Written Answers Nos. 34-53
34. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Constitution, how many Irish citizens have applied for permission to receive a title from a foreign state, in tabular form, since the constitution came into being, broken down by year; whether such an application was accepted or not; and the state that proposed to grant the title. [54042/23]
View answer35. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs what penalties, if any, exist for those who are in breach of Article 40.2.2 of the Constitution and accept foreign titles without Irish Government permission. [54043/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 34 and 35 together.
Article 40.2.2 of the Constitution states that “No title of nobility or of honour may be accepted by any citizen except with the prior approval of the Government.” The reference to "title of nobility or of honour" has been interpreted, in accordance with advice from the Attorney General, as referring to honours conferred by or on behalf of a sovereign authority, the recipients of which become entitled, by the law or custom of the foreign State in question, to use prefixes to their names such as “Sir”, “Dame”, “Lord” or "Marquis”.
It is these types of award which are considered by Government. If a foreign Government wishes to make any such award to an Irish citizen, the standard practice is that the relevant accredited diplomatic mission would notify my Department in advance of the conferral of the award. It is noted that rights, privileges or dignities deriving from the award of a title of nobility or honour subsist solely within the jurisdiction conferring it and any other jurisdiction that may recognise rights, privileges or dignities as flowing from it. Under Irish law, such a title has no significance in terms of conferring rights, entitlements or dignities.
In addition, awards which provide for the use of letters or marks of distinction after one's name or involve the presentation of medals, ribbons or academic honours are not regarded as conferring a title of nobility or of honour in this context.
Based on a review of records held by my Department and compiled in the time available, the table below lists instances over the past thirty years where the Government has considered such awards. Information prior to this time period was not possible to obtain in the time available.
In the cases of awards conferred by the UK, the recipients of the awards in each instance have been dual Irish-British citizens.
In relation to seven of the instances summarised below, listed in the table as “No Decision”, the honours in question were extended to the Irish citizens concerned before the conferral was brought to the attention of the Government. No facility exists for retrospective approval by the Government in these instances and currently there are no penalties or other sanctions for failing to obtain prior approval of the Government pursuant to Article 40.2.2 of the Constitution. However, my Department regularly reminds the authorities of countries concerned that the prior approval of the Government should be sought in instances where awards of the nature outlined in Article 40.2.2 of the Constitution are to be conferred on an Irish citizen.
|
Date of consideration |
Country conferring the award |
Title of award |
Government Decision |
|
|
1 |
29/12/2000 |
UK |
Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) |
Approved |
|
2 |
11/07/2001 |
Malaysia |
Darhaj Panglima Jasa Negara, PJN, Kerhormat |
Approved |
|
3 |
08/06/2005 |
UK |
Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) |
Approved |
|
4 |
Jan-2006 |
UK |
Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) |
No decision |
|
5 |
12/06/2008 |
UK |
Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) |
Approved |
|
6 |
07/05/2013 |
UK |
Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) |
Approved |
|
7 |
30/12/2013 |
UK |
Damehood (Commander of the Order) |
Approved |
|
8 |
10/06/2014 |
UK |
Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) |
Approved |
|
9 |
10/06/2014 |
UK |
Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) |
Approved |
|
10 |
09/06/2015 |
UK |
Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) |
Approved |
|
11 |
03/11/2015 |
Grenada |
Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation |
Approved |
|
12 |
03/11/2015 |
Antigua and Barbuda |
Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation |
No decision |
|
13 |
03/11/2015 |
Antigua and Barbuda |
Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation |
No decision |
|
14 |
17/05/2016 |
UK |
Knighthood (Knight Bachelor) |
Approved |
|
15 |
24/05/2022 |
UK |
Damehood of the Order of the British Empire |
Approved |
|
16 |
24/05/2022 |
UK |
Damehood of the Order of the British Empire |
No decision |
|
17 |
04/07/2023 |
UK |
Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George |
No decision |
|
18 |
04/07/2023 |
UK |
Damehood of the Order of the British Empire |
No decision |
|
19 |
04/07/2023 |
UK |
Knighthood of the Order the British Empire |
No decision |
36. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a representation to the US authorities about a case (details supplied). [54041/23]
View answerI am aware of the case highlighted by the Deputy, which was brought to the attention of my office directly by the person concerned. Officials from my Department have responded directly on the matter raised.
37. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the main policy achievements of his Department in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54078/23]
View answerOver the past year, my Department has achieved much progress in a number of policy areas, framed by our commitments under the Programme for Government, and the Departmental Statement of Strategy.
This progress has been achieved against the backdrop of an increasingly unstable and complex geopolitical context, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the crisis in Sudan, and now the conflict in the Middle East, imposing significant demands on my Department and its staff in Ireland and around the world.
In this context, we have continued to stand with Ukraine, providing over €185 million in humanitarian and stabilisation support to Ukraine, consistently supporting the strongest sanctions against Russia, and engaging with international partners to ensure accountability for any crimes committed in Ukraine.
In more recent weeks the work of the Department has been dominated by the unfolding conflict in the Middle East and in particular efforts to ensure the safe exit from Gaza of all Irish citizens who wished to leave, and their accompanying dependants and working to secure the release of Emily Hand, who was held hostage by Hamas. In addition, throughout the crisis I have unequivocally condemned all acts of terrorism. I have also made consistently clear that the protection of civilians must be paramount. The loss of life in the conflict in Gaza has been horrendous. Thousands of civilians, including children, have been killed. That is why I have consistently called for a sustainable humanitarian ceasefire and reiterated the need to adhere to International Humanitarian Law. The conflict must end.
Delivery of services to Irish citizens remains central to our work. Irish citizens abroad continued to receive excellent consular support, including the in the context of the crises mentioned above, and the Passport Service is again on track to issue close to 1 million passports this year, in line with record numbers recorded last year. This incredible achievement was made possible by meeting demand delayed by the pandemic with technological and organisational innovation, and above all the hard work of the staff in all our passport offices.
Peace and reconciliation on our island has been, and continues to be, a central priority for my Department. In this context, agreement of the Windsor Framework in February was a key milestone, and as a committed Member State of the European Union, Ireland is fully engaged with our EU partners as we work to make sure that the Framework is implemented fully and in good faith. This year also saw the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement and we marked this significant milestone both at home and abroad.
Deepening our EU relationships and our influence at EU level has also been a central focus over the last twelve months, including in respect of communicating and promoting Europe to Irish citizens. The Programme for Government made a particular commitment to marking 50 years of Irish membership of the EU and I was delighted through 2022 and 2023 to lead on a “EU50” programme of national and international engagement marking this historic anniversary.
At UN level, my Department has built on the legacy of Ireland’s two-year term on the UN Security Council and continued to show leadership at UN level – notably Ireland served as co-facilitator of negotiations and secured agreement on the Political Declaration for the Sustainable Development Goals Summit in September of this year. Moreover, in 2023, the Government allocated €716.5 million for the International Cooperation vote. This is the largest ever allocation of Official Development Assistance (ODA) and, coupled with ODA eligible contributions across a number of other government departments, provide a tangible of expression of our commitment and leadership in this sphere. €60 million additional funding provided for 2024 includes €30 million for international climate finance and €30 million for an ambitious and targeted response to humanitarian crises, prolonged acute food and nutrition insecurity and the impact of the war in Ukraine.
2023 saw a continued deepening of the global food security and energy crisis with 345 million people forecast to face acute food insecurity by year end. My department worked closely with Áras an Uachtaráin in support of President Higgins' important addresses to the Africa Food summit in January in Dakar and the World Food Forum in Rome in October. During the year my department worked in support of both humanitarian food assistance and longer term transformation of food systems through the UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake meeting and other global initiatives. In 2023 my department will spend at least €284 million on food, agriculture and nutrition.
This year we also witnessed the adoption of the UN Agreement on Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), a historic global oceans treaty that has the potential to significantly enhance the protection of the marine environment. My Department played an active and constructive role in the negotiations leading to the Agreement.
In partnership with the Department of Defence, my Department played a key role convening the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy to start a discussion on Ireland’s foreign and security policy. The Forum focused on a wide range of issues, including Ireland’s efforts to protect the rules-based international order through peacekeeping and crisis management, disarmament and non-proliferation, international humanitarian law, and conflict prevention and peacebuilding as well as allowing for a discussion on Ireland’s policy of military neutrality.
My Department also hosted the Global Irish Civic Forum in 2023, a gathering of Irish community representatives from across the world. The forum discussed support for communities abroad, promotion of Irish cultural heritage and sport, network building, reaching the next generations of the diaspora, and much more, and highlighted the critical importance of continued Government support for Ireland’s diaspora and representative organisations. The Emigrant Support Programme was established in 2004 and by the end of 2023, will have disbursed over €17 million, bringing to €237 million the total provided to over 840 organisations supporting the Irish community abroad.
My Department has also continued to deliver on Global Ireland 2025; deepening our international engagement is critical to making these achievements possible. Our mission network has expanded to 99, with plans to open new missions in Munich, Milan and Islamabad in the period ahead.
Finally, in June of this year, further to my appointment in December last year, I was pleased to launch a new Departmental Statement of Strategy. This Statement provides an essential framework to guide the work of the Department of Foreign Affairs in the period ahead. It recognises the changed and challenging global context in which we are now operating, and makes clear that strong coordination across Government at home, and with our key allies abroad, remains key to developing sustainable and lasting responses to the many and complex challenges that Ireland is facing.
38. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the EPA has any future plans to expand the monitoring of permanent air quality testing systems on site in Drogheda south; if not, the reason why; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53926/23]
View answerThe national air quality monitoring network is operated, maintained, and monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme. My Department has provided funding for a significant upgrade to the network in recent years, and as a consequence the number of monitoring stations has increased from 29 in 2017 to 114 today. The expansion will be complete when the remaining stations are connected in 2023 which will bring the final number of stations to 116 - three times greater than the number required under the EU Air Quality Directive.
All stations collect air quality data for a range of pollutants to provide information to the public, and for assessment against European legal limit values and World Health Organisation guideline values. The EPA produce an annual report on Air Quality in Ireland which provides an overview of our air quality and key issues that impact upon it.
The EPA decide upon the most appropriate locations based on best practice and EU requirements, and questions in relation to proposed sites may be addressed to them directly. Similarly, the EPA is also responsible for monitoring data from each station, and questions in this regard may also be addressed to them directly. Details of the locations of all monitoring stations currently in operation, along with real-time and historic data from each station, can be found at the website, www.airquality.ie.
Following on from this expansion, the LIFE EMERALD project uses the information from our monitoring network to provide a national 3-day air quality forecast and will in the coming months produce near real-time mapping of air pollutants throughout the country, and create historical maps of air pollutants.
The project will improve Ireland’s ambient air quality management capabilities, by using an air quality modelling system to gain a better understanding of the factors contributing to poor air quality and develop a system that will provide better information to the public.
39. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will outline the procedure through which an area in the blue commercial area can be transferred to the NBI area; and if he will indicate whether any such transfers have taken place. [53978/23]
View answerIn December 2022, my Department published Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy which supports the ambition outlined in the National Digital Strategy and sets out a number of ambitious targets, including that:
• all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028
• all populated areas will be covered by 5G no later than 2030, and
• digital connectivity will be delivered to all schools and broadband connection points by 2023
These targets will be achieved through commercial operators investing in their networks, complemented by the State’s National Broadband Plan intervention. When taken together, all premises in the State will have access to high-speed broadband in every part of the country no matter how remote.
The BLUE area represents those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high-speed broadband services. The Department defines high-speed broadband as a connection with minimum speeds of 30Mbps download and 6Mbps upload. The activities of commercial operators delivering high-speed broadband within BLUE areas are not planned or funded by the State and the Department has no statutory authority to intervene in that regard. There may be a choice of operators offering this service in any given area. Further information in this regard is available at www.comreg.ie/compare/#/services.
