Wallace is next. We have only six minutes left so I suggest that he has 30 seconds for his question and we may have two supplementary questions.
10. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on whether the ownership model of Rosslare Europort is in the State’s best interests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37803/18]
View answer35. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the development of Rosslare Europort in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37707/18]
View answerWill the Minister share his views on the ownership model of Rosslare Europort? Does he believe that it makes sense for a rail company to operate the port? Does he believe that it makes sense that it strips the profits year after year? Does he believe that it makes any sense not to invest in our closest port to mainland Europe, with Brexit looming? Does the Minister believe that Rosslare Europort is being run in the State's best interest?
I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 35 together.
The Deputy will be aware that Rosslare Europort is unique among the State-owned ports, as it is not a commercial company operating under the Harbours Acts, but is instead operated as a division of Iarnród Éireann.
Technically, the port forms part of the Fishguard and Rosslare Railways and Harbours Company, which is a 19th century joint-venture company, consisting today of Iarnród Éireann on the Irish side and Stena Line on the Welsh, Fishguard, side.
The status of the port, and whether its current status potentially inhibits its development, was considered in a strategic review, commissioned by my Department, and carried out by Indecon economic consultants.
The report concluded that the creation of an independent port authority would be extremely difficult, given the port's complex legal structure. Instead, it was recommended that the port remain in public ownership and that the possibilities for increased private sector involvement be investigated.
In order to assist Iarnród Éireann's overall consideration of how best to move forward, the company then engaged consultants to assess market interest. The assessment was largely positive in terms of the potential for increased private sector investment in the port. However, it did identify possible implementation issues due to the complicated legislative basis of the port. Following that assessment, my Department sought and received detailed advice from the Office of the Attorney General on the matter. That advice identified a number of legal issues with any such proposal and those issues remain under consideration by my Department.
I visited Rosslare Europort earlier this year at the invitation of my ministerial colleague, Deputy Paul Kehoe, and was briefed by the Europort’s management on the port’s commercial position. This was a particularly valuable opportunity for me as Minister to witness the central role that Rosslare Europort plays within the economy of Wexford, and indeed the wider south-east, and to see at first hand its potential in terms of future development as a vital part of our country’s trading infrastructure.
Finally, my Department has been engaging with Rosslare Europort with regard to Brexit and these discussions are ongoing.
The Minister must agree that Rosslare Port is not being prioritised. It is not receiving State backing such as that received by Dublin Port, although I am not suggesting that Dublin Port should not get this. It would give such a boost to Wexford which is one of the most deprived counties with more mental health challenges than most areas and one of the highest rates of suicide which is directly linked to the county being seriously deprived. We laugh at the Brits for not knowing whether they are going left, right or centre with Brexit but how well prepared for Brexit are we ourselves? Does it not make sense that the Government would address ownership of Rosslare Europort and get ready for Brexit? Does the Minister not think that strategically it would represent an important advance by the Government and a positive move to take a different approach, grab this issue and transform Rosslare Port into a real port which would make a massive difference to the area and to Ireland generally, in the context of Brexit and problems in Britain increasing?
I have raised the issue of Rosslare Europort every second week since my election. The port makes €2.5 million profit annually. It is not only self-sufficient but it is very profitable. However, it looks like a ghost town because it is owned by Iarnród Éireann which sucks the profit out of it and puts it in to subsidise other parts of its railway network which it is not prepared to deal with in a proper manner. It is the second busiest port in the country for passenger and roll on-roll off traffic. That €2.5 million per annum should be put back into that port. It would leverage approximately €15 million on the international market, which would make that port one of the top ports in Europe, as it should be because of its location. It is Ireland's closest port to the Continent. Ships steam past it every few minutes, going on to England, France, Hamburg or Rotterdam. Even a tiny portion of that business would make Rosslare one of the top ports in Europe. It is time action was taken either to take it from Iarnród Éireann or at least turn it into a stand-alone company so that profits are kept in the port. It should be a driver of the economy for the entire region.
Both Deputies are correct. It is a crucial time. It coming near a time not for a decision about its structure - we have examined that - but when Rosslare will be critical.
The Deputies will be aware of the significance of Brexit and the importance that Rosslare may assume in the process of preparing for it.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Taoiseach have informed the House that the Brexit negotiations are at a critical stage. The outcome of the negotiation process will have implications for this country's ports, notably Rosslare, in view of its position as an import-export trading route to mainland Europe. The Irish Maritime Development Office, in conjunction with my Department, has undertaken a study into the use of the UK landbridge to other European countries by the Irish road transport industry, importers and exporters. This could have an effect on the future of Rosslare as well. The purpose of the report is to establish the volume of traffic using the UK landbridge at present, the potential consequences that Brexit will have on landbridge usage and the various alternative options that may be viable. The study is expected to be finalised shortly and to be published thereafter.
