Written Answers Nos. 71 - 93
71. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the construction of the N22 Macroom bypass; if it will be released to tender for construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7732/18]
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 Transport Infrastructure Ireland under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Within its capital budget, the assessment and prioritisation of individual projects is a matter in the first instance for TII in accordance with Section 19 of the Roads Act.
Noting the above position, I have referred the Deputy's question to TII for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
72. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason the transfer of surplus land on the Kilcullen to Waterford motorway (details supplied) has not been completed even though the project has been completed for ten years. [7507/18]
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 Transport Infrastructure Ireland 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 do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
75. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the recently published rail review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7726/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to my response to Parliamentary Question No. 21, which I answered earlier.
78. Deputy Hildegarde Naughton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the rebates available to sports clubs in respect of donations made to them by private citizens; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7520/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra86. Deputy Kate O'Connell asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the way in which sports clubs can add value to private donations received; if a step by step guide to the process can be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7528/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 86 together.
In relation to my Department's engagement with sports clubs, the Sports Capital Programme (SCP) is the Government's primary vehicle for the development of sport and physical recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment. The most recent allocations under the Programme were made at the end of last year and full details of these allocations and a guide to making an application under the scheme are available on my Department's website.
Outside of the SCP, if a sports club or organisation is acquiring land or buildings, developing facilities, purchasing fixed non-personal equipment for sports activities or repaying a loan for these purposes, Section 41 of the Finance Act 2002 provides a tax relief incentive to individuals or companies to make a donation towards the cost of these projects. This is a Revenue Commissioners operated scheme and further details on how it operates, including a step by step guide to the scheme, can be found on the Revenue Commissioner's website www.revenue.ie/en/companies-and-charities/charities-and-sports-bodies/tax-relief-on-donations-to-certain-sporting-bodies/index.aspx.
79. Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the A5-N2 project; its position within the new national development plan; the timeframe for the delivery and completion of the project; if the link between Lifford and Letterkenny, the N13-N14, forms part of the overall project; if a timeframe can be confirmed for this part of the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7508/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe planning and implementation of the A5 upgrade project is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland authorities.
The current funding arrangements in relation to the A5 are governed by the Stormont House Agreement and Implementation Plan - A Fresh Start. This Agreement reaffirmed the Government's commitment to provide funding of £50 million for the A5 project and committed an additional £25 million to ensure that Phase 1 of the project (Newbuildings to north of Strabane) can commence as soon as the necessary planning issues have been resolved by the Northern Ireland authorities. The funding allocated to my Department as part of the Capital Plan Review includes financial provision for meeting the Government's commitment regarding the A5.
The National Development Plan is about to the published and will outline the framework and broad direction for investment priorities over the period 2018 to 2027.
In relation to the national roads mentioned by the Deputy, as 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.
Within its capital budget, the assessment and prioritisation of individual national road projects is a matter in the first instance for TII in accordance with Section 19 of the Roads Act.
I have, therefore, referred the Deputy's Question to TII for direct reply. Please advise my Office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
81. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of plans to electrify the Maynooth to Connolly rail line; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7505/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, the NTA's Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2016-2035 which provides a framework for the planning and delivery of transport infrastructure and services in the GDA over the next two decades, proposes implementation of the DART Expansion Programme.
In line with the Government’s budgetary framework set out in Building on Recovery: Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2016-2021 published in September 2015, the Government's Budget 2018 provides for an increase in the multi-annual capital investment for public transport with a four-year capital envelope of €2.7 billion over the period 2018-2021.
This includes funding in the region of €230 million for mainline rail and DART capacity enhancement. This will enable commencement of the initial stages of the DART Expansion programme, focussing on additional fleet and extending the electrified DART system. It will also allow further progress to be made on the electrification of both the Northern rail line to Balbriggan and the Maynooth line.
Limited design work has been carried out on the electrification of the Northern and Maynooth lines to date. It is not possible at this stage to be prescriptive on the construction commencement date as this can only be finalised following the completion of initial design work. However, it is likely to be 2021 before building work starts, subject to receipt of the necessary statutory planning approval. Planning consent is likely to be sought during 2020.
In light of the National Transport Authority’s (NTA) responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy’s question to the NTA for further information on the issue raised. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
89. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on whether there is sufficient investment in cycling infrastructure; his further views on whether cycling infrastructure is sufficiently well developed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7746/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department fully supports the provision of safe and direct cycling infrastructure, in line with Smarter Travel and the National Cycle Policy Framework. Whilst significant investment has been undertaken in recent years in cycling infrastructure, I firmly believe that further continued investment is required to ensure cycling is seen as a safe and attractive option for cyclists of all ages. Investment in cycling infrastructure has a key role to play and in this regard, I was delighted to have secured, as part of Budget 2018, a significant increase in the level of Exchequer capital funding available for investment in cycling infrastructure over the period 2018-2021.
Capital investment of over €110m will develop cycling and walking infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) and Regional Cities over the next four years (2018-2021). This programme will provide safe, alternative, active, travel routes to help alleviate congestion by providing viable alternatives and connectivity with existing public transport infrastructure.
My Department is also currently preparing a National Greenways Strategy, building on the success of facilities such as the Great Western Greenway and the Waterford Greenway. Budget 2018 saw an increase of €30 million in the multi-annual allocation for Greenways bringