Written Answers Nos. 581-602
581. Deputy Kate O'Connell asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of contracts and-or tenders that have been awarded to a company (details supplied); the value of these contracts, that is, the amount the company has been paid; the services the contracts were for; and the number of public sector and-or publicly funded catering facilities being run by the company. [50371/18]
View answerI understand that the information sought by you is to cover the period from 2008 to date.
In this regard, Aramark has provided security, cleaning and caretaking duties to my Department from November 2008 until September this year. The value of these services, that is, the sum total that has been paid to the company by my Department for this period, is €854,738.93.
There were no public sector or publicly funded catering services provided by this company to my Department over that time.
It should be noted that the functions of the Departments of Tourism and Sport were only transferred to this Department in April 2011.
582. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a funding application has been received to date for the Julianstown bypass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50376/18]
View answer583. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if there has been engagement between his Department and Meath County Council regarding the worsening traffic conditions on the R132 through Julianstown with a view to advancing the case for a bypass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50377/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 582 and 583 together.
The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of the relevant County or City Council, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from the Council's own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the Council.
Prior to the financial crisis, applications for funding for road improvement projects would have been considered as part of the Specific Improvement, and Strategic Regional and Local Road Grant Schemes. However, the extent of the cutbacks in grant funding during the crisis meant these grant schemes had to be curtailed after 2013 because expenditure on maintenance/renewal was falling well short of what was required to adequately maintain the regional and local road network.
The NDP does provide for the gradual build up in funding for the road network but it will take some years yet to reach the level required for the adequate maintenance and renewal of the network. For this reason there is limited scope at present for funding projects under the Specific and Strategic Grant Programmes.
Any projects proposed by local authorities for consideration under the Specific and Strategic Grant Programmes are assessed by the Department on a case-by-case basis. All projects put forward by local authorities for consideration must comply with the requirements of the Public Spending Code and my Department's Capital Appraisal Framework and it is important for local authorities to prioritise projects within their overall area of responsibility with these requirements in mind.
Under the capital project appraisal process a Preliminary Appraisal has to be submitted in relation to each proposed project. Once an appraisal is received it is assessed taking into account other competing projects and the overall roads budget. The Department's Engineering Inspectors liaise on a regular basis with local authorities regarding their regional and road network. To date no application has been received by my Department from Meath County Council in relation to a bypass of Julianstown.
584. Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if funding has been allocated for the Castletownbere transportation plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50396/18]
View answerAs I have previously informed the Deputy, the Castletownbere Transportation Study is a matter for Cork County Council.
585. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will investigate with CIÉ and Irish Rail the reason there are not enough rail carriages in operation on the Sligo to Dublin line at peak times; the reason customers who pay for tickets are being forced to stand from Dublin to Carrick-on-Shannon and beyond; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50402/18]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.
Operational matters such as those described by the Deputy are a matter for Iarnród Éireann, in co-operation with the National Transport Authority as required.
In light of the Iarnród Éireann's responsibilities on this matter, I have referred the Deputy's questions to it for a more detailed reply. I ask the Deputy to advise my private office if he does not receive a reply within ten working days.
586. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 877 of 6 November 2018, when a reply will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50437/18]
View answerI understand that a reply from Tourism Ireland has already issued to the Deputy in relation to Parliamentary Question No. 877 of 6 November 2018.
587. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of wheelchair accessible taxis in the taxi fleet as an absolute number and as a percentage of the overall taxi fleet; the actions he is taking to increase the number of wheelchair accessible vehicles in the taxi fleet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50544/18]
View answerThe regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013.
In order to support an increase in the number of wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) in Ireland's SPSV fleet, licences for new taxis or hackneys will only be granted in respect of WAVs. This requirement was introduced in 2010.
To supplement this measure, the NTA administers a WAV Grant Scheme, which offers grants on a sliding scale from €2,500 to €7,500. The set amounts awarded by grants through this scheme aim to align with the cost difference in purchasing a WAV or converting a vehicle to fulfil the WAV requirements. This scheme is open to all SPSV drivers, with grants offered on a first-come-first-served basis.
I remain committed to increasing the number of WAVs within our SPSV fleet and supporting the NTA in the administration of the WAV Grant Scheme.
In relation to your question on the statistics as regards the accessibility of the taxi fleet in Ireland, I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply to you. I ask the Deputy to advise my private office if she does not receive a response within ten working days.
588. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will investigate the possibility of introducing a scheme in which taxi drivers based in a town can attend a course outlining the history and facts of interest in their local town (details supplied). [50562/18]
View answerThe regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013.
I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply to you. I ask the Deputy to advise my private office if he does not receive a response within ten working days.
589. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to install noise abatement measures on the M1 motorway between junctions 6 and 7; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50618/18]
View answerDirective 2002/49/EC on the assessment and management of environmental noise was transposed into Irish law by the Environmental Noise Regulations, 2006. This legislation requires Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and local authorities to undertake strategic noise mapping every five years for all major roads carrying in excess of 8,250 annual average daily traffic (AADT).
