Written Answers Nos. 220-242
221. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to transport difficulties being experienced by persons (details supplied) in a rural area; if transport options will be explored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22671/22]
View answerIn line with the whole of Government approach, my Department and the National Transport Authority (NTA) have been working on practical and meaningful responses to the Ukrainian humanitarian crisis.
From the beginning of the crisis, we have provided newly arriving Ukrainians with free travel from their port of entry to their end destination on any PSO or Local Link service. Indeed, many commercial bus services similarly offered this assistance in getting people to a safe location.
I was also pleased to announce the provision of emergency public transport services to those refugees housed in rural or isolated locations to ensure better access to our local communities. This will be achieved through an acceleration of network improvements identified through the Connecting Ireland public consultation, including additional stops, route modifications, and more services with the aim of increasing connectivity. Rural areas will avail of such improvements, in practice catering for both existing demands as well as responding to the increased pressures on services where the local population has grown in response to the humanitarian crisis. The NTA are working closely with IPAS (International Protection Accommodation Services) to determine likely locations and the number of individuals housed at each location.
Additional bus services will also be deployed to cater for those housed away from the existing public transport network. Such measures will provide better access to a range of amenities, employment opportunities, and onward public transport connections to larger centres.
A Community Transport Fund is also being established to support occasional social travel requests. This will be operated by the TFI Local Link offices and will enable our Ukrainian guests to join in the many activities available in our towns, particularly activities focused on youth, integration, culture, and education.
In light of the NTA's responsibilities for the procurement and operation of public transport services in rural areas, including in County Roscommon, I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
222. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the delays of up to four months for National Car Test, NCT, appointments; and the plans that are in place to deal with the backlog. [22710/22]
View answerThe 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.
223. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Transport the timeline for the roll-out of the electric vehicle apartment charger grant support scheme following the public consultation carried out by the SEAI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22762/22]
View answerThe Climate Action Plan 2021 set a target of 945,000 EVs by 2030. The Deputy will be aware that the Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the electric vehicle charging network over the coming years, to facilitate the expansion of EVs in the Irish car fleet. A draft National Charging Infrastructure Strategy has been published for public consultation which sets out a pathway for the provision of charging infrastructure to stay ahead of demand.
The EV Home Charger Grant Scheme has been in operation since January 2018 to support the installation of home chargers for purchasers of new and second-hand BEVs and PHEVs. The grant provides generous support towards the full cost of installation of a home charger up to a maximum of €600.
Work is currently being progressed to expand the EV home charger grant to include multi-unit developments such as apartment blocks. The final legal checks are currently being completed and I expect to be able to launch this scheme shortly.
224. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Transport the status of an application by organisation (details supplied) to fly between Addis Ababa and Dublin via Manchester; if his attention has been drawn to a recent report concerning the organisation in question; if the report will be considered in relation to the application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22840/22]
View answer246. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide an update on deliberations regarding an application by an airline (details supplied) for fifth freedom operations in Ireland; his views that, if successful such an application would have a highly detrimental effect on the indigenous airline industry due to competition discrepancies; and if he will therefore commit to rejecting this application. [23262/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 224 and 246 together.
The Ireland - Ethiopia Bilateral Air Services Agreement, signed in 2014, allows for the grant of fifth freedom air traffic rights for airlines of both countries, subject to the approval of the respective aeronautical authorities.
Applications for fifth freedom air traffic rights are considered on a case-by-case basis taking into account all relevant considerations and the prevailing situation at the time.
For summer 2022, my department received an application from Ethiopian Airlines to operate a scheduled air service, with fifth freedoms, between Addis Ababa and Dublin, via Manchester. Having completed its evaluation of this application, my department has determined not to approve this scheduled air service.
225. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Transport if he will respond to an issue raised by a person (details supplied) in relation to electric vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22843/22]
View answerElectric vehicles (EVs) are the most prominent transport mitigation measure in the 2021 Climate Action Plan, and Ireland has set an ambitious target of 945,000 EVs on our roads by 2030. This target is challenging but indicates the scale of the transformation that is needed across all sectors if Ireland is to achieve its climate targets in the coming years.
As the Deputy will be aware, a comprehensive suite of measures is available to EV drivers, including purchase grants for private car owners.
The SEAI are aware of the semi-conductor issue which is affecting the motor industry and have been proactively engaging with all registered dealers since August 2021 to reduce or remove any impact on the EV grant.
