Written Answers Nos 1808-1827
1808. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the funding or grant aid which is available to a group (details supplied) in order to fund a trip to play in a sporting tournament abroad. [26581/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraSport Ireland, which is funded by my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the development of sport, increasing participation at all levels and raising standards, including the allocation of funding across its various programmes. Sport Ireland channels funding for sport through the relevant recognised National Governing Bodies of Sport. Sport Ireland has no mechanism to allocate funding to organisations outside of this process. Sport Ireland recognises the Football Association of Ireland as the National Governing Body for Football. The Group may wish to contact the Football Association of Ireland directly to enquire about funding streams which may be available through their social inclusion programmes. Contact details are: Tel: +353 1 8999 500, Email: info@fai.
There is no funding or grant aid available through my Department for the purpose outlined by the Deputy.
1809. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to manage bus coaches in Dublin city during June 2017 until September 2017 when 50 new spaces are expected to become available in view of the reduction in available parking spaces for coaches due to the Luas works and other parking restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26583/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA), including the Luas Cross City Project. The NTA consult on a regular basis, with various stakeholders at the Luas Traffic Forum, regarding the impacts of works on traffic issues associated with the project, including parking which comes under the remit of Dublin City Council, who are a member of the Forum.
Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the Authority for a more detailed 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.
1810. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps which have been taken to require local authorities to provide safe and attractive cycling routes to public transport stations and stops in pursuance of policy 8.1 of the National Cycle Policy Framework. [26598/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1811. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress which has been made in providing as a pilot project to begin with guarded indoor bicycle parks with capacity from several hundreds up to several thousands at rail stations or major public transport hubs in pursuance of policy 8.3 of the National Cycle Policy Framework. [26599/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1812. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress which has been made in developing a range of national and local promotional campaigns encouraging the wider benefits of cycling such as freedom, the fastest way of getting around, sociability of cycling, lack of running costs, health benefits and ecological benefits in pursuance of policy 10.1 of the National Cycle Policy Framework. [26600/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1810 to 1812, inclusive, together.
As the Deputy is aware, while significant progress has been made under a number of objectives contained in the National Cycle Policy Framework (NCPF) it has not been possible for my Department, other Government Departments' and Local Authorities to deliver on many of the objectives due to the significant scaling back in overall public investment since the launch of the NCPF in 2009.
However, the NCPF has been integrated into the Development Plans of the majority of Local Authorities, thus ensuring that the objectives and policies to support and promote cycling are taken into account in current and future planning.
In relation to cycling infrastructure, good progress is being made developing cycling routes in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) and throughout the country under funding provided directly by my Department under the Smarter Travel funding programmes and through the Sustainable Transport Management Grants and Regional Cities funding programmes that are administered by the National Transport Authority (NTA) on behalf of my Department. Further progress will be achieved in the coming years under the new BusConnects initiative recently launched by the NTA which, in addition to delivering a network of 'next generation' bus corridors, will also provide segregated cycling facilities on each of these corridors.
Good work is also taking place in promoting behavioural change to encourage more people to take up cycling. My Department provides funding to the NTA on an annual basis for the delivery of behavioural change programmes such as Workplace and Campus travel programmes and the Green Schools Programmes. Furthermore my Department engaged Cycling Ireland to develop a new national cycle training standard - "Cycle Right" - which is currently being rolled out in many primary schools. In addition my Department provides funding to local authorities throughout the country to assist in organising events and activities during Bike Week which is taking place this year between the 10th and 18th June.
1813. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when sporting clubs and organisations will be advised whether their capital sports grants applications have been successful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26647/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAll of the 2,320 applications received under the 2017 Sports Capital Programme are being assessed by officials in my Department. Given the number of applications received and the detailed information submitted, it will take a number of months to complete the assessment process. It is expected that an announcement regarding allocations will be made in September.
1814. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the new National Transport Authority bus transport proposals for Dublin BusConnects and the subsequent redrawing of the city's bus routes will see Dublin Bus operate those routes; if the NTA has plans to license private bus operators on some of these new radial and orbital routes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26655/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Transport Authority (NTA) recently launched the BusConnects initiative which proposes a radical transformation of the bus system in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) that will involve, inter alia, the development of a network of 'next generation' bus corridors and a complete redesign of the network to be accompanied by a network of bus-based park and ride sites at strategic locations.
As regards the operation of services on the redesigned network, under EU and Irish legislation, the NTA has the statutory power to assess the appropriate mix of directly awarded and competitively tendered public service transport contracts. It utilises its statutory powers with a view to ensuring value for money in terms of the use of taxpayers' money in securing the provision of public transport services. The Deputy is likely aware that the NTA is currently finalising procurement competitions in relation to approximately 10% of current directly awarded PSO services. These competitions relate to current Bus Átha Cliath services (Dublin Metropolitan competition) as well as current Bus Éireann services (Dublin Commuter and Waterford competitions). I understand the NTA expects to announce the completion of these competitions over the summer/autumn period. This position is not impacted by the BusConnects initiative.
Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the Authority for a more detailed 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.
1815. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of a driving licence renewal for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26659/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe operation of the National Driver Licensing Service is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority. 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 was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 42A.
1816. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if an agreement has been finalised with British Columbia on the conversion of driver licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26662/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1837. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when he expects British Columbian licences to be exchanged for Irish licences when a person goes to live there in view of the fact that in British Columbia Irish driving licences are exchanged for British Columbian driving licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27167/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1838. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reciprocal arrangement which is in place between the State and the government of British Columbia, Canada, in order to allow holders of driving licences that are granted in British Columbia to drive on roads here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27174/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1816, 1837 and 1838 together.
Ireland has successfully reached agreement on driving licence exchange with a number of Canadian provinces to date and work is progressing on an agreement with British Columbia which I expect to have in place shortly.
Driving licence exchange agreements take time to arrive at, and require the relevant authorities on each side to study and compare the two licensing regimes, so that each side can be satisfied that they are compatible. On the Irish side, this task is undertaken by the Road Safety Authority (RSA).
The RSA has reached an agreement in principle with British Columbia. It will be necessary to arrange formal signing, after which I as Minister will sign an order under the Road Traffic Acts giving effect to the agreement. I look forward to doing this in the near future.
1817. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of applications from each constituency of Dáil Éireann for the 2017 sports capital fund; and the timeframe for a decision to be made regarding same. [26677/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraA list of all applications received under the 2017 Sports Capital Programme is available on the Department’s website www.dttas.ie. The information is displayed on a county basis. All of the 2320 applications are being assessed by officials in my Department. Given the number of applications received and the detailed information submitted, it will take a number of months to complete the assessment process with allocations not expected until September.
1818. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of meetings he has held with tourism groups (details supplied) on initiatives for tourism in County Cork; the dates these meetings took place; and the initiatives and areas within these sub regions that were discussed, in tabular form. [26678/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have not met with any of the tourism groups mentioned by the Deputy. However, my colleague Patrick O'Donovan TD, in his capacity as Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, met with Visit Cork, which is the principal stakeholder collaborative group for the development and promotion of tourism in Cork, covering the entire county and city. Visit Cork was established by the local authority with membership from the key private and public sector partners, including industry and relevant representative bodies. Deputy O'Donovan met recently with Visit Cork, on 5 June 2017, when he received an update on the work of the group and discussed ways to improve and expand tourism to the region.
As the Deputy will be aware, the main work on specific tourism programmes and initiatives is conducted at an operational level by the tourism agencies, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland - Fáilte Ireland primarily in relation to the development of tourism in the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland's Ancient East areas; and Tourism Ireland regarding overseas promotional opportunities.
1819. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the feasibility study commissioned under the capital plan for the northern relief road at Mallow, in which the plan is identifying a route; and the engagement he has had with Cork County Council on the matter. [26725/17]
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 operation 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 position, 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.
1820. Deputy Josepha Madigan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to connect Dundrum to St Vincent's University Hospital via public transport [26776/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure and procuring the provision of public transport services in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA).
Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the Authority for a more detailed reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
The referred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 42A.
1821. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the 2017 sports capital programme; when decisions on applications will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26784/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAll of the 2,320 applications received under the 2017 Sports Capital Programme are being assessed by officials in my Department. Given the number of applications received and the detailed information submitted, it will take a number of months to complete the assessment process. It is expected that an announcement regarding allocations will be made in September.
