Vol. 1031 No. 6
1. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the engagement that he has had to date with the operators of the National Car Test Service, NCTS, regarding long wait times for tests and proposed changes to work practices; when backlogs will be addressed; if he has met with trade unions in relation to the concerns of workers in the NCTS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2408/23]
I want to ask about the delays for NCT tests and about the backlog. How are they being addressed in terms of staffing, recruitment hours, overtime and in the proposed changes to work practices, which have been overwhelmingly opposed by workers? I extend my best wishes to the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, in his new role and I ask him to outline how these backlogs will be addressed.
I appreciate the question. The operation, oversight and delivery of the NCTS is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority, RSA, and it is the RSA which is responsible for the management of the contract for the NCTS with its contractor, Applus Inspection Services Ireland Ltd. As Minister of State at the Department of Transport, I do not have a specific role in operational matters, including the appointment of personnel by the NCTS or the conditions of their employment in that capacity. Accordingly, I have not had any meetings with trade unions on this matter. However, both I and my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, are cognisant of the difficulties motorists are experiencing when trying to secure test appointments and that this is causing immense worry and frustration. My officials are continuing weekly meetings with the RSA to monitor the ongoing work to reduce test delays and ensure all possible actions are being taken to bring the waiting list to an acceptable level in 2023.
My Department has facilitated any appropriate requests made to it as regards improvements. For example, at the RSA’s request, the Department engaged with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to secure approval for the recruitment of inspectors from outside the European Economic Area, EEA. Strong progress is being made in addressing the long-term staffing issues behind this backlog. Over 60 inspectors were recruited locally in 2022 and a further 50 vehicle inspectors started during the last week of 2022, bringing the total number of vehicle inspectors to 595 by the end of 2022. Further recruitment is ongoing in 2023, with seven more inspectors in training and an additional 15 recruits waiting to be trained. A number of other measures to provide additional capacity at test centres are also in place, including increased staff overtime; the temporary transfer of 20 testers from the NCTS contractor’s Spanish operation for a period of three months, eight of whom will continue for a further 12 months; and the forthcoming pilot for additional inspection personnel to assist vehicle inspectors with automated elements of the test.
Testers are being assigned to the test centres with the most significant delays. The RSA and NCTS have set a target to return the average waiting list to 12 days, as per the service level agreement. That has been set out for May of this year. My Department will continue to monitor progress towards that goal in the coming months and I am confident that we will soon see the positive impacts of the recruitment that has been done and the changes that have been made. It is unacceptable when a contract-----
The Minister of State will get a chance to come back in.
We have those figures of 595 inspectors and seven in training. The backlog is getting longer, as reported. For mid-January it is 26.5 days and for mid-September and October time it was 24.1 days. The backlog is getting longer and I can see that in the next available test in Greenhills being at the end of August. The next available test in Drogheda is on 18 September and in Kells it is 1 August. That is way off into the distance.
I want to ask about the efficient use of the available slots. This priority waiting list is like a black box; it is a great unknown. It strikes me that the NCTS can do more to make efficient use of the available slots and prioritise those who are due their tests in the shortest time.
I accept that point and I have had engagement with officials this week and in recent weeks, since I have entered the role, on making the system more efficient in terms of slots. The message is that anyone who is due a test shortly might see that a test date is set out for a number of months time but they should attempt to go on the priority waiting list. That is there as a means to give people a test much more quickly. A growing number of people are doing that and we need to ensure that those who are due a test shortly do that. I have reflected on this and some of the user interface can be strengthened from a technological perspective. I have seen examples myself where there might be a test in another location not too far from where an applicant wants his or her test that might take a shorter wait time but where the system forwards the test to August, as the Deputy has said. I encourage people who are due a test shortly to go onto the priority waiting list. People on that list are receiving tests much more quickly than those who are looking at the test dates months out.
On existing capacity, there are 595 inspectors and seven in training. Does the Department have a clear workforce plan for recruitment for this year, for example? The Minister of State mentioned overtime but NCT workers are contacting me and saying there is overtime available but that the NCTS is not paying overtime rates. It is not giving time-and-a-half so very few inspectors are taking up the overtime. Is that something the Minister of State is aware of? I am sure the Minister of State is aware of the outcome of the ballot. Is there a risk that we will have an industrial dispute at NCT centres between now and the next couple of months? These delays might get worse rather than better because of the intransigence of the company to take the right measures to address the backlog and instead in looking to cut corners, as it is intending to do.