If a situation should occur where a vehicle delivery is delayed past the grant offer expiry date, the dealer should cancel the grant application and submit a new application. In order to support the industry, SEAI have implemented a process whereby a grant offer is instantaneous upon submission of a grant application. Therefore, once a dealer submits a grant application, they receive their grant offer and can proceed with registering the vehicle for the customer.
SEAI provide dealer training via a live webinar twice a year and host an EV Dealer training module on our Energy Academy. These tools provide information on the grant system and ongoing support to registered dealers.
226. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide an outline of the way that procedures (details supplied) have been undertaken at the constituted Irish Coast Guard station at Doolin, County Clare. [22851/22]
View answerYou will have been aware of the Doolin volunteer team being stood down due to concerns about the safety of its operation in the circumstances pertaining at the time. I am happy to confirm that the Unit has been re-constituted on an interim basis with a core group of volunteers who Coast Guard believe can work and operate together.
This follows extensive engagement by Coast Guard management with volunteers in Doolin, culminating in the appointment of Mr. Kieran Mulvey as mediator. Mr. Mulvey’s Report made a number of recommendations in respect of the service in Doolin.
I can advise that the Coast Guard is currently fully engaged in the process of rebuilding the Doolin Unit, guided by the recommendations outlined in Mr. Mulvey’s Report which was issued on 10 December 2021.
The serving Doolin volunteers were advised by letter dated 16 December 2021 that the previous Unit had been stood down on a permanent basis, with all volunteer memberships terminated. Mr. Mulvey advised that the Coast Guard and my Department should move with immediate effect to reconstitute the Doolin Unit and to reinstate those members of the Unit who management in the Coast Guard believe can work and operate together in a collegiate and co-operative manner. The Report advised that the reconstituted Unit should be given sufficient time to develop a culture between them of mutual respect and trust.
It was further recommended that, within a further period and when deemed appropriate, a further expansion of the Unit should be considered to build the Unit back up to full strength from local volunteers and preferably before next Summer.
I can confirm that the selection of volunteers to provide service to the re-constituted Unit on an interim basis as per the Report recommendations has been completed and those selected have been informed.
I can now confirm that management within the Coast Guard have commenced the process of recruitment to the Doolin Unit on a permanent basis. Once the detailed arrangements for the process have been finalised, all Doolin current and former volunteers will be advised of those arrangements and the timeframes which will apply to the submission of applications. I can also confirm they have recently been in contact with all former volunteers in relation to this recruitment process.
My Department and the Coast Guard are fully engaged in this process and are very committed to ensuring Doolin Coast Guard Unit’s continued growth and renewal.
227. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Transport if Iarnród Éireann plans to establish a text alert line for customers to discrete report anti-social behaviour on commuter and intercity trains; and the estimated cost of such a text alert line. [22960/22]
View answerAs the Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport.
The issue of the possible establishment of a text alert line for customers to discretely report anti-social behaviour on commuter and intercity trains is first and foremost an operational matter for Iarnród Éireann, and I have therefore forwarded the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply.
Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
228. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Transport the capital works projects within his Department that received EU funding in each of the years of 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022; and the amount of EU funding received per capital works project in tabular form. [22961/22]
View answerThe table below shows funding received under the transport element EU’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). CEF Transport is the EU's funding instrument for the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). Funding under the CEF is delivered in the form of grants allocated following competitive calls for proposals.
Details of all of Ireland’s successful projects are available at the following weblink:
ec.europa.eu/inea/en/connecting-europe-facility/cef-transport/projects-by-country/ireland
|
Project |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
|
City Centre Re-Signalling Project (CCRP) |
€936,743.54 |
0 |
0 |
|
DART+ South West Engineering Design |
€2,209,287.50 |
0 |
0 |
|
Port of Cork Ringaskiddy Project |
€803,789 |
€3,369,703 |
0 |
|
Shannon Foynes Port Capacity Extension Works |
€379,273 |
€102,976 |
€1,347,592 |
The Department also received reimbursed funds from the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) for the following Interreg projects: Carlingford Lough Greenway, Ulster Canal Greenway (Phase 2), North West Greenways Network and North West region - Multimodal Transport Hub. The division and allocation of this fund is the responsibility of the SEUPB.
