Written Answers Nos. 181-189
181. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 72 of 5 July 2023, and the details provided in respect of the Dublin Port Company; if he can provide clarity and a breakdown of the requested information (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35594/23]
View answerFollowing my 5 July reply in relation to PQ 33062/23, information on Dublin Port Company CEO as requested by the deputy is outlined below.
Other Payments
As set out in the notes accompanying the table provided in my previous reply, these payments refer to the Director's Board Fee payable to the former CEO in accordance with his contract. The fee payable in 2022 is pro-rata for the period of the CEO’s tenure to 31 August 2022.
The new CEO took up office on 14 November 2022. The new CEO’s contract does not provide for payment of Director’s Board fee.
Transport
The car allowance paid to the former CEO was paid in accordance with the CEO’s contract of employment. The amount paid in 2022 is pro-rata for the period of the CEO’s tenure to 31 August 2022.
The new CEO took up office on 14th November 2022. The contract for the new CEO does not provide for payment of car allowance. The contract does provide for provision of an electric car. An order was placed for this car on 2nd December 2022. From the 7th December 2022, pending the delivery of the new car, the CEO had access to a company hired vehicle. The cost of hire over this period was €6,785.
182. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 72 of 5 July 2023, and the details provided in respect of the Port of Cork; if he can provide clarity and a breakdown of the requested information (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35595/23]
View answerInformation requested by the deputy is currently being compiled and a response will issue to the deputy as soon as possible.
183. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 72 of 5 July 2023, and the details provided in respect of TII, if he can provide clarity and a breakdown of the requested information (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35597/23]
View answerFollowing my 5 July reply in relation to PQ 33062/23, information on Transport Infrastructure Ireland CEO as requested by the deputy is outlined below.
Retirement Benefits
No pension benefits were paid. This statement merely reflects that pension benefits accrue year on year in the unfunded defined benefit pension scheme. This is the case for all members of the scheme.
Transport
No car, driver or transport leased or were made available to the CEO. Transport Infrastructure Ireland confirm that no car allowance or benefit of any transport was provided during these years.
184. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 72 of 5 July 2023, and the details provided in respect of the RSA, if he can provide clarity and a breakdown of the requested information (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35614/23]
View answerFollowing my 5 July reply in relation to PQ 33062/23, information on the Road Safety Authority CEO as requested by the deputy is outlined below.
Pension
The CEO is a member of the Single Public Services Pension Scheme and his entitlements in that regard do not extend beyond the terms of that pension scheme. Pension contributions paid by the RSA are included in the below table.
|
Other benefits |
||||||||
|
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
|
|
Road Safety Authority |
Salary |
Pension |
Car Allowance |
Health |
Other |
Loyalty Payments |
Bonus |
Benefit in Kind |
|
2020 (Note 1) |
43,397 |
7,732.38 |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
|
2021 |
157,684 |
28,036.68 |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
|
2022 |
170,725 |
30,437.61 |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
|
2023 (Note 3) |
93,986 |
14,767.36 |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Note 1: Figures in the table are Pro-Rata and relate to the current CEO appointed from 14/09/2020.
Note 2: The CEO is a member of the Single Public Services Pension Scheme and his entitlements in that regard do not extend beyond the terms of that pension scheme.
Note 3: 2023 figures are year to date to 06/07/2023
Transport
The CEO of the RSA has no company car or benefit of a transport allowance. In the event that the CEO uses their private car for business related purposes, they are entitled to claim travel and subsistence in accordance with the civil service rates.
185. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 72 of 5 July 2023, and the details provided in respect of the NTA, if he can provide clarity and a breakdown of the requested information (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35615/23]
View answerFollowing my 5 July reply in relation to PQ 33062/23, information on the National Transport Authority CEO as requested by the deputy is outlined below.
Pension
The CEO is a member of the NTA Pension Scheme. This is a public service, defined benefit, final salary pension scheme with standard entitlements. In accordance with the public sector scheme regulations, the scheme provides a pension calculated at the rate of one eightieth of final salary for each year of pensionable service at the date of retirement. A gratuity or lump sum (three eightieths per year of pensionable service) and spouse’s and children’s pensions are also applicable. The scheme is unfunded by the employer and the CEO makes personal pension contributions in accordance with the public sector scheme regulations.
Transport
The CEO of the NTA has no company car or the benefit of a transport allowance. On the rare occasions that the CEO uses their private car for business travel, they are entitled to claim mileage expenses in accordance with Civil Service rates. As with many other employees, the CEO has availed of the TaxSaver Scheme to purchase annual tickets for Dublin Bus & Luas and the Cycle to Work Scheme (on one occasion).
186. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 72 of 5 July 2023, and the details provided in respect of the Commission for Railway Regulation, if he can provide clarity and a breakdown of the requested information (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35616/23]
View answerFollowing my 5 July reply in relation to PQ 33062/23, information in relation to the Commission for Railway Regulation as requested by the deputy is outlined below.
Pension
The Commission for Railway Regulation does not pay any pension contribution on behalf of the Commissioner. There is no additional pension benefit scheme other than the standard scheme to which the Commissioner pays his contributions.
Company Car/Transport allowance
The Commissioner does not have a company car or benefit from any transport allowance.
187. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Transport the status of the Carlow town bus service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35634/23]
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 securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally. The NTA also has national responsibility for integrated local and rural transport, including delivering the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan and New Town Services.
In light of the NTA's responsibilities for the rollout of new services, including in County Carlow, 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.
188. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Transport to reasonably justify the decision of the NTA in November 2022, to accommodate 30% of taxi operators, while excluding the other 70% from extending the operational life of taxi vehicles (details supplied). [35659/23]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, the regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including vehicle age limits for SPSVs, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016. I have no role in the day-to-day operations of the SPSV industry.
Since August, a series of global circumstances has, in the NTA’s view, considerably worsened the capability of taxi and hackney licence holders to secure new vehicles, with lead times of one year not uncommon already. Therefore, the NTA proposed to temporarily extend the maximum permissible age for taxis and hackneys so that no current vehicle licence holder is forced out of the industry because a replacement vehicle cannot be purchased.
Given the role of the NTA as regulator, I have referred your question to the Authority for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.
189. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport what plans are being considered and implemented by TII for improvements to the N22, specifically the Macroom to Ballincollig corridor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35696/23]
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 operation and management 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.
