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Tuesday, 12 Feb 2019

Written Answers Nos. 51-77

Brexit Preparations

Questions (57)

Michael Moynihan

Question:

57. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has spoken with his French counterpart regarding Brexit recently and the arrangements that France has in place for Calais and other ports. [4074/19]

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Written answers

I met my French counterpart, Minister Elisabeth Borne, on Brexit matters in Dublin on 23 November 2018. I highlighted the importance of transport connectivity and Ireland’s concerns in particular in relation to the continued use of the UK landbridge when the UK leaves the EU. We discussed also the potential implications for ports both in Ireland and in France given the levels of trade that both of our countries have with the UK. Minister Borne shared many of my concerns and said that France, like Ireland, was preparing for all scenarios, including facilitation of EU and Irish traffic at Calais.

The landbridge is the fastest shipping route to continental Europe and as such is relied upon by many Irish exporters and importers for the transport of time-sensitive products, such as those in the agri-food/perishable goods sector, just-in-time and high value goods.

An estimated €18.2 billion of our exports rely on this route, first travelling from Ireland by sea to the UK, making their way through the UK roads network to ports such as Dover, and then entering continental Europe at French ports, particularly the port of Calais. Disruption or delays on the Dover – Calais maritime link when the UK leaves the EU could considerably impact on hauliers and Irish businesses and is of major concern.

At official level, the Landbridge Project Group, chaired by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and including officials from my own Department, the Revenue Commissioners, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and others has been working closely with the European Commission and other affected Member States (France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden) with a view to preparing EU ports to facilitate the transit of EU products through the UK once it becomes a third country through the use of EU rules on internal transit set out under the Union’s Custom Code.

A cross-departmental delegation of officials including from my Department travelled to France in November of last year for meetings on Brexit preparedness. The need for French ports to facilitate the movement of Irish trucks transiting the UK was discussed.

Irish officials also met with the European Commission for technical consultations on the landbridge in December 2018.

The Government will continue to work with our French counterparts, other EU Member States and the European Commission in seeking to ensure that the landbridge can continue to be an effective route for our businesses trading with the rest of the EU Single Market.

Separately, a number of representatives from French ports have travelled to Ireland to meet with Irish port representatives on a number of occasions and most recently in January of this year.

Questions No. 58 to 63, inclusive, answered orally.

Railway Stations

Questions (64)

Bríd Smith

Question:

64. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the impact on persons with disabilities who cannot access DART and rail transport due to the non-maintenance and failures of lifts at certain stations; his plans to ensure such persons can access rail and DART services in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6714/19]

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Written answers

As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. However, I am not involved in the day-to- day operations of public transport.

The issues raised by the Deputy about problems with passenger lifts at some train stations are operational matters for Iarnród Éireann. That said, I am concerned that the company would be doing its utmost to ensure continued accessibility for passengers who need these facilities, and I have been assured that Iarnród Éireann is committed to providing all its customers, including those who are mobility and sensory impaired, the highest level of accessibility on its rail network.

When lifts get damaged and are out of service, some specialised parts may be required which can take some time to be delivered. Iarnród Éireann endeavours to return all out-of-service lifts to operational service as quickly as possible. The company's provider of lift maintenance services gives priority to lift requirements for repair and attention. Iarnród Éireann has also advised that extensive and deliberate vandalism has a big impact on the functionality and reliability of lifts on the network. The Iarnród Éireann website and the Passenger Information System displays at all DART stations is updated in the event of a lift being out of order.

I am advised that a number of measures are being taken by Iarnród Éireann to improve access for people with disabilities to rail and DART services. Under the Accessibility Retro-fit Programme funding is provided for, amongst other things, the upgrading of train stations to make them accessible to wheelchair users. In this regard, I secured a trebling of the funding provided for the Retro-fit Programme to €28 million for the period 2018 to 2021. In 2018 €1m was provided for rail station accessibility upgrades and this has been increased to €3m for 2019. With increased funding from 2019 it is envisaged that larger projects will be undertaken at railway stations including the installation of lifts and bridges to allow easy access “across track” platforms for wheelchair users.

Following a review by Iarnród Éireann of accessibility on the DART, Maynooth and Northern Commuter lines, and consultation with users and representative bodies, the company has launched a new Improved Accessibility Policy. This involves a new zonal system for DART, Maynooth and Northern Commuter, that is designed to provide better service and quicker response times to passengers who require assistance. This policy divides the 31 stations on the DART, Maynooth and Northern Commuter lines into 13 zones, with each zone including between one to four stations. One station in each zone will always be manned and will provide support to other stations in that zone. Full details are available on the Irish Rail website.

Iarnród Éireann has reduced the notice period for providing assistance to customers on the DART from 24 hours to 4 hours and the company is working towards reducing this notice period even further.

Furthermore, Iarnród Éireann intends to deploy Customer Service Officers (CSO) on all Intercity routes. This will mean that, at all stops, train services with a CSO on board will be able to ensure ramp assistance is available.

Iarnród Éireann is also developing a dedicated app to support customers who have mobility or sensory impairments, and I provided additional funding for this in 2018. This will be introduced in coming months. The app will allow users to pre-book a journey that confirms they will have assistance by a member of Iarnród Éireann staff at their departure and arrival stations and provide them with support in an emergency.

Public Transport Fares

Questions (65)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

65. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has investigated or plans to investigate a similar move here in view of the decision of Luxembourg to introduce free public transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6722/19]

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Written answers

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 the statutory responsibility for the regulation of fares in relation to public passenger transport services.

The NTA also has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public transport services by way of public transport services contracts in respect of services that are socially necessary but commercially unviable.

The funding of those services comprises both the fares paid by passengers and the subvention payments from the Exchequer. The main purpose of the subvention payment is to meet the gap between income from fares and the cost of operating services.

I understand that free public transport is available in some European cities and towns to encourage increased use of public transport. The objectives of such initiatives can be to reduce traffic congestion, to attract people into cities for leisure purposes, and to provide environmental benefits.

In 2019, the Irish Exchequer will provide just over €300m as subvention for public service obligation (PSO) transport services and Rural Transport Local Link services. I understand that the NTA wrote to the Deputy in September last and indicated that, in 2017, passengers paid about €580 million in fares on subsidised bus and rail services.

Therefore, if such services were to be provided free to passengers, then the expected cost to the Exchequer would be in excess of the €580m collected in fares in 2017. This amount would be additional to the 2019 Exchequer allocation of €300m for PSO support and the further amount (€95m allocation for 2019) that the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection pays to public transport providers in respect of its Free Travel Scheme which provides free transport to almost 1 million people in the State, including all people aged over 66 living permanently here, along with some other qualifying people. So taking round approximate figures, the Deputy's idea would cost the taxpayer about €600 million per year, in addition to the €400 million that the Exchequer already spends on public transport services. And this is just the cost of the actual services; it does not count the Exchequer investment in public transport infrastructure which in 2019 is about €350 million and will be rising sharply over the coming years.

The NTA also advised the Deputy that the estimates of the full year cost of providing free travel do not factor in the cost of providing the additional fleet, depots, drivers, etc. to meet the likely resultant substantial increase in passenger numbers if fares were reduced or eliminated.

While I have no immediate plans to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of introducing free public transport for all users, which would require substantial additional funding by the taxpayer or from other sources, I am interested in hearing about innovative and radical ideas that would meet the needs of passengers, and encourage more people out of their cars and onto public transport, thus alleviating congestion and helping to tackle climate challenges.

Question No. 66 answered with Question No. 61.

