Thursday, 21 Jan 2021

Written Answers Nos. 21-40

National Broadband Plan

Questions (21)

Denis Naughten

Question:

21. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason a home (details supplied) and the adjoining properties have not been included in the intervention area (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the fact that these premises are not included on the NBI build despite the problem being brought to the attention of his Department in advance of the mapping exercise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3257/21]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The premises referred to in the Question is located in the BLUE area on the NBP High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie.

BLUE areas are not included in the State intervention area covered by the National Broadband Plan as commercial operators are already providing high speed broadband or have indicated future plans to do so. My Department defines high speed broadband as a connection with minimum speeds of 30Mbps download and 6Mbps upload. The activities of commercial operators delivering high speed broadband within BLUE areas are not planned or funded by the State and my Department has no statutory authority to intervene in that regard.

I am advised that a query was previously raised regarding the premises referred to in the Question and at the time it was suggested that there was a suspected line fault impacting service. I understand that the advice was for the residents to raise a service fault through their Retail Service Provider for investigation by eir.

Notwithstanding that I have no statutory authority to intervene in the matter, my Department has raised a further query with eir regarding the broadband service being provided to the premises and nearby premises. As soon as a reply is received my Department will revert to the Deputy with a further update.

Waste Management

Questions (22)

Joe Carey

Question:

22. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No. 10 of 14 January 2021, if the working group between an association (details supplied) met with the Data Protection Commission on the issue; if not, when engagement is scheduled to take place; when a resolution will be reached; the circumstances under which local authorities presently provide CCTV to assist in monitoring sites for illegal dumping; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3289/21]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The County and City Management Association (CCMA) and the Data Protection Commission are both independent bodies and neither I nor my Department are in a position to comment on the scheduling of meetings between the two.

My Department has asked to be kept abreast of the working group discussions and, in particular, of any outcomes, This could inform work on a commitment in the Government's Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, to ensure that all waste enforcement legislation will be “data proofed” so that all available and emerging technologies can be fully utilised for enforcement activities in a manner which is General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliant. However, I believe that the commitment in the Action Plan is required to future-proof for emerging technologies, whether or not the working group identifies any particular recommendations on current usage.

The use of CCTV and other audio-visual recording (AVR) equipment to assist waste and litter enforcement efforts is primarily an operational matter for local authorities.

National Broadband Plan

Questions (23)

Michael Collins

Question:

23. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if broadband will be provided to a property (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3321/21]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The Question refers to a premises which is located in the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website www.broadband.gov.ie. The AMBER area represents the area to be served by the network to be deployed under the NBP State led intervention.

I appreciate people's frustration when they are living so close to a fibre network but cannot get a connection to that network, particularly given the heightened importance of connectivity during the Covid-19 pandemic. The NBP will ensure that in all such cases a future proofed high speed broadband network will be built to serve these premises and work to deliver on this is underway.

I am advised by NBI that, as of 15 January 2021, over 161,000 premises across all counties have been surveyed. Surveys in County Cork have been completed in Midelton, Cullen, Templebreedy, Carrigaline, Ballyfoyle, Douglas, Ballyphehane, Glasheen, Mahon, Kilpatrick. Build works for the NBI network are underway in Carrigaline, Fountainstown, Ballinhassig, Monkstown, and Upper Rochestown. Further details are available on specific areas within County Cork through the NBI website which provides a facility for any premises within the intervention area to register their interest in being provided with deployment updates through its website www.nbi.ie. Individuals who register with this facility will receive regular updates on progress by NBI on delivering the network and specific updates related to their own premises as works commence. I am aware that concerns have been raised regarding the level of information available on the deployment of the NBI network and I am advised that NBI is working to provide more detail on its website, with a rolling update on network build plans. NBI also has a dedicated email address, [e-mail], which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.

Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are a key element of the NBP providing high speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. As of 10 January, 243 publicly accessible BCP sites have been installed by NBI and the high speed broadband service will be switched on in these locations through service provider contracts managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development. BCP’s are installed and connected at Ballindangan Community Centre, Aghabullogue Community Centre, Castletownkenneigh Community Centre, Lissavard Community Centre, Whitechurch Community Centre and T.O. Park Labbamollaga. Further details can be found at https://nbi.ie/bcp-locations/.

Clogagh and Ballycroneen National Schools are planned to be connected by NBI for educational access as part of this initiative. My Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high speed broadband, within the intervention area for connection over the term of the NBP. In this regard, an acceleration of this aspect of the National Broadband Plan was announced in December which will see some 700 primary schools connected to high speed broadband by 2022, well ahead of the original target delivery timeframe of 2026. Further details are available on the NBI website at https://nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/.

