Written Answers Nos. 221-230
221. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is in receipt of an application from Mayo County Council regarding the development of a Wild Atlantic Way discovery point at Keem Bay, Achill, County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32515/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhile 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 these. The role of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in relation to tourism lies primarily in the area of national policy. 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 ten working days.
222. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding taxi deregulation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32522/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe cases were heard in the High Court before Judge Peart from 29 October to 18 December 2013. Judgement was reserved and a decision is awaited.
223. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of bonus remuneration paid to staff in his Department and in agencies under his aegis to date in 2015; the number of persons to whom these payments were made and their purpose; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32543/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraNo bonus remuneration payments have been paid to staff in the Department or to staff in the agencies under my aegis in respect of performance to date in 2015. This is in line with Government policy that no performance related awards should be made.
224. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the unused funding sanctioned for a facility (details supplied) in County Kerry will be carried over to 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32563/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are no building projects planned for Valentia Island and therefore no funds which require to be carried over into next year. There are however monies sanctioned for the Iveragh Coast Guard Unit for the refurbishment of Coast Guard building in Waterville. The Coast Guard is also currently addressing the issue of storage facilities for the Knightstown element of the Iveragh Unit.
225. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to reduce the cost of public transport for students in the areas surrounding Dublin. [32586/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe approval of fares and leap card arrangements for students in respect of PSO public transport services is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) and I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
226. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason there is no test centre for vans, jeeps and trucks in south Kerry, given that there are currently five centres in north Kerry; if this safety concern will be addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32587/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Road Safety Authority Act 2006 (Conferral of Functions) Order 2006 (S.I. No. 477 of 2006), the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has responsibility for the operation, oversight, development, quality assurance and delivery of commercial vehicle roadworthiness testing arrangements.
I have therefore forwarded this Question to the RSA for direct reply to the Deputy. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
227. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport given that Roscommon County Council has secured an acceptable route for the greenway between Athlone and Ballinasloe by taking the approach that I had suggested to the Minister in Parliamentary Question No. 7 of 17 June 2015, if he will now request Fáilte Ireland, the National Roads Authority and Galway County Council to map a route between Ballinasloe and Galway, by utilising publicly owned lands and the existing rights of way; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32613/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am currently awaiting a report from the National Roads Authority and Galway County Council on the feasibility of the current preferred route and I do not wish to pre-empt the outcome of the consultation that has taken place. The design teams have at all times been trying to avail of publicly owned land to create a product that is segregated, safe and scenic. It was possible in Roscommon to avail of Coillte and Bord na Mona lands. However, even with that, 40% is through privately owned lands.
The design team in Galway have been working to exactly the same objectives and directions as the team in Roscommon. The facts are that there are no publicly owned lands within the corridor that connects the towns and villages of Ballinasloe, Aughrim, Kilreekil, Loughrea, Craughwell, Clarinbridge and Oranmore.
It must be remembered that a greenway is not simply a method of getting from A to B, for example, putting the route alongside the old N6 route would not be appealing to tourists looking to sample the delights of rural Ireland. They are not coming here with their bicycles or hiring bicycles to cycle alongside a road - the route needs to be attractive in its own right. It must also link in with towns or villages every 20 kilometres. The benefits of greenways to rural towns can be seen most effectively in Newport, County Mayo, which has been regenerated through the huge numbers using the Great Western Greenway with cafés and a hotel opening to meet demand.
228. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to put in place a compensation fund for turf cutters for the loss of turbary rights in designated bogs in situations where they have not been cutting turf in the five-year period that would have qualified them to receive compensation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32356/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme, administered by my Department, is comprised of a payment of €1,500 per annum, index-linked, for 15 years, or relocation, where feasible, to a non-designated bog, together with a once-off incentive payment of €500. 3,134 applications have been received under this scheme for designated raised bog special areas of conservation. The scheme has been extended to land owners and turbary right holders affected by the curtailment of turf cutting in designated raised bog natural heritage areas. 216 applications have been received from applicants from these sites.
The qualifying criteria for the scheme are that:
- The claimant must have a legal interest in one of the raised bog special areas of conservation or natural heritage areas – ownership or turbary right;
- The claimant must have been the owner or entitled to exercise turbary rights on the land in question on 25 May 2010;
- The turbary on the site must not be exhausted;
- The claimant must have been cutting turf on the land in question during the relevant five year period; and
- No turf cutting or associated activity is ongoing on the property.
The cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme is designed specifically for those who had been cutting turf on the raised bog protected sites prior to the cessation.
229. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to remove the regulations that make cleaning of drains, removal of scrub, spreading of fertiliser, fencing of land and the movement of livestock actions notifiable; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32358/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder EU law Ireland is obliged to ensure that European sites (SACs and SPAs) are afforded suitable protection and an activity or project can only be undertaken after it has been ascertained that it will not adversely affect the integrity of a European site.
A list of Activities Requiring Consent (ARCs) has been identified for each European site. ARCs are intended to capture the type of activities that, if carried out within a European site, may cause damage. Therefore, such activities are required to be regulated in order to ensure that they are carried out in such a way that no such damage will occur. The activities outlined by the Deputy are of a type that may potentially have a negative impact on habitats and/or species within European sites.
ARCs are not necessarily prohibited activities but, as they are potentially damaging to habitats and species within European sites, permission must be sought and consent obtained before they are undertaken. However, it should be noted that where such an activity is licensed by another public authority, or is part of a project that requires the consent of another public authority, such as development consent, landowners are not required to seek my consent to carry out the said activity, providing consent is duly obtained from the relevant authority.
230. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to extend the time for hedge cutting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32496/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 40 of the Wildlife Acts 1976 to 2012 prohibits the cutting, grubbing, burning or destruction of vegetation, with certain strict exemptions, from 1 March to 31 August during the nesting and breeding season for birds and wildlife. Vegetation such as hedgerows and scrub is important as wildlife habitat and needs to be managed in the interests of both farming and biodiversity. As a result, a review of the current legislation was initiated to ensure that it remains both effective and balanced.
Stakeholders had been seeking an opportunity to input their views on the operation of section 40 of the Acts and I announced, last year, a consultation process which provided that opportunity. The submissions received, during this process, have been published on the website of the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department at http://www.npws.ie/legislation.
Following the end of the public consultation period, I established a Working Group, consisting of officials from my Department, to consider the submissions received and to report back to me with a range of proposals. I expect to announce the outcome of the review in the near future.
Any changes to the closed period for cutting, grubbing, burning or destruction of vegetation, as provided for in section 40 of the Wildlife Acts, would require amending legislation.