Bus Services

Questions (67)

Bríd Smith

Question:

67. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has received reports from the NTA on the performance of a company (details supplied) that recently won the tender for certain Dublin Bus routes; his views on the operation of these routes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6713/19]

View answer

Written answers

Under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 it is a statutory function of the National Transport Authority (NTA) to determine the appropriate mix of directly awarded and competitively tendered bus services. Arising from this, the NTA undertook a number of competitive procurement processes in 2017 and selected Go-Ahead as the preferred bidder in the competition to operate 24 routes (23 existing plus 1 new) in the Dublin Metropolitan area. As the Deputy is aware, the phasing in of these new services commenced in September 2018 and concluded on 20 January with the transfer of nine routes.

The NTA does not regularly provide operational performance reports to my Department in relation to individual contracts that it has with transport operators.

In the case of Go-Ahead, I have been advised by the NTA that it has reviewed punctuality performance for the period 20th January 2019 to 4th February 2019 (i.e. the data it has to hand since the latest round of service transfers from Dublin Bus to Go-Ahead). From that data, on-time punctuality performance has improved overall by approximately 2% on the Go-Ahead routes compared to the same period last year, when they were operated by Dublin Bus.

There are, however, variations by route and it is notable that the most recent service transfers are performing less well punctuality-wise. This repeats a pattern seen in previous phases of service transfers, where drivers new to a route initially tend to adopt a conservative driving manner, resulting in some delays compared to schedule.

In terms of passenger use, after a period of adjustment as passengers familiarise themselves with timetable changes, growth in passenger use has generally been positive, in particular where services have been enhanced compared to Dublin Bus timetables.

The NTA intends to ensure that customers will experience improved service levels across all of the routes in question, and it will achieve this through a variety of means:

- The quality of service is measurable and, therefore, the NTA has set out in the contract with the new operator, the customer service levels that are expected. The NTA will use the contract terms to drive up levels of customer service.

- All services operated under the contract will continue to be regulated by the NTA as they are today. These means that LEAP, Free Travel Pass, Real Time Information, National Journey Planner etc. will all continue to operate on these services.

- The NTA has the statutory powers to determine fare levels, and the NTA will continue using its fares determination process to rationalise and improve the fare structure across all the different operators in the regulated bus market, including the new operator.

Public transport passenger journeys are growing, with Dublin Bus experiencing strong growth which is forecast to continue. That growth will allow Dublin Bus continue to expand its services in tandem with the roll-out of Go-Ahead's routes.

We are always looking for ways to improve our public transport services and the NTA conducting an open, competitive process as part of providing enhanced and expanded services for passengers, and then monitoring and implementing its contacts, is part of that improvement process.

Rural Transport Programme

Questions (68)

Martin Heydon

Question:

68. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the position paper submitted by the Rural Transport Network identifying the importance of statutory planning to progress the potential of local transport services and the need to build on alignments with local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6701/19]

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Written answers

I met the Chair and a delegation from the Rural Transport Network (RTN) last year. In advance of the meeting, the RTN forwarded a paper containing a number of proposals including those referred to by the Deputy.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public transport passenger services nationally. It also has a statutory remit in relation to effective integration of transport and land use planning across the State. Since 2012, the NTA has national responsibility for integrated local and rural transport, including management of the Rural Transport Programme (RTP) which now operates under the Local Link brand.

The NTA published the “Local Link Rural Transport Programme Strategic Plan 2018-2022” last year. Recognising the key role of local authorities in the planning of rural transport services, the Strategic Plan commits to ensuring that Local Link Offices are directly involved with their respective local authority in the development of relevant plans and strategies, in particular Local Transport Plans.

As the Deputy would be aware, the three Regional Assemblies are tasked to coordinate, promote and support the strategic planning and sustainable development of the regions. The primary vehicle for this is the preparation and implementation of Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSES). The Strategies are statutorily underpinned by the Planning and Development Acts. Under the RSES, local authorities will be required to prepare Local Transport Plans. As part of the consultation process the three Regional Assemblies are undertaking for their respective Strategy, my Department has sought that each will ensure that Local Link Offices are formally consulted in relation to the development of local transport plans.

Rail Services

Questions (69)

Fiona O'Loughlin

Question:

69. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if measures are in place to replace train tickets for commuters outside the short hop zone who may have had their tickets stolen; and if not, if measures will be considered. [6672/19]

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Written answers

As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. However, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport.

The issues raised are operational matters for Iarnród Éireann and I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.

A referred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 42A

Aviation Industry Regulations

Questions (70)

Clare Daly

Question:

70. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the work of the high-level project management board regarding the creation of a single national aviation regulator. [6349/19]

View answer

Written answers

As the Deputy is aware from my previous reply in December, the Government has approved a proposal to separate the Irish Aviation Authority’s air navigation service provision functions from its aviation safety and security regulatory functions, and merge these regulatory functions with the Commission for Aviation Regulation. The objective is to have a single aviation regulator responsible for economic, safety and security regulation and a standalone air navigation service provider. This is in line with best international practice.

As regards the current status of the work, I can advise the Deputy that a Steering Group comprising senior officials from my Department, the Chief Executive Officer of the IAA and the Aviation Regulation Commissioner is leading the preparatory work to implement the proposed changes including work on draft legislation. As previously outlined in December, the work of this Group is detailed and in some areas highly technical in nature. I expect the Steering Group will make recommendations to me in the first half of this year.

As I have explained before, the overall approach to the Government’s aviation regulation reform agenda is wholly in accordance with established practice for structural reform processes within the Irish public sector. There will be appropriate staff consultation throughout the process. There has already been engagement with the main staff representative body – Fórsa – and in all eventualities the commitment is that staff will transfer to the new structures on no less favourable terms and conditions, unless otherwise negotiated.

Recognising that such reform has a number of complex components, I am mindful of the need to manage the transition to the proposed new arrangements for aviation regulation in a careful and methodical manner. That includes in relation to the eventual enactment of supporting legislation. As I advised in December, while good progress is being made, there are still a number of stages to navigate on the way to the production of a draft Bill that can be put forward to the House for consideration.

This is an important project for the future of aviation regulation in Ireland. While the changes involved may be complex, they also provide a new opportunity for enhancing existing provisions. Throughout the change process, senior management in both organisations will ensure that business as usual continues for all external stakeholders.

Public Private Partnerships

Questions (71)

Eamon Ryan

Question:

71. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the way in which public private partnership arrangements will be used in new road construction projects in the next five years. [6692/19]

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Written answers

The National Development Plan 2018-2027 provides that the potential use of Private Public Partnerships for large scale infrastructure investment should continue to be assessed, where appropriate.

Within the capital budget available to it, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) is responsible (in accordance with the Roads Acts 1993-2015) for the planning, design, and construction of all national roads developments, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.

Noting the above position, I have, therefore, referred the question to TII for a direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.

A referred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 42A

Rail Services Provision

Questions (72)

Shane Cassells

Question:

72. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the population and employment figures needed in the Navan and Dunshaughlin areas of County Meath to commence a high-capacity rail link between Navan and Dublin; and if he has sought details from Meath County Council in respect of planning approvals and projected applications for the areas in making the determination that forecasts do not justify the expenditure and taken this into consideration. [6698/19]

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Written answers

The Deputy is aware that the National Transport Authority (NTA) has a statutory responsibility for the development and implementation of a Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area and such a Strategy was approved and published in 2016.

As part of its development, a detailed analysis of the “Navan Corridor” was conducted and is indeed available to view on the NTA’s website, at www.nationaltransport.ie. That study provides extensive detail on the forecasted demand and the design capacity offered by a full range of possible public transport modes, including heavy rail.

Based on that extensive analysis, the NTA’s Strategy stated that the level of travel demand between Navan, Dunshaughlin and various stations to Dublin city centre was insufficient to justify the development of a high-capacity rail link at that current time.

As the Deputy knows, the Strategy instead proposed a bus-based approach, with an enhanced bus service along the corridor and the development of a bus hub in Navan.

