Written Answers Nos. 1-20
12. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Transport if his Department is advising further education campuses to engage with the TFI Smarter Travel Programme for Third Level Campuses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1546/24]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, Smarter Travel is a national behavioural change programme, led by the NTA, which supports employers and third level institutions to implement voluntary Travel Plans. These plans focus on promoting and encouraging staff and students to sustainably and actively commute and beyond, and for organisations to consider flexible working arrangements. Campuses are also encouraged to promote Smarter Travel as part of the curriculum and through student projects.
I am encouraged to see a growing number of Irish Third Level Campuses engaging in Smarter Travel, working with students and employees to facilitate more sustainable travel choices – resulting in better access, enhanced student and employee wellbeing, reduced costs, reduced carbon emissions, and more effective parking management.
Twenty-eight third level campuses are already partners in the programme of which there are currently five colleges of further education, namely:
- Cork Education and Training Board
- Dunboyne College of Further Education
- Kerry Education and Training Board
- Marino College of Education
- Limerick College of Further Education
In some cases further education campuses are relatively dispersed so in these cases it can be challenging to gather representative data on which to base a college-wide travel plan. It can also be challenging to implement significant changes in cases where the campus is located out of urban centres and cases where onsite attendance is intermittent. The nature of the Programme is voluntary, but I would encourage any other third level campus that is not engaged in the programme to sign up by contacting the Smarter Travel team in the NTA.
In further recognition of this programme, I was delighted to launch The Smarter Travel Mark in May of last year. This is a three tier certification that recognises and celebrates organisations that support active and sustainable travel on the commute and beyond for their workforce, students and visitors, resulting in a reduction in single-person car usage.
14. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Transport if his Department has plans to extend the student Leap card entitlement to students in part-time third level education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4451/24]
View answerThe Government is strongly committed to providing all citizens with reliable and realistic sustainable mobility options, and public transport plays a key role in the delivery of this goal.
Budget 2024 has allocated €613 million to support Public Service Obligation services across the State. This Budget allocation builds on the investments secured in recent years which have supported the delivery of new, enhanced and expanded public transport services across the country.
The funding allocated by Government also supports the fare initiatives we’ve introduced since late 2021 such as –
- Reducing average fares on all PSO services by 20%, helping people with cost-of-living pressures;
- Introducing, and most recently expanding, the Young Adult Card, reducing fares by a further 50% for young people just as they’re making choices about how they travel independently; and
- Introducing a new 90-minute fare to enable easy interchange between different types of public transport.
These initiatives have made public transport more affordable for more people and have undoubtably contributed toward the strong passenger growth we’re seeing across the network.
There are no plans to amend or extend the Student Leap Card. This fare type is targeted at those who are in full-time third-level education and whose access to full-time employment opportunities is naturally restricted.
Part-time third-level students can of course avail of the other fare initiatives depending on their circumstances. These initiatives include the generally reduced fares currently on offer, discounted fares available to those aged 18 and under, the 50% discount offered to all those aged 25 and under and the TFI 90 fare available to all on PSO services.
These initiatives sit alongside the funding being provided for the continued roll-out of BusConnects, town services, and the Connecting Ireland programme in rural Ireland. The combination of these targeted investments are delivering tangible improvements and helping to address the increased levels of passenger demand we are experiencing across the network.
15. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport what measures he is taking to prevent cancellations and no-shows of buses in Dublin, particularly on the new BusConnects routes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4414/24]
View answerOur Programme for Government commits to a ‘fundamental change in the nature of transport in Ireland’ and this is supported by the National Development Plan and significant investment plans to maintain, enhance and improve transport infrastructure across the country by 2030. The BusConnects programme is a key element of these plans.
However, I acknowledge that there are a number of service delivery issues on public transport services which my Department, the National Transport Authority (NTA) and the public transport operators are working to address.
As the Deputy will be aware, the performance of public transport operators is monitored by the NTA as part of the contractual arrangements in place between it and the operators. These contractual arrangements allow for not just the monitoring of performance and the publication of annual performance reports, but importantly, they also allow for the imposition of financial penalties where performance does not meet the required standard.
I want to reassure the Deputy that the NTA fully applies these penalties when service issues arise. While the 2023 penalty figures are still being finalised, I can confirm that by the end of Q2 2023 c. €7 million in fines had been levied against the public transport operators due to issues of performance, including lost kilometres and matters related to punctuality. In the case of Dublin Bus and Go Ahead, a large proportion of deductions relate to Lost Kilometres, particularly due to driver availability issues.
While the operators have all undertaken extensive driver recruitment campaigns over the last 12-18 months, the market remains challenging, and the driver shortage is unfortunately continuing to have a negative impact on public transport services.
I want to reassure the Deputy that the NTA and my Department will continue to closely monitor issues of service delivery closely, and to engage with the operators to seek a resolution to these issues.
16. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Transport how many driving testers are currently employed by the Road Safety Authority; if he will provide a breakdown of the contract type (permanent or temporary); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4574/24]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the RSA has statutory responsibility for the National Driving Test service.
As the employer of driver testers, contractual terms are a matter for the RSA. However, I am informed that at the end of 2023 there were 177 testers employed by the Authority, of which 127 were on permanent contracts and 50 on shorter term contracts. Shorter term contracts are typically for a period of 24 months initially.
The driver testing service has been under significant pressure to meet unprecedented demand over the past year. Following a request for additional resources from the RSA, last March my Department gave approval for the recruitment of up to 75 additional driver testers. This brings the current total number of sanctioned driver tester posts to 205, which is more than double the 100 sanctioned testing posts in June 2022.At the end of 2023, there was a net increase of 41 driver testers across the service as a result of this sanction, with additional testing capacity deployed to the geographical areas with the longest waiting times and highest demand for tests.
At the end of December, the national average wait time for a candidate to be invited for a test was 22.5 weeks. This is well above the service level agreement target of 10 weeks, and I am acutely aware of the difficulties excessive wait times are still causing for people across the country. However, wait times have been on a steady downward trend since the end of August, when they peaked at 30.4 weeks. This reduction corresponds with the deployment of the first tranche of new testers in September.
Sanction remains in place for the Authority to increase the number of testers to further alleviate current pressures on the service. My Department is working closely with the Authority to monitor demand and capacity requirements of the driver testing service to ensure it meets the agreed service level of average wait times of 10 weeks, which the Authority expects to achieve by mid-2024.
17. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Transport if he has an update on the funding for Mallow relief road and the Cork city north distributor road; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4557/24]
View answerI wish to thank the Deputy for his question. The Mallow Relief Road is identified as a project for consideration in the current National Development Plan. Town bypasses allow for traffic to be redirected from the centre of our towns and villages, freeing them up for pedestrians and cyclists, improving air quality, and allowing public realm improvements. In the case of Mallow, this will have a significant impact on HGV traffic, which is a particular problem for the town. It is also anticipated that this scheme will enhance active travel linkages to Mallow train station. This is in keeping with the "Town Centre First" policy, and supports Compact Growth in town centres, which is a National Strategic Outcome.
A preferred route has now been selected, and the next phase will involve the detailed design and environmental evaluation of the scheme. I can confirm that €100,000 was allocated for the Mallow Relief Road scheme in 2023. As with all national roads projects in the NDP, the delivery programme for the project will be considered in terms of the overall funding envelope available to TII. TII will outline further funding arrangements for 2024 in the near future.
The proposed Cork Northern Distributor Multi-Modal Route has been developed as part of the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (CMATS). This aims to reduce the dependency on the private car within the Cork metropolitan area, and the Northern Distributor Route will cater for buses as well as providing segregated infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, reducing reliance on radial routes through Cork City Centre.
I understand that Cork City Council submitted a Strategic Assessment Report to the National Transport Authority (NTA) for approval last year and the NTA issued its approval in December. That permits the projects to move to the next stage of the lifecycle which involves route selection and detailed design.
18. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide an update on the progression of phase 1 of the Limerick northern distributor road; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4244/24]
View answerI understand when you refer to Phase 1 of the Limerick Northern Distributor Road you are speaking about the Coonagh to Knockalisheen Distributor Road project. For clarity, the Coonagh to Knockalisheen Distributor Road was submitted and approved by An Bord Pleanála as a stand alone scheme; however, I am aware that the scheme is sometimes referred to locally as Phase 1 of the Limerick Northern Distributor Road.
