Written Answers Nos. 205-214
205. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps he is taking to ensure that no sectors of the economy or motorsports are damaged by the Vnuk judgment of the European Court of Justice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3554/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy officials have been in ongoing discussion with the European Commission and EU counterparts about the issues raised by the Vnuk European Court of Justice (ECJ) judgment. This includes exchanges with representatives of Member States, participation at meetings of Member States hosted by the Commission in May and December 2015, and a meeting of my officials with the Commission in December 2016. The Commission published an Inception Impact Assessment in June 2016 which stated that 'the Court's ruling on the obligations laid down in the [Motor Insurance] Directive in the Vnuk judgment risks having a significant impact on ordinary motor vehicle insurance policyholders, the insurance industry and Member States. The Commission proposal indicated that the main policy objective of an amendment to the Motor Insurance Directive would be that the scope of the Directive 'should be limited to the use of vehicles in the context of traffic' (Option 3 in the document), which the Commission stated 'will protect the viability of the motor sports sector'. My Department will continue to raise with the Commission concerns expressed regarding the effect of the ECJ judgement in the Vnuk case including any possible effect on the motorsport and other sectors. The Commission have stated they share the concerns of member states regarding the unintended consequences of the Vnuk judgement (Comments of EU Commissioner to the European Parliament Internal Markets Committee refers http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/20160519IPR28160/Committee-on-the-Internal-Market-and-Consumer-Protection).
Should the Deputy wish to assist with Ireland's efforts in this matter, he could consider asking his four MEP party colleagues to raise in that forum the importance of the Commission expediting an amendment of the motor insurance directive in the preferred manner (Option 3) indicated by the Commission in June 2016.
206. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding that has been received to date for the DART interconnector project from the Connecting Europe Facility; the purpose for which the funding has been used; if his Department has reviewed this facility as a potential funding source for progressing the project; and the proportion of capital finance and matching funding that would be available under the programme. [3572/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe DART Underground Tunnel (previously known as the DART interconnector project) has not received funding from the Connecting Europe Facility 2014-2020 (CEF). Funding has been granted from the CEF for another element of the wider DART Expansion Programme - the City Centre Resignalling Project. The underground tunnel project received €9.4 million from a previous EU funding stream, the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) 2007-2013, for planning and design. Two other elements of the wider DART Expansion Programme, the City Centre Resignalling Project and the Centralised Traffic Control Centre, also received funding from this programme.
The National Transport Authority's 'Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2016-2035', which was approved and published in 2016, proposes implementation of the DART Expansion Programme involving electrification of the Northern line as far as Drogheda, the Kildare Line to Hazelhatch, the Sligo line to Maynooth in the west and to the M3 Parkway and construction of the DART Underground Tunnel.
The Government decided in September 2015 that the original proposal for the DART Underground Tunnel should be redesigned and work is underway on that at present. Due to constraints on funding, not all elements of the DART Expansion Programme can be progressed during the lifetime of the current Capital Plan. Funding has been allocated for the extension of the DART to Balbriggan and for work on the redesign of the tunnel. Other elements of the programme will be considered in the context of the planned review of the Capital Plan. The potential for CEF funding will be considered in the context of further calls for proposals under the CEF programme.
207. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on whether there could be a potential impact on funding for the N13/N14/N15 which funding for same will be dependent on the assessment of their importance to the Comprehensive TEN-T network and which have not been approved yet. [3573/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. Within its annual budget the planning, design and implementation of individual road projects is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Decisions on the transport elements of the Capital Plan 2016-2021 were framed by the conclusions reached in my Department’s Strategic Investment Framework for Land Transport. Based on the findings in that report it is envisaged that maintenance and renewal of the road network will continue to be the main priority over the next period and the bulk of the roads capital budget, approximately €4.4 billion, is earmarked for such essential work with a further €600 million allocated for implementation of the PPP road programme which is already underway. In this context it was not possible to include the upgrade of the N13/N14/N15 roads given the overall funding envelope available. My Department has to work within the budgets included in the Capital Plan.
As regards the possibility of additional funding within the Plan period, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform is now commencing the Capital Plan review. While there is a strong case for additional funding for the transport sector, the parameters for the review and the final decisions on allocations are matters for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and Government as a whole. The primary determinant of whether funding can be considered for additional schemes is the availability of Exchequer funding together with the strength of the project business case rather than its status vis-à-vis the TEN-T Regulations.
208. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the conditions for towing trailers by cars and four-wheel drives in terms of size of vehicle, laden weight, number of wheels on trailer and number of wheels driving the towing vehicle; and the type of licence that is required for the various options. [3589/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraDetailed information regarding the legal obligations, combinations of towing vehicles and trailers you are allowed to drive depending on your category of driver licence, as well as comprehensive technical and practical advice in relation to the towing of light trailers is available on the Road Safety Authority's (RSA) website at www.rsa.ie. This information is also set out in the RSA's "Road Safety Advice and Driver Licensing Rules for Drawing Light Trailers" booklet which is available for download from the aforementioned site; or alternatively, may be ordered in hard copy format from the RSA.
209. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the statutory basis that provides for the imposition of mooring fees and the confiscation and retention of moorings, by the appropriate harbour authorities, in respect of which such fees have not been paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3590/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe eight commercial port companies, under the remit of my Department, operate under the provisions of the Harbours Act 1996 (No.11 of 1996). Section 13 of this Act gives provision for a company to impose harbour charges at such rates as are determined by it. Section 14 of the Act provides for the detention and sale of vessels or goods for unpaid harbour charges. In addition, a port company may make bye-laws with respect to the use of, and the safety of navigation within, its harbour and generally with respect to the regulation of its harbour and property under section 42 of the Act.
I have no role in the day to day operation of these companies and there are no other harbours operating under the remit of my Department.
210. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide a progress report on the realignment works on the N73 at Waterdyke and Annakisha, Mallow, County Cork. [3622/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, Tourism & 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 Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Noting the above, I have referred the Deputy’s question to TII for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you don’t receive a reply within 10 working days.
The referred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
211. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the results of the review of the Tower Road-Piltown Junction on the N24 conducted by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) will be published; when funding will be provided to TII in order to commence works on the safety measures recommended in the review results; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3667/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, Tourism & 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 Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Noting the above, I have referred the Deputy’s question to TII for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you don’t receive a reply within 10 working days.
The referred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
212. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding a driving test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3670/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe operation of the driver testing service is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority, and I have no role in individual cases. I have therefore referred the Question to the Authority for direct reply.
I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
The referred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
213. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the State subsidy that was paid to Bus Átha Cliath in 2016; the area of the country that Bus Átha Cliath provides services in; the population of this area; the policies laid down by his Department to the National Transport Authority in order to determine the level of subsidy payable to this company; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3720/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra214. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the State subsidy that was paid to Bus Éireann in 2016; the area of the country that Bus Éireann provides services in; the population of this area; the policies laid down by his Department to the National Transport Authority in order to determine the level of subsidy payable to this company; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3721/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 213 and 214 together.
The Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 provides the statutory basis for the award of 'direct award public service contracts'. 'Direct award public service contracts' are contracts awarded to Bus Átha Cliath and Bus Éireann in line with section 52 of the Act in relation to their respective geographic areas as described in the Act and section 8 of the Transport (Re-Organisation of Córas Iompair Éireann) Act, 1986.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) is the statutory body with responsibility for the regulation, funding, monitoring and scope of such contracts and indeed all public transport services contracts. The NTA allocates funding to each operator in line with the contractual obligations entered into by both parties.
As the award and funding of the contracts falls under the independent statutory remit of the NTA I have referred the Deputy's' questions to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
The referred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