There are 20 vehicle inspectors from the Spanish operation and 110 vehicle inspectors, including 44 testers, were recruited from the Philippines. There has also been a significant increase in staff overtime, allowing for 12 tests per tester per day. The RSA has agreed to the Applus proposal to recruit additional inspection personnel at Quality and Qualification Ireland, QQI, level 5 to assist vehicle inspectors with the automated machine-led element. This stems from a November 2022 Labour Court recommendation for a 12-month pilot for Dublin test centres, indicating that no more than 10% of the workforce should be made up of inspection support personnel. All vehicle inspectors are qualified mechanics who will retain responsibility for conducting the NCT tests and for signing off on the issuing of the certificate. The Department has received assurances from the RSA that the appointment of inspection support personnel will not result in the loss of any existing jobs and that there will be no reduction in the quality of tests being carried out at NCT centres.
Any new employees will supplement the existing staff to increase testing capacity with the objective to increase the overall number of testing staff to meet the high demand.
2. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Transport the measures that he is taking to ease the concerns of residents in north County Dublin in the Dublin Airport flight path who have had a substantive increase in aircraft noise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2369/23]
A number of communities in north County Dublin have been experiencing huge disruption in their lives caused by aircraft noise for the past couple of months. Some from the outside might say that they live near the airport, but that is not the reason these communities are angry. They are angry because these routes of take-off and landing do not comply with any of the routes set out in the 2007 planning permission for the north runway or any of the routes that were presented in multiple public consultations since. Has the Minister of State or his Department engaged with any of the authorities on this issue?
As the Deputy will be aware, Dublin Airport Authority, DAA, holds statutory responsibility for the management, operation and development of Dublin Airport. Noise mitigation at Dublin Airport is subject to substantial regulation and oversight as well as best practice mitigation measures. Following the opening of the north runway in August last year, an issue regarding the runway's departure flight paths was identified that resulted, as the Deputy has stated, in some local communities being unexpectedly overflown. When this issue was identified, I understand that DAA advised local communities and elected representatives that it had commenced a review with the aim of resolving the issue. When the review was complete, the authority reverted to these stakeholders advising that the current standard instrument departures, SIDs, would be updated, resulting in flight paths aligning more closely with those previously consulted on and used as part of the planning process.
All flight paths at Dublin Airport are governed by international safety standards and, therefore, the revised SIDs required regulatory review and approval before being implemented. DAA, in conjunction with the IAA air navigation service provider, ANSP, submitted a revised departure process to the safety regulator for the required safety assessment, which was subsequently approved. The revised departure procedure then had to be submitted for promulgation to all aircraft manufacturers as required under International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, safety rules. This is so that the revised fight path can be input to aircraft instrument systems. The ICAO process requires a minimum of two months’ notice and provides for fixed dates as to when such information can be submitted. DAA has confirmed that the new flight path will be operational from 23 February 2023, and aircraft will operate the revised departure process from that date. In the interim, the continued use of the current departure process is necessary. However, DAA has committed to ensuring there are no departures off the north runway before 9 a.m. during this period. Finally, DAA has advised that the overall number of houses in the various noise contours will be similar to that previously communicated. However, detailed modelling is currently being completed, and DAA anticipates that a small number of additional houses may become eligible for mitigation measures as a result of the revised flight paths.
First, we need to know how the initial flight paths that have been used for the past couple of months and will be used to the end of February managed to go through, considering they are so outrageous relative to the planning permissions. The revised flight paths we are expecting at the end of February were published by the IAA two days ago. There is great concern that the revised plans are not going to be similar to what was granted in the 2007 planning application, and that aircraft will fly over communities that never thought that they would be overflown such as Ballyboughal, Rowlestown and Kilsallaghan. There has been a huge breach of trust and there is a collapse in trust in the communities there. All local and statutory bodies need to be out in the communities speaking with the residents because they feel they are being ignored and are being given the runaround. They feel that they are not being told the truth about what their lives are going to be like in the coming months and years ahead.
