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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 22 Feb 2000

Vol. 514 No. 6

Written Answers. - Roads Projects.

John Perry

Ceist:

234 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the differing standards, costs and terms being applied by local authorities, particularly in the Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare areas, concerning the opening and re-instatement of roads and paths for the installation of telecommunications infrastructure; the reason for these differing regimes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5068/00]

John Perry

Ceist:

235 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the measures, if any, he has taken to ensure that inconsistencies in the approaches taken by local authorities to the opening and re-instatement of roads and paths for the installation of telecommunications infrastructure do not act as a barrier to the creation of an information society or otherwise impede the installation of telecommunications infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5069/00]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 234 and 235 together.

Section 101D of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, as inserted by the Dublin Transport Authority (Dissolution) Act, 1987, empowers prescribed road authorities to issue directions to statutory undertakers, including telecommunications operators, and others for the purposes of co-ordinating road openings and minimising traffic disruption. Under the Road Traffic (Co-ordination of Roadworks) Regulations, 1992, the Dublin local authorities and the county boroughs of Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway were prescribed as authorities which may exercise these powers. These local authorities have powers to co-ordinate and control road openings by both public and private utilities to minimise the frequency and duration of road openings; to co-ordinate works to minimise traffic congestion and hazard to road users; and to ensure that roads are permanently reinstated as quickly as possible. The majority of road openings by statutory undertakers occur in the areas of these authorities but the question of prescribing additional local authorities is being kept under review.
Road openings in areas other than those prescribed in the Road Traffic (Co-ordination of Roadworks) Regulations, 1992, are governed by section 13 of the Roads Act, 1993, which allows roads authorities to give written consent to road openings. A road authority may attach conditions to the consent.
Any conditions, restrictions or requirements which a road authority may attach to a permission for a road opening, under the Roads Act, 1993, or the Road Traffic (Co-ordination of Roadworks) Regulations, 1992, are a matter for that authority.
In addition to the foregoing, the Telecommunications (Infrastructure) Bill, 1999, which is currently before the Seanad, proposes to enhance local authority powers by obliging telecommunications operators to obtain the consent of the local authority before opening a road to lay underground telecommunications infrastructure. Under section 15 of the Bill, a local authority would be empowered to make its consent subject to conditions, including reduction in the number of telecommunications related road openings by ensuring that road openings are co-ordinated, trenches are shared and spare ducts are laid for future use by other operators.
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