Details of EU funding received for these projects in the years 2020 to 2022 is as follows:
|
Year |
Amount Received |
|
2020 |
€3,579,332.82 |
|
2021 |
€682,727.52 |
|
2022 |
€81,901.09 |
229. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide an update on funding for the proposed new S3 bus route in County Sligo; if consideration will be given to re-routing two services daily to service the area (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23031/22]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport in Ireland. Since 2010, the award of Public Service Obligation (PSO) funding falls under the independent statutory remit of the National Transport Authority (NTA). The allocations to the transport operators for the provision of public transport services are decided by the NTA in exercise of its statutory mandate and in accordance with the various contract arrangements that it has in place with PSO service providers.
In light of the NTA's responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's specific question in relation to the allocation of funding for the proposed new S3 bus route in County Sligo and the possible re-routing of two services daily to service Maugheraboy, Sligo Train Station, Sligo Town centre and Finisklin Business Park, to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
230. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport the percentage of social media posts made on each of his Departmental social media accounts or the social media accounts of public bodies and agencies that operate under his remit that were exclusively in Irish between 1 May 2021 and 30 April 2022, inclusive; the percentage of same that feature bilingual translations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23059/22]
View answer231. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport the percentage of social media posts made on each of his Departmental social media accounts or the social media accounts of public bodies and agencies that operate under his remit that were exclusively in languages besides English or Irish between 1 May 2021 and 30 April 2022, inclusive; the percentage of same that featured languages besides English or Irish; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23077/22]
View answer232. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport the percentage of social media videos posted on each of his Departmental social media accounts or the social media accounts of public bodies and agencies that operate under his remit that included closed captioning and or subtitling between 1 May 2021 and 30 April 2022, inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23095/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 230, 231 and 232 together.
The Department of Transport has social media accounts with Twitter and LinkedIn. Information on the department's social media posts between 1 May 2021 and 30 April 2022 is as follows:
The following table illustrates the breakdown of posts in languages besides English or Irish on the department's social media accounts.
|
No. of Posts |
% of posts in language other than English or Irish on social media accounts |
|
Total Own Content Posts = 465. Of these, 0 posts in language other than English or Irish Retweet (RT) Content Posts = 347. Of these, 6 posts in language other than English or Irish |
Own content: 0% RT content: 2% |
The following table illustrates the breakdown of videos posted on the department's social media accounts:
|
No. of posts with video on Twitter and LinkedIn |
% of videos |
|
With subtitles/captions |
% of video posts with subtitles/captions |
|
All own content across all channels: 75 videos/moving graphics posts All Retweet (RT) content across all channels: 127 videos/ moving graphics posts |
88% |
|
Without subtitles/captions |
% of video posts without subtitles/captions |
|
Own content: 4 video posts RT content: 24 video posts |
12% |
The following table illustrates the breakdown of Irish language posts on the department's social media accounts:
|
No. of Irish language posts on Twitter and LinkedIn |
% of posts in Irish |
|
Total Own Content Posts = 465 Retweet (RT) Content Posts = 347
Own content in Irish Language: 20 RT Content in Irish Language: 7 |
Own content: 4% RT Content: 2% |
The department's agencies are responsible for the content shared on their own social media accounts.
In light of this responsibility, I have forwarded the Deputy's questions to the agencies for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
233. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Transport the number of passengers that have used Bus Éireann route 115 Mullingar to Dublin in both directions in 2019, 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [23106/22]
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 query raised in relation to the number of passengers that have used Bus Éireann route 115 Mullingar/Dublin (from 2019 to date) is a matter for the company. Therefore, I have referred this question to Bus Éireann for direct response to the Deputy.
Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
234. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport if he will make available the policies that are in place in cases in which a passenger and a member of the public discloses an instance of sexual harassment or assault that occurred on public transport to an employee of the public transport provider, including, but not limited to, Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus, and Iarnród Éireann; if these policies are publicly accessible on the relevant company’s website; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23155/22]
View answerAs the Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport.
While I am of course deeply concerned by any and all instances of sexual harassment or assault that may occur on public transport, these matters are first and foremost an operational issue for the public transport operators in conjunction with An Garda Síochána. I have therefore forwarded the Deputy's question regarding the policies that are in place for dealing with such issues to Iarnród Éireann, Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann, and Transdev Ireland for direct reply.
Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
235. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport the steps he is taking to provide on street electric vehicle charge points outside private residences. [23156/22]
View answerThe Climate Action Plan 2021 set a target of 945,000 EVs by 2030. The Deputy will be aware that the Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the electric vehicle charging network over the coming years, to facilitate the expansion of EVs in the Irish car fleet. A draft National Charging Infrastructure Strategy has been published for public consultation which sets out a pathway for the provision of charging infrastructure to stay ahead of demand.
