Eoghan Murphy
Ceist:6. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if there will be another round of sports capital grants in 2015. [36662/14]
Other Questions
Sports Capital Programme Expenditure
Under the sports capital programme, SCP, funding is provided to voluntary, sporting and community organisations for the provision of sports and recreational facilities.
I was delighted to announce €31 million in provisional allocations under the 2012 round of the sports capital programme. The Deputy will be aware that this had been the first round of the programme since 2008. The 2012 round of the programme attracted a record number of 2,170 applications. With such high demand, it was never going to be possible to fund all applications.
I was pleased, therefore, to press ahead with a new round of the sports capital programme in 2014. Some 2,036 applications were received under the 2014 SCP, the second highest number ever received, illustrating the continuing demand and need for investment in sporting facilities. In July, I announced provisional allocations totalling €40.5 million. A total of 821 of the provisional allocations were towards local sports clubs and organisations, with the remaining 59 provisionally allocated to regional or national projects.
No decision has been taken on the timing of the next round of the sports capital programme.
I congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, on all the work he has done in his area, particularly with the sports capital grants programme. Am I to take it that it is his aspiration to have another round of sports capital grants? If so, and if it is a matter of having to reduce the budget, it would still be possible to bring a sports capital grants programme for next year with a reduced budget if one were to perhaps exclude some of the larger sporting organisations and focus only on the smaller, less popular sports. A little funding for a sport that does not require a significant amount makes a big difference, for example, a rowing club. I have received feedback from some in Dublin which were successful on the last occasion.
It is important, if we are to go with a round in 2015, that if that is possible from a budgetary point of view we should go early. On the timing previously, while the grant is welcome, some clubs would appreciate receiving the funding early in the year so that they can get the infrastructure built in advance of the summer season when their particular sport might be played more.
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I really hope there will be a further round of sports capital funding. The Deputy is quite correct to note that no such programme operated between 2008 and 2012, which put a lot of pressure on small voluntary groups nationwide. The Deputy also is correct that the provision of small amounts of funding to small clubs has worked well. The Government does not get any recognition for the larger funding amounts, but the smaller organisations are extremely thankful for the funding they receive as it puts in place highly valued facilities for them. I hope the Deputy and my colleagues, as well as the two Ministers who are present, will support me in this regard. I already have spoken to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, and the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, and am hopeful that I will secure another round of sports capital funding. The last two rounds of the sports capital programme have been recognised as being positive for sports and organisations. It was the first time for many years in which there were no major rows concerning the manner in which the money was distributed. While some people consider the pro rata system to be unfair, I believe it to be the best way forward. When the Government and I allocate this funding, we try to spread it among sports and to make sure that the smaller organisations get an opportunity in addition to the larger organisations. I reiterate my hope that a further round of sports capital funding will be secured and I look forward to the support of the Deputy and that of our colleagues to put pressure on the Government. It is good news for sport and for participation, and I hope another round will be secured.
Rural Transport Programme
Timmy Dooley
Ceist:7. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the money allocated to the rural transport programme and passenger numbers recorded for that programme in 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014 nationally; if he will provide this information on a county basis; if he will provide an update on the establishment of the transport co-ordination units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36786/14]
As the Minister of State is aware, the rural transport programme is a vitally important part of the lives of many people, particularly the elderly, children with a disability and many others. Will the Minister of State outline what have been the successes to date and what are the proposals, if any, for the years ahead?
Funding for the rural transport programme, RTP, was €10.62 million, €9.79 million and €9.74 million in 2011, 2012 and 2013, respectively, and has been €8.85 million to date in 2014. Total expenditure for 2014 is expected to be approximately €11.3 million, including one-off expenditures linked to the restructuring of the programme. Passenger journeys were 1.74 million, 1.73 million, 1.74 million and 1.14 million in 2011, 2012, 2013 and to the end of August 2014, respectively. The total numbers for 2014 are expected to be approximately 1.63 million. I will arrange for the National Transport Authority to send a breakdown of these figures on a county basis to the Deputy.
The Deputy will be aware that the RTP currently is being restructured in order to protect the provision of rural transport services into the future. The restructuring involves the establishment of 18 transport co-ordination units in place of the existing 35 RTP groups that have provided the service up to now, to reduce administrative costs and to maximise spending on the provision of services. Responsibility for management of the RTP was assigned to the National Transport Authority with effect from 1 April 2012. This includes responsibility for implementing the restructuring of the programme. I have referred the Deputy's question relating to an update on the establishment of the transport co-ordination units to the NTA for direct reply and I ask him to advise my office if he does not receive that reply within ten working days.
The Deputy should note that the rural transport programme is a high priority for me because of the area for which I now am responsible. I understand the difficulties and challenges that face people in rural Ireland, particularly those to whom the Deputy referred. It is very much a priority for me.