Inland Fisheries Ireland

Questions (24)

Alan Dillon

Question:

24. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if there are recruitment plans (details supplied) for the western region during 2021; if so, the locations in which those positions will be based; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3328/21]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The recruitment of staff is a day to day operational matter for Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), working within the funds voted by the Oireachtas, including salary funding, and the Employment Control Framework (ECF) as regards permanent staff numbers determined by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

My Department has not been advised of any plans by IFI to recruit additional staff in any area in 2021.

Grant Payments

Questions (25)

Darren O'Rourke

Question:

25. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the State-funded retrofitting grants available in 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3338/21]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

My Department funds a number of grant schemes to support homeowners, communities, commercial and public sector bodies to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. These are administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

The SEAI residential retrofit schemes offer partial grants for individuals who can afford to contribute to the cost of upgrades as well as free energy efficiency improvements for people at risk of energy poverty. Since 2000, over 400,000 homeowners have upgraded their homes with support from these schemes, representing nearly one home in four across the country. This has resulted in warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes that are easier and cheaper to heat and light. Budget 2021 provided €221.5 million in capital funding for SEAI residential and community retrofit programmes. This represents an 82% increase on the 2020 allocation and is the largest amount ever for the schemes.

Further information on the residential supports is available at https://www.seai.ie/energy-efficient-homes/.

SEAI grants that enable businesses and the public sector to become more energy efficient include the Community Energy Grants, Excellence in Energy Efficient Design (EXEED) and the Public Sector Retrofit Pathfinder programmes. Since 2018, over €44 million in capital funding has supported energy related projects in over 240 public buildings and supported over 600 beneficiaries under the business energy supports schemes. SEAI also administer the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat which provides grant supports for the installation of heat pumps, and operation support (i.e. multi-annual support for biomass and anaerobic digestion heating systems). Budget 2021 provided €38 million in capital funding for SEAI commercial and public sector programmes.

Further information on the business and public sector supports is available at https://www.seai.ie/business-and-public-sector/.

The information requested for 2021 is presented in the table below.

2021 Grants

Better Energy Homes Scheme Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme Better Energy Warmth and Wellbeing Scheme National Retrofit Programme (One Stop Shop Development Scheme) Community Energy Grants (formerly Better Energy Communities) Better Energy Finance Scheme Solar PV Sustainable Energy Communities Excellence in Energy Efficient Design (EXEED) Support Scheme for Renewable Heat Project Assistance Grants

Grant Payments

Questions (26)

Darren O'Rourke

Question:

26. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the total funding provided by SEAI in retrofitting grants in 2019 and 2020 by the total funding provided in each local authority area in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3339/21]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) administers a range of grant schemes to support homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. Partial grants are available for individuals that can afford to contribute to the cost of upgrades as well as free energy efficiency retrofits for people at risk of energy poverty.

The following tables present public funding in 2019 and 2020 per county under the schemes where such data breakdown is available.

	2019 data in EURO		Preliminary 2020 data in EURO
County	Total per county	County	Total per county
Carlow	1,085,332	Carlow	445,912
Cavan	1,136,870	Cavan	667,032
Clare	1,224,908	Clare	813,069
Cork	6,225,727	Cork	5,626,208
Donegal	1,946,554	Donegal	1,061,412
Dublin	28,906,149	Dublin	20,176,467
Galway	3,623,368	Galway	2,503,888
Kerry	1,717,276	Kerry	1,447,622
Kildare	3,051,671	Kildare	2,359,287
Kilkenny	1,391,444	Kilkenny	950,916
Laois	1,049,672	Laois	563,510
Leitrim	491,090	Leitrim	248,923
Limerick	1,895,482	Limerick	1,595,632
Longford	514,765	Longford	317,337
Louth	2,451,028	Louth	1,017,683
Mayo	2,568,052	Mayo	1,489,265
Meath	3,527,062	Meath	2,446,556
Monaghan	445,065	Monaghan	521,023
Offaly	1,088,571	Offaly	747,500
Roscommon	854,616	Roscommon	938,725
Sligo	948,760	Sligo	882,846
Tipperary	2,615,004	Tipperary	1,785,321
Waterford	2,740,063	Waterford	1,808,695
Westmeath	1,595,326	Westmeath	1,056,539
Wexford	2,159,384	Wexford	1,761,225
Wicklow	2,702,971	Wicklow	2,015,792
Total	77,956,210	Total	55,248,383

Expenditure reported for Better Energy Homes, Better Energy Warmer Homes, Deep Retrofit and Solar PV schemes refers to grant expenditure only.

