Written Answers Nos. 441-459
441. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when he will announce successful applicants under the sports capital fund allocation for 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14957/19]
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 were for projects that were deemed invalid under the 2017 round of the programme that subsequently submitted corrected documents. These applications were assessed first and approximately €7 million in allocations to 170 projects were announced on 17 January.
Work is now underway in assessing the new 2018 applications.
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 the third quarter of this year before the full set of allocations under this current round of the programme are announced.
442. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the impact that the BusConnects policy will have regarding the restriction of traffic flow and access to the area of the national children's hospital has been given due consideration; if local residents' objections to BusConnects have been noted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14972/19]
View answerAs 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 development and implementation of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area including BusConnects.
Noting their responsibility in relation to this matter, I have forwarded your query to the NTA for their consideration and direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to notify my office if he has not received a reply within 10 days.
443. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of times to date in the past three years the Minister of State with special responsibility for tourism and sport has met directly a person, an organisation and its representatives (details supplied); if he will supply a schedule of those meetings; the nature of those meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15132/19]
View answerSince I became Minister of State with responsibility for Tourism and Sport in June of 2017 I have met with the CEO of the FAI on 4 occasions.
These are as follows
28 June 2017 at 10 a.m. - this was an opportunity for me to meet with the CEO as the new Minister and was part of a series of meetings with heads of sporting NGBs.
12 July 2017 at 11 a.m. - this was a joint meeting held with Minister Ross and myself to discuss funding for women’s soccer.
12 September 2017 at 12.15 p.m. to discuss Ireland hosting the Euro 2020 qualifying draw.
28 March 2018 at 9 a.m. with the CEO of the FAI and the Aviva Stadium Director on plans for Euro 2020.
Also as Minister of State with responsibility for Tourism and Sport I have from time to time met the CEO of the FAI at sporting events, facility visits and functions that I have attended in an official capacity.
444. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will redirect the funding that would have been used for the remainder of metro south to bring forward the timeline for delivery of metro west from Blanchardstown to Tallaght via Clondalkin (details supplied). [15139/19]
View answerAs the Deputy is no doubt aware, Metro West is not included in the National Transport Authority's (NTA) Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2016 - 2035.
The Strategy does include a proposed Luas to Lucan and I can inform the Deputy that Project Ireland 2040 provides funding for the planning, design and appraisal of that project.
Of course, the particular area referred to by the Deputy will also benefit from the investments planned under the DART Expansion Programme, which is another of the key flagship public transport projects to be funded under Project Ireland 2040.
In terms of orbital services, the Deputy will be aware that under BusConnects it is proposed to greatly enhance the provision of orbital bus services across the city, including on the west of the city.
As regards funding of MetroLink, the NTA and TII will submit a finalised business case to Government over the coming months once the current public consultation on the Preferred Route has concluded.
445. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the timelines and indicative costs for transport projects (details supplied). [15144/19]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport I have responsibility for policy and aggregate funding of public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the development and implementation of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area, including individual DART and Luas projects such as the Deputy refers.
Noting their responsibility in relation to this matter, I have forwarded your queries to the NTA for their consideration and direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to notify my office if he has not received a reply within 10 days.
447. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extra preparations he plans to make to facilitate persons and materials travelling through the port of Cork in the event of a no-deal Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9744/19]
View answer448. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extra preparations he plans to make to facilitate persons and materials travelling through Cork Airport in the event of a no-deal Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9745/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 447 and 448 together.
The Government has been clear that its approach to preparing for Brexit is aimed at minimising the impact it could have on our trade and our economy while seeking an orderly withdrawal of the UK from the EU.
The establishment of the additional controls at ports and at Dublin airport that would be required in a no deal Brexit scenario is being co-ordinated by an interdepartmental group under the chairmanship of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, with representation from a range of stakeholders across Government. The group has focused on three locations for which we are heavily dependent on connectivity to the UK, namely, Dublin Port, Dublin Airport and Rosslare Europort. The Office of Public Works has been tasked with delivering the required facilities for these agriculture, health and customs checks at these locations. Cork Airport and the Port of Cork are not expected to require any additional infrastructure to deal with any potential changes resulting from the UK’s departure from the European Union.
The establishment of air transport connections are the result of commercial agreements between airlines and airports. I have continued to reiterate the importance of the aviation industry, including airports, taking steps to prepare for Brexit and where possible to reduce their exposure.
As the Deputy will be aware, the European Commission last year put forward a draft legislative proposal aimed at ensuring basic air connectivity in a no deal Brexit scenario. The measures proposed will, subject to reciprocity on the part of the UK, provide a large degree of certainty to the Irish aviation sector and to the travelling public. The situation was further clarified on 7 March 2019, when the UK confirmed its intention to reciprocate the proposed measures. While this cannot mitigate the overall impact of a no-deal scenario, or the assurances contained in the negotiated Withdrawal Agreement, the fears that aircraft might not be able to fly are being addressed.
