Written Answers Nos 243-251
243. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if and when effective, high speed broadband will be facilitated in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare, who is awaiting such broadband for a number of years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8555/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure that every citizen and business, regardless of location, has access to a high quality, high speed broadband service. This will be achieved through a combination of commercial investments and a State led intervention in areas where commercial services will not be provided.
The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately €2.5 billion in network upgrades. Approximately 1.6 million of the 2.3 million premises in Ireland are expected to have access to commercial high speed broadband services over the next two years. These very significant investments represent a step-change in the quality of broadband services available.
A public consultation on a national high speed coverage map 2016 which was launched last November, closed on the 12th February. 27 submissions have been received to date and will be assessed over the coming weeks in terms of the overall intervention strategy. The map continues to be available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The areas marked BLUE represent those areas that will have access to commercial high speed broadband services by end 2016 and includes parts of The Willows, Allenwood, Naas, Co Kildare. The AMBER area shows the target areas for the State intervention. All individual premises can be identified on the map to establish whether they are in the BLUE or AMBER area.
The map allows all members of the public, be they business or residential, to see whether their premises or home will have access to commercial high speed broadband services by end 2016 or whether they will be included in the Government's proposed intervention. It also provides detailed information on over 50,000 townlands throughout the entire country including Co Kildare. All individual premises can be viewed on the map.
It is anticipated that speeds of at least 30Mbps will be also delivered through the Government's intervention and the network will be designed to cater for future increased demand from consumers and business.
In tandem with the mapping consultation, intensive design and planning work is underway in my Department to produce a detailed intervention strategy. The strategy will address a range of issues in relation to the intervention including the optimum procurement model, ownership model for the infrastructure and likely market impact.
Following a public consultation process on the draft Intervention Strategy during next summer, I hope to move to formal procurement phase towards the end of this year in order to select a preferred bidder or bidders.
The Department will design a tender in a way that maximises efficiencies and keeps the cost of the network build as low as possible. I anticipate that the first homes and businesses will be connected in 2016 and connections will continue thereafter, with the intention of having all premises connected within a 5 year period.
This complex and ambitious project is a key priority for Government. It aims to conclusively address current connectivity challenges in Ireland.
244. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the process and procedure for the appointment of persons (details supplied) to the compliance committee of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland; if he will confirm the written, or oral, representations he, his officials, or his advisers, received on two named persons' behalf, supporting their appointment; if he will confirm whether a Minister, or a junior Minister, made representations on behalf of either of the two named persons, to him; the reason these new appointments fell outside the new requirement for a public recruitment process for State boards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8650/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra245. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he appointed any persons to the board of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland without a recruitment competition; if so, the reason for same; if he is satisfied that all persons on the compliance committee of the board of the authority have no conflicts of interest in adjudicating complaints made against broadcasters in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8721/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 244 and 245 together.
The recent appointments to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and the Compliance Committee were made by the Government in accordance with Section 8 of the Broadcasting Act 2009.
The appointment of members to the Compliance Committee (a statutory Committee) does not come within the new arrangements on Appointments to State Boards. No representations were made to me, my advisors or my officials on behalf of the two named individuals supporting their appointment.
With regard to the appointments to the BAI, I issued a press release last October notifying my intention to fill a number of pressing board vacancies in advance of the new arrangements for appointments to State Boards becoming fully operational. A copy of the press release is available on my Department's website.
In the case of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), there are a number of statutory measures in place governing conflicts of interest that may arise in the course of the work of both the Authority and its Committees and providing for transparency, accountability and independence. Section 23 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 obliges the Authority to draw up and adopt a Code of Conduct in respect of controls on interests and ethical behaviour to apply to each member of the Authority, statutory committee, advisory committee and members of staff. Section 24 of the 2009 Act states that the Authority shall be independent in the performance of its functions.
The revised Code was approved by the Authority in November 2013 on the recommendation of the Finance Audit and Risk Committee and is available on the website of the BAI. http://www.bai.ie/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/20131119_RevisedCodeOfBusinessConduct_PK.pdf
The Code contains a number of specific provisions governing matters of conflict of interest. In addition, members of the statutory Authority and Committees are subject to the obligations placed on them by the Ethics in Public Office Act, 1995 and the Standards in Public Office Acts, 1995 and 2001. Authority and Committee members are also subject to Sections 21 and 22 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, which provides for the disclosure of any conflicts of interest. In addition, Section 20 of the Broadcasting Act places duties of accountability to Oireachtas Committees on the Chief Executive, Chairperson of the Authority and the Chairpersons of the Statutory Compliance and Contract Awards Committees.
246. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding Valentia Island, County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8507/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhile my Department provides the capital funding for investment in tourism offerings such as the Wild Atlantic Way, it is not directly involved in developing or managing these. The development of the Wild Atlantic Way is an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland. Accordingly I have referred the question to the agency for direct reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days.