In addition, projects under Community Energy Grant and Better Energy Finance schemes typically aggregate properties from across a number of counties so it is not possible to report expenditure on a county by county basis. The expenditure for these schemes is shown in the tables below.

	2019 data in EURO		Preliminary 2020 data in EURO
Community Energy Grants	20,511,983	Community Energy Grants	18,703,000
Better Energy Finance	870,000	Better Energy Finance	50,000
Total	21,381,983	Total	18,753,000

Expenditure reported for Community Energy Grants refers to total capital expenditure. Expenditure for Better Energy Finance is rounded.

In certain cases, expenditure can be incurred and accounted for in a year different to the year when projects are physically completed and counted as such.

Grant Payments

Questions (27)

Darren O'Rourke

Question:

27. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if equality impact assessments have been conducted on retrofitting schemes; if so, the findings of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3340/21]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) administers a range of grant schemes to support homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. Partial grants are available for individuals that can afford to contribute to the cost of upgrades as well as free energy efficiency retrofits for people at risk of energy poverty.

Since 2000, over 400,000 homeowners have upgraded their homes with support from these schemes. Over 142,000 of these were free upgrades for lower income households. This has resulted in warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes that are easier and cheaper to heat and light.

€221.5 million in capital funding has been provided this year through my Department's Vote to the SEAI for residential and community retrofit schemes. This represents an 82% increase on the 2020 allocation and is the largest amount ever for the schemes. Of this amount, €109 million is allocated to provide free upgrades for lower income households with the balance of €112.5 million to be spent on expanding existing SEAI grant schemes and introducing new initiatives.

The Programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit 500,000 older homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2/cost optimal and to install 400,000 heat pumps in existing buildings over the next 10 years. The development of a new retrofit plan to achieve these targets is well underway. The impacts of the plan will be considered in line with the requirements of the Government approval process.

A new Statement of Strategy for my Department is currently being developed in accordance with the requirements of the Public Service Management Act 1997. An important part of the development process involves scanning the external environment to ensure that the Strategy reflects changes and challenges in society and the economy, including any statutory requirements such as the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014. I will ensure that the relevant requirements of that Act are fully reflected in the Statement of Strategy.

Grant Payments

Questions (28)

Darren O'Rourke

Question:

28. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of persons on waiting lists for each SEAI grant scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3341/21]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) administers a number of grant schemes to support homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. Partial grants are available for individuals that can afford to contribute to the cost of upgrades as well as free energy efficiency retrofits for people at risk of energy poverty.

€221.5 million in capital funding has been provided this year through my Department's Vote to the SEAI for residential and community retrofit schemes. This represents an 82% increase on the 2020 allocation and is the largest amount ever for the schemes. Of this amount, €109 million is allocated to provide free upgrades for lower income households with the balance of €112.5 million to be spent on expanding existing SEAI grant schemes and introducing new initiatives.

The free upgrade schemes are directly provided by contractors procured by SEAI while the other schemes allow homeowners to procure their own contractor, secure approval from SEAI and draw down a grant once the works are completed.

There are currently over 7,000 homes on the Warmer Homes Scheme work programme with approximately 310 on the Warmth & Wellbeing work programme. This includes homes that are:

· currently undergoing works;

· have been allocated to contractors for works;

· have completed an initial home survey and are awaiting allocation to a contractor,

· or are awaiting the initial survey of their home.

Eligible homes are allocated on a first come, first served basis, and the average time between application and allocation to a contractor is now 22 months. In addition to the increased budget for the schemes referenced above, capacity by the industry to deliver more activity has also increased due to a new, broader contractor panel to provide works which commenced at the end of 2020.

Under the Better Energy Homes programme, works must be completed within an 8 month period, starting from the date of grant approval. Applicants are responsible for selecting their registered contractor and ensuring works are completed to the programme requirements. Better Energy Homes does not assign contractors to applicants so there is no equivalent scheme work programme.

Aggregation based schemes under the National Retrofit Programme approve applications which meet the qualifying criteria on an ongoing basis until the annual budget is exhausted. Work on these schemes can commence as soon as grant approvals are given to each project with works to be completed by mid-October this year.

Full details on the application processes for schemes operated by the SEAI are available at www.seai.ie.

