Written Answers Nos. 222-245
222. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Transport the level of analysis that was conducted by the Government on the capacity of the Defence Forces to provide a search and rescue service to the State prior to the Government decision to put the service out to tender for a cost of €800 million; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3895/22]
View answerAn initial Strategic Assessment and Preliminary Appraisal report was prepared by my Department and brought to Government by the then Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in July 2020, following approval by the Steering Group.
The report took on board key learnings from the existing service and contractual arrangements. 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 including the significant challenges of establishing such a service before the current contract expires and the level of risk which would be assumed by the State.
While it was acknowledged in the preliminary report that the Air Corps would not be in a position to take full responsibility for the service, the Department of Transport agreed to explore the viability of the Air Corps providing some element of the SAR aviation service at the request of the Department of Defence as part of this phase.
The Air Corps proposal, received in March 2021, was considered in the business case as part of a so-called “hybrid” option whereby the Air Corps would provide one helicopter base with a fixed wing component, which would then require a civil operator to provide the remaining element to meet the specification for the national service. The Air Corps provided costings in their proposal for their element. KPMG supplemented with estimates for the costs of the civil operator element. The business case analysis demonstrated, among other things, that there is an inherent cost implication in splitting the helicopter service between two or more providers.
The single provider option can achieve economies of scale and address availability requirements more cost effectively. There is flexibility in relation to how the fixed wing element, which would be a new element of the service, could be provisioned.
However, provision has been made within the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire to allow for the Air Corps to undertake the Fixed Wing element of the service when / if it has capacity.
223. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport the up-to-date position regarding the delivery of the M20 project; the anticipated timelines for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2595/22]
View answerAs Minister for Transport I have responsibility for overall policy and 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 and the necessary statutory approvals.
The N20 road corridor options are currently being progressed by TII with rail-based alternatives as comparators. These options include a new motorway, the M20, or the upgrading of various sections along the existing N20. The two rail scenarios being considered include the existing Cork to Limerick rail line and a new rail line from Charleville to Limerick. The road options largely follow the existing N20 corridor.
An online public consultation on the possible route options, carried out by the N/M20 Project Team, had unprecedented public engagement with the closing date for submissions extended by four weeks from the 18 December 2020 to the 15 January 2021. In order to take into account possible changes to appraisal requirements, the assessment work on options continues, with a preferred route to be selected by Quarter 2 of this year and public consultation to follow.
Subsequent to this, work on scheme design and environmental evaluation will be undertaken, in addition to the scheme Business Case, which is required under the Public Spending Code. The scheme Business Case is expected to be submitted to the Department of Transport and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in early 2023. Subject to its approval, the submission of statutory documents for the project to An Bord Pleanála will follow thereafter. TII has allocated €6 million to the scheme for 2022.
Noting the above position, I have referred your question to TII for a direct reply as to the latest status of this project. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
224. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Transport the total spend on the Dunkettle interchange project to date; the estimated savings that have been made; if he will provide an update on the progress of the project; the estimated timeline for completion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2253/22]
View answerAs Minister for Transport I have responsibility for overall policy and 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 and the necessary statutory approvals. In this context, TII is best placed to advise you on the current status and funding 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.
227. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Transport the engagements he has had with an association (details supplied) in relation to e-scooters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12200/22]
View answer228. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Transport his views on the paper on e-scooters by an organisation (details supplied); if Departmental officials have considered the recommendations put forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12201/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 227 and 228 together.
Ensuring the safety of road users, especially vulnerable road users, is a priority for my Department as we legislate for e-scooters in line with our Programme for Government commitments. To this end, my Department sought and received submissions to consultation in 2019 and again in 2021 from stakeholders including the Irish Wheelchair Association. A subsequent representation from the NCBI, Irish Wheelchair Association and Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind was also received in 2021.
The Deputy will be aware that the Road Traffic and Roads Bill proposes the introduction of a new category of vehicle to the Road Traffic Acts called powered personal transporters, which will include micromobility vehicles like e-scooters. Vehicles designed and constructed for a person with restricted mobility are precluded from the scope of this category of vehicle. All relevant road traffic legislation will apply to powered personal transporters, however unlike mechanically propelled vehicles such as cars, vans, trucks and buses, registration, taxation and licensing will not be required.
The Bill provides for powers to set out in Regulations minimum technical and safety standards for such vehicles and rules for their safe use. Many of the recommendations in the submission from the Irish Wheelchair Association which the Deputy has shared refer to matters proper to those Regulations and will be considered in that context.
I would also advise the Deputy that the Road Traffic Acts do not provide for powers to establish or govern public or private vehicle rental schemes and accordingly I do not have a role in this regard. The governance of such schemes is a matter for the local authorities.
229. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Transport the current waiting times for NCT test centres in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12206/22]
View answer247. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Transport the reason that a NCT date was cancelled in the case of a person (details supplied); if an emergency test date or a further extension will be given; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12305/22]
View answer248. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Transport the reason that a NCT date was cancelled in the case of a person (details supplied); if an emergency test date or a further extension will be given; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12306/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 229, 247 and 248 together.
The operation of the National Car Test (NCT) service is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority and 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.
230. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Transport if a request for funding for the Bus Éireann bus station at Monaghan town has been received by his Department; if so, the works included in the application; if he will ensure that funding is provided to carry out works at the station; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12252/22]
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/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.
231. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Transport the public transport services that are available leaving locations in County Monaghan; the frequency of each service; the corresponding services available in January 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12253/22]
View answerAs 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 National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally.
In light of the Authority's responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's specific question in relation to the public transport services that are available leaving locations in County Monaghan, the frequency of each service and the corresponding services available in January 2019, to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
233. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if a public services card is still a mandatory and or compulsory requirement to apply for a driving licence; if he and the national driver licence service have received any communications from the Department of Social Protection in respect of its use when applying for a driver licence since that Department withdrew its appeal challenging a Data Protection Commission ruling regarding the card. [12271/22]
View answerAn applicant is required to present photographic ID and evidence of PPSN, address and residency entitlement when applying for a driving licence or learner permit. Applications may be made in person at an NDLS office, where the required documents are examined and a face-to-face verification is made.
A public services card (PSC) is not required for an application made in an NDLS office. It may be used to establish identity but it is not mandatory and an applicant has several options for verifying their identity. For online applications, the same information is required but verifying a person’s identity is more difficult. Accordingly, a MyGovID account, which requires a PSC, satisfies this requirement.
Legal proceedings, in which the Department of Social Protection appealed an enforcement notice from the Data Protection Commission on processing of personal data for PSCs, were resolved in 2021. The agreement acknowledged that other public bodies specified in social welfare legislation may use the PSC for verifying the identity of the people they deal with, provided that they also accept other methods of authenticating identity. The Road Safety Authority is a specified body for the use of a PSC under the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended by the Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Act 2009).
The agreement also accepted that the Department of Social Protection and other specified bodies can continue to use MyGovID as the sole means of authenticating identity for the purpose of accessing online services, provided that an alternative service provision channel is made available.
234. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if his Department and the national driver licence service share driving licence information with the European Car and Driving Licence Information System; and if his Department and the National Driver Licence Service made a submission on the text of a new law known as Prüm II. [12272/22]
View answerThe European system to which the Deputy refers is called EUCARIS, and the National Vehicle and Driver File is indeed connected to this system.
The EU Prüm Decisions are policy measures covering the sharing of DNA, fingerprint and vehicle registration data for the purposes of law enforcement. The legislation governing the sharing of data on vehicle registration comes within my remit.
EU proposals for further legislation in this area, currently under discussion at EU level, relate to sharing other kinds of information not within the remit of my Department such as facial images, and to the role of Europol, as well as involving some purely technical matters to do with the IT systems used. These are matters within the remit of my colleague the Minister for Justice, and my Department has no involvement in Prüm II, nor have we made any submissions in relation to such.
Questions Nos. 235 to 238, inclusive, answered orally.
239. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport the extent to which the electrification of the Maynooth railway line is progressing; the extent to which timetables are being met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12278/22]
View answer242. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport the progress that has been made to date in the electrification of the Maynooth rail line with particular reference to the need to ensure that car parking facilities are supplied to the west of Kilcock thereby facilitating Enfield, Kilcock and the wider hinterland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12281/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 239 and 242 together.
As 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 in the Greater Dublin Area, including implementation of the DART+ Programme and, in consultation with Iarnród Éireann, car parking facilities at stations.
Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matters raised, I have referred the Deputy's questions to the NTA for a more detailed reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days.
240. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport the extent to which it is proposed to augment the Hazelhatch and Sallins rail services to facilitate greater use of trains by commuters now and in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12279/22]
View answer245. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport the extent to which the number of commuter trains serving north County Kildare can be extended in the short and long-term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12284/22]
View answer246. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport when it is expected to extend and improve the rail services serving Hazelhatch and Sallins, County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12285/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 240, 245 and 246 together.
As 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 provision and operation of public transport services.
The queries raised in relation to rail services in County Kildare are an operational matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) in conjunction with Iarnród Éireann. I have therefore forwarded the Deputy's questions to the NTA for direct reply.
Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
241. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport the steps that can be taken to accelerate the programme to upgrade the Hazelhatch to Sallins railway line; if plans are being advanced to connect the Maynooth line with Hazelhatch; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12280/22]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the DART+ Programme is a programme of projects for the development of rail in the Greater Dublin Area.
As well as DART+ South-West which the Deputy refers to, the Programme comprises of DART+ Fleet, DART+ West, DART+ Coastal (South) and DART+ Coastal (North) projects. Collectively these projects will extend and enhance the current DART system and services west to Maynooth and Hazelhatch/Celbridge, south to Greystones and north to Drogheda. In consultation with Iarnród Éireann, the National Transport Authority (NTA), which has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure including rail in the Greater Dublin Area, is progressing the various projects which are at different stages of planning and development.
Further extensions to DART services in the years ahead are being considered as part of the NTA’s review of the Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area for which a public consultation recently concluded. The revised Strategy does propose extending DART services beyond Hazelhatch; however, the focus is on completing the delivery of the DART+ Programme, as it must be, in order to allow for later consideration of further extensions to the Programme.
243. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport the extent to which the M4 and N4 is likely to be extended by an additional traffic lane; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12282/22]
View answer244. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport the extent to which he expects to ensure that the M4 and N4 route is sufficiently upgraded to meet traffic levels of the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12283/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 243 and 244 together.
As Minister for Transport I have responsibility for overall policy and 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, management 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 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.