It is important that there is community engagement from DAA and all the authorities involved. As I said, noise mitigation at Dublin Airport is subject to substantial regulation and oversight and best practice mitigation measures. These measures are designed to address the long-term adverse effects of noise, particularly at night, while also facilitating the sustainable development of the runway. With regard to planning matters and enforcement, as the Deputy will be aware, any enforcement complaint can be made by communities. That is a matter for Fingal County Council and the relevant authorities if they wish to submit a complaint, which is their right.
As a Deputy and Minister of State who will be familiar with this issue given his constituency borders the airport, I am sure he has attended many of the public consultations. I ask him to ask the DAA and Irish Aviation Authority, IAA, to make a presentation to the communities on the new the flight paths prior to them coming into operation. The communities have requested this on a number of occasions. They are engaged communities that understand the airport, flights and the issues involved. They are adept and experienced with community engagement, but they are being ignored on this issue. The communities and Deputies are being given vague responses. At a meeting of the Joint Committee on Transport and Communication yesterday, we were told that the flights, as they exist now, are in compliance with the 2007 planning permission. Anyone who is on nodding terms with that knows that prima facie there is a question mark over that. There is a huge breakdown of trust. We need to see better community engagement. I ask the Minister of State to ask DAA and the IAA to do that before the new flight paths come into operation at end of February.
The flight paths will become operational from 23 February, as I outlined. There is a process in place relating to ICAO safety rules that includes the inputting of flight data. That has to be promulgated months in advance, and has happened. However, I take the Deputy's point about community engagement. I will reflect the feedback that he has given as an elected representative for Fingal and the necessity for DAA and others to engage with communities so that they can pass on their feedback. The process of engagement will not be able to impact the new flight path, which has been promulgated and will become operational from 23 February.
3. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Transport the measures that he will take to ensure the safety of public transport workers and passengers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2409/23]
I ask the Minister the measures he will take to ensure the safety of public transport workers and passengers; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I thank the Deputy for his question and the opportunity to discuss the serious issue of safety on our public transport network. Antisocial behaviour is a wider societal issue to which public transport is not immune, and I fully recognise that those who regularly use and work within our public transport network are most directly impacted by any associated incidents.
Safety and security on public transport are matters that, first and foremost, must be managed by every public transport company, in conjunction with An Garda Síochána, where appropriate. Nonetheless, both my Department and the National Transport Authority, NTA, engage regularly with operators on the issue, and the NTA has established a working group on antisocial behaviour which meets monthly with the operators to discuss developing trends and share best practice. Further, each of the operators have their own safety and security policies in place to deal with issues such as antisocial behaviour, and have introduced a number of initiatives in recent years to help combat the issue. This includes increased investment on security, with a more than 50% increase in spending on rail security in the past five years, from €3.7 million in 2016 to €6 million last year.
We have also seen the wider deployment of CCTV. The entire Dublin Bus fleet is fully fitted with CCTV cameras, with up to 11 internal cameras and three external cameras fitted on the more modern vehicles in the fleet. Radios on each Dublin Bus vehicle facilitate immediate contact to a central control centre. There are also text alert systems, and joint initiatives with An Garda Síochána, such as Operation Twin-Track. Additionally, as part of my Department’s sustainable mobility plan, the NTA has committed to develop and publish an annual public transport passenger safety and personal security report and implement measures where appropriate. The combined interventions implemented to date have substantially helped tackle antisocial behaviour. However, it will require ongoing monitoring and, therefore, I am committed to continuing to work with all stakeholders to ensure the safest possible travel environment for members of the public, and the safest possible working environment for the employees providing our valuable public transport services.
People will be familiar with the bus routes in Tallaght - 27, 65B and 77A - that were curtailed in recent days because of the antisocial behaviour, intimidation and threatening behaviour of, in some cases, mobs against other passengers and transport workers.
There have been some very graphic accounts given by individual bus drivers. In one case, a lady going by the pseudonym of "Debbie" feared she would be raped or killed by a mob. She said she still sees the person when she closes her eyes. It is clear that what the Minister is doing is not working. It has an effect on people using public transport. It has an effect on public transport services in individual areas. Good people deserve the services in Tallaght and everywhere else and it has an impact on attracting people to work in these services. What is the Minister going to do about it that will address it?