Once strategic noise maps have been produced, the results are used for each local authority to develop Noise Action Plans as required by the Environmental Noise Regulations. Specifically, in relation to the area between Junction 6 and Junction 7 of the M1, the designated action planning authority is Fingal County Council and issues relating to noise levels associated with road traffic is a matter for Fingal County Council.
I understand that Fingal County Council is currently preparing its Noise Action Plan 2019 - 2023. Under the Regulations, Fingal County Council, as an Action Planning Authority, is required to consult with the public when revising their current Noise Action Plan. All interested parties will have the opportunity to engage with the local authority when the new plan is being prepared. The results of any public engagement will be taken into account in finalising the new Noise Action Plan and this will include any noise mitigating measures.
590. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of an application by an organisation (details supplied) for a sports capital grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50634/18]
View answerThe 2018 round of the Sports Capital Programme opened for applications on Friday 7 September and the application period closed on Friday 19 October. By that deadline, a record 2,337 applications were submitted seeking a total of €162 million in funding.
I can confirm that an application has been submitted by the organisation referred to by the Deputy.
For the first time, applicants who have submitted incorrect documentation under this round will be given the opportunity to correct their application during the assessment period. While there will be no undue delay in completing the assessment process, in view of the opportunity to correct documentation, the record number of applications received and the detailed information contained in each application, it is likely to take a number of months to have all applications assessed. Accordingly, I expect that it will be at least the second quarter of next year before the full set of allocations under this current round of the programme are announced.
591. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the sports capital grants for 2018 will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50635/18]
View answerThe 2018 round of the Sports Capital Programme opened for applications on Friday 7 September and the application period closed on Friday 19 October. By that deadline, a record 2,337 applications were submitted seeking a total of €162 million in funding.
186 of these applications are for projects that were deemed invalid under the 2017 round of the programme that were allowed to resubmitted corrected documents this year. These applications are being assessed first and I hope to make allocations to this category of application early in 2019.
For the first time, applicants who have submitted incorrect documentation under this round will be given the opportunity to correct their application during the assessment period. While there will be no undue delay in completing the assessment process, in view of the opportunity to correct documentation, the record number of applications received and the detailed information contained in each application, it is likely to take a number of months to have all applications assessed. Accordingly, I expect that it will be at least the second quarter of next year before the full set of allocations under this current round of the programme are announced.
592. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the details of all applications sent from County Kildare for the sports capital grant. [50636/18]
View answerDetails of applications submitted under the 2018 Sports Capital Programme including all applications from County Kildare are available on my Department's website at www.dttas.ie/sites/default/files/publications/sport/english/2018-sport-capital-programme-applications/2018-applications-submitted-publication.pdf.
593. Deputy Michael Harty asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the Brexit proofing measures he can take to assist Shannon Airport in securing an alternative connection in view of the fact that EU hub connectivity from Shannon is via London Heathrow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50648/18]
View answerThe establishment of air transport connections are the result of commercial agreements between airlines and airports. As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have no function in these commercial decisions. However, there are on-going consultations between my Department, other Government Departments and agencies, and public and private aviation stakeholders in order to continue to plan for and mitigate the risks associated with Brexit. It is also important that the aviation industry, including airports, takes steps to prepare and where possible to reduce their exposure and to limit reliance on any one particular destination or service.
The Government has been clear that its approach to preparing for Brexit is aimed at minimising the impact it could have on our trade, our economy and seeking an orderly withdrawal of the UK from the EU.
The full implications of Brexit will only become clear once the future EU-UK relationship has been decided. However, the Draft Political Declaration setting out the Framework for the Future Relationship between the EU and the UK published recently foresees a comprehensive partnership between the EU and the UK, including across a range of areas of importance to Ireland, including air transport. The European Commission’s Contingency Plan, published on 13 November, outlines plans to propose measures to ensure that disruption to air travel between the UK and the EU will be minimised in the event of a disorderly UK exit from the EU, subject to reciprocity.
Government also supports the development of air connectivity and the expansion of air services more generally through funding for cooperative marketing activity. Cooperative campaigns with partners facilitate increased marketing effort and help promote the destination more widely. Funding of €1 million was made available to Tourism Ireland annually in 2016, 2017 and 2018 for cooperative marketing. This funding, supported by contributions from regional tourism stakeholders (Airports and Ports) was matched by air and sea carriers and resulted in total overseas marketing expenditure of €2.6 million in 2016 and €2.4 million in 2017.
An increased budget allocation for 2019 will continue to support both seasonal and regional growth and will be underscored by a commitment to focus co-operative partnership activities on the January-April and October-December periods for Great Britain and the North American and European markets. I would encourage all airports to avail of this funding to optimise air services, including Shannon Airport with regard to alternative European hub connections.
594. Deputy Michael Harty asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps he will take to achieve a more balanced distribution of visitor numbers to the mid-west and to County Clare (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50657/18]
View answerMy Department's role in relation to tourism lies primarily in the area of developing national tourism policy, while the tourism agencies have operational responsibility for the implementation of this policy. Although my Department provides funding to Fáilte Ireland for investment in tourism, it has no role in the administration of the agency's funding programme.