However, the Strategy and Project Ireland 2040 both state the issue of a rail link to Navan should be kept under review, which will take into account the scale of new and planned development along the route, and that in the meantime the corridor previously identified for a Navan rail link should be protected from development.

The issue of settlement and employment strategies is a matter for the relevant regional and local authorities in line with the overarching requirements set by the National Planning Framework.

In the draft Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy published by the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly, and I note that Navan is designated as a “Key Town” and that such towns “shall act as economic drivers and provide for strategic employment locations to improve their economic base by increasing the ratio of jobs to workers.”

In line with the commitments given both in the NTA's Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area and in the Government's Project Ireland 2040, the issue of a heavy rail link to Navan will be reviewed by the NTA in line with its statutory obligation to review its GDA Transport Strategy every six years.

Brexit Supports

Questions (73, 74)

Brendan Smith

Question:

73. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to provide specific additional funding to local authorities in the Border region such as counties Cavan and Monaghan; if regional routes that carry a heavy volume of traffic will be improved in view of the fact that improved road infrastructure is needed to reduce costs for business and commerce and the competitive challenges that will face many sectors in the region following Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6719/19]

View answer

Brendan Smith

Question:

74. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has put specific proposals for funding to the European Commission, given the urgent need to upgrade road infrastructure in the Border region due to the additional challenges for business and commerce in the region following Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6720/19]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 73 and 74 together.

I share the concerns of the Deputy in relation to the potential adverse effects of Brexit on the Border region. The Government remains firmly of the view that the best and only way to ensure an orderly withdrawal and protect the Good Friday Agreement is to ratify the Withdrawal Agreement, agreed between the EU and the British Government.

In 2018, following the publication of the National Development Plan and the National Planning Framework, Minister Donohoe and I wrote a joint letter to Transport Commissioner Bulc and Regional Policy Commissioner Cretu emphasising the considerable challenges facing Ireland in the transport sector and setting out how the NDP and NPF will inform future investments into the regions, including the West, Border and North West regions which will be particularly impacted by Brexit. We made the point that investment in infrastructure has the potential to mitigate the implications of Brexit in these regions.

A proposal for a new Regulation for the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) - the funding mechanism for TEN-T from 2021 - is also currently under consideration at EU level. A Partial General Approach was agreed in relation to this proposal at Transport Council last December, which would in principle mean that post 2020 calls for funding may be open to infrastructure on the Comprehensive Network in Member States where there is no land border with another EU Member State. If this is maintained as part of the final agreed Regulation, it will mean that organisations will continue to be eligible to apply for funding for projects coming within the application criteria after 2020.

My Department continues to liaise with the European Commission in relation to the TEN-T network in the context of Brexit, including in relation to the EU’s proposal outlined above, and my Department has raised Ireland’s concerns about the implications for connectivity and trade in light of the UK's decision to leave the EU.

In relation to roads and the Border Region, the National Development Plan sets out the Government’s ambition in this area. Chapter 4 of the NDP looks at how targeted investment can promote economic resilience in the border region in the context of Brexit. This Chapter touches on a range of measures including investment in transport links. The NDP includes references, among other projects, to the N2/A5 roads, the N14 from Manorcunningham to Lifford, the N52 Ardee Bypass, the N2 Slane Bypass, the N4 from Collooney to Castlebaldwin, and the N56 in Donegal.

Schemes on these routes are at various stages of development and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, in conjunction with the relevant local authorities, will be advancing the schemes on a phased basis within the overall capital budget available to it.

As regards regional and local roads, I have been pleased to be able to allocate significantly increased grant funding to local authorities over the last two years. In this context grant allocations to Cavan and Monaghan in 2019 are up over 40% compared to the 2017 allocation.

While the main focus continues to be on maintenance and renewal expenditure, some limited funding is available for Specific and Strategic road improvement grants. Any projects proposed by local authorities for consideration under the Specific or Strategic Grant Programmes are assessed by the Department on a case-by-case project basis and must comply with the requirements of the Public Spending Code and my Department's Capital Appraisal Framework.

