Written Answers Nos. 235-248
235. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Transport if his Department has made funding available for the N2 upgrade works as outlined in the National Development Plan; if he will provide an outline of works set to be undertaken with a timeline for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34864/23]
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.
I can confirm that €600,000 has been allocated for the N2 Ardee to Castleblayney scheme in 2023 in order to meet project commitments. In addition, the N2 Clontibret to the Border scheme was recently selected to receive EU Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) funding to the amount of approximately €2.3 million, and matching funding will be provided through TII. As with all national roads projects in the NDP, the delivery programme for these projects will be kept under review for 2024 and considered in terms of the overall funding envelope available to TII.
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.
236. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Transport if he or his officials have met with stakeholders involved in a campaign (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34865/23]
View answerNeither I nor officials in my Department have met with stakeholders involved in the A5 Enough is Enough campaign, however, officials in my Department engage regularly with the Senior Officials Group on North/South Infrastructure and Investment. The purpose of the group is to facilitate discussion between the Irish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on the implementation of relevant commitments. This aims to drive forward implementation of North/South infrastructure and investment commitments set out in the framework of New Decade, New Approach, including projects such as the A5.
The planning and implementation of the A5 upgrade project is the responsibility of the authorities in Northern Ireland.
The funding arrangements in relation to the A5 have been governed by the 2014 Stormont House Agreement and Implementation Plan - A Fresh Start, and under this Agreement the Government is committed to provide funding of £75 million towards the cost of the A5 upgrade scheme once the statutory planning process in Northern Ireland is concluded. Provision of £25 million sterling is being made by my Department in 2023 for funding the scheme, should this be required.
The Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland estimates the total scheme cost for the A5 project is £1.6 billion with completion expected by 2032/2033 and the largest funding demands over the 2025 to 2028 period. The Department for Infrastructure expects to have the report of the Public Inquiry by year end and possibly sooner. The Department for Infrastructure has informed the Department of Transport that construction of the Main Works is currently planned to start in April or May of 2024 with the commencement of Section 1 from Newbuildings to Strabane. However, this is subject to a number of conditions being met, including a positive outcome from the report of the recently concluded Public Inquiry, completion of the Statutory Orders and agreement of a Target Cost with the contractor. If there is a further legal challenge the start dates will likely be revisited.
237. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Transport if he or his Department have discussed the shortage of taxis to serve those who arrive in Dublin airport; whether the €400 charge for taxi drivers should be removed to prevent shortages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34906/23]
View answer238. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Transport the reason taxi drivers who drop people off at the airport are prevented from taking people into their taxis onto onward journeys; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34907/23]
View answer239. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Transport if he or his Department have statistics from the DAA on increased use of taxis, given the parking shortages during peak summer travel times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34908/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 237, 238 and 239 together.
Minister of State Chambers is engaging on a regular basis with the daa and most recently met with CEO of daa, Kenny Jacobs on Friday 23 June where he discussed a number of issues including Dublin Airport’s preparations including taxis in advance of the increase in passenger numbers in the coming weeks for the peak summer period. The Department also continues to engage with the daa on a regular basis.
As the deputy will be aware, daa has the statutory responsibility to operate, manage and develop Dublin Airport including the operations of taxis at the airport and the issuance of taxi permits.
Accordingly, as the issue's raised by the deputy are operational, I have forwarded your request to daa for a direct response. If a response is not received within 10 days, please contact my private office.
240. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Transport the number of personnel in his Department at Principal Officer level or above who, on retiring from that position, were subsequently appointed to a State or semi-State board over the past ten years. [34932/23]
View answerThe Public Appointments Service (PAS) has responsibility for managing an open, accessible and transparent system to support Ministers in making appointments to State boards. The Department of Transport operates in accordance with these guidelines in filling vacancies on State Boards under our remit. It is open to the public to apply for positions advertised on the stateboards.ie website.
Although the information requested by the Deputy may be available at the time of the appointment, it is not a requirement of the State board system that this information is recorded. Under General Data Protection Regulation guidelines my department does not have a justification to record the previous employment history of the board member who has been assessed through a transparent recruitment process as being suitable for the position.
Department staff holding designated positions are reminded of their obligations under the Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour about the acceptance of outside appointments and of consultancy engagements following resignation / retirement.
A full list of board members serving on State Boards under the remit of my department is available on our website at membership.stateboards.ie/en/department/Department%20of%20Transport/.
241. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport to report on the progress of the pathfinder programmes, particularly with reference to increasing momentum to the delivery of projects at a local level, providing templates for replication and scaling up elsewhere; further to Parliamentary Question No. 180 of 29 June 2023, how this incorporates experimental and innovative approaches; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34940/23]
View answerThe SMP Pathfinder Programme was launched on 17 October 2022, consisting of 35 exemplar transport projects to be delivered by local authorities, and other bodies, around the country. Taken together, the proposals offer the potential to transform how we move, work and live by making it easier to leave the car at home and choose a different mode of travel. In addition to showcasing the appetite for change which exists throughout the country, the programme closely aligns with evidence-based best practice for reducing emissions from transport through systemic change.
The Pathfinder Programme has already seen significant progress, with two projects complete since its initiation. In January, the first full electrification of a town bus service was launched in Athlone, providing clean and green public transport services for the town, and paving the way for a similar transition in other services across Ireland. In May, the National Transport Authority launched a new Smarter Travel Mark. This Mark will provide certification to organisations that support active and sustainable travel and encourage the reduction in single-person car usage amongst their staff, customers, visitors, and students in the case of third level campuses.
Progress has also been made on the Smart and Sustainable Mobility Workshops pathfinder, a three-year education and capacity-building programme for local authorities and key stakeholders, including local councillors, who are working and innovating in this space. The first workshops will be rolled out later in 2023.