1822. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of dedicated floor area onboard a bus in the Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann fleet; and the corresponding information for a carriage in the DART and Irish Rail fleet for wheelchair users; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26846/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe issue raised 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.
The referred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
1823. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount spent to date by his Department and-or the Exchequer on the Rugby World Cup 2023 bid; the draft guarantees by the State to support the staging of the tournament under the general scheme of a Rugby World Cup 2023 Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26850/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe disbursement of funds in support of the bid to host Rugby World Cup 2023 is an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland. In this regard, I am advised that Fáilte Ireland has paid €767,500 in grant-aid to support the RWC2023 bid since 2015, from a total grant approval of €1,220,000. The proposed guarantees sought as part of the bid are not in place as they are currently under negotiation while the bidding process is ongoing and no monies have been spent as a result of these draft commitments.
1824. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal can expect to receive a date for a driving test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26851/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe operation of the driver testing service is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority. 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 was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 42A.
1825. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to improve rural transport connections nationwide. [26885/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am fully aware of the important role played by public transport in ensuring connectivity for rural communities. This Government has supported that role through the 11% cumulative increase I secured in Budget 2017 for both the Public Service Obligation (PSO) programme and the Rural Transport Programme. That increase means that in 2017 approximately €277million will be available to the National Transport Authority to support the delivery of these important programmes, which underpin the delivery of taxpayer funded bus services across rural Ireland. I have committed publicly to further increasing the funding of those programmes in the future as resources allow.
That Exchequer financial support is supported at a policy level by the commitment given within the Programme for a Partnership Government to review public transport policy so as to ensure services are sustainable into the future and are meeting the needs of a modern economy. I am glad to say that this commitment is also reflected within the actions contained within Realising our Rural Potential - Action Plan for Rural Development which specifically references the rural transport dimension and the needs of rural communities.
During 2016 the Rural Transport Programme was expanded further with the addition of 21 new regular commuter bus services and the increase of €2.19m in funding provided to the programme in 2017 will allow for further improvement in existing services and the development of new services.
Publicly funded bus services in rural Ireland are expanding and improving and that is reflected in the increases in passenger numbers, particularly within Bus Éireann's PSO network.
As well as those bus services, many rural towns also benefit from a connection to the mainline rail network. Increased funding to Iarnród Éireann in recent years has allowed for improved services and facilities across the network. I expect to receive the NTA's report soon on the recent consultation period held on the Rail Review Report 2016, a report which outlined issues for consideration on the role of rail generally in Ireland.
1826. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will ensure the provision of extra carriages at peak times on the Sligo to Connolly, Dublin, train service. [26886/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe issue raised is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) in conjunction with Iarnród Éireann 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.
1827. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the threats identified by his Department with regard to the responsibilities of his Department as a result of no deal being reached in Brexit negotiations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26911/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 2nd May, the Government published a comprehensive document on Ireland and the negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union under Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. This document sets out the approach of the Government to the forthcoming negotiations, following the successful campaign to have key Irish issues recognised in the EU negotiation position.
Following on from this publication, work is underway to prepare a further paper on economic implications of the Brexit challenge. This will draw on the work to date across Departments, which will be developed to mitigate emerging sectorial challenges. These plans will build on ongoing cross-Government research, analysis and consultations with stakeholders, and will reflect the core economic themes of the Taoiseach's speech to the IIEA on 15 February last.
Ireland’s economic interests lie firmly in a strong and well-functioning EU with continued and unfettered access to the single market. There is a lot of negotiation to be done around trading arrangements. Our contingency work is examining all scenarios and we cannot pre-empt the outcome at this stage. We are not under any illusions about the complexity of these negotiations and are engaged in detailed planning to prepare for these.
In my Department the main risks include:
- minimising the impact of Brexit on the tourism industry by preserving the Common Travel Area, avoiding a hard border on the Island of Ireland, and maintaining a liberalised aviation regime to protect and promote access.
- maintaining in so far as possible the existing common standards and regulatory regimes (e.g. international haulage, maritime).
- the avoidance of a hard border between North and South, and the most efficient possible customs arrangements on the Island of Ireland and between Ireland and Great Britain.
- the protection of the fully liberalised and deregulated aviation market and current aviation traffic rights with respect to the various air transport markets.
- the treatment of EU and UK airlines as well as EU and UK nationals in terms of ownership and control rules.