I absolutely share the concern for drivers who are being threatened and terrorised in that way in that instance the Deputy mentioned. It is totally unacceptable and all of us collectively have to make sure they are protected and safe in what they are doing. There was significant development with the Tallaght stakeholder forum meeting this week. That is very important. This best way for us to counter this is for local representatives, trade union representatives, Dublin Bus and An Garda Síochána to work together.
There have been additional patrols by gardaí in the area. We have arranged undercover gardaí on a number of the different services. Dublin Bus had to make its call in terms of the route adjustments to protect its drivers. We are all agreed that this is intolerable, however. The greatest suffering, as well as to Dublin Bus drivers, is to the people in west Tallaght who deserve to get the full services to which they are entitled. It is true in my mind that a co-operative approach in the stakeholder forum where we work collectively with public representatives, Dublin Bus, trade unions and An Garda Síochána together is the best way of addressing this issue.
The Minister is aware that party colleagues have raised this repeatedly. I want to point towards the private security spend of our bus and rail operators and the impact this has on driver recruitment. It is a huge challenge in deterring people from using public transport. The Minister points towards CCTV, which is an after-the-fact matter. It is clear it is not having the impact. When the State wants to respond it is too reactionary, but when it does respond, it puts gardaí on bus services. That is what it did in west Tallaght. That is the approach. I find it incredible that there is not a clear plan to address this problem that involves a public transport unit. We hear it from Fianna Fáil repeatedly, locally and nationally. There needs to be a far clearer and more comprehensive plan to deal with this. It is not just in west Tallaght; it is in other areas as well. We have raised it repeatedly. When the various measures are taken into account, it is clear that the deployment of gardaí on those services really has an impact.
If I understand Deputy O'Rourke correctly, it is a matter for An Garda Síochána rather than for a separate policing service. I agree with him on that. I know there are different views. Some people are arguing that we should have another completely separate police service for the transport system. I do not agree with that. I think it is best managed within An Garda Síochána, which is best placed with the immediate response system it has. I agree with the Deputy on that. The Garda manages that in terms of how many gardaí it puts on services. As I said, it is operating more patrols in the areas now where we have a particular problem and has also deployed undercover gardaí. That is the appropriate response. That is an operational matter for An Garda Síochána but absolutely we are supporting it. The Government will support it with whatever resources it needs as it determines how best to work with Dublin Bus as it does with Bus Éireann, Luas, Irish Rail and the other transport operators. I believe An Garda Síochána with its operational capability has the key people who must provide the protection our bus employees need.
4. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport the steps that he will take to address the difficulties that persons are having in obtaining an appropriate date on which to put their vehicle through the NCT. [2608/23]
Driving a vehicle without a national car test, NCT, certificate is an offence under section 18 of the Road Traffic Act 1961. That offence carries a penalty of five penalty points, a €2,500 fine or three months imprisonment. This is pretty serious stuff. We are being told that insurance providers will be pragmatic. Part of the reason there is a backlog is that people are trying to comply. We are told the insurance providers will be pragmatic and understanding. That is not in compliance with the law. We have to hear something other than that this is an operational issue with regard to dealing with this matter.
As the Deputy is aware, the RSA is the body responsible for the operation and oversight of periodic roadworthiness testing under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006 (Conferral of Functions) Order 2006.
My Department is actively assisting the RSA in tackling the long-term labour shortages of qualified mechanics which have contributed to the current testing backlog and the corresponding difficulties for vehicle owners to secure suitable test dates. This is a serious issue that is being addressed by extensive recruitment domestically and outside the EU and EEA, and, in the longer term, by training and upskilling programmes, which the RSA has discussed with the Teachers Union of Ireland, TUI. These are not overnight solutions but we can expect that real progress will be made in the coming weeks towards a target to return to an average of 12 days by May 2023, although efforts will continue to achieve this earlier if possible. My officials will continue to keep the situation under close monitoring and review through weekly meetings with RSA management.
In the immediate term, there are mechanisms in place to assist vehicle owners to secure a test appointment. I am advised by the RSA that a priority waiting list is in place and that motorists should apply if they require an appointment sooner than those that are available in the public booking system. NCT test appointment slots become available through cancellations or rescheduling of appointments. Customers are dealt with in the order they go on the list.