Delivery is also well underway on several infrastructure projects, including the Waterford North Quays Pathfinder which held a ground-breaking ceremony in March 2023. The first portion of the Longford Town Core Cycle Network - the N63 Majors Well Road project – has been completed and the full pathfinder remains on track to be delivered by the end of 2024. Two sections of the Cork to Waterford Inter-Urban Demonstrator Pathfinder, namely Bilberry to Waterford City and Dunkettle to Carrigtohill, were completed in June 2023, with further sections due for completion in 2024 and 2025. This pathfinder is helping to create a seamless cycling link between Cork and Waterford.
A key milestone was reached for a Dublin City Centre pathfinder project on 29 May, with the implementation of traffic management measures including a 24/7 bus gate in the College Green/Dame Street area. This project includes measures that will give more space to pedestrians and improve the efficiency of public transport in the city centre.
All projects are making good progress, with the expectation that they will be completed within the lifetime of the Programme (2023-2025).
242. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport when the finalised cycle connects plan will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34941/23]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to Active Travel. Funding is administered through the National Transport Authority (NTA), who, in partnership with local authorities, have responsibility for the selection and development of specific projects in each local authority area.
CycleConnects, which is under development by the NTA in liaison with the local authorities, aims to improve sustainable travel by providing the potential for more trips on a safe, accessible and convenient cycling network, connecting more people to more places.
Noting the role of the NTA in the matter, I have referred your question to that agency for a more detailed answer. If you do not receive a reply within 10 working days, please contact my private office.
243. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport to report on the progress of the all-island strategic rail review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34942/23]
View answer254. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport the date on which he will publish the All-Island Rail Review; and the costs of same to date. [35033/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 243 and 254 together.
The Strategic Rail Review is being undertaken in cooperation with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. It will inform the development of the railway sector on the Island of Ireland over the coming decades.
The Review is considering the future of the rail network with regard to the following ambitions: improving sustainable connectivity between the major cities (including the potential for higher/high-speed rail), enhancing regional accessibility, supporting balanced regional development, and rail connectivity to our international gateways. This also includes the role of rail freight.
Work on the Review is now at an advanced stage and it is expected that a draft will be published for the purposes of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) public consultation later this month. Following the SEA process and finalisation of the report, it is expected that it will be submitted for the approval of the Minister for Transport and Government later in the year, as well as to the Minister for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. Should there continue to be an absence of Ministers in the NI Executive, approval will be considered taking into account the decision-making framework set out in the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc.) Act 2022 or relevant legislation in place at the time.
It is expected that the final Review will be published before the end of 2023.
To date, my Department has spent €1.37 million, excluding VAT, on the Review.
244. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport his views on the commitment in the Programme for Government to maintain the existing road network to a high standard and fund safety improvements; if he will ensure that much needed additional funding will be provided for the non-national road network in 2023, taking in to account the urgent requirement for additional investment due to the very substantial increase in costs that have arisen over the past two years in road maintenance products and construction work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34956/23]
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.
Within the budget available for regional and local roads, the primary focus of investment is on the protection and renewal of the regional and local road network. The total allocated at the start of this year for regional and local roads was €626 million compared to €607 million in 2022.
In recognition of the fact that cost inflation is having a significant impact on the cost of delivering regional and local road annual programmes, local authorities were notified on 3rd July of a supplementary allocation of €22.5 million for their key road strengthening programmes.
245. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport if consideration will be given to the provision of support for hackney services in rural communities where it is not feasible to have a bus service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34957/23]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I launched the 2023 Local Hackney pilot scheme last January in 21 designated areas, for which applications closed on 28 February. It is a one-year grant aided pilot programme that aims to assist in the provision of part-time local hackney services in designated rural areas which cannot support a full-time taxi or hackney operation. With this new pilot service, rural communities across Ireland will be given the opportunity to have a part time local area hackney service available to them.
The National Transport Authority (NTA), manages the Rural Transport Programme on behalf of the Department of Transport, including the Local Area Hackney Scheme. The NTA will monitor the pilot over the coming year and learn from it, so that it can be rolled out across many other areas if it proves successful. Further details of the pilot scheme, including the areas currently included, are available on the NTA’s website: Local Hackney - National Transport www.nationaltransport.ie/taxi/localhackney/
246. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Transport if a recipient of a vehicle under the brand ambassador programme from a motor dealership is required to have individual insurance cover for such a vehicle. [34976/23]
View answerMotor insurance is a compulsory requirement to drive a car in a public place. Provision of insurance between a car dealership and a brand ambassador is a commercial matter for the parties involved and is not within the remit of my department.
247. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport to report on the progress of the National Transport Authority in completing the walking and cycling index in Ireland's main cities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34980/23]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to Active Travel. Funding is administered through the National Transport Authority (NTA), who, in partnership with local authorities, have responsibility for the selection and development of specific projects in each local authority area.
Following the initial phase of the Walking and Cycling Index carried out in the Dublin Metropolitan Area in 2021, the NTA and Sustrans are working together to roll it out to the four other cities, undertaking the biggest ever survey of walking, wheeling, and cycling in Ireland. Following the surveys which are taking place this year, individual Reports will be prepared and will be published in early 2024 for each of the Metropolitan Areas.
Noting the role of the NTA in the matter, I have referred your question to that agency for the most up to date information on this matter. If you do not receive a reply within 10 working days, please contact my private office.
248. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport when the report of the most recent national household travel survey in 2022 will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34981/23]
View answerThe National Household Travel Survey is produced by the NTA, details on the most recent Survey in 2022 is planned for release in Q3/Q4 2023. I have referred your Question to the NTA for response, who noted that they are still on-track for publication in Q3/Q4 of this year. The report is in its final review phase and is expected to be finished in the next 3-4 weeks.