COVID-19 related restrictions have impacted the delivery of retrofit activity under the various schemes. Works are currently suspended in line with the public health measures in place under Level 5 as announced by Government on 6 January, and will recommence as soon as the public health advice allows.

Departmental Schemes

Questions (29)

Denis Naughten

Question:

29. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if a school (details supplied) has completed its evaluation of the warmth and well-being pilot scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3409/21]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The Warmth and Wellbeing pilot scheme aims to objectively measure and validate the health and wellbeing impacts of improving the living conditions of vulnerable people living in energy poverty with chronic respiratory conditions. The scheme is a collaboration between my Department and the Department of Health and is jointly administered by the Health Service Executive and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. Since 2016 over 1,200 homes have received free upgrades to their homes, including attic and wall insulation, window and door replacement and heating system upgrades where needed.

According to SEAI, the average cost per home completed to date is €22,800. This investment has significantly improved the warmth and comfort of the homes. Initial reports have indicated that the upgrades are also delivering benefits to the health and wellbeing of participants, including reports of needing fewer GP and hospital visits. An independent analysis is being carried out by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), in collaboration with the Health Service Executive.

The research element of the scheme has experienced significant delays due to complications associated with GDPR, Brexit and more recently the COVID-19 emergency.

Every effort is being made to progress the research as quickly as possible and I will be publishing the results when they are available. Publication is now planned for the second half of this year. The findings will inform Government’s approaches to retrofitting, especially with regard to those who are more vulnerable and at risk of energy poverty.

Flood Risk Management

Questions (30)

Denis Naughten

Question:

30. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No. 16 of 14 January 2021, if the rainfall data over the past decade are a more accurate indicator of future rainfall in view of projections of more significant rainfall particularly in the west of Ireland due to climatic changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3432/21]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) has been advised by Met Eireann - Ireland's National Meteorological Service - that international best practice supports the use of longer reference periods to most accurately capture long-term climate variability. A minimum length of 20 years is generally recommended - for example, the upcoming report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will use the period 1995 - 2014 and the World Meteorological Organisations recommends 30 years.

Reference periods of 1980 - 2000 or 1980 - 2020 are commonly used both internationally and in Ireland. However, for the purposes of the GSI flood maps, with advice from Met Eireann and working with the Office of Public Works, these periods are extended forwards and backwards to capture a broader range of weather events which have impacted turloughs. As such, the reference period includes flooding that occurred within the last decade up to and including late 2019. I therefore have no plans to change the reference period.

Grant Payments

Questions (31)

Darren O'Rourke

Question:

31. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on the uptake of SEAI grants particularly in relation to persons on lower incomes due to the high cost of energy efficiency works that are not covered by existing grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1582/21]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) administers a number of grant schemes to support homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. Partial grants are available for individuals that can afford to contribute to the cost of upgrades as well as free energy efficiency retrofits for people at risk of energy poverty.

Since 2000, over 400,000 homeowners have upgraded their homes with support from these schemes. Over 142,000 of these were free upgrades for lower income households. This has resulted in warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes that are easier and cheaper to heat and light.

€221.5 million in capital funding has been provided this year through my Department's Vote to the SEAI for residential and community retrofit schemes. This represents an 82% increase on the 2020 allocation and is the largest amount ever for the schemes. Of this amount, €109 million is allocated to provide free upgrades for lower income households with the balance of €112.5 million to be spent on expanding existing SEAI grant schemes and introducing new initiatives.

The Programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2/cost optimal and to install 400,000 heat pumps in existing buildings by 2030. While SEAI grant schemes will be central to achieving these targets, Government recognises that additional action is required to mobilise private capital and develop financial models that are suitable for each householder group. That is why financing will be a key pillar of our national retrofit plan.

In this regard, my Department is engaging with the Department of Finance and the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland in relation to alternative measures that could further reduce the financing cost of retrofit for homeowners.

National Broadband Plan

Questions (32)

Darren O'Rourke

Question:

32. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the way in which high-speed broadband will be provided to areas not covered under the national broadband plan and in which commercial operators are reluctant or refuse to extend existing lines even by a few metres to other homes and businesses in need of high-speed broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1583/21]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The High Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie , shows the areas which will be included in the National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led intervention as well as areas targeted by commercial operators. The map is colour coded and searchable by address and Eircode.