I know that Fáilte Ireland is working with key stakeholders, tourism providers, tourism groups and communities in County Clare to develop a strong and cohesive partnership across the county to develop a sustainable approach to tourism management and development. They are currently developing a "Visitor Experience Development Plan" and the purpose to these is to motivate tourists to visit and stay longer in the local communities, increasing economic dividend to the area whilst extending the season.
I have asked Fáilte Ireland to provide the Deputy with further details with regard to steps they are taking in this regard. I ask the Deputy to contact my private office if he does not receive a reply within ten working days.
595. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of plans to privatise Bus Éireann route 133; the timeline for the commencement of the operation of such a route; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50693/18]
View answerThe issue raised is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) and I have therefore referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. I ask the Deputy to advise my private office if she does not receive a response within ten working days.
596. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when initial works will take place on the DART upgrade of the Maynooth M3 Parkway commuter line; when a planning application will be submitted; when works will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50742/18]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The NTA has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area, including the upgrade and electrification of lines under the DART Expansion Programme.
Noting the NTA's responsibility for implementation of public transport in the Greater Dublin Area, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for a more detailed reply. I ask the Deputy to contact my private office if she does not receive a reply within ten days.
597. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to seek current or capital budgetary allocations to support local authorities and Transport Infrastructure Ireland to implement noise reduction measures as identified in the Dublin agglomeration noise action plan 2018 to 2023 which is being drafted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50744/18]
View answerSince 2015 the Dublin Authorities are self funding in respect of the main grant programmes for regional and local roads including the provision of monies for the Discretionary Grant programme under which noise reduction measures may be implemented.
As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015, the planning, design and operation of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) in conjunction with the relevant local authorities. This would include arrangements concerning noise mitigating measures.
Noting the above position, I have referred the question to TII for a direct reply. I ask the Deputy to advise my private office if she does not receive a reply within ten working days.
598. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if individuals and groups will have the right to make observations and submissions when the second round of MetroLink public consultation on the preferred route is completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50811/18]
View answer599. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the MetroLink project; and the indicative timescale for the remaining public consultations and delivery of the project. [50812/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 598 and 599 together.
As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area, including MetroLink.
Noting the NTA's responsibility in relation to this matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for their consideration and direct reply. I ask the Deputy to notify my office if she has not received a response within ten working days.
600. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the agency responsible for the fencing along greenways; if this is carried out in consultation with landowners; if the process is conducted on a county by county basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50943/18]
View answerFencing along Greenways is a matter for the relevant Local Authority/State Agency that constructed it. Where required, fences would be installed by these Local Authorities and State Agencies. As outlined in the Strategy for the Future Development of National and Regional Greenways, early consultation with landowners on all aspects of Greenway construction is actively encouraged. I understand that on the Waterford Greenway, for example, different types of fencing are used in different areas depending on the needs of the adjoining landowner.
601. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of a project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50952/18]
View answerIn January of 2016, my Department contacted local authorities and sought expressions of interest in a limited round of swimming pool allocations under the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme (LASPP). There were three expressions of interest received for new pools, two of which were valid and both in Dublin. Having assessed existing commitments and the funding available, it was decided to include the proposal from South Dublin County Council (SDCC) for a new swimming pool in Lucan in the LASPP.
My Department wrote to SDCC in April 2016 advising the Council to undertake the Preliminary Report stage (which includes the Feasibility Study, Appointment of Consultants for Preliminary Proposals and Design Brief). Documentation in this regard was received from SDCC in July 2016. Following examination by my Department's technical advisor and my officials, SDCC was given approval in October 2016 to appoint the recommended design team and proceed to the design brief. In April 2017, the detailed drawings were received by my Department and referred to my Department's technical advisor for consideration. Following clarification of some technical queries, my Department issued approval to the technical design element of the Preliminary Report on 5 July 2017. This approval allowed the Council to have the detailed contract documents prepared and allowed SDCC to proceed to the Part 8 planning process.
The contract documents, which were finalised by SDCC in August 2018, are currently being examined by my Department's technical advisor and in this regard, my officials continue to liaise with the Council. Once finalised I understand that SDCC will be in a position to submit the tender report to my Department shortly thereafter.
602. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 155 of 9 October 2018, to which the Road Safety Authority replied on 23 November 2018, the reason for the discrepancies between the number of drivers disqualified in court in each of the years 2016, 2017 and up to the end of September 2018 and the figures supplied by the Minister for Justice and Equality in reply to Parliamentary Question No. 155 of 9 October 2018 (details supplied); if he is requesting an examination into the difference between the figures; the correct figures regarding same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50963/18]
View answerThe matter of the misalignment between the Court Service data and that held by my Department and the Road Safety Authority may simply be how the data is interpreted, for example, there is a time lag between when a person is disqualified in Court and a formal notification is received by my Department arising from such a disqualification.
In order to bring clarity to the issue I have asked my officials in consultation with the RSA to examine the matter in greater detail.