Grant funding being provided to local authorities in border counties includes a grant to Cavan County Council to enable the Council to update previous appraisal work relating to an upgrade of the Cavan to Dundalk regional road route. The aim is to assess the extent to which the scheme or elements of it can be justified in terms of appraisal and advanced for further consideration.

Cycling Facilities Provision

Questions (75)

Maureen O'Sullivan

Question:

75. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to introduce similar segregated cycle paths on the north side of Dublin city in view of the success of the off-road cycle track parallel to the Grand Canal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6254/19]

View answer

Written answers

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 cycling and walking infrastructure.

Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for a more detailed reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days.

A referred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 42A

Taxi Licences

Questions (76)

Robert Troy

Question:

76. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the taxi advisory group is considering proposals to improve the availability of taxi services in rural Ireland; if revisions to the rural hackney scheme are being considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6693/19]

View answer

Written answers

Under the Taxi Regulation Act 2013, the National Transport Authority (NTA) is responsible for regulating the small public service vehicles (SPSV) sector. This sector encompasses taxis, hackneys and limousine services, and the regulatory framework applies to the vehicles, the drivers, and the services to the travelling public that they provide. The overall objective of the legislation and the regulatory framework is to protect the consumer interest and to uphold safety for the passengers. The rules do not limit the number of operators; rather, they concentrate on ensuring standards of safety and service that will benefit the public.

The 2013 legislation, and NTA's subsequent implementation of it, was informed by the Taxi Regulation Review Report, that was published by the Government in January 2012. Among its recommendations, the Review suggested the introduction of a local area hackney licence, so as to address transport deficits that would not otherwise be addressed in certain rural areas.

The NTA made Regulations permitting the issue of such licences with effect from December 2013. The aim was to enable a special part-time hackney service to be provided in rural areas which are likely to be too small to support a full-time taxi or hackney operation, and which are also too far away from adjacent centres to be serviced by normal taxis or hackneys from those adjacent centres.

To address transport deficits in certain rural areas, the Local Area Hackney licence continues to be offered by the NTA. However, take-up has been low. Despite the fact that the costs of a Local Area Hackney licence are deliberately set low and the some of the standards that must be met are lower than for an normal taxi or hackney operation, only a very small number of such licences are in use. The NTA has looked at this, and identified that one of the main deterrents to the take-up seems to be the cost to an operator of the insurance needed to cover carrying passengers for reward compared to the restricted nature of the part-time service that can be provided under the licence.

The NTA is currently undertaking a review of key aspects of taxi, hackney and limousine operations with the intention of developing a five-year strategy for the whole small public service vehicle industry. This Strategy will guide regulatory development for the sector over that timeframe.

With the assistance and input of the Advisory Committee on Small Public Service Vehicles, the review is considering a variety of issues including vehicle licensing, vehicle standards, driver licensing, wheelchair accessible vehicles, fixed payment offences, and technological developments. As part of its work, the review is looking at the matter of local area hackneys and the scope for improving their effectiveness in addressing rural connectivity gaps.

The NTA plans to conduct a public consultation process in the first half of this year on the proposals emerging from the review process. This will give the public and public representatives the opportunity to provide their views and to inform the outcome of the work. The outcome of the review will inform the NTA's regulatory strategies and operations, and if there are any recommendations on overall policy or legislation, then I will consider them fully with my Department.

Finally, Deputies will also be aware that the NTA also has a wider role affecting transport connectivity in rural areas, arising from its responsibilities for providing integrated local and rural transport. In the last few years, it has considerably developed the Rural Transport Programme - which it now operates under the "Local Link" brand - leading to expansion of the number of services provided, and with a substantial increase to the spending on the programme. NTA is currently conducting a pilot scheme to test evening and night-time services as part of the Rural Transport Programme. This pilot was recently extended and future arrangements will be informed by an evaluation of its experience.

Question No. 77 answered with Question No. 60.
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