Commercial areas defined as BLUE on the NBP map are not included in the State intervention area covered by the National Broadband Plan as commercial operators are already providing high speed broadband or have indicated future plans to do so. My Department defines high speed broadband as a connection with minimum speeds of 30Mbps download and 6Mbps upload. The activities of commercial operators delivering high speed broadband within BLUE areas are not planned or funded by the State and my Department has no statutory authority to intervene in that regard as they operate in a fully liberalised market regulated by ComReg as independent regulator.

The NBP network will offer users a high speed broadband service with a minimum download speed of 500Mbps from the outset. This represents an increase from the 150Mbps committed to under the Contract. The deployment plan forecasts premises passed in all counties within the first 2 years and over 90% of premises in the State having access to high speed broadband within the next four years.

I understand, however, that some homes and businesses in Blue areas on the NBP map have experienced difficulty getting a reliable high-speed broadband service and my Department is proactively engaged in dealing with any such anomalies to ensure no home or business is left behind. It remains open to the Department to bring additional premises into the National Broadband Ireland roll-out plan under the NBP contract where no commercial high-speed broadband service is available from any of the commercial operators.

Of the 2.4 million premises across Ireland, 77% of premises now have access to high-speed broadband of more than 30 Mbps. National Broadband Ireland, NBI, will address the remaining premises through the National Broadband Plan State intervention. In many parts of the country, very high capacity networks are now becoming the norm. For example, 40% of subscriptions are for services offering speeds in excess of 100 Mbps. There are more than 225,000 fibre subscriptions across the country, representing a 55% increase on last year.

A number of commercial operators have announced further investment plans in high-speed broadband. Eir has said it will roll out fibre to a further 1.4 million premises, bringing their fibre deployment to some 1.8 million premises. SIRO is currently completing the first phase of its fibre deployment which will see 375,000 premises passed with gigabit services. Virgin Media is offering 250 Mbps as a standard offering with 500 Mbps and 1 Gbps available to many of their customers across the more than 1 million premises that they cover. Many other network operators and telecom service providers across the State also continue to invest in their networks.

Consultancy Contracts

Questions (33, 34, 35)

Dara Calleary

Question:

33. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Transport the amounts paid by his Department in 2019 or 2020 to any company or organisation for the production of a document (details supplied), including funds paid to any relevant subcontractor; and the dates of payment of each document. [3018/21]

Dara Calleary

Question:

34. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Transport the number of meetings held between the former Minister for Transport, departmental officials and a consultancy organisation in relation to preparing a report (details supplied) in 2019 and in 2020; the date of each meeting; the names of the officials that attended in tabular form; and if a copy of departmental notes, minutes or briefings in advance of or following each meeting will be provided. [3019/21]

Dara Calleary

Question:

35. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Transport the number of and dates of meetings held between the former Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, departmental officials and Irish Rail in relation to preparing a report (details supplied) in 2019 and 2020; the date of each meeting; the names of the officials who attended in tabular form; and if a copy of departmental notes, minutes or briefings in advance of or following each meeting will be provided. [3020/21]

Written answers

Minister for Transport

I propose to take Questions Nos. 33 to 35, inclusive, together.

At the outset I think it useful to clarify the various roles and responsibilities in relation to the production of the two reports referred to by the Deputy.

In line with a decision of the previous Government, Iarnród Éireann commissioned EY economic consultants to undertake a financial and economic appraisal (sometimes also referred to as a preliminary appraisal) of a proposed re-opening of the Western Rail Corridor Phases 2 and 3. EY were commissioned by Iarnród Éireann following a competitive procurement process and Iarnród Éireann submitted a final report to my Department in July 2020. Management and oversight of EY’s work programme was a matter for Iarnród Éireann in line with their contractual arrangements, including payment of any fees.

Separately my Department arranged for JASPERS, an agency of the European Union / European Investment Bank, to conduct an independent review of the proposal once the work referred to above was complete. JASPERS provides advisory services to Member States (and other public authorities in the EU) and has extensive experience in relation to transport infrastructure proposals in European regions. There were no payments made to JASPERS in respect of this work as JASPERS’ services are available to Member States.

I am informed that there were no meetings of the type described the Deputy, viz. the former Minister and his Department meeting with Iarnród Éireann, EY or JAPSERS about preparation of the EY Report or the JASPERS Review.

For the Deputy's information, I can confirm that, following completion of the JASPERS Review, my Department and I held a virtual meeting with JASPERS. The meeting discussed the recently completed Review and also discussed the potential funding opportunities available generally at a European level to support our extensive sustainable mobility investment programme.

