Wednesday, 21 Apr 2021

Written Answers Nos. 404-422

Appointments to State Boards

Questions (404)

Michael Ring

Question:

404. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Transport if all vacancies (details supplied) are advertised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19825/21]

Written answers

Minister for Transport

Since 2014, all vacancies/positions on State boards are advertised openly on the State Boards portal www.stateboards.ie operated by the Public Appointments Service (PAS). Under Section 9 of the Department of Public Expenditure Guidelines 2014, there are a number of specific exceptions from the arrangements where it is open for Ministers to appoint Board members, other than in accordance with the process.

Information relating to board appointments for agencies under my Department's remit and the basis of that appointment is available here on stateboards.ie and here on my Department’s website.

Departmental Funding

Questions (405)

Alan Dillon

Question:

405. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Transport the details of the approval of funding for Mayo County Council (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19833/21]

Written answers

Minister for Transport

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from Council's own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the Council.

With regards to the construction of a new outdoor training facility for the Castlebar Regional Training Centre, a funding application was made by the Training Centre in conjunction with Mayo County Council and the Department has agreed a capped contribution of €2 million with the balance funded by the Training Centre. The timing of this funding contribution will be dependent on progress in constructing the new facility.

Taxi Regulations

Questions (406)

Duncan Smith

Question:

406. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Transport his plans to extend the ten-year period for replacing taxis for those registered in 2011 given that 2010 registered taxis were given an extension in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19860/21]

Written answers

Minister for Transport

The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) sector, including age limits for vehicles, is a matter for the statutory regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013.

Given the role of the NTA as regulator, I have referred your question to the Authority for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.

A referred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 51

Question No. 407 answered with Question No. 345.

Appointments to State Boards

Questions (408)

Michael Ring

Question:

408. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Transport if any person can apply for a position (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19880/21]

Written answers

Minister for Transport

The system for State Boards appointments is operated by the Public Appointments Service (PAS) and applies to all State Boards both commercial and non-commercial. Since 2014, all vacancies/positions on State boards are advertised openly on the State Boards portal www.stateboards.ie. Under Section 9 of the Department of Public Expenditure Guidelines 2014, there are a number of specific exceptions from the arrangements where it is open for Ministers to appoint Board members, other than in accordance with the process.

My Department has 19 agencies under its remit of which 16 have Boards. There are a further two advisory organisations which appear on my Department's website for Board appointments.

Information relating to board appointments for agencies under my Department's remit and the basis of that appointment is available here on stateboards.ie and here on my Department’s website.

Driver Licences

Questions (409)

Jennifer Whitmore

Question:

409. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Transport if he will address anomalies in relation to the issuing of driver licences (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19892/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Transport

This 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.

A referred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 51

Driver Licences

Questions (410)

Jennifer Whitmore

Question:

410. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Transport the steps that can be taken in relation to a person (details supplied) converting their driver licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19893/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Transport

There is a distinction between motorists with a foreign driving licence visiting Ireland and those living in Ireland. For non-residents, under the Convention on Road Traffic 1949 (Geneva Convention) drivers from Contracting States carrying a valid driver’s licence can drive on each other’s roads for up to a year when visiting.

If a person is resident in Ireland, they must have an Irish/EU driving licence.

Ireland has entered into driving licence exchange agreements with some countries. In such cases, a foreign driving licence that has expired by no more than 12 months will be accepted for exchange. The licence is only recognised for exchange purposes and is not valid for driving in Ireland. Ireland does not have a licence exchange agreement with the United Arab Emirates.

When people come to Ireland with a non-exchangeable licence, we have no option but to require them to go through the process of obtaining an Irish licence. This is a matter of public safety. While many may have a safe driving record, we have no way of measuring this.

People with a full but non-exchangeable licence go through the normal driver learning process but can avail of the shorter Essential Driver Training of 6 lessons instead of the usual 12, and they do not have to be a learner for the usual minimum of 6 months before taking a driving test.

Driver Test

Questions (411)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

411. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Transport when the licensed portal for NDI approved driver instructors will be opened again to allow instructors to upload lessons completed by persons awaiting a driving test and for persons who require medical assessment lessons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19906/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Transport

The purpose of the Road Safety Authority's Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) online portal is to allow ADIs to upload confirmation of a learner's completion of each individual module laid out in the Essential Driver Training (EDT) system.

As the Deputy is aware, EDT is currently suspended as level 5 restrictions specify that ADIs may only offer lessons to candidates who have completed all 12 of their required EDT modules and have a test date confirmed. No EDT data can be uploaded to the online portal, therefore, because no EDT is currently taking place.

Having previously allowed an additional 7 week window in which to upload any outstanding EDT sessions completed prior to the imposition of level 5, the Road Safety Authority has written to every ADI in the country to confirm that the facility to upload EDT through the online portal will be closed until EDT resumes.