If a person lives in the BLUE area and after contacting their Retail Service Provider are told they cannot get access to greater than 30Mbps, they should raise a query via the DECC webform at secure.dccae.gov.ie/forms/NBP-Customer-Service.aspx and DECC will escalate with open eir to investigate this matter further.
For individual queries received through the Department’s Broadband webform, the location of the premises being investigated is compared against the available commercial operators’ plans, where these plans have been voluntarily shared with the Department. This is to confirm if there are forthcoming commercial plans to provide high-speed broadband to serve the premises in question. Therefore, the current lack of high-speed broadband availability in these areas, may be resolved by commercial operators in the short to medium term. As a result of the planned commercial activity mentioned above, the Department considers it to be prudent, to only reclassify premises in the most exceptional circumstances and include them in the Intervention Area. For example, where there may be a very small number of mapping anomalies identified, adding them to the IA will not impact on the existing detailed design from NBI for the immediate area. There may also be a limited number of premises that cannot be served by the eir Commitment Agreement that are returned to the IA.
The Department expects that the majority of the Blue area of the NBP Map will be served with high-speed broadband from commercial operators. The European Electronics Communications Code (EECC) requires a broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) to be implemented by Member States, which provides an assurance that all premises can access a high-speed broadband connection. This provides another tool to help deliver upon the NBP’s policy objectives that every home and business in the country will have access to high-speed broadband.
The EECC legislation now transposed into Irish Law provides a broadband USO, which will designate a Significant Market Power (SMP) for broadband in specific areas. Therefore, premises that do not have access to “adequate” broadband will be covered by the USO. The timeframe for implementation of the USO is yet to be finalised, however it is likely to provide some safeguards to citizens in the commercial areas, ensuring they get access to adequate broadband services from operators in these areas.
Commercial operators’ fibre roll-outs are progressing at pace. Open eir have already passed over 1.1 million homes. SIRO has recently reached a milestone of enabling over 555,000 premises for full fibre and is on track to reach 700,000 premises by 2026. Virgin Media recently announced a €200 million investment plan to upgrade its cable network to bring full fibre to up to 1 million premises over the next three years, to date it has passed 252,000 premises with full fibre.
Recent ComReg data shows that Quarter 2 of 2023 saw a 7.4% increase in fibre broadband subscriptions compared to the first 3 months of the year, and a 33.7% increase when compared to Quarter 2 of 2022. This demonstrates that take-up of fibre connectivity for homes and businesses is increasing substantially as it is deployed to areas where it had previously been unavailable. The same ComReg data also indicates that c. 40% of homes and business throughout the State now have access to gigabit services through either fibre (576,856) or cable (359,669) infrastructure.
40. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the smaller petrol stations and shops will be given a bigger grant for the deposit return scheme, as in the case of a person (details supplied). [54006/23]
View answerRetailers have two options when offering take-back services under the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) – 1) manual, over the counter collection, or 2) automated collection through the use of reverse vending machines (RVMs). Empty containers will be collected from retailers by Re-turn, the scheme operator, where they will be sorted and recycled, at no cost to the retailer.
All retailers will receive a handling fee from Re-turn for participating in the scheme. Handling fees are intended to offset the cost of collection infrastructure, retail floor space, staff costs and security. The level of handling fee payable is determined by Re-turn and is subject to independent, third-party verification.
In addition to handling fees, a number of other supports are in place to assist small retailers, including exemptions from take-back services and financial support for the installation of RVMs. Details of these supports, as well as other useful information to help retailers prepare for DRS, is available at re-turn.ie/retailer/.
41. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide a breakdown of the different sectors that the €169 million Just Transition Fund will be targeted towards; and if there will be a specific funding stream for assisting job creation in private companies. [54008/23]
View answerThe EU Just Transition Fund (EU JTF) targets funding to the Midlands region (namely Laois, Longford Offaly, Roscommon, and Westmeath; and specified municipal districts in Galway, Kildare and Tipperary), to address the longer-term economic transition of the region arising from the end of commercial peat extraction and peat-fired power generation.
To date, €66 million of funding has been made available for projects that support the bioeconomy, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, regenerative tourism, and the implementation of local and regional economic strategies. Initial calls for community-based electric vehicle charging infrastructure and bioeconomy projects are now closed and grant awards will be confirmed shortly. Further calls are in development for the remaining €96 million of funding.
The Programme has three priority areas of focus.
Priority 1: Generating sustainable employment for former peat communities by investing in the diversification of the local economy, including by supporting productive investments in enterprise, SMEs, and in community support actions in line with existing local and regional economic plans, with up to €87 million available.
Priority 2: Supporting the restoration and rehabilitation of degraded peatlands and the regeneration and repurposing of industrial heritage assets, including support for wetlands restoration, the development of tourism trails networks and the scientific management of peat soils, with up to €57 million available.
Priority 3: Providing former peat communities with smart and sustainable mobility options to enable them to benefit directly from the green transition, including support for the electrification of Rural Link services, support for private bus operators to decarbonise their services, and for electric vehicle destination charging infrastructure, with up to €18 million available.
In terms of assisting job creation, Priority 1 will make funding available to SMEs through:
• The provision of €17 million, through an Investment Grant-Aid Scheme for Private and Community SMEs, launched in August 2023, as part of Fáilte Ireland’s Regenerative Tourism and Placemaking Scheme 2023-2026. This will deliver grant-aid to private and community-based micro enterprises and SMEs to help them improve the quality of the visitor experience with the ambition of attracting more visitors, increasing their dwell time, and securing overnight stays in the region.
• The provision of €5 million through a specific call under the Local and Economic Regional Strategies Support Scheme, to support the provision of skills, project expertise and infrastructure necessary to stimulate new economic activity in the low carbon economy. This call is expected to be launched in January 2024 and will be administered by Pobal on behalf of my Department.
Funding support for SMEs through Ireland's EU Just Transition Fund programme will complement other sources of Exchequer and EU funding available for assisting job creation in private enterprises. In particular, the EU Just Transition Fund programme is designed to ensure complementarity with the objectives of Ireland's European Regional Development Fund programmes and funding provided to Enterprise Ireland for the Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme under those programmes. This scheme is aimed at accelerating economic growth and sustainable job creation across all regions of the country and is currently open for funding.
The Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly is the Managing Authority for Ireland's EU Just Transition Fund programme and further information on all funding available under this programme is available on emra.ie/eu-jtf/.
42. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the current status of the codes of practice for CCTV, particularly in relation to their use by local authorities for the detection of dumping, following recent developments where the LGMA submitted the codes of practice to him for approval; when these codes will be approved (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54119/23]
View answerThe Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) is continuing to work on the finalisation of draft Codes of Practice and Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs), which are fundamental to the future operation of CCTV schemes aimed at assisting waste enforcement and anti-litter efforts, including the monitoring of illegal dumping and dog fouling. The LGMA circulated draft Codes of Practice and DPIAs to the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Minister for Justice and the Data Protection Commission as part of the required consultation process and I understand all bodies have now responded to the LGMA with their views.
Separate codes of practice are required for the operation of CCTV schemes under both the Litter Pollution Act and the Waste Management Act, while a further Code of Practice is required for the use of "mobile recording devices" (e.g. bodycams etc) under the Waste Management Act. DPIAs must also be carried out as part of this process.
I understand this LGMA process is now at an advanced stage so I hope to be in a position to give final approval to these Codes of Practice in the near future.
43. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications how much money has EirGrid expended to date on the development of the North South Interconnector; and how much money has Eirgrid spent on the construction of the North South Interconnector. [54170/23]
View answerResponsibility for the regulation of the electricity market is a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) which is an independent regulator, accountable to a committee of the Oireachtas and not me as Minister. The CRU was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the Irish electricity sector following the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act, 1999 and subsequent legislation.
The CRU is responsible for, inter alia, the economic regulation of the electricity system operators ESB Networks, distribution, and EirGrid, transmission. The cost of building, safely operating and maintaining the electricity system is recovered by system operators through charges on customers, all of which is overseen and agreed with the CRU. System operator spending is agreed with the CRU in five year cycles, referred to as Price Reviews. The current Price Review, spanning 2021-2025, saw the CRU sanction a €4 billion capital expenditure on the grid.
The North South Interconnector is a Transmission project and is being undertaken by EirGrid, as TSO. The Government does not have any role in the delivery of electricity infrastructure on the ground. This is consistent with the 2012 Government Policy Statement on the Strategic Importance of Transmission and Other Energy Infrastructure which states: ‘The Government does not seek to direct EirGrid and ESB Networks or other energy infrastructure developers to particular sites or routes or technologies’.
EirGrid are independent of the Minister in the exercise of their functions as Transmission System Operators, and are accountable to the CRU in respect of expenditure on grid development. The matters raised in this question are operational matters for both EirGrid, in the first instance, and the CRU and therefore not a matter in which I have function. In this instance, I have forwarded the Deputies query to EirGrid for a direct response.
44. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he is satisfied that Irish neutrality is being upheld (details supplied), considering the recent training of Ukrainian soldiers at Kilworth army camp in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54142/23]
View answerThe training referred to in this question was in relation to the NATO Operational Capabilities Concept (OCC) evaluation that took place in Kilworth Training Camp, in November 2023. OCC is an evaluation and feedback process that provides for external evaluation by trained evaluators of declared military capabilities in accordance with NATO standards.
Ireland has engaged in this programme since 2016, the experience gained through the practical interaction between allies and partners has been very valuable. Ireland’s participation in OCC is seen as fundamental to Ireland being able to meet its obligations in providing professional peacekeepers for multinational crisis management and peacekeeping operations mandated by the UN. Engaging in the OCC process contributes to the interoperability effectiveness of the Defence Forces; the ambition to meet the NATO standards and benchmarks; contributes to the professional development of the Defence Forces, and enhances force protection.
The unit that was assessed in November was the 2 Field Engineer Company, this was the 5th evaluation that the Defence Forces has completed. Other units that have gone through the process is an Armoured Cavalry Squadron, the Army Ranger Wing, the Naval Service and an Artillery Battery.
A key component of OCC is the availability of Evaluators to assess units undergoing OCC; in order to ensure there is a pool of evaluators OCC Evaluator Training Courses run in tandem with OCC Evaluations. Training Courses are open to partners and allies. In November a total of 22 students, from partner nations and allies, completed the Evaluator Training Course in Kilworth. Included in these students were 4 personnel from Ukraine.
The provision of such training to foreign military as part of a NATO partner country initiative does not, in any way, contravene Ireland’s policy of military neutrality.
As practised by successive Irish governments, Ireland’s policy of military neutrality means we do not participate in military alliances or mutual defence arrangements.
Ireland is not a party to the Hague Convention (V) respecting the Rights and Duties of Neutral Powers and Persons in Case of War on Land. The application of this Convention, accordingly, does not arise.
45. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Transport if his Department could reverse the revoking of the funding for the Naas Mobility Network Integration Pathfinder Project (details supplied) and meet with officials of Kildare County Council to agree a timeline for the delivery of these infrastructural changes in Naas, County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53919/23]
View answerThe purpose of the Pathfinder Programme was to demonstrate how sustainable mobility projects can transform how we travel in our communities, and critically, how this can be done at speed given the need for urgent action. A key criterion for the initial designation as 'pathfinder' was the capacity of projects to be delivered by the end of 2025. This was made clear to all project promoters from the outset.
Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons including the scale of the project, planning requirements and associated timelines, it was evident that the project - despite being scaled back from its original scope - would not be completed by end 2025. The difficult decision to remove the project from the Pathfinder Programme was made on the basis of further anticipated delays communicated to the Department by Kildare County Council.
The decision to remove the Naas Mobility Network Integration project from the Pathfinder Programme was not taken lightly and follows numerous meetings over the past year between myself and officials in my Department and Kildare County Council to help progress the project.
The Pathfinder Programme is not a funding programme and as such, funding has not been revoked for the project. The ‘Pathfinder’ status does, however, provide the projects involved with priority consideration within existing programmes in order to accelerate delivery. The sponsoring Local Authority, Kildare County Council did not have any funding identified for the project at the outset. However, through engagement with officials in my Department, it was suggested that Kildare County Council should apply to the Climate Action Fund (CAF) which is administered by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications. Kildare County Council has not made an application to the CAF. As such, no funding has been approved or withdrawn from the project.
The decision to revoke the pathfinder status is not a reflection on the wider merits of the project. However, it no longer meets one of the key criteria for inclusion in the Pathfinder Programme. This does not mean the project cannot proceed and I would strongly urge Kildare County Council to continue to pursue the development of this project through the normal funding channels available to it.
46. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Transport the reason for the delay in proving driving tests (details supplied); the measures his Department will be taking to shorten these delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53929/23]
View answerUnder the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driver Testing Service, this includes all application and scheduling matters. Unfortunately, neither I nor my department have the power to intervene in individual cases, therefore, I have referred the questions to the RSA for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
On the broader issue of driver testing delays, the service has been under significant pressure to meet unprecedented demand, which has increased by 28% compared with 2021 figures. The Authority is currently providing an average of 4,000 tests per week, up 25% on this time last year.
Anticipating ongoing demand pressures, the Authority reviewed the capacity of the service and, following a request for additional resources, my Department gave approval for the recruitment of up to 75 additional driver testers in March of this year. This brings the total number of sanctioned driver tester posts to 205, which is more than double the 100 sanctioned testing posts in June 2022.
This recruitment is under way and I have been advised that the first tranche of new recruits were deployed in September. It is expected that before the end of the year there will be a net increase of approximately 42 driver testers and they will be allocated across the driver testing service with a focus on geographical areas with the longest waiting times and highest demand for tests.
The RSA estimate that the agreed service level of average wait times of 10 weeks will resume in mid-2024.
47. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Transport if he will address the urgent concerns of the Durrow community and all parties who are affected in any way by the dangers presented by the N52 on the stretch of road between the N4 intersection at Kilbeggan to the Tullamore bypass; if he will support efforts to have the funding reinstated to proceed with the new bypass route as planned and already agreed, without any further delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53952/23]
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.
The Government has earmarked €5.1bn for capital spending on new national roads projects from 2021 to 2030 as part of the NDP. As the greater portion of this funding becomes available in the second half of the decade, this means that there is a constraint on the funding available for new projects this year.
As with all national roads projects in the NDP, the delivery programme for the project will be kept under review for 2024 and considered in terms of the overall funding envelope available to TII. The allocations for national roads for 2024 are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Noting the above position, I have referred your question to TII for a direct reply updating you as to the latest status of this project. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
48. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Transport if there is a requirement to provide type 2 charging connections at all EV charging hubs in the State with a particular reference to service stations on or just off motorways. [53968/23]
View answerThere is currently no legislation that requires all charging stations to include a Type 2 connector.
The Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation which has come into force and will apply from 13th of April 2024, requires that where an AC charge-point is installed, it must provide a Type 2 connector for interoperability purposes. Where a DC charge point is being provided, it must provide a combined charging system ‘Combo 2’. The fastest AC charging speed of 43kW, which only a small percentage of EV cars can accommodate, would result in valuable spaces being occupied for over 30 minutes to achieve 100KM. For most car models it would take over 2.5 hours to build up 100KM range with an AC charger, therefore it may not be the best use of limited charging spaces at that are intended to serve the motorway traffic. The Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the electric vehicle (EV) charging network over the coming years. Having an effective and reliable charging network is an essential part of enabling drivers to make the switch to electric vehicles.
Home charging is the primary charging method for most Irish EV owners as it’s convenient and cheaper for the consumer as well as assisting in the overall management of the national grid. Over 80% of charging is expected to happen at home.
However, there is also a need for a seamless public charging network that will provide for situations or instances where home charging is not possible, such as on-street and residential charging, destination charging and workplace charging.
Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI), a dedicated Office which oversees and accelerates Ireland’s transition to zero emission vehicles, has significant funding available in 2023 for the installation of EV charging across Ireland.
In January, I launched the national Strategy for the development of EV charging infrastructure, covering the crucial period out to 2025, alongside an Implementation Plan. The strategy sets out the government’s ambition regarding the delivery of a public EV charging network to support up to 195,000 electric cars and vans by the middle of the decade.
A range of new charging infrastructure schemes are being developed which will help provide another critical link in the overall network for public charging.
Destination Charging is a strong priority for ZEVI. In addition to a general scheme, a number of bespoke schemes are also in advanced stages of development and delivery, including:
• A Shared Island funded Sports Club scheme, which will install up to 200 fast chargers
• An EU Just transition Fund supported scheme, which is planned to install 60-80 chargers
These circa 300 sites, in addition to those under other destination schemes currently planned will be delivered in 2024 and 2025.
I launched The National En-Route EV Charging Network Plan last month. This is the first element of the National EV Charging Network Plan which, will cover all publicly accessible EV charging in the country.
The National En-Route EV Charging Network Plan and associated initiatives will drive the delivery of charging infrastructure on the National Road Network. The Plan sets out ambitious targets for the level and coverage needed for En-Route charging on our national roads network. We are already seeing significant increased capacity of EV charging on our national roads, and this plan provides additional reassurance and certainty for EV drivers and those thinking of making the switch to EVs that they will be able to find high powered, fast and convenient EV charge-points where and when they need them.
The Plan sets out a provision of EV charging that will be ahead of demand and meet European requirements for charging electric cars, LGVs and HGVs by 2025 and 2030. The implementation of this Plan through enhanced grid connections, funding interventions and enabling measures will remove barriers and accelerate the delivery of high-powered EV charging.
49. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Transport if he will clarify if there are any plans for Monasterevin, County Kildare to be designated a commuter town; if so, when would he envision this happening; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54010/23]
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 and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in conjunction with the relevant transport operators.
In light of the Authority's responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's question asking whether there are any plans for Monasterevin, County Kildare to be designated a commuter town; if so, when would he envision this happening, to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
50. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of taxi licences issued to non-national drivers in the years 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023. [54013/23]
View answerThe regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including setting the criteria for obtaining a taxi licence, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA). In addition, the NTA is responsible for the collection and publication of statistics relating to SPSV licensing. I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of the SPSV industry.
Accordingly, I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.
51. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Transport if he will detail the criteria required to qualify for a taxi licence; if any different criteria apply to national and non-national applicants; and if so, what those differences are and the reasons behind them. [54014/23]
View answerThe regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including setting the criteria for obtaining a taxi licence, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA). In addition, the NTA is responsible for the collection and publication of statistics relating to SPSV licensing. I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of the SPSV industry.
Accordingly, I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.
52. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Transport how many additional driving test examiners have been put in place in County Kildare. [54017/23]
View answerUnder the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driver Testing Service, including the deployment of driver testers. and the information requested is held by that agency. I have therefore referred the question to the RSA for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response is not received within 10 days.
53. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Transport if he has plans to increase the number of train services to Monasterevin Train Station, County Kildare to make it a more commuter-friendly town. [54020/23]
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, and for decisions in relation to the routes of these services in conjunction with the relevant transport operators.
The issue raised by the Deputy in relation to increasing the number of train services to Monasterevin is a matter for the NTA. Therefore, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct response to the Deputy.
Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