I can also confirm that, as is standard practice, my Department met with Iarnród Éireann and EY on two occasions during the course of their work in 2019: the first, introductory, meeting took place on 4 April shortly after Iarnród Éireann commissioned EY, with a second meeting held on 4 July 2019 at which a general update was provided. Following submission of a draft report by Iarnród Éireann in November 2019, a third meeting was held on 24 February 2020 which focussed on an initial Departmental review of the draft report and a technical assessment of the report as an economic appraisal with reference to relevant Public Spending Code and Common Appraisal Framework guidance.

Finally, in relation to JASPERS, I can confirm that there is ongoing engagement between my Department and JASPERS as part of their provision of advisory services in relation to aspects of our sustainable mobility investment programme, and that ongoing engagement would have included discussions in relation to their work on the review of the Western Rail Corridor Phases 2 and 3.

Legislative Measures

Questions (36)

Eoghan Murphy

Question:

36. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if future legislation regulating e-scooters will include a legal requirement to have suitable lighting appropriate to the speeds at which they travel. [3107/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Transport

As the Deputy may be aware, electric scooters are a type of powered personal transporter (PPT). PPTs are classed as mechanically propelled vehicles, the use of which requires a valid licence, tax and appropriate insurance in accordance with Section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1961. As PPTs do not fall under any existing vehicle category, it is not currently possible to tax and insure them and there is no separate licence category for them. Therefore they may not be used on public roads and in public places. However, their use is permitted on private land with the permission of the landowner.

My intention is to legislate for the use of e-scooters in accordance with the Programme for Government. This involves identifying and developing appropriate amendments to primary legislation across a range of complex areas. The work must be carried out in such a way that it does not undermine the overall framework of Road Traffic Law or Road Safety in general. At all times road safety is the primary concern and suitable lighting on vehicles is a requirement for all vehicle users on our roads.

My officials are currently working on drafting the necessary changes to primary legislation. I intend to bring forward amendments to the relevant enabling primary legislation when the Road Traffic (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill is before the Oireachtas.

Electric Vehicles

Questions (37)

Richard Bruton

Question:

37. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport the current range of electric vehicles that can be considered as taxis; and if there is a case for expanding same to allow the more cost-effective smaller vehicle participate. [3115/21]

Written answers

Minister for Transport

The National Transport Authority (NTA) has developed a comprehensive and detailed set of standards by which all vehicles operating in the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry must comply. These standards are explained in NTA’s Initial Suitability Inspection Manual (available at nationaltransport.ie) and include minimum specifications for age, size, accessibility and comfort. The primary aim of these requirements is to ensure the quality of vehicles in the SPSV sector. All SPSVs are tested for suitability before they are first licensed as SPSVs and again prior to renewal of the vehicle licence.

The following table outlines the current list of suitable electric powered SPSVs as provided by the NTA.

	Battery Electric (BEV)		Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV)
Make	Model	Make	Model
Nissan	Leaf	Mitsubishi	Outlander
Tesla	Model S	Kia	Niro (PHEV)
Tesla	Model 3	BMW	530E
Kia	Niro	Landrover	Range Rover (PHEV)
Tesla	Model X	Mercedes	S500e (PHEV)
Nissan	eNV200 Evalia	Volkswagen	Passat GTE
		Porsche	Cayenne E Hybrid

To encourage electric vehicles (EVs) in the SPSV fleet, the Taxi Regulation (Small Public Service Vehicle Regulations 2015) provide discretion with regard to a smaller luggage space requirement for vehicles running on alternative fuels. Specific internal dimensions must still be achieved in order to meet SPSV licensing requirements; such considerations include interior leg room and sufficient space to carry a folded wheelchair. Where the interior dimensions are met, the vehicle can be licensed as an SPSV. The NTA are always looking to increase the choice of vehicles suitable for SPSV use and will continue to evaluate new EVs when they are made available on the market.

The transition of the SPSV fleet towards zero/low-emission vehicles has an important role to play in effecting a substantial reduction in transport CO2 and of air pollutant emissions, particularly in Irish towns and cities due to the high mileage travelled by these vehicles, the stop/start and idling nature of their work, as well as the predominance of fossil fuels within the sector. Increasing the uptake of electric vehicle (EVs) in the SPSV sector also has a strong leadership and demonstration effect on the public, introducing more people to low/zero emission mobility options. As such, I was delighted to announce the continuation and extension of the Electric Small Public Service Vehicle (eSPSV) Grant Scheme in 2021. Under this scheme enhanced supports, up to €20,000, will be now made available for eligible taxi and hackney drivers switching to EVs. The Scheme is administered by the NTA and I expect the new Scheme Rules for 2021 to be published shortly.