I thank the Minister of State for these figures. While some of them are preliminary in nature - the usage figure for this year obviously must be extrapolated - from what the Minister of State has suggested, there has been an element of fall-off in usage. I suggest to her that this probably is in line with a fall-off in the funding and therefore, while I wish the Minister of State well in her new role, I urge her to fight the good fight, as it were, as the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, has done in respect of sports funding. He has continued to make the case today and does so on a regular basis. Now that there is a level of growth in the economy, I similarly encourage the Minister of State, who hopefully will get the support of backbenchers in both parties, to ensure that both the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, and the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, are in a position to give some additional funding to try to get the programme back to where it was, notwithstanding the cost savings that are being made. It is vitally important that the spread and diversity of effort be maintained because so many people still need this service, for whom the reach and the extensions are not available. It is vital, but it will require more money. I hope the Minister of State wins the battle.
I thank Deputy Dooley and I assure him that, as stated previously, this is a priority for me. Protection of the budget is of course the priority for me, and this will be dealt with in the budgetary process. I believe the Deputy will find that towards the end of the year, passenger numbers will actually remain the same or increase slightly. However, I assure him that I already have met the National Transport Authority and have asked it to examine areas within the rural transport system and what vision exists for it, and to ascertain what other services the system could expand to encompass in the future. I intend to visit the Deputy's constituency in the near future and I assure him that I will listen not only to my own colleagues but to Members of the Opposition as well, because this can only have a positive effect on rural Ireland. Consequently, I certainly will take on board any suggestions the Deputy might have.
I thank the Minister of State and am delighted that it is her intention to visit Clare Accessible Transport. As she is aware, it was one of the founding organisations of the entire rural transport initiative. It has developed many new methodologies and has spearheaded many of the pilot programmes that have led to the development of the rural transport initiative as Members know it. I also welcome the Minister of State's indication that she intends to engage with the Opposition. That will be a new development for the other side of the House since its Members have gone into Government, because there have been quite a few instances-----
That is unfair.
If I may, there have been quite a few instances in which Ministers have attended events in constituencies and not invited all politicians. To the best of my knowledge, this did not happen under the previous Administration, as they attended any function of which I am aware. Moreover, the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, has done this himself. He visited County Clare to launch a bus service and was surrounded by all the Fine Gael and some of the Labour Party supporters. However, no invitation was issued to any county councillors or indeed to me as the lone Opposition Member in the county. Perhaps there is a lesson to be learnt in this regard.
That is fair enough.
Does the Minister of State have a further response to make?
No, other than to state that I certainly take on board what the Deputy has said. I assure the Deputy that I am highly committed to the rural transport system. In my previous life as a county councillor, I was on the board, as were my other colleagues, and it is an area in which I have a particular interest. I assure the Deputy that this will be my priority.
Questions Nos. 8 and 9 are in the name of Deputy Halligan, who is not present in the Chamber. We will proceed to Question No. 10 in the name of Deputy McLellan.
Questions Nos. 8 and 9 replied to with Written Answers.
Wild Atlantic Way Project
Sandra McLellan
Ceist:10. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason the route of the Wild Atlantic Way does not follow the whole coast of the Atlantic. [36774/14]
I will take this opportunity to wish the new Ministers well in their new roles. The Wild Atlantic Way is a beautiful, idyllic and innovative tourist attraction. As Ireland's first long-distance touring route, it is a wonderful initiative and has great potential for expansion. Why does the Wild Atlantic Way not follow the entire Atlantic coast?
While my Department provides the capital funding for investment in tourism projects such as the Wild Atlantic Way, it is not directly involved in developing or managing them. The development of the Wild Atlantic Way is a matter for the board and management of Fáilte Ireland. It is important to note that the Wild Atlantic Way was developed specifically for the western seaboard to address the decline in international visitors to the region. It builds on what is distinctive and appealing about the west coast - its rugged coastline and powerful ocean - to give it visibility in a congested international tourism market. The route was developed with the assistance of tourism consultants and regional steering groups. The steering groups comprised Fáilte Ireland, local authorities, local Leader and development companies and other key agencies such as Údarás na Gaeltachta and the Western Development Commission.
Fáilte Ireland is developing a similar unifying tourism proposition for counties in the east and the south. These areas share a strength in the richness of their historic environment, including Viking Waterford, Mediaeval Kilkenny and Brú na Bóinne. This is a work in progress and it is intended to form a complementary tourism proposition to the Wild Atlantic Way. The brand proposition will group the cultural and heritage tourism assets and experiences in the east and the south via a network of routes, trails and journeys in a new tourism experience that can easily be understood by and will appeal to overseas visitors. It is intended that the research, brand development and consumer testing will be completed during 2014 and the new proposition will be launched in early 2015.
