Written Answers Nos. 164-188
164. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when his Department will launch the review of the critical skills occupations list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46383/22]
View answerIreland’s employment permits system operates to maximise the benefits of economic migration while minimising the risk of disrupting the labour market. It facilitates the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA nationals to fill skills or labour shortages in the short to medium term but balanced to ensure there are no suitably qualified EEA nationals available to undertake the work and that the shortage is genuine.
The system is managed through the operation of the Critical Skills and Ineligible Occupations lists, which, respectively, prioritise specified in-demand highly skilled roles and identify occupations for which a labour supply should be available in the EEA. The Department reviews the occupations lists periodically working with other Government Departments to promote an integrated approach to address labour and skills shortages in the longer term. The reviews are guided by relevant research and a public/stakeholder consultation, and the views of the Economic Migration Interdepartmental Group which includes representatives of key policy Departments are taken into account.
The timing of the next review is under consideration in light of changing labour market circumstances. Submissions will be invited from sector representative bodies and interested parties via the Public Consultation Form which will be accessible on the Department’s website throughout the consultation period when the next Review of the Occupational Lists commences.
165. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when a decision will be made in relation to an application by a person (details supplied) for a critical skills employment permit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46390/22]
View answerThe Employment Permits Section of my Department informs me that the request for a Stamp 4 Letter of Support was granted on 16th September and that this has been communicated to the applicant.
166. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps that have been taken by the Government to date in 2022 to assist the restaurant sector in dealing with labour shortages and rising costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46454/22]
View answerResponsibility for the hospitality sector is within the remit of Minister Catherine Martin, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
According to the latest available national employment figures, from the CSO's Labour Force Survey, employment levels reached 2.55 million in Q2 2022. We now have more people employed in our country than ever before, while the quarterly unemployment rate stands at 4.4% - levels not seen since 2005.
It is especially welcome to see a strong recovery in the Accommodation and Food Service sector, with employment in this sector increasing by 40% in the past 12 months. In Q2 2022 employment had increased to 168,200; this consisted of 50,300 working in the accommodation sub-sector and 117,900 work in the Food and Beverage Service activities sub-sector. 57 percent of those working in the sector are female.
The impact of the pandemic was not equal across sectors, and those in the Hospitality sector was significantly affected. Our strong policy interventions during the pandemic – rapidly rolling out the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme and Pandemic Unemployment Payment – appear to have minimised any long-term labour market scarring in the sector.
The increase in employment was also supported by the approval of employment permits for the sector. Since the start of May, 1,345 applications for Chefs have been processed by my Department. 30 permits for hotel and accommodation managers have also been issued, out of an available 350 in the quota announced in October 2021, with a further 11 awaiting processing.
Of those Ukrainians who have arrived under the protection of the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive, over 4,000 have also been integrated into roles in the Accommodation and Food sector.
Through EURES Ireland, which is managed by the Department of Social Protection, Irish hospitality opportunities have been a focus of EU recruitment events, and the EURES Ireland team have been working closely with Spain in particular in seeking to recruit for vacancies in Ireland.
Intreo, the Department of Social Protection’s public employment services have continued ongoing engagement the restaurant and hospitality sector. Intreo provides a range of supports to employers looking to recruit staff. Employers can register their vacancies for free on Jobsireland.ie. Intreo have a dedicated Employer Engagement team. They support in promoting vacancies through a range of networks and via the JobsIreland platform. They can also match jobseekers to suitable vacancies. Intreo also supports training providers to recruit jobseekers to training opportunities.
Over the past eight months, the Employer Relations Division of Intreo has handled almost 1,800 vacancies, 850 promotions of training and recruitment opportunities and placed almost 460 in relevant training for the accommodation and food sector. This is in addition to direct referrals by Activation Case Officers who are working with jobseeking clients.
Intreo is currently rolling out a recruitment campaign nationally to target jobseekers and those who are inactive in the labour force. The #ReturnToWork campaign from 26th September to 7th October includes some 30 job and training fairs across the country to assist over 70 employers across a number of sectors, including the accommodation and food sector, to meet with people who are seeking to return to work. Details of the vacancies will be published on the Department’s free job matching platform www.jobsireland.ie and detail of all the events will be posted on the What’s On section of the website, supported by a social media campaign to promote awareness of the events planned over the two weeks.
Sustaining further increases in the hospitality workforce, however, will ultimately depend on the sector addressing its long-standing workforce recruitment and retention issues, which pre-date the Covid-19 pandemic.