Government also supports the development of air connectivity and the expansion of air services more generally through funding from Tourism Ireland for cooperative marketing activity. Cooperative campaigns with partners facilitate increased marketing effort and help promote the destination more widely. An increased budget allocation in Tourism Ireland 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 encourage all airports to avail of this funding to optimise air services.
Cork Port is currently undertaking major capital infrastructure programmes and these programmes will enhance national and international connectivity, and provide for future increases in trade and national port capacity requirements by facilitating more vessels, larger sized vessels and increased tonnage and throughput.
My Department has also sought to assess the existing maritime capacity for direct sailings between Ireland and continental EU ports as a potential alternative route for trade currently using the Landbridge. My Department has established that there is capacity in ports other than Dublin and Rosslare that could be of some assistance in the event of a no deal Brexit. The main spare capacity available in 2019 is in relation to Lift-on/ Lift -off (LO-LO), in Cork, among others, and for bulk, rather than in respect of Roll-on / Roll-off traffic. However, shipping services are market driven and I believe that ferry operators will respond to economic developments and increase or decrease in capacity in response to market developments. There have already been responses from the shipping companies adding additional freight capacity on direct sailings to the continent, for example, Brittany Ferries has established a direct route from Cork to Santander in Spain, creating capacity for 35,000 additional freight units annually.
Should there be modal shift from RORO to LOLO the Port of Cork has spare capacity to cater for additional LOLO.
In addition, strengthening access routes to Ireland’s ports through investment to upgrade and enhance the road transport network is, and remains, a Government priority. Examples of such investments include the planned N28 Cork to Ringaskiddy Road to improve access to the Port of Cork.
449. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will request statistics from the rail accident investigation unit with regard to the number of accidents for each year since 2009 involving collisions between trains, cars and pedestrians at level crossings on the heavy rail system, in tabular form; if the type of crossing, the location and the accident category can be defined (details supplied) in terms of the occurrence reported to the European Rail Agency; if the required recommendations were acted upon in a timely manner to prevent such accidents from recurring; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15188/19]
View answer454. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of recommendations the rail accident investigations unit has made in relation to non-automated rail crossing points; if all the recommendations made in its reports since 2008 have been fully implemented to prevent the recurrence of further accidents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15293/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 449 and 454 together.
The Railway Accident Investigation Unit (RAIU) is a statutory body that performs its functions, independent of my Department, under the European Union (Railway Safety) (Reporting and Investigation of Serious Accidents, Accidents and Incidents) Regulations 2014 (S.I. No. 258 of 2014).
With regard to statistics, the RAIU have a statutory obligation under that statutory instrument and the associated EU Railway Safety Directive to publish, by 30 September each year, an annual report accounting for the investigations carried out in the preceding year, the safety recommendations that were issued and actions taken in accordance with recommendations issued previously. The RAIU is required to send a copy of the annual report to the European Union Agency for Railways, to the Commission for Railway Regulation and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. I do not request the RAIU to provide statistics in any other format.
The annual report publications for years 2008 to 2017 are available on the RAIU website at www.raiu.ie and contain summary details to indicate if an investigation concerned a level crossing including the location and particulars of the incident. The annual reports contain details in relation to safety recommendations issued each year, including any recommendations that relate to non-automated rail crossing points and the status on the actions taken in relation to those. Full details of safety recommendations issued by the RAIU are set out in the RAIU investigation reports which are also available on the RAIU website. The safety authority (the Commission for Railway Regulation) has a role under S.I. No. 258 of 2014 to take the necessary measures to ensure that the safety recommendations are duly taken into consideration and, where appropriate, acted upon.
450. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if volunteer coastguard rescue technicians were consulted prior to the Irish Coast Guard issuing a recent tender for life jacket replacements and cliff-climbing equipment; and if not, the reason. [15196/19]
View answerThe Coast Guard, which is a Division of my Department, is conducting tender processes for both life jackets and cliff climbing equipment. Both tenders are for replacements based on specifications already agreed. In other words, they are "like for like" and intended simply to replace stock which is coming to end of life in 2019. Expertise within the Coast Guard is available to determine whether changes to these specifications are required - which in these cases was not deemed necessary. The IRCG does not have "rescue technicians". However a Technical Advisory Group comprising both full-time and volunteer members was established as a sub-committee of the Coastal Unit Advisory Group to assist in such matters when required. The CUAG is also an important forum for volunteers to raise issues in relation to equipment. The CUAG is kept informed of these and other tender processes as appropriate.
451. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the way in which he plans to treat drivers with UK licences or licences that are approved by the UK (details supplied) in the event of a no-deal Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15242/19]
View answerIrish driver licensing law operates within a framework of EU law. It is important to remember that driver licensing law exists to ensure that people licensed to drive on our roads meet high standards of safety. The standards for testing drivers are set at EU level.
An EU driving licence is exchangeable for an Irish driving licence, except where the licence issued by the other Member State was itself issued in exchange for a licence from a state that is not a Member State, or a state that Ireland does not have a licence exchange agreement with. For example, if a Zimbabwean licence was exchanged for a UK licence, that UK licence can not then be exchanged for an Irish licence, as Ireland does not have a driving licence exchange agreement with Zimbabwe.
When people come to Ireland with a non-exchange licence, we have no option but to require them to go through the process of obtaining an Irish licence. While they will have to go through the normal driver learning process, as they have a full but non-exchange licence they can avail of the shorter Essential Driver Training of 6 lessons instead of the usual 12, and they do not have to wait the usual minimum of 6 months before taking a driving test.
452. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when he expects low carbon emission buses to be operational in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15289/19]
View answerAs 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 development and implementation of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area including the purchase of fleet for the PSO bus network.
Noting their responsibility in relation to this matter, I have forwarded your query to the NTA for their consideration and direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to notify my office if he has not received a reply within 10 days.
453. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the introduction of intelligent speed apparatus (details supplied); his views on such a measure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15290/19]
View answerThe European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union have reached a provisional political agreement on a number of proposed amendments to the General Safety Regulation (Regulation (EC) No. 661/2009). The proposed amendments will introduce a number of safety systems that will become mandatory for the manufacturing of new vehicles. The majority of these improvements will come into effect from 2022.
I favour these proposals as they will make our roads safer for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. As the Deputy will be aware, road safety has been a priority for me as Minister, and therefore I welcome the proposed changes and indeed any change that makes our roads a safer place for all.
The mandatory use of Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) systems for new vehicles is one element of the proposals and this system will alert motorists who drive over the speed limit and consequently should encourage drivers to stay within the proper designated speed limit. Although the design and intended operation of the system has not yet been agreed upon, the ISA system will not physically limit the speed of a vehicle as reported in some parts of the media recently.
455. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the obligations on the DAA to respond to reports of noise made by residents living in the environs of Dublin Airport to the relevant DAA phone number further to reports that no responses have been received from residents making noise complaints since January 2019; the obligations in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15311/19]
View answerMy Department does not hold the information requested by the Deputy. I have, however, forwarded your request to daa for direct reply to the Deputy. If you do not receive a reply from the Company within ten working days please contact my private office.
As the Deputy is aware, I am currently progressing the Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Bill, 2018 through the Houses. This Bill implements EU Regulation 598/2014 and designates Fingal County Council as the noise regulator for Dublin Airport. The Bill provides that in the future, complaints about noise will be made to the new Noise Regulator, which will have a strengthened noise monitoring role, and enforcement powers.
456. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of court prosecutions initiated by the Commission for Aviation Regulation in each of the years 2014 to 2018; the result of each of these court cases; the number and value of fines issued in each year; the value of fines collected each year; the value of fines still outstanding in respect of these prosecutions; the arrangements in place to collect the outstanding fines; if he will provide an age analysis of these outstanding fines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15338/19]
View answerSubject to Section 6 of the Aviation Regulation Act 2001, the Commission for Aviation Regulation is independent in the exercise of its functions. As this question relates to operational matters under these functions, I have referred the Deputy's question concerning court prosecutions and fines to the Commission for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to notify my office if he has not received a reply within ten working days.
457. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of court prosecutions initiated by the Commission for Taxi Regulation in each of the years 2014 to 2018; the result of each of these court cases; the number and value of fines issued in each year; the value of fines collected each year; the value of fines still outstanding in respect of these prosecutions; the arrangements in place to collect the outstanding fines; if he will provide an age analysis of these outstanding fines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15341/19]
View answerI believe the Deputy is referring to the National Transport Authority (NTA). The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry is a matter for the NTA under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013.
Accordingly, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply to him. I would ask the Deputy to notify my office if he has not received a reply within 10 days.
458. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of court prosecutions initiated by the Road Safety Authority in each of the years 2014 to 2018; the result of each of these court cases; the number and value of fines issued in each year; the value of fines collected each year; the value of fines still outstanding in respect of these prosecutions; the arrangements in place to collect the outstanding fines; if he will provide an age analysis of these outstanding fines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15343/19]
View answerThis is a matter for the Road Safety Authority. I have referred the question to the Authority for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response is not received within 10 days.
459. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of court prosecutions initiated by the National Transport Authority in each of the years 2014 to 2018; the result of each of these court cases; the number and value of fines issued in each year; the value of fines collected each year; the value of fines still outstanding in respect of these prosecutions; the arrangements in place to collect the outstanding fines; if he will provide an age analysis of these outstanding fines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15349/19]
View answerThe issue raised is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) and I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to advise my private office if he does not receive a reply within ten working days.