Question No. 412 answered with Question No. 345.

Search and Rescue Service Provision

Questions (413)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

413. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport the status in respect of evaluations regarding the search and rescue contract; the name of the independent company and-or person that has been used to evaluate and-or advise on the tenders received; and the amount paid to the person and-or company in respect of their work to date. [20021/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Transport

A mid-term assessment of the CHCI IRCG contract was conducted in 2018 which covered a variety of performance issues relating to the contract and it also included the identification of issues and lessons to be taken into consideration in relation to a successor service. The assessement includes commerically senstive information and is not published. It has however been used as an important input to the considerations on the next successor service.

The assessment was conducted by Aerossurance Ltd, who were appointed by my Department in 2017, following an open procurement process, as aviation consultants for the Coast Guard. Their services include the provision of advice in connection with the Search and Rescue helicopter contract and related matters including future projects, contractual compliance and assistance in tender assessment.

Since Aerossurance were appointed in 2017, they have been paid the amount of €246,371 to date for their consultancy services generally for the IRCG. These services are much wider than the mid term assessment.

The Deputy refers to evaluation and advice in relation to tenders. Aerossurance Ltd, as the aviation consultants for the Coast Guard, is also working as part of the Project Team for the development of the new IRCG Aviation service. Since we are still at pre-tender stage, the question of evaluation or advice on specific tenders does not arise.

On this specific process, the Deputy will be aware from previous PQs on the matter, this process commenced in late 2019 to consider options for the next Search and Rescue Aviation contract as the existing contract comes to an end over the coming years. A Strategic Assessment and Preliminary Appraisal was conducted as a first step in the Publlic Spending Code process which went to Government in July 2020.

KPMG were subsequently appointed, in early November, to carry out the detailed business/economic assessment in line with the requirements of the Public Spending Code. This will be brought to Government in the next couple of months, after which a formal tender procedure will commence.

The current status of the procurement process can be referenced in the Published eTenders update on eTenders and our SAR Webpage

Coast Guard Service

Questions (414)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

414. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to a meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport in 2019 regarding the role of the Irish Coast Guard (details supplied). [20022/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Transport

I would like to thank Deputy Murphy for bringing this wide ranging meeting in relation to the role of the Coast Guard to my attention. The meeting touched on a variety of issues some of which are still current including the development of the successor aviation service for the Coast Guard which I understand is of particular interest to the Deputy. In that regard, I note that various issues were raised by the Committee members at the time in relation to a potential role of the Air Corps, the suitability of certain helicopter types, the value of the contract, etc.

I am happy to report to the Deputy that two years on, a project is now well advanced in relation to developing a detailed business case for the new service in compliance with the Public Spending Code. An initial report was brought to Government in July last, following approval by a Steering Group of state stakeholders. This report included a strategic assessment, setting out the context for SAR aviation programme, an organisational overview, and a survey of existing policies and strategies relevant to the programme. It identified the spending objectives of the programme including existing arrangements and relevant business needs. It also included an appraisal of various service delivery options, including the state assuming full responsibility for the service, either through the Air Corps or a dedicated IRCG Aviation Branch. Both were ruled out for a variety of reasons. The process is now at detailed business case stage which is focused on the remaining viable options. While it is not envisaged that the Air Corps take full responsibility for this service on the basis of that initial assessment, my Department was asked by the Department of Defence to explore the viability of the Air Corps providing some element of the SAR aviation service.

To be clear, I have no role in the business case development. This is being led by KPMG and a Project Team which includes officials in my Department and independent expertise. The outcome of this will be brought to Government shortly.

All relevant and reliable information on the current status of this project can be found on our dedicated SAR Webpage – including a very detailed update last week which addresses some of these issues in more depth.

Driver Licences

Questions (415)

Aindrias Moynihan

Question:

415. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport the reason a renewal licence has not yet issued to a person (details supplied) given that a full application with a medical report was made by post; when the licence will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20052/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Transport

All enquiries relating to driver licensing are handled by the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS), the provision of which I have delegated to the Road Safety Authority (RSA) under the relevant legislation. My Department does not have access to individual applications.

I have forwarded the Deputy's query to the RSA for direct reply. If he has not heard from them in 10 working days I would ask that he contact my office directly.

A referred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 51

Fishing Industry

Questions (416)

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

416. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Transport if his Department will re-engage with and arrange a meeting with a person (details supplied) to examine possibilities to compensate them for stability issues which were discovered on a vessel that they purchased from another European state rendering the vessel unfit for sea and unsafe and which left them in serious financial hardship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20063/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Transport

My Department has no role in providing financial compensation to the fishing sector. Such matters are within the remit of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). The individual concerned should make contact with DAFM to pursue such matters.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Questions (417)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Question:

417. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Transport if persons who have booked flights to a region from which travellers will need to quarantine in a managed facility will be entitled to a full refund from their airline in view of the recent introduction of mandatory hotel quarantine. [20086/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Transport

Consumer rights for overseas travel are protected under EU law, which of course applies in Ireland. Air passenger rights are protected by Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004, which places the legal obligations on airlines in respect to refunds for flight cancellations in the following situations:

- Flights departing from airports within the EU and European Economic Area (EEA).