I understand that the Tourism and Hospitality Careers Oversight Group, chaired by Fáilte Ireland under the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, is working to support these sectors in driving their long-term repositioning as appealing and rewarding career choices and ensure a future pipeline of talent.
In terms of rising costs, I recently met with stakeholders, including the Restaurants Association of Ireland, through the Tourism and Hospitality Forum, where the sector outlined their issues and the measures they feel are necessary to address these.
I think it is fair to say that this Government has not been found wanting when it has come to helping businesses get through difficult periods. The multibillion euro financial assistance provided by Government during the pandemic was unprecedented, whether it was help with businesses’ wage bill so they could keep staff on, their overheads, the introduction of a cheaper, easier way to restructure and survive than examinership; the commercial rates waiver, or the reduction in VAT for the hospitality sector.
In relation to energy costs, the Government has already implemented measures to help ease the impact on enterprises, including a temporary reduction in the excise duties charged, by 20 cent per litre of petrol, 15 cent per litre of diesel, and 2 cent in the excise duty charged on marked gas oil.
We are working on new proposals to help businesses with rapidly rising energy prices and I hope to be able to make a positive announcement about that in the Budget.
We’ll also be looking to raise awareness around energy efficiency, helping businesses reduce the amount of energy they use in the first place and improving take-up of the approximately 20 different schemes we already have in place for business.
167. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the plans that are in place to ensure that employers do not implement unpaid trial shifts in the workplace for potential staff members; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46471/22]
View answerIreland has a comprehensive body of employment, equality and industrial relations legislation with which the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is mandated to secure compliance. Ireland’s body of employment rights legislation protects all employees who are legally employed on an employer-employee basis, regardless of what title is given to them.
In relation to the issue of trial shifts, I would point out that there is no exemption under employment rights legislation, including the National Minimum Wage Act 2000, for such work trials. All hours worked, including those on trial, must be paid at the minimum wage or above. People on work trials are also covered by the Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Acts 2005 – 2014, which provide for safe working conditions as well as the Employment Equality Acts 1998 -2015, which provides against discrimination or harassment. The right to receive the minimum wage cannot be waived in a contract as any provision in an agreement to do so is void as a matter of law. Failure to pay the national minimum hourly rate of pay is a criminal offence, punishable upon summary conviction, by a fine not exceeding €2,500 or imprisonment not exceeding 6 months or both.
168. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of the small loan scheme with main banking lenders in Ireland to SMEs that have approval from the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46472/22]
View answerDuring 2022 the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) have been operating a number of loan schemes for my department that are targeted towards SMEs, including farmers, fishers and small mid-caps.
Some of these loan schemes first require that SBCI approve a business’ eligibility for the scheme before the business can make a loan application to a participating lender.
In 2022, loan schemes requiring SBCI eligibility approval included the Future Growth Loan Scheme, the Brexit Impact Loan Scheme and the Covid-19 Loan Scheme.
The €800 million Future Growth Loan Scheme closed to new applications in early May 2022, as lending capacity had been reached across all lenders.
In addition, one of the lenders to the Brexit Impact Loan Scheme and Covid-19 Loan Scheme, namely Bank of Ireland, notified the SBCI at the end of August 2022 that they are no longer accepting new applications to the Covid-19 Loan Scheme and Brexit Impact Loan Scheme, as they have a sufficient pipeline of applications to reach the limit of the lending capacity allocated to them for the schemes.
However, all other financial providers participating in the Covid-19 Loan Scheme and Brexit Impact Loan Scheme are open to new applications and these lenders are: AIB, Permanent Tsb and Metamo Credit Unions (Access CU, Cara CU, St. Canice’s CU, St. Francis CU, and Savvi CU).
To date, more than 1,600 loans have bee approved to the value of €210 million through the Brexit Impact Loan Scheme and 117 loans have been approved to the value of €8 million through the Covid-19 Loan Scheme. There is close to €100 million in remaining capacity across these schemes up to the end of 2022.
169. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the rollout of the National Broadband Plan by county in tabular form. [46379/22]
View answerI am advised by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) that, as of 16 September 2022, over 91,500 premises can order or pre-order a high-speed broadband connection across 25 counties, with over 80,000 premises passed across 23 counties and available for immediate connection. Construction is underway across 26 counties demonstrating that the project is reaching scale. To date, the level of connections is increasing on a daily basis and is in line with, or exceeding, projections.
The network rollout for the NBP is divided into 227 Deployment Areas (DAs) across the country. These are typically an area of approximately 25km in radius and in total they cover 96% of Ireland’s landmass. The architecture of the network design is specifically based on the design of the NBI network coming from the Eir exchanges or the metropolitan area networks (MANs). It is based on an engineering design that allows NBI to reach every premises as quickly as possible working within the confines of how fibre networks are built. Villages/Townlands/Counties can be covered by a number of DAs which means there are differing timescales for the rollout across county areas.
