Written Answers Nos. 188-202
188. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Transport the number of illegal taxi operators detected in 2019 and 2020; the number of illegal operators detected in each county; the number of illegal operators prosecuted in each county in tabular form; the efforts that the National Transport Authority and his Department have taken to address the issue of illegal taxi operators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48776/21]
View answerThe regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including enforcement and compliance in the SPSV sector, is a matter for 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.
189. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport if the NCT centre in Killarney, County Kerry, is closing and combining with Tralee's; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48782/21]
View answerThe operation of the National Car Test Service, including the allocation of resources and test centres, is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority, and I have no role in these matters. I have therefore referred the question to the Authority for direct reply.
I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
190. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport if funding will be provided for a bus shelter in a town (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48786/21]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure, including the provision of bus stops and shelters.
Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for a direct reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days.
191. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Transport if he will make temporary changes to allow class D/DE licence holders to drive HGV type vehicles under class C to counter the current shortage of HGV drivers in the country. [48790/21]
View answerThe content of driving tests are set at European Union level and are set out in Directive 2006/126/EC. There are differences in the driving tests for trucks and buses and any changes to allow bus drivers to drive trucks, even on a temporary basis, would have to be made at European Union level.
It is not my intention to make changes to the driving licensing regulations to allow bus drivers (category D) to drive trucks (category C) without meeting the necessary requirements.
192. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding an NCT test centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48829/21]
View answerThe operation of the National Car Test Service, including the allocation of resources and test centres, is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority, and as Minister I have no role in these matters. I have therefore referred the question to the Authority for direct reply.
I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
193. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Transport if he plans to use his power to increase by statutory instrument the fixed charge penalty notice fine for offences such as parking on a footpath, driving on a pedestrianised street, driving in a bus lane and to also introduce penalty points for such egregious offences. [48836/21]
View answerMy Department is currently working with both the Office of Parliamentary Counsel and An Garda Síochána in relation to such matters.
194. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport if the lifting of restrictions in October 2021 will also remove the restriction on sanitary and toilet facilities at driver test centres to allow access to instructors, students and those accompanying learner drivers to lessons and tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48842/21]
View answer195. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Transport if the lifting of restrictions in October 2021 will also remove the restriction on sanitary and toilet facilities at driver test centres to allow access to instructors, students and those accompanying learner drivers to lessons and tests. [48843/21]
View answer196. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if the lifting of restrictions in October 2021 will also remove the restriction on sanitary and toilet facilities at driver test centres to allow access to instructors, students and those accompanying learner drivers to lessons and tests to use these facilities. [48892/21]
View answer197. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Transport if the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions in October 2021 will also remove the restriction on sanitary and toilet facilities at driver test centres to allow access to instructors, students and those accompanying learner drivers to lessons and tests. [48896/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 194 to 197, inclusive, together.
Under legislation, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) is the body responsible for the operation of the Driver Testing Service. This is an operational matter for the RSA. This question is therefore being referred to the Authority for direct reply.
I would ask the Deputies to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
198. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Transport if there is a shortage in drivers for the Local Link bus service due to the restriction which prevents operators from using drivers over 70 years of age. [48904/21]
View answer199. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Transport the amount of funding allocated to the Local Link service in each of the past five years; the factors that determine the annual funding allocations; and his plans to expand the service. [48905/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 198 and 199 together.
As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.
It is the National Transport Authority (NTA) which has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally. The NTA also has national responsibility for integrated local and rural transport, including management of the Rural Transport Programme which operates under the Local Link brand.
My Department provides aggregate funding for Local Link services to the NTA.
Since 2018 the total annual allocation for Local Link services has included funding for rural regular services from the Public Service Obligation (PSO) budget provision. The total allocation amounts, including PSO allocations, are outlined below,
2016 - €12.2m
2017 - €14.4m
2018 - €19.5m
2019 - €21.0m
2020 - €23.4m
2021 - €28.2m
In light of the NTA's responsibilities in the matters raised by the Deputy, I have referred your questions to the NTA for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
200. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport if a roads project (details supplied) in County Kerry will be funded in order to progress in 2022, given the importance of the continuation of this project for the social and economic life of the district it serves; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48929/21]
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 operation and upgrading 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.
