Written Answers Nos. 199-219
199. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to a number of incidents nationally involving cars that have been sold to underaged, unlicensed and uninsured drivers and the harm that is being done nationwide due to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24778/20]
View answerUnder section 30 of the Road Traffic Act 2004, it is an offence to supply a mechanically propelled vehicle to a minor. A person found guilty of this offence is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding €5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both. “Supply” includes supply by way of sale, hire, loan, gift, or other means of making the vehicle available to a person.
There is no legal requirement to hold a valid driving licence or car insurance in order to purchase a vehicle, nor should there be. A person - an adult - may purchase and own a vehicle which another person may drive on their behalf. The driving of a vehicle, however, does require a licence and insurance.
Enforcement of the Road Traffic Acts and the enforcement of criminal law generally is a matter for the Gardaí.
200. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport the estimated cost to restore the CIÉ subvention to 2008 levels. [24796/20]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.
Since 2010, the award of public service obligation (PSO) funding falls under the independent statutory remit of the National Transport Authority (NTA). The allocations to the transport companies are decided by the NTA in exercise of its statutory mandate and in accordance with the various contract arrangements that it has in place with the various PSO service providers, including the operating companies within the CIÉ Group.
The 2008 Exchequer expenditure on PSO was €308.6m. For 2020, the aggregate Exchequer allocation provided under Budget 2020 was €288.7m, but the actual expenditure this year will be far higher than that allocation (and well in excess of the 2008 level) because the Exchequer is making substantial additional funding available for PSO in order to deal with the impact of Covid-19 on the public transport sector.
201. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Transport the number of organisations which wrote to either him or his predecessors or the National Transport Authority in support of the implementation of the Greater Dublin Area Cycling Network of the National Transport Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24828/20]
View answerAs Minister for Transport I am very much committed to encouraging a greater uptake in the numbers walking and cycling. The new Programme for Government – Our Shared Future sets out an ambitious and wide-ranging set of commitments in relation to walking and cycling, supported by an increased multi-annual budgetary allocation amounting to some €1.8 billion over the lifetime of the Government which will ensure the provision of improved active travel infrastructure in our major cities.
The Deputy will be aware that my Department receives a vast amount of correspondence in relation to various matters, including walking and cycling infrastructure.
I can confirm to the Deputy that numerous pieces of correspondence supporting the plan have been received; however, correspondence is not recorded in a manner that allows for the provision of the type of detailed information requested.
In relation to correspondence received by the National Transport Authority 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.
202. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport if capacity of the travel agent industry to survive the Covid-19 crisis has been assessed; and if a special range of supports will be developed in view of the particular circumstances of the sector.. [24900/20]
View answer213. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Transport his plans to help save jobs in the travel agents industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25330/20]
View answerI am aware of the serious difficulties arising for Irish licensed travel agents and tour operators in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and the catastrophic collapse of overseas travel and tourism.
The sector continues to benefit from a range of State supports made available for SMEs - including the wage subsidies - and the State is also providing a special financial guarantee under a Refund Credit Note scheme for the sector, which makes the credit notes that licensed travel agent and tour operators issue to their customers a very secure proposition. Credits notes to the value of €17m have already been issued to consumers under the scheme – under which their value is guaranteed by the State - and this is money that the industry would otherwise have had to pay back in cash refunds.
I know that businesses in the sector are looking for more, and the Irish Travel Agents Association has made representations on behalf of its members for additional financial supports in the form of top-ups to business support schemes announced in the July Stimulus. These are being considered.
203. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport when Kishogue rail station will open; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24946/20]
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 planning and development of stations in the Greater Dublin Area in the first instance.
However, it is my understanding that the works needed to allow Kishogue station to open will be completed later this year. An official opening date for the new station has not yet been established as the timing of the opening will have to take into account the on-going impact on public transport capacity of the Covid-19 public health emergency. This aspect will be kept under review by the NTA over the coming months.
204. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Transport the reason a person (details supplied) has not received a reply from the motor tax office. [24955/20]
View answerI have no function in relation to turnaround times in motor tax offices, which operate under the local authority system. I would suggest that contact be made directly with the relevant local authority motor tax office.
205. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Transport if he will ensure that Irish Rail communicates the methods used in its MCA matrices to residents affected by the DART+ upgrade in Dublin West in an accessible format such as a printed leaflet before the end of the month to ensure that residents have time to review the documents before the submission deadline on 7 October 2020. [24975/20]
View answer206. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide details of the houses that will be affected as per the DART+ public consultation pack in MCA 1, Section 3.1 Noise and Vibration and 3.2 Air Quality and Climate (details supplied). [24976/20]
View answer207. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Transport if Irish Rail will provide all documentation (details supplied) related to the creation of two documents used for the DART+ public consultation in Dublin West. [24977/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 205, 206 and 207 together.
I have no doubt that the Deputy welcomes the transformative programme of investment planned under DART+ which will provide a sustainable, electrified, reliable and frequent rail service significantly increasing capacity on all the rail corridors serving the Greater Dublin Area, through investment in infrastructure and new fleet.
I was very pleased to offically launch the non-statutory consultation period on DART+ West recently and welcome the online publication of a significant amount of material related to that consultation.
I would note that the National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of the DART+ Programme which also includes the public consultation underway.
Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA, in consultation with Iarnród Éireann (IÉ), for a more detailed direct reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days.
208. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the location of a commemorative plaque (details supplied) which was removed from Gormanston train station; the date on which it will be reinstated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25091/20]
View answerAs the Minister for Transport, 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 issue raised is an operational matter 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 response within ten working days.
209. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Transport if the wearing of helmets by cyclists will be made compulsory; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25094/20]
View answerMaking the wearing of helmets compulsory for cyclists is an issue which has arisen a number of times over the years. It is a long-standing Government policy to recommend and promote the wearing of helmets. The Rules of the Road booklet encourages the use of cycle helmets and draws attention to their safety benefits, and the Road Safety Authority, the agency responsible for public education and awareness, strongly encourages their use.
However, opinion is divided internationally on whether the wearing of safety helmets is best achieved through the introduction of statutory requirements or through other strategies. Making the wearing of helmets compulsory would raise a number of difficulties. For example, if wearing helmets were made compulsory it would be necessary to have some kind of enforcement system with penalties, presumably fines, for cycling without a helmet. Whilst enforcement might be possible, it could create considerable strain on Garda resources, and indeed on the courts.
The matter was considered in the context of the preparation of the Road Safety Strategy 2013 – 2020. Although the Strategy strongly favours encouraging the use of helmets, it stopped short of recommending making their wearing compulsory. International studies also show that making the wearing of helmets mandatory results in a decrease in the number of people cycling.
It is my view that the wearing of cycle helmets is better achieved by way of educational and publicity campaigns rather than by pursuing a punitive approach to the issue, particularly having regard to the large numbers of children and young people who cycle. Consequently I have no plans to make the wearing of bicycle safety helmets a legal requirement at this time.
210. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Transport when a person (details supplied) will be facilitated in relation to a driver test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25153/20]
View answerThe operation of the Driver Testing Service is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority.
I have therefore referred the question to the Authority for direct reply to this individual’s case. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
211. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Transport the advice given by the National Transport Authority to his Department or other Departments on the issue of taxi drivers and the impact of Covid-19 on their work practices and income and their need to return to work; and the date the advice was received. [25160/20]
View answerSince March of this year, the Department of Transport and the National Transport Authority (NTA), the statutory regulator have been in constant communication, working together and in conjunction with other Government Departments in relation to the impact of COVID-19 on public transport, including the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry. This collaboration has sought to support the industry and to ensure that SPSV operators can avail of the range of COVID-19 financial support measures to the greatest extent possible.
Among the measures available to support SPSV operators are the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and the Enterprise Support Grant, which is available to assist eligible self-employed recipients who come off the Pandemic Unemployment Payment with a once-off grant of up to €1,000. This grant can be used towards the costs associated with reopening a business, including the purchase of cleaning materials and personal protective equipment.
Self-employed SPSV operators, who were profitable in 2019 but not in 2020 due to COVID-19, may be able to avail of an income tax relief allowing for up to €25,000 of losses from this year to be offset against profits from 2019. They can also avail of liquidity and investment measures such as the COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme and the COVID-19 Business Loans Scheme, both of which fall within the aegis of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
212. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Transport the number of individual service cancellations on PSO funded Bus Éireann services scheduled to have operated from Sligo bus depot since 1 March 2020; the estimated number of passengers affected by these cancellations; the steps Bus Éireann plans to take to reduce the number of service cancellations at the depot; the number of service disruptions as a result of mechanical failures at same depot since March 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25222/20]
View answerAs the Minister for Transport, 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 issue raised is, in the first instance, an operational matter for Bus 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 response within ten working days.
Question No. 213 answered with Question No. 202.
214. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Transport if TII is in receipt of correspondence from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to a project (details supplied); the engagement of TII with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and with his Department in relation to the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25399/20]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and securing exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is also subject to the Public Spending Code Guidelines and the necessary statutory approvals. In this context, TII is best placed to advise you on the status of this project.
Noting the above position, I have referred your question to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
215. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Transport when he will fill the number of vacancies on the board of the Road Safety Authority. [25403/20]
View answerA recruitment process with the Public Appointments Service (PAS) to fil vacancies on the Board of the Road Safety Authority was advertised at the end 2019 with a closing date in January 2020.
As advised by the Public Appointments Service (PAS), no decisions on State Board appointments were to be made until a new Government was in place. Therefore, the appointment process was paused temporarily until a new Government was formed.
The process to fill these vacancies has now been resumed and appointments will be made in due course.
216. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Transport the annual departmental funding allocated to the Dublin bikes rental scheme and other similar public rental schemes operating in counties Cork and Galway since the inception of each scheme. [25404/20]
View answer217. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Transport if there are departmental plans to open up new public rental schemes. [25405/20]
View answer218. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Transport the details of future allocated departmental budget to the Dublin bike rental scheme. [25406/20]
View answer219. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Transport the departmental funding provided or allocated for the expansion of the Dublin bikes scheme as laid out in the Dublin bikes Strategic Planning Framework 2011-2016 document. [25407/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 216 to 219, inclusive, together.
As Minister for Transport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to sustainable mobility infrastructure. However, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations including the development and management of public bike schemes. Decisions, including allocations to schemes, contracts, operation and expansion of existing and proposed bike schemes fall under the remit of the National Transport Authority (NTA).
Noting the NTA's responsibilites in the matter, I have referred your questions to the NTA for a more detailed reply . Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