The majority of EV charging is done at home and the EV Home Charger Grant Scheme has been in operation since January 2018 to support the installation of home chargers for purchasers of new and second-hand BEVs and PHEVs. The grant provides generous support towards the full cost of installation of a home charger up to a maximum of €600. Work is currently being progressed to expand the EV home charger grant to include multi-unit dwellings. This scheme will be launched shortly.
The Infrastructure Strategy proposes that for those who cannot charge at home, provision of residential charging solutions that give the same benefits and mirror the home charging option should be the first objective.
There is an onus on national and local government to facilitate the provision of these charging solutions for citizens who do not have access to a home charge point.
The Strategy proposes a new Residential charging scheme that will replace the existing Public Points scheme. It is envisaged that this new scheme will provide significant co-funding of 75% to Local Authorities to support the design of local area charging networks, as well as the delivery and installation of these networks which are intended to comprise both on-street charging in areas where residents do not have access to home charging solutions, and destination charge points.
To coordinate the provision of EV supports and grants and the delivery of charging infrastructure, the Government will establish an office of Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI) within the Department of Transport in Summer 2022. ZEVI will coordinate and support the development and roll-out of publicly accessible charging infrastructure. ZEVI will therefore provide co-funding to support Local Authorities in developing local area network plans for EV infrastructure. I anticipate that the Residential Charging Scheme will be open to applications for funding later this year.
236. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Transport the way that a person who is temporarily living in Australia can renew their Irish driving licence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23182/22]
View answerA public services card (PSC) is required with a verified MyGovID account to apply for a driving licence online. MyGovID satisfies the requirement for verifying a person’s identity online in place of a face-to-face verification carried out in person.
Applications for a driving licence can be made without a PSC in person at a National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) office. A PSC may be used to establish an applicant's identity, but it is not mandatory for in-person applications and an applicant may use one of several options.
A person must be normally resident in Ireland to apply for an Irish driving licence. An Irish driving licence can be renewed up to ten years after its expiry date.
237. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Transport the reason that a person paying their motor tax in three-or six-month intervals will pay more over the course of a year when compared to a person paying in one yearly lump sum; if he has considered addressing this matter in the context of the rising cost of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23185/22]
View answerMotor tax can be paid on an annual, half-yearly or quarterly basis. The rate applicable to the half-yearly option is 55.5% of the annual rate, and, for the quarterly option, 28.25% of the annual rate. These ratios have remained generally consistent since the 1960's. The loss of income that would arise from equalising rates for these options would have a negative impact on motor tax revenue and would have to be borne elsewhere in the motor tax system or in the taxation system generally. The potential loss to the Exchequer has been estimated at just over €37m, based on the volume of transactions in 2021. Given the sum involved, any proposed change is a matter for consideration in the context of Budget preparations.
238. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide details of contracts awarded in 2022 by his Department or bodies under his aegis outside the standard procurement process in order to assist the arrival of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23205/22]
View answerWhile my department and its agencies have been actively involved in efforts to support Ukrainian refugees arriving in Ireland, no contracts related to this matter have been awarded to date. In the event that new contracts arise, these will be developed in full compliance with standard procurement processes.
239. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Transport the body that operates profits from the toll bridges on the M50 motorway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23207/22]
View answer240. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Transport the total amount in Euros paid by drivers who drove through tolls on the M50 in each of the past ten years. [23208/22]
View answer241. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Transport the scale or structure of the late payment penalties applied to persons who fail to pay their toll charge on the M50 before 8 pm the following day; if the penalties increase as time passes; and the rate of this increase. [23209/22]
View answer242. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Transport if he will list in euros the top twenty largest penalties imposed on any individual driver or vehicle owner who failed or forgot to pay their M50 toll charges by the deadline prescribed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23210/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 239, 240, 241 and 242 together.
As Minister for Transport I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015, the operation and management of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Therefore, matters relating to the day to day operations of national roads, including toll roads and the establishment of a system of tolls, are within the remit of TII. More specifically, the statutory power to levy tolls, to make toll bye-laws and to enter into agreements with private investors are vested in TII under Part V of the Roads Act 1993 (as amended).
Noting the above position, I have referred the Deputy's questions to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