NBI has added significant additional capacity and resources to their build team over recent months to recover from the impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on their deployment schedule. This will continue in the months ahead.
Further details are available on specific areas 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. NBI has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie, which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.
170. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the Environmental Protection Agency is compiling an indicators report of water quality in 2021; the expected publication date of same. [46399/22]
View answerI have no statutory remit in respect of water quality, this is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Planning.
171. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department will introduce a grant system for solar photovoltaic energy in which the cost of a small 3.2 KW system is issued directly to the installation companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46412/22]
View answerIncreased wholesale gas prices, which are mainly caused by Russia reducing supplies to Europe and the war in Ukraine, are leading to unprecedented increases in electricity and gas prices for households and businesses.
They are also leading to windfall gains for some energy companies across Europe, particularly those companies involved in the production of fossil fuels and those who are producing energy at a much lower cost that the cost of gas.
At the Council of Energy Ministers meeting on 9 September, which I attended, the issue of windfall gains was discussed in some detail. Outline proposals were discussed and the Council of Energy Ministers invited the European Commission to make formal proposals.
On 14 September the European Commission published a proposed regulation which includes measures aimed at addressing windfall gains in the electricity sector and in fossil fuel production. This proposal is expected to raise additional revenues which will be used to reduce the cost of energy for households and businesses. My Department is currently working to clarify various aspects of the proposal, following which it should be possible to provide estimates of expected revenues.
It is important that this proposal captures the windfall gains and minimises negative impacts on consumers. The proposal will be negotiated throughout the remainder of this month with a view to being approved at a meeting of the Council of Energy Ministers on 30 September. I fully support the objectives of this proposal and am working to ensure it fully addresses the issues of windfall gains in Ireland.
172. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason that there was no Irish application to the REPowerEU programme in respect of development of the use of anaerobic digestion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46447/22]
View answer173. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he intends to apply for funding from the REPowerEU programme in respect of development of the use of anaerobic digestion; if such an application will be permissible at this stage; the details of any proposed application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46448/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 172 and 173 together.
Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which was published earlier this year, sets out a total of 16 investments and 9 reform commitments which will be supported by approximately €915 million in grants from the European Recovery and Resilience Facility.
While a specific support for biomethane was not included, it should be noted that Ireland has one of highest levels of climate based funding within our National Recovery and Resilience Plan, at more than half of the total funding and far in excess of the Commission’s minimum level of 37%.
The European Commission’s REPowerEU proposal provides the potential for further funding via the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. My Department is working with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in considering potential proposals for funding under this mechanism.
174. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will consider implementing a policy aimed at supporting a waste collection fee waiver scheme for low-income households; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46469/22]
View answerThe waste management market in Ireland is serviced by private companies, where prices charged are matters between those companies and their customers, subject to compliance with all applicable environmental and other relevant legislation, including contract and consumer legislation.
175. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the actions that are being taken to encourage additional production of wood pellets in view of the fact that the supply of pellets is reduced and the retail price is at an all-time high [46470/22]
View answerDepartment of Agriculture Food and Marine provide financial assistance to the Wood Fuel Quality Assurance (WFQA) Scheme which is an all-island scheme established to increase consumer confidence in wood fuel products sold in Ireland. Forest owners and forestry contractors, through sustainable forest management practices, produce renewable fuels such as firewood, wood chip, wood pellets, and wood briquettes. These fuels are certified to ISO and EU standards through the scheme.
176. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the grant supports that are available for the installation of solar energy features to a home or to a business, indicating the support with or without battery storage; and if the level of support increases if it is part of a wider energy upgrade. [46492/22]
View answerThe phased introduction of the Micro-generation Support Scheme (MSS) has begun with the commencement of the MSS domestic solar PV grant on 16 February last, with grant levels up to a maximum of €2,400 available through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
The SEAI has also supported the installation of domestic Solar PV systems for over 12,000 homes since 2018, and with demand for the domestic Solar PV grant increasing significantly throughout the year, we expect that grant applications could exceed 8,000 in 2022 alone. The SEAI will also be extending the Solar PV grant scheme to non-domestic applicants for installations up to 6kW by the end of September.
In relation to current Solar PV schemes with battery back-up, the SEAI undertook an assessment of continuing the previous battery grants under the MSS and found that with the current high cost of batteries, coupled with their low storage capabilities of only a few hours and their relatively short lifetime (currently in the region of 10 years); that a stand-alone battery grant did not represent efficient use of limited Exchequer funds.