While I welcome the new initiative, I still believe my constituency of Cork East is missing out on what would be a much needed boost to the local economy. My home town of Youghal is situated at the mouth of the River Blackwater where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. It is a renowned tourist town which is steeped in history. Just half an hour away are the Jameson Distillery in Midleton, Cobh, Fota Wildlife Park, a beautiful golf resort and Titanic Port which the largest liners in the world visit on a regular basis. Does the Minister of State agree that it was a missed opportunity not to have included east Cork in the Wild Atlantic Way? It would have made more sense to include it in the initial marketing of the route. It is a positive brand and already has positive associations. It is impossible to recoup the lost revenue. It is like calling a part of Route 66 something else. East Cork should have been incorporated into the Wild Atlantic Way.
I thank the Deputy. The Wild Atlantic Way has been one of the greatest initiatives undertaken by Fáilte Ireland and I compliment both it and everybody involved in it. This year unbelievable numbers of German, French and other international visitors have travelled on the Wild Atlantic Way. I recently heard a report on RTE - I sometimes wonder if it is always looking for negative stories - during which someone complained that we did not have a south-east initiative.
The Minister of State spends a lot of time briefing it.
The Wild Atlantic Way runs along the west coast. It was put in place because for many years thousands of visitors had been lost to the west coast as there was no initiative to bring them there. This has been a record year in terms of the numbers who have come to the west and the country as a whole. I take the opportunity to say "Well done" to Tourism Ireland, Fáilte Ireland and my Department for the work they have done in the past three years. I met many people in Deputy Timmy Dooley's county of Clare over the summer who told me it was the best year they had had for 20 years. I visited west Cork recently and the discovery points offer a brilliant facility. When the project is finished, it will be fabulous. West Cork is beautiful. The Wild Atlantic Way is a rugged coastline which, I am sorry to say, does not extend to every corner of the country. We have to have what we sell. The area includes counties Clare, Galway and Sligo, but we are examining other facilities in the areas mentioned by the Deputy. That is why we are working in the south east to ensure facilities are made ready and enhanced.
I disagree with the Minister of State. East Cork should have been included in the Wild Atlantic Way. We have a most beautiful coastline and so much to offer in terms of culture and tourism. In times of economic hardship that have affected many small rural businesses it would be a wonderful contribution to have a tourist attraction benefiting as many counties and areas as possible. There is no logical reason we should have a partitionist approach to tourism. Marketing the island of Ireland as a desirable destination makes sense. Has the Minister of State had any communication with government Departments or relevant bodies in the North on expanding the route? Does he agree that it could be cross-Border and incorporate as much of Ireland's beautiful scenery as possible?
As the Deputy knows, Tourism Ireland is an all-Ireland body. We have meetings on a regular basis. The Minister, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, and I have met Ms Arlene Foster, MP, MLA, and the Regional Development Minister, Mr. Conor Murphy, MP, MLA, on many occasions and there is very good co-operation between us. The Giants Causeway outside Derry will be included in the Wild Atlantic Way and the island of Ireland will be sold as such. One part of the island enhances the other; there is nothing wrong with marketing them in a different way. We have many landmarks on the island of Ireland. We have everything to attract visitors to come here, including culture and the rugged landscape of the Wild Atlantic Way. West, east and south Cork all have something to offer. That is why Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland are working on more and more products to encourage thousands of visitors to come to the country. I am glad to say record numbers have come to the country in the first eight months of the year and long may it continue. Over 220,000 people are employed in tourism. The jobs are to be found are in every corner of every county. They are not confined to west Mayo or west Cork but can be located in east Mayo or east Cork. We need to bring visitors to the country and have a good product for them. The discovery and viewing points are being developed. The Government invested €8 million in the project last year, off which €2 million came from Fáilte Ireland. We need more money for capital projects. We want to have the best products in the world to bring people here and create jobs.
Road Traffic Legislation
Thomas P. Broughan
Ceist:11. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the actions he is taking to progress the enactment of section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 2010; and if he is seeking sanction, in conjunction with the Department for Justice and Equality, to have the necessary resources allocated in order that the outstanding technical and administrative issues to give effect to the section may be resolved. [36634/14]
I congratulate the Minister and the Ministers of State, in particular Deputy Ann Phelan.
Section 44 of the 2010 Act, as the Minister well knows, refers to the third payment option, whereby people who have been summoned to court to face a fine for penalty point offences can avail of a third chance to pay the fine before the matter goes to court. Recently people have found that that option is particularly important. The Minister provided figures for last year which showed that the vast bulk of people escaped conviction and penalty points. Both he and his predecessor have constantly quoted administrative and technical difficulties in implementing the section. Can it now be implemented?