I am aware that many motorists will have concerns about potential difficulties regarding their motor insurance and not having a valid NCT if stopped by gardaí. Insurance Ireland has indicated that its members will adopt a pragmatic approach where cover will continue to be provided if vehicle owners provide evidence that they have attempted to secure a test appointment before the expiry of their roadworthiness certificate but have been unable to because of the current backlog. Separately, both the RSA and my Department have made An Garda Síochána aware that some vehicle owners have had issues securing an appointment. Motorists should keep a record of their upcoming test date in their vehicle.
As the Deputy has stated, it remains an offence to drive a vehicle on Irish roads without a valid NCT under road traffic legislation. It is an essential public health and safety measure, and an important component of the road safety strategy. Since its introduction, through the detection of defaults such as-----
The Minister of State will have a chance to come back in.
The contract with this particular company was rolled over for another ten years in 2020. A contract is a two-way thing and they are reaching their contractual obligations. If I were to apply for a test for my own car, for example, the first available date at my nearest centre is 24 August. I had a look nationally at the 49 centres and none of them come in within the 28 days in terms of the information that is published on their website. In fact, nobody has been given what the RSA advertises as a free test if they do not comply with that. Why is that? Who would pay for that? Is that a penalty on the company? Why is it not offering that given that it is on its website? Has the Minister of State asked the RSA about that?
There are really serious issues with regard to, for example, when something goes wrong. If there was an accident, would a non-valid NCT lead to a loss adjuster mitigating a payout? It is all very well saying that the companies will be pragmatic and understanding, but people are not in compliance because the system is not capable of being in compliance.
The current situation is totally unacceptable. That is why the RSA is in a legal process with Applus on imposing penalties on the company, which is not delivering the service that has been contracted to the State. What we are trying to do as a Department is to provide every assistance we can in terms of getting that extra recruitment, whether it is within the European Union or outside of it. The Deputy outlined some test dates that are projected into the summer and beyond. There is a priority waiting list and the majority of cases are provided with an appointment within the 30 days. The Deputy also referenced the free tests. A free-of-charge test will be provided where an appointment can be offered within a 28-day period but there are a number of conditions attached to that, which are outlined in the customer charter.
We are engaging on a weekly basis on this. It is not acceptable that the public service has not matched what is contracted and that is why there is a legal process under way on imposing penalties.
On the broader point, a European directive underpins this. Provision of flexibility and dates being extended are not possible under the European framework.
One of the penalties on companies is that they are required to provide the test free if they are not in compliance. Why is that not happening? Has the Minister of State talked to the RSA about that? Will the Minister of State tell us how many are on the priority list? If everybody was on that list, it would not solve the problem of the lack of personnel to do the job. The priority list is for exceptions. People will want to be in compliance. That is why the lists are so long. People are trying to be in compliance. The worst one on the list was Kells at 42 weeks. Nowhere in the country is good but the top ten are all in Leinster. The Dublin centres are all in that top ten. Carndonagh in Donegal is the quickest of the centres but they are all bad across the country. None are in compliance, according to the NCT.
I share the Deputy’s frustration on this. There are 31,200 people on the priority waiting list. The conditions that apply, I have been informed by the RSA, are that a free test will be provided where an appointment cannot be offered within 28 days, unless any of the following apply: the test is overdue by more than seven days at the time of contacting the NCT service; an appointment was offered seven days or more prior to the test due date; the customer has made specific requests regarding suitable days, times or dates; the customer has declined or rearranged two or more appointments; the customer has failed to attend an appointment; or the customer had previously accepted or requested an appointment outside the 28-day period.
I encourage everyone with a projected test date far beyond their due date to seek to get on the priority list. We should encourage more people to get on that list. That will put the pressure on Applus to drive the capacity and output that is required and that may result in some on the priority waiting list getting a free test if they go beyond the 28-day period.
It is not an acceptable situation. I have reflected that to the RSA. This service is not being delivered as per the contract. Penalties should be imposed. When we contract a public service to a company and it is not delivering, there have to be consequences. It is not acceptable. The service should be delivered to the proper standard. We have been given assurances that it is due to get back to the level in the service level agreement by May this year. We will monitor that closely. It is totally unsatisfactory.