It should be noted that micro-generation installations including battery storage systems are still eligible for grant support under the MSS but there is now no need to install a battery to avail of the maximum grant.
Moreover, maximising the consumption of self-generated electricity by installing a micro-generation system to meet the demand profile of your home or business, where possible, will provide the most benefit to offset rising electricity costs. Furthermore, with the introduction of the Clean Export Guarantee (CEG),any residual renewable electricity not consumed on the premises is now eligible for an export payment which further supports the investment.
177. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the interconnector review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46547/22]
View answerThe North-South Interconnector, which will allow for the flow of 900 MW electricity between Ireland and Northern Ireland, will be critical for improving the operation of the all-island Integrated Single Electricity Market (ISEM). It will also help to facilitate the achievement of the goal of generating up to 80% of our electricity from renewable sources by 2030. A resilient and well-connected energy infrastructure is vital for Ireland's economic well-being and the ability to respond to the future needs of energy consumers. It was previously deemed appropriate to carry out a short review to assess if the overall finding from the 2018 International Expert Commission’s report, which determined that an overhead line is the most appropriate option for this structure, remained valid. Following a competitive tender process two international experts were commissioned to carry out the review. Work on the review is ongoing; once completed the results will be published.
178. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the estimated revenue to the Exchequer from the proposed-European Union windfall tax on inframarginal electricity generation; his views on whether the measure goes far enough; if he will consider an additional windfall tax on hydrocarbon extraction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46278/22]
View answerIncreased wholesale gas prices, which are mainly caused by Russia reducing supplies to Europe and the war in Ukraine, are leading to unprecedented increases in electricity and gas prices for households and businesses.
They are also leading to windfall gains for some energy companies across Europe, particularly those companies involved in the production of fossil fuels and those who are producing energy at a much lower cost that the cost of gas.
At the Council of Energy Ministers meeting on 9 September, which I attended, the issue of windfall gains was discussed in some detail. Outline proposals were discussed and the Council of Energy Ministers invited the European Commission to make formal proposals.
On 14 September the European Commission published a proposed regulation which includes measures aimed at addressing windfall gains in the electricity sector and in fossil fuel production. This proposal is expected to raise additional revenues which will be used to reduce the cost of energy for households and businesses. My Department is currently working to clarify various aspects of the proposal, following which it should be possible to provide estimates of expected revenues.
It is important that this proposal captures the windfall gains and minimises negative impacts on consumers. The proposal will be negotiated throughout the remainder of this month with a view to being approved at a meeting of the Council of Energy Ministers on 30 September. I fully support the objectives of this proposal and am working to ensure it fully addresses the issues of windfall gains in Ireland.
179. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Transport the average number of persons who avail of rail transport in the State each day. [46131/22]
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 provision or operation of public transport.
The substantial investment in the rail network currently and over the coming years should significantly increase the capacity and the attractiveness of rail services, thereby further increasing the number of persons who avail of rail transport in the State. Such investments include the expansion of the DART+ Fleet in 2025 and the delivery and entry into service of 41 additional Inter-City Railcars in 2023, as well as the DART+ Electrification programme and Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) has entered into contracts with the individual operators of public transport services, including the operators of rail services. Those contracts set out the roles and responsibilities of both parties, including the responsibility of the NTA for determining the organisation of rail services e.g. the routes and timetables to be operated; the fares to be charged; shared systems, such as Leap Card, real-time passenger information (RTPI) and the national journey planner (NJP); collect statistical data and information on transport; and undertake strategic planning of transport.
As such, information regarding the number of persons who avail of rail transport in the State is a matter for the National Transport Authority and I have therefore forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply.
Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
180. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Transport if consideration has been given to requiring all local authorities to create statutory working groups inclusive of local representatives to develop localised road safety plans that would inform decisions in relation to infrastructural improvement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46375/22]
View answerMy Department provides funding to local authorities to assist in road improvements, including safety improvements. Local authorities, as the bodies responsible for roads in their area, decide where targeted investment is needed for safety reasons. This means that the objectives of the kind of working groups and plans which the Deputy is suggesting are already taken into account.
I would of course be willing to consider such proposals in future if it could be demonstrated that they would add value to the current processes.
181. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Transport if he will engage with third level universities in Cork to install park and ride facility on the northside. [36771/22]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure in our cities, including the provision of park and ride facilities through the Park and Ride Development Office.
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.
182. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Transport if his Department has engaged with BusConnects Cork to ensure that rural areas in Cork benefit from the scheme. [45089/22]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure in our cities, including the BusConnects programme in Cork.
The NTA also has national responsibility for integrated local and rural transport, including delivering the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan, which is a major national public transport initiative with the aim of increasing public transport connectivity, particularly for people living outside the major cities and towns.
Officials from my Department engage with the NTA on public transport projects across the transport sector investment portfolio, including BusConnects Cork. BusConnects Cork is currently at a relatively early stage of development and officials in my Department expect to receive a Strategic Assessment Report from the NTA for the project before the end of the year, in line with the Decision Gate 0 requirements of the Public Spending Code.
Noting the NTA's responsibility in these matters, 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.
183. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 64 of 14 June 2022, the details of the planned feasibility study for light rail which will be carried out as part of the update to the Galway Transport Strategy; if this feasibility study will include a comparative analysis against very light rail initiatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46382/22]
View answerA feasibility assessment for light rail in Galway city will be carried out by the National Transport Authority (NTA) as part of the development of the new Galway Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy. This will allow for a multi-modal perspective and to identify the optimal modal solutions to meet the transport needs of Galway.
I understand that the 'very light rail' project that is being undertaken in the United Kingdom is currently at testing stage. I believe that the potential, or otherwise, of very light rail can be considered as part of the development of the Galway Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy.
184. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Transport if he will consider a similar scheme to the cycle to work scheme to include pensioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46386/22]
View answerThe Cycle to Work Scheme, which I am very supportive of, is a tax incentive scheme administered by the Revenue Commissioners and governed by tax legislation and tax policy which are matters for my colleague, the Minister for Finance. In that regard, I very much welcomed his announcement of increased thresholds under the existing scheme as part of the July Stimulus 2020. The increases are in line with the commitment made in the Programme for Government in relation to the scheme.
The Programme for Government commits to "widening the eligibility of the Bike to Work scheme". As mentioned above, this would be a matter for the Department of Finance. To help advance this commitment, however, my Department in conjunction with the Department of Rural and Community Development, introduced a pilot initiative last year for the provision of high quality up-cycled bicycles and e-bikes for those on low incomes and the most marginalised and disadvantaged, via the Community Services Programme.
There are currently no plans to extend eligibility for this particular scheme further. We are, however, examining a number of active travel initiatives as part of the budgetary discussions which will be finalised this week, which, if implemented, could result in the removal of some barriers to cycling and could see increased numbers of people of all ages engaging in active travel going forward.
185. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Transport if he will request the National Transport Authority to reverse its decision to remove a direct service from the Dunboyne Littlepace community under the BusConnects project, that was previously served by the 70 and the 260-bus service. [46400/22]
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 in the Greater Dublin Area, including BusConnects Dublin.
Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for a direct reply on the specific issue raised. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days.
186. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Transport if he will request an update from Transport Infrastructure Ireland on noise abatement measures as part of the N3/ M50 upgrade. [46401/22]
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, the planning, design and construction, including noise mitigation measures, for individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.
Directive 2002/49/EC on the assessment and management of environmental noise was transposed into Irish law by the Environmental Noise Regulations, 2006. This legislation requires TII and local authorities to undertake strategic noise mapping every five years for all major roads carrying in excess of 8,250 annual average daily traffic (AADT). Noise maps identify and prioritise cluster areas which will require further assessment and may require mitigation measures to be put in place. Once strategic noise maps have been produced, the results are used for each local authority to develop Noise Action Plans as required by the Environmental Noise Regulations.
Noting the above position, I have referred your question to TII for a more detailed and direct reply on this matter. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
188. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Transport if he, in consultation with Transport For Ireland, will address the anomaly by which third levels students must be aged 19 years or older to be entitled to a student Leap card (details supplied). [46419/22]
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 responsibility for the regulation of fares charged to passengers in respect of public transport services provided under public service obligation (PSO) contracts.
As the Deputy is aware the Young Adult Card (YAC) was introduced on PSO services on the 9th of May. The 50% fare discount for holders of a Young Adult (19-23) or Student (24+) Leap Card is now available on bus services provided by participating Commercial Bus Operators (CBOs). The NTA has informed me that they are widening the age rules to allow 16, 17 and 18 year old students in third level education to apply for the Student Leap Card so that they can also avail of the CBO student discount. The Authority are already working on this element of the project which is scheduled to be completed in the coming weeks, at which point 16, 17 and 18 year old students in third level education will also be able to order a Student Leap Card.
This will not only promote modal shift in the transport sector among this age group but should also contribute towards a reduced reliance on private transport with associated benefit of transport emission savings.