In addition, several vehicle manufacturers are poised to launch new EV models in 2021, which will be evaluated by the NTA once they become available to determine their suitability as an SPSV. I expect that the combination of increasing vehicle choices, the generous purchase grants, and the roll out of dedicated recharging infrastructure will precipitate a steady greening of our SPSV fleet over the coming years.

Electric Vehicles

Questions (38)

Richard Bruton

Question:

38. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport if support for longer term finance packages have been considered as an alternative to grants to encourage the take up of electric vehicles since the profile of savings from electric driving can make such schemes more attractive than upfront purchase. [3116/21]

Written answers

Minister for Transport

Government has put in place several key policies and provided generous incentives to encourage the transition from conventional fossil fuel vehicles towards lower emitting fuels and technologies including electric vehicles (EVs). EVs are a prominent mitigation measure in the Climate Action Plan and Ireland has set an ambitious target of 936,000 EVs on our roads by 2030.

My Department has convened an Electric Vehicle Policy Pathway Working Group to produce a roadmap to achieving the near one million EV target by 2030 and to continue the concerted efforts across several Departments to hasten the current trajectory of EV sales. The Working Group has considered regulatory, financial and taxation policies to help drive a significant ramp-up in passenger EVs and electric van sales from very early in the decade.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Questions (39, 55)

Neale Richmond

Question:

39. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Transport if he has liaised with the Minister for Health to consider introducing restrictions or banning of travel from South American countries in light of the new Covid-19 variant identified in Brazil; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3117/21]

Darren O'Rourke

Question:

55. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the number of persons that arrived into the airports here in December 2020, by country of departure; the number that completed a passenger locator form in December 2020 and received a follow-up by phone call; his views on whether stricter testing and quarantine restrictions are needed on all international arrivals at ports and airports here to try to prevent further importations of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2122/21]

Written answers

Minister for Transport

I propose to take Questions Nos. 39 and 55 together.

Statistics on passengers arriving into Ireland through State Airports by country of departure are compiled on a weekly basis. To note also these are based on last leg of the journey and last point of Departure rather than where a passenger may have originated. Details on passengers would not be gathered by the State Airports.

Statistics on the countries of departure for passengers arriving into Dublin, Cork and Shannon Airports from overseas destinations from the 30th November 2020 – 3rd January 2021 inclusive are set out in the tables below. Transfer passengers are not included in the arrivals statistics for airports as Ireland is not the final destination for these passengers who do not leave the airport before travelling onwards. All statistics set out below are provisional figures provided by the airports and are subject to change:

Arrivals through Dublin Airport: Country of Departure	30 Nov - 6 Dec 2020	7 Dec - 13 Dec 2020	14 Dec - 20 Dec 2020	21 Dec - 27th Dec 2020	28th Dec - 3rd Jan 2020	Total
Austria	0	0	197	0	158	355
Belgium	240	319	871	391	486	2,307
Bulgaria	313	309	413	391	246	1,672
Canada	470	473	465	181	301	1,890
Denmark	0	0	267	264	222	753
Finland	0	53	108	84	72	317
France	784	801	1,832	2,033	2,892	8,342
Germany	308	388	2,620	1,681	2,036	7,033
Greece	98	110	114	45	163	530
Hungary	325	256	304	286	484	1,655
Italy	0	247	895	515	1,316	2,973
Latvia	257	111	367	396	287	1,418
Lithuania	274	245	438	584	669	2,210
Luxembourg	88	89	173	107	133	590
Malta	0	0	120	125	117	362
Moldova	258	129	255	366	445	1,453
Netherlands	2,875	3,261	4,053	1,982	2,320	14,491
Poland	1,455	1,257	2,166	3,250	4,884	13,012
Portugal	1,072	970	1,182	1,256	2,059	6,539
Qatar	198	359	402	78	338	1,375
Republic of Ireland	198	208	262	179	391	1,238
Romania	797	570	798	738	1,182	4,085
Slovakia	0	0	302	216	373	891
Spain	2,626	2,510	2,958	2,860	5,128	16,082
Sweden	162	209	410	118	173	1,072
Switzerland	0	0	835	489	567	1,891
Turkey	642	538	553	439	706	2,878
UAE	888	1,657	1,134	476	1,106	5,261
United Kingdom	6,861	8,823	17,451	586	574	34,295
USA	1,537	1,599	2,660	1,419	1,275	8,490
Total	22,726	25,491	44,605	21,535	31,103	145,460