- Passengers departing from 'third countries' that arrive into airports located within the EU/ EEA, provided the flights are operated by air carriers which are licensed within the EU/ EEA, provided they have not already received compensation or assistance in that third country.

Where a flight is cancelled then the consumer must receive a refund within seven days. However, there is no legal onus on airlines to refund where a flight goes ahead. Where there is a requirement for travellers to quarantine in a hotel on their arrival to Ireland, they may wish to review the terms of their booking for information on refundable fares or rebooking options. I do understand, however, that in cases where a cash refund is not required under law, airlines have been issuing vouchers and/or credit notes because of the special circumstances arising from Covid-19.

If any individuals are unclear about their air passenger rights, the Commission for Aviation Regulation has a dedicated web site for consumers www.flightrights.ie.

Question No. 418 answered with Question No. 329.

Public Transport

Questions (419)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

419. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport the percentage of public transport infrastructure that is fully accessible for persons with disabilities; and his active plans to increase accessibility across all forms of public transit. [20222/21]

Written answers

Minister for Transport

As Minister for Transport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.

Under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, the National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for promoting the development of an integrated, accessible public transport network.

In light of the NTA's responsibilities in this matter, I have forwarded your question to the NTA for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.

A referred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 51

Fuel Oil Specifications

Questions (420)

Michael Creed

Question:

420. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn the benefits of hydrotreated vegetable oil fuel as a direct substitute for regular diesel without the requirement for modifications to the vehicle; the supports available to assist the establishment of this fuel source as an alternative to diesel; the treatment and regulation by the Revenue Commissioners of this fuel source; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20248/21]

Written answers

Minister for Transport

Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) is a form of renewable diesel that can be used as a replacement fuel or blended with fossil based diesel without any technical issues.

Diesel is currently blended with up to 7% FAME (fatty acid methyl esters), which is the maximum amount allowed for diesel to remain within the EN590 fuel standard. As HVO can be deployed as a substitute for diesel or blended with fossil diesel in higher proportions than 7% and still meet the specifications for EN590, it offers great potential for the continuing decarbonisation of diesel fuel. It has several advantages relative to FAME, including reduced NOx, increased storage stability and improved cold flow properties. However, supply of HVO can be limited and demand for the product will continue to be high. Cost is therefore a key consideration when compared to diesel or FAME.

The current Climate Action Plan (2019) has set out an indicative target of a 12% biofuel blend in diesel by 2030 and to achieve this, it will be necessary to deploy HVO as part of the fuel mix. In September 2019, a public consultation was launched on the path for the Biofuels Obligation Scheme over the period of 2021 to 2030. The consultation, which closed in November 2019, has been helping to inform the development of an updated Policy Statement on biofuels and the next iteration of the Climate Action Plan, both of which will set out the planned approach to the use of biofuels and other renewable transport fuels for the coming years. The Policy Statement is well advanced, and I expect that it will be finalised and published in the coming weeks.

The tax treatment of HVO or any other transport fuels is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Finance.

Cycling Policy

Questions (421)

Gerald Nash

Question:

421. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Transport the potential costs to the Exchequer associated with the expansion of the bike sharing schemes outside of Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Cork cities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20251/21]

Written answers

Minister for Transport

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to cycling and public transport infrastructure. The management of bike sharing schemes is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA), which works closely with the relevant local authorities.

Noting the NTA's responsibilities in the matter, I have referred your question to the NTA for a more detailed reply . 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 51

Cycle to Work Scheme

Questions (422)

Gerald Nash

Question:

422. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Transport the estimated costs associated with expanding the bike to work scheme or a similar initiative to include students in higher education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20252/21]

Written answers

Minister for Transport

As the Deputy may be aware, tax policy including the Cycle to Work scheme is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Finance, in the first instance. I very much welcomed the announcement of increased thresholds under the existing Cycle to Work Scheme as part of the 2020 July Stimulus package. The increases are in line with the commitment made in the Programme for Government.

To address the Deputy's question regarding plans to expand the scheme, and noting the Minister for Finance’s responsibilities in the area, I believe the issue can be considered more fully in the context of my Department’s review of Sustainable Mobility Policy which is currently ongoing. I intend that the new policy framework will provide a strategic backdrop to the increased investment planned by this Government across the sustainable mobility programme, including active travel, and look forward to the completion of this important work in 2021.