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.
201. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport the status of an application for roads funding for the final element of a project (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48930/21]
View answerThe 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 local authorities' own resources supplemented by State road grants, where applicable. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.
My Department provided grant funding of €3.9 million to Kerry County Council under the Specific Improvement Grant Programme for the completion of the Dingle Relief Road. As regards further works, any projects proposed by local authorities for consideration under the Specific/Strategic Grant Programmes are assessed by the Department on a case-by-case basis. All projects put forward by local authorities for consideration must comply with the requirements of the Public Spending Code and the Department's Capital Appraisal Framework (CAF). Given the limited funding available for road improvement works it is important for local authorities to prioritise projects within their overall area of responsibility with these requirements in mind. Any projects put forward for consideration are assessed taking competing projects and available budgets into account.
My Department has not received any further application from Kerry County Council for additional specific improvements works (Phase 5 works) on the Dingle Relief Road.
My Department is currently funding other Specific Improvement schemes in County Kerry including the R556 Dale Road, Tralee to Fenit realignment, Clash Cross to Ballymullen as well as the Strategic Tralee Northern Relief Road project.
202. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Transport the public transport project included in the NDP for Connacht; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48976/21]
View answerThe National Development Plan (NDP) provides €35 billion for transport over the next decade, the largest investment in transport in the history of the state, and will transform how we travel, connect communities and help us to halve our greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. It provides for significant investment in active travel, bus and rail infrastructure over the next ten years in terms of expanding sustainable mobility options in our cities, towns and villages, supporting our ambition for compact growth and seeking to develop our regional cities.
BusConnects, which is a strategic investment priority of the NDP, will be substantially delivered in all five cities, including Galway, by 2030. It will be substantially delivered in all five cities across the country, including Galway, massively expanding access to public transport and radically improving cycling infrastructure as well. It will completely overhaul the current bus system in Galway by implementing a network of ‘next generation’ bus corridors (including segregated cycling facilities) on the busiest routes to make journeys faster, predictable and reliable. BusConnects will enhance the capacity and potential of the public transport system by increasing and replacing the bus fleets with low emission vehicles and introducing a new system of ticketing known as Next Generation Ticketing and cashless payments.
On active travel Connacht will benefit from the increased investment committed to under the NDP, with around €28million allocated to local authorities in the province in 2021 alone. The Safe Routes to School Programme, which aims to provide safe infrastructure for walking and cycling around schools, will form part of this Active Travel spending going forward. I am delighted to say that thirty schools in Connacht have been selected to receive funding under Round 1, with additional schools in the province due to enter the Programme as it progresses over the next number of years.
I am particularly conscious that improved access to public transport cannot just be about the five cities, we need to increase that access in rural and regional Ireland too. This NDP proposes an investment of around €350 million planned in rural and regional bus fleets across the country, including Connacht. The NDP also provides the capital funding required to support the delivery of Connecting Ireland in the coming years which will seek to significantly improve bus services in rural Ireland.
In rail, the NDP will support major transport-led developments in Galway, with funding allocated to support the redevelopment of Ceannt Station, as well as increased investment to expand commuter rail infrastructure and services on the Athenry to Galway Corridor. The rail network generally in Connacht will benefit from the increased investment this NDP provides to support enhanced protection and renewal of the network leading to improvements in service reliability and journey times over the period. The potential of the Western Rail Corridor is being considered as part of the all-island Strategic Rail Review which has now commenced following the appointment of Arup consultants.
Finally, light rail is another of the strategic investment priorities of the NDP and the feasibility of light rail in Galway will be considered again as part of next year’s review of the Galway Transport Strategy.