Arrivals through Cork Airport: Country of Departure	30 Nov - 6 Dec 2020	7 Dec - 13 Dec 2020	14 Dec - 20 Dec 2020	21 Dec - 27th Dec 2020	28th Dec - 3rd Jan 2020	Total
Netherlands	283	439	495	286	292	1,795
Poland	0	0	260	231	289	780
United Kingdom	424	467	1,336	0	0	2,227
Total	707	906	2,091	517	581	4,802

Arrivals through Shannon Airport: Country of Departure	30 Nov - 6 Dec 2020	7 Dec - 13 Dec 2020	14 Dec - 20 Dec 2020	21 Dec - 27th Dec 2020	28th Dec - 3rd Jan 2020	Total
Algeria	6	0	0	0	0	6
Barbados	0	0	0	0	9	9
Cook Islands	0	1	0	0	0	1
France	6	38	0	1	0	45
Germany	0	0	0	2	0	2
Italy	78	0	0	0	0	78
Republic of Ireland	0	0	0	3	7	10
Poland	0	0	0	119	94	213
Russia	27	0	0	0	0	27
Spain	0	4	0	0	0	4
UAE	0	0	9	0	0	9
United Kingdom	0	57	973	2	0	1,032
USA	2	0	7	9	7	25
Total	119	100	989	136	117	1,461

My Department has no role in relation to the receipt of or follow-up actions relating to the passenger locator form. The Minister for Health is responsible for this matter.

The extent to which the public, including arriving passengers, are advised to either restrict movement, adhere to other public health measures or undertake Covid-19 testing is based on the advice of the public health authorities. My Department assists with the implementation of public health measures in relation to international travel, as decided by Government following relevant public health advice.

The Government continues to advise against non-essential international travel and that essential travel is undertaken with due regard to public health safety measures.

With effect from 16 January 2021, all passengers arriving into Ireland (unless exempt) are required to have a evidence of a negative or ‘not detected’ result from a pre-departure COVID-19 RT-PCR test that was carried out no more than 72 hours prior to arrival in Ireland. Passengers are asked to present evidence of their negative/‘not detected’ result before boarding their airplane and will be denied boarding if they cannot produce such evidence or do not claim to fall into an exempt category.

Passengers who arrive in an Irish airport or seaport without the required evidence , and who are not in an exempt category, commit an offence and may be subject to prosecution, punishable by a fine not exceeding €2,500 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or both.

Exemptions included international transport workers such as hauliers, airline and maritime crew. It also includes children aged 6 and under.

In line with the EU Traffic Light system on arrival, passengers from ECDC red/grey locations and other locations are advised to restrict their movements for 14 days, but may release themselves from the advice to restrict their movements if they have a second negative result from a RT-PCR test taken no less than 5 days post arrival. This approach to post-arrival testing does not apply to travel from Great Britain, South Africa or South America who are advised to complete the entire 14 day period of self-isolation.

Arrivals from green and orange countries (as defined by the EU traffic light system) will not be required to restrict their movements on arrival but must adhere to the local public health guidance.

There are no direct flights to Ireland from South America.

The Government is keeping all measures relating to international travel under review.

Greenways Provision

Questions (40)

Niall Collins

Question:

40. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Transport the status of his plans to connect Limerick city to the Great Southern Greenway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3124/21]

Written answers

Minister for Transport (Deputy Eamon Ryan)

As the Deputy may be aware, there are two principal programmes supporting the development of greenways.

Firstly there is the programme administered directly by my Department under the Strategy for the Future Development of National and Regional Greenways. This programme typically supports greenways focussed on leisure and tourism albeit my intention is to ensure the better integration of such greenways with their local communities and active travel needs.

Under this programme I awarded funding of €150,000 to progress pre-construction planning and design into the extension of the Great Southern Greenway from Rathkeale to Patrickswell in July of 2020. I would expect an application for construction funding to follow should a feasible route be identified. At that stage it would be expected that an examination of route options between Patrickswell and Limerick City would be carried out in conjunction with the National Transport Authority (NTA). Separately, under the same greenways programme, I was pleased to allocate funding of €2.5 million to support improvement works on the existing Great Southern Greenway from Rathkeale to the county boundary where it will link up with the section under construction near Listowel.

Secondly there is the programme of urban, commuter focussed greenways in each of the five cities which is administered by the NTA. Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter I have referred your 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 51