Section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 2010 provides, as the Deputy said, for the introduction of a third payment option within the fixed charge processing system. Under this mechanism, a person who is served with a summons for a fixed charge offence will have a final opportunity to pay the charge, of an amount 100% greater than the original penalty, not later than seven days before the court date on which the charge is to be heard. If a person takes up this option, proceedings are discontinued and he or she need not attend. The provision is intended to address those circumstances where persons receive a summons but state in court they did not receive the earlier fixed charge notice. Commencement of the section will also make it possible to commence a number of other linked measures designed to improve the enforcement of fixed charge notices.
A subgroup of the criminal justice working group is continuing to examine how best to bring this provision into effect, including the substantial technical and administrative arrangements required, and has drafted an outline implementation plan, including a preliminary financial analysis. While it is not possible to indicate a precise date for implementation, this matter will be progressed as quickly as possible under the auspices of the working group.
The reality is that the Minister's predecessor, the Minister for Health, Deputy Leo Varadkar, dropped the ball and did not implement the section. The issue has been ongoing since the previous Administration. There is a need for a sense of urgency. As I mentioned, a number of weeks ago the Minister told me that of the almost 48,000 people summoned to court in 2013 for offences attracting penalty points, only 11,055 had received convictions. In the first seven months of this year, of the 32,000 people summoned to court for these offences, only 7,977 received convictions. This is a real issue. As the Minister knows, the backdrop to it is provided by the road casualty figures for last year which, unfortunately, regressed and are regressing further this year. The Minister is now at the wheel in the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.
I acknowledge that it is very complex in relation to how the Minister's Department works with the Department of Justice and Equality, but there is an onus on him to ensure he is not coming back here to say the matter is administrative and technical. He must get the working group to report as a matter of urgency and then implement the report.
The Minister might come back to me on section 12 of the Road Traffic Act 2014 which provides for the taking of a specimen of blood in hospital from an incapacitated driver following a crash. When is it intended to implement that provision? People believe it is very important to deter the mayhem which, unfortunately, continues to happen on the roads.
I agree entirely that we need to do all we can to reduce the numbers of casualties and collisions on the roads. I mentioned in response to Deputy John Halligan that the number of collisions, as at 30 September, was down by five on the same date last year, while the number of fatalities is down by four. However, far too many people continue to be seriously injured and lose their lives. I will have to come back to the Deputy on the specific question he put to me on section 12. I will write to him to answer his question on the issue.
Regarding implementation of section 44, I have looked into exactly this issue. My predecessor, Deputy Leo Varadkar, was well aware of the urgency of it and no ball was dropped in relation to it. We are looking at how two very large and complicated systems come together. We have the summons system within the courts and the fixed charge processing system operated by An Garda Síochána. The two systems together generate hundreds of thousands of notices each year. I am reverting back to the subgroup to emphasise again the urgency that must be demonstrated to make this happen. However, it must be done within two parameters. First, it must be at an affordable and appropriate cost to the State and, second, the method of implementation developed must be one which does not put at risk the current level of implementation within the system and its current level of effectiveness.
The Minister mentioned cost, but he will have seen in his briefing documents since becoming Minister that each fatality costs the nation over €2 million, besides the incredible and devastating impact on families. There is no question that the cost-benefit analysis would encourage him to implement the section urgently. While efforts were made at the justice working group under the Minister's predecessor and the previous Minister for Justice and Equality, there are still issues about how the Courts Service implements the penalty points legislation. The House has done its job in passing the legislation and it is now for the Courts Service and An Garda Síochána to enforce it and the Minister's Department to invigilate it. While I welcome the figures provided for the numbers of crashes and collisions this year, there is still an onus to ensure the two Departments work smoothly together and that people who have earned penalty points for careless driving and misbehaving with mobile phones, etc. have them applied to their licences immediately. I urge the Minister again to ask the working group to deliver on and implement section 44, as well as section 12 of the 2014 Act.
I agree with the Deputy that there is no financial cost that is comparable to the cost of losing a life. I accept the point, but in order for me to see the project go ahead, I must see a final cost for it. There will be significant capital and current costs involved in a system that will be integrating two other systems which currently handle hundreds of thousands of cases each year and are integral to how this part of the justice system works. Whatever is recommended must meet two criteria. First, I must know what the cost will be. We must be satisfied once that cost is in place that it is an appropriate use of taxpayers' money. Second, we must put in place a system that will work at least as well as what is in place, although we obviously want to do something that will work a great deal better. I will do what I have said and communicate again to the working group in this area my intention to see this work completed promptly to ensure we put in place a system that will address the issue of which the Deputy and I are aware.
Written Answers follow Adjournment.