From the outset, it is important to emphasise that the 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.
As such, Limerick City and County Council is the contracting authority for the Coonagh to Knockalisheen Distributor Road project. As the Deputy is aware, progress on this road project was interrupted in 2022. Since then, works on the Ballygrennan Bridge, which is over the Galway-Ennis railway line, have substantially be completed and the Council has advised me that new contract documents have been prepared for construction of the remainder of the project.
The tender process is currently underway. Subject to a successful outcome to that procurement process and funding provision, it is expected the main construction for the remainder of the roads project will commence this year. This should allow the local community to have access to improved transport as well as better local access via the Distributor Road project.
Lastly to reiterate, the planning and implementation of the Coonagh to Knockalisheen Distributor Road project is the responsibility of Limerick City and County Council.
19. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport the cost of roadside safety barrier installations along the N22 for 2022 and 2023; the rationale for selecting the locations for their installation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4534/24]
View answerI wish to thank the Deputy for his question. My Department and TII are committed a safe network of National Roads. With regard to safety barriers, locations are identified through Road Safety Inspections, which is a proactive approach used by TII to identify suitable locations for safety measures, which may include the installation of barriers. These inspections are carried out on every National Road route and involves an experienced team of Safety Auditors driving the road in both directions, both in daylight and in darkness. Local authorities may also identify locations following inspections. It is important to note that prior to designing any safety barriers on the national road network the option to provide an alternative solution on the roadside, or to remove or mitigate the hazard is always explored. Only when no alternative measure is feasible would a barrier be installed.
On the N22, safety barriers were installed in a number of locations in 2022 and 2023. These barriers were installed to protect road users from hazards including water hazards, utility poles, and rock faces. The cost of these measures amounted to approximately €950,000.
Furthermore, the Deputy will be aware that the N22 Ballyvourney to Macroom project opened in October, bypassing an older section of the N22 with a new, safer road which bypasses Macroom and Ballyvourney. This has had the effect of removing long distance traffic, in particular HGVs, from town centres, greatly improving the safety and quality of life of residents. Furthermore, my Department, through TII, funds upgrades to existing National Roads, such as realigning roads at dangerous bends; pavement renewal, and surveys of the road network to identify blackspots.
20. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport his views on the proposed €96 monthly Leap card ticket and €960 annual ticket for Dublin public transport in light of the climate and cost living crises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4417/24]
View answerOn the 27th of April 2023, the National Transport Authority (NTA) published a new National Fares Strategy. The Fares Strategy followed the previous implementation of a simplified fares structure for Dublin, which combined elements of distance and equitability between routes, and proposes an approach for the rest of Ireland aimed at providing better value, greater transparency, and equality in respect of journey distance.
Subsequently, on the 18th of January, the NTA published its fare determination which introduces a number of specific changes to fares, including the formalisation of new ‘Dublin City’ and ‘Dublin Commuter’ Zone boundaries, simplified Leap capping, as well as changes to some Intercity Rail and town bus fares. The new ‘Dublin City Zone’ will now include areas such as Ashbourne and Ratoath providing better value for passengers from these areas.
Also announced as part of the Fare Determination is a new all-modes ticket to be introduced by the end of Q3, which will offer full access to Dublin Bus, Go-Ahead Ireland, Luas and Irish Rail services in the Dublin City Zone.
The ticket is to cost €960 annually or €96 monthly, representing a saving of 38% compared to the existing equivalent of €1550 and €155. Additional savings can be made by customers availing of the product via Taxsaver. Similarly, a weekly Leap cap covering services provided by all operators in the City Zone will be €24, compared to the current equivalent of €32.
These new tickets will offer further savings to regular public transport users, on top of the savings already being experienced under the various fare initiatives which continue throughout 2024.
I believe that continued investment in such fare initiatives, paired with the continued roll-out of new services, and our extensive capital investment programme will help to ensure that Government delivers on its objective to provide all citizens with reliable and realistic sustainable mobility options.
