Written Answers Nos. 1143-1151
1143. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will meet with a group of foreign and Irish business persons in the hostel tourism sector that want to bring an international conference to Ireland in 2014. [58183/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe matter raised is an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland, which has a team dedicated to business and conference tourism that provides support to those seeking to bring international conferences to Ireland. Accordingly, I have referred the Deputy's question to Fáilte Ireland for direct reply. I ask him to contact my private office if a reply is not received within ten working days.
1144. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount it costs to run his Department; if he will quantify the savings in his Department when some of its duties were transferred to the new authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58185/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to my response to his Question No. 1213 of 6 November 2012. The position remains unchanged. The cost of running the National Transport Authority (NTA) is an operational matter for the Authority. As previously advised, I have referred the Deputy's question to it for direct reply. As also advised, my Department's 2012 expenditure allocation and 2011 provisional expenditure outturn are set out in the Revised Estimates Volume, Vote 31 which is published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and is available on that Department's website. For the Deputy's information, the allocation in 2012 from the Exchequer to the NTA is €376,985,000 (€246,747,000 for current expenditure and €130,238,000 for capital expenditure) and the provisional expenditure outturn for 2011 was €376,985,000 (€269,348,000 for current expenditure and €211,000,000 for capital expenditure). The NTA has assumed responsibility for a range of tasks from my Department, including national bus route licensing, rail passenger rights redress, integrated ticketing, the rural transport programme, public service contracts with the CIÉ companies and the management of the State’s infrastructure contract with Irish Rail. To resource this remit, a number of staff posts were transferred from my Department’s allocation to the NTA. The associated pay allocations are adjusted to reflect the transfer of posts to the NTA. Consequently, there are no net savings in my Department's vote as a result of the transfer of functions. However, it should be noted that the rationale for the creation of the NTA was not to generate cost savings. It should also be noted that much of the work done by the NTA is new work which was not previously done by my Department.
1145. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has further updates on the Slane bypass proposals, County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1012/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The planning, design and implementation of individual road projects is a matter for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. On the above basis, and as the Deputy refers specifically to the proposed bypass of Slane, I have referred his question to the NRA for direct reply. I ask him to advise my private office if he does not receive a reply within 10 working days.
1146. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will confirm, that following the decision to discontinue funding to local improvement schemes in the 2012 Budget, if his Department are marinating the scheme with a view to resuming funding again in the future; if local authorities have been communicated to, so as to maintain the applicant's place on the list as it was on the date of suspension of the scheme. [1078/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Local Improvements Scheme, which provides funding for non-public roads and the maintenance and improvement of these roads, is in the first instance a matter for the relevant landowner. Given that the priority in using scarce resources in the current difficult economic climate is to maintain public roads, it was not possible to assist with any works on non-public roads and therefore this scheme was suspended in 2012. It should be noted that it was open to local authorities to continue to operate the scheme or a similar scheme from their own resources. I am in the process of approving the regional and local roads grants for 2013. I can confirm that the Local Improvement Scheme will be reinstated for 2013. However, there is no separate allocation for this grant category. Instead, local authorities may use up to 7% of their Discretionary Grant towards local improvement schemes should they wish to do so. The local contribution for these schemes has been increased to 20% of the total cost of the project. Apart from this amendment, the same eligibility rules apply for these schemes. Details of the 2013 regional and local roads grants, which will include details of this, will be communicated to local authorities in the coming weeks.
1147. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide details of the grant funding available to groups who are hosting gathering events; the way he intends to ensure that smaller groups are given equal treatment in the administration of such grant funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1084/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe matter raised is an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland. I have referred the Deputy's Question to Fáilte Ireland for direct reply. I ask him to advise my private office if he does not receive a reply within ten working days.
1148. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide details of all major roads projects that received EU funding in 2011 and 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1099/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the 2007 – 2013 Border Midlands and Western Regional Authority (BMW) Operational Programme of the European Regional Development Fund, only two road projects qualified for funding. These are the M6 Athlone-Ballinasloe motorway and N52 Tullamore Bypass. As the funding for these projects was channelled through the NRA, I have referred the Deputy's question to them for direct response. If he does not hear from them within 10 working days, he should contact my private office. EU funding for national road development may also have been provided during this period under EU programmes in respect of which other bodies in Ireland have the lead management role under EU Regulations. These programmes include the Cohesion Fund, the Interreg Programme and the Peace Programme.
1149. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the standards that are laid down for the upgrade and re-alignment of regional roads including width, camber, sight distances and surface; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1100/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, 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. Local authorities have been provided with a number of best practice documents and are required to apply these guidelines when carrying out works on regional and local roads. These guidelines are available to download on the Department’s website, www.dttas.ie, and the NRA's website, www.nra.ie.
1150. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when legislation will be brought forward to regulate private clamping operators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1174/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn line with the commitment in the Programme for Government to regulate the vehicle clamping industry, I presented a discussion document to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Environment, Transport, Culture and the Gaeltacht in which I outlined the principal issues to be addressed in regulating the industry and my proposals on the shape of appropriate legislation and I invited their views. The Committee responded to me in a comprehensive report which contained a number of recommendations, many of which I hope to include in the resulting legislation. Preparation of the General Scheme of the Bill is at an advanced stage in my Department and I hope to be in a position to bring legislation before the Oireachtas in 2013.
Question No. 1151 answered with Question No. 1142.