The Deputy should be aware that the route of the Wild Atlantic Way was developed using a collaborative approach and regional steering groups were convened to inform route development. The steering groups comprised Fáilte Ireland, Local Authorities, local LEADER and Development companies and other key agencies such as Udarás na Gaeltachta, the Western Development Commission and others as relevant to each particular region.
It is important for communities to note that the actual route is not simply a touring route but a means to guide and attract visitors to particular areas. All villages, businesses and geographic areas within close proximity of the route are in essence part of the geography of the Wild Atlantic Way. The purpose of the Wild Atlantic Way is to give guidance to visitors as to what there is to see on our western coast, and provide easy access to a range of experiences along the route and so enable local businesses to take advantage of the benefits of the Wild Atlantic Way. My advice to communities on and near to the Wild Atlantic Way is to focus on how to use the route to generate more tourism revenue and not to focus on specific details of the route.
247. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the allocation his Department made to provide for an inner relief road for Tuam, County Galway; when the inner relief road will be complete; if he has received representations on this matter, from individual councillors on Galway County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8477/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities' own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.
No Exchequer funding commitment has been made in relation to an inner relief road for Tuam. Given the cutbacks in the funding available for roads, the Specific and Strategic Grants Schemes for road improvement projects have had to be curtailed in recent years in order to protect funding for road maintenance and repair.
Details of the 2015 regional and local road grant allocations to county councils including Galway County Council are outlined in the regional and local road grant payment booklets which are available in the Dáil Library.
248. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the investment State agencies are making or are planning to make in developing the Fanad lighthouse in County Donegal as a key tourism amenity for the Wild Atlantic Way. [8482/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhile my Department provides the capital funding for investment in tourism offerings such as the Wild Atlantic Way, it is not directly involved in developing or managing these. The development of the Wild Atlantic Way is an operational matter for the Board and management of Fáilte Ireland. Accordingly I have referred the question to the agency for direct reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days.
249. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his Department has received a resubmitted funding application for a new bridge at Cockhill, Buncrana, County Donegal, to take road traffic, and pedestrians, away from the existing unsafe bridge on this busy route through the heart of the Inishowen Peninsula; and if he will provide funding for this vital project. [8483/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has not received a re-submitted funding application in 2015 for a new bridge at Cockhill, Buncrana, Co. Donegal. The position remains that the improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads, including bridges, is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993.
While my Department supplements local authority funding with grants, budgetary constraints mean that the Department is not in a position to provide funding for a new bridge at present. The decision on whether to seek funding for an alternative option, such as a pedestrian bridge, rests with the Council. I have indicated that in view of the safety issues at this location, my Department is prepared to consider funding for a footbridge.
The role of Exchequer grants for regional and local roads is to supplement the resources of Councils. It is, therefore, open to the Council to fund both the design and construction of a new bridge from its own resources.
250. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the persons-bodies that established the National Roads Authority; when same were set up and their responsibilities. [8537/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 16 of the Roads Act 1993 provided for the establishment of the National Roads Authority (NRA). The then Minister made an order (S.I. No. 407 of 1993) appointing the 23rd of December 1993 as the establishment day for the NRA. The NRA took over oversight functions in respect of national roads from 1 January 1994.
The NRA's primary function under the Roads Act 1993, is to secure the provision of a safe and efficient network of national roads. For this purpose, it has overall responsibility for the planning, supervision of construction, road network management and maintenance on national roads.
251. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the persons-bodies that established the National Transport Authority; when same were set up and their responsibilities. [8538/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Transport Authority (NTA) is a statutory body established under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 on 1 December 2009. The 2009 Act, the Taxi Regulation Act 2013, and various Statutory Instruments have greatly extended the Authority’s functions. Among the responsibilities of the NTA are as follows:
Nationally
- Procure public transport services by means of public transport services contracts;
- Provide integrated ticketing, fares and public transport information;
- Develop an integrated, accessible public transport network;
- License public bus passenger services that are not subject to a public transport services contract;
- Manage the Rural Transport Programme and the successor structure of Transport Co-ordination Units;
- Provide bus infrastructure and fleet and cycling facilities and schemes;
- Develop and maintain a regulatory framework for the control and operation of small public service vehicles (taxis, hackneys and limousines) and their drivers;
- Prepare statutory submissions on Regional Planning Guidelines.
Greater Dublin Area only
- Undertake strategic planning of transport;
- Invest in all public transport infrastructure;
- Develop the effective management of traffic and transport demand.
In addition to its statutory functions the Authority also undertakes a number of functions on behalf of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport on a non-statutory basis. A full list of all the functions of the NTA is available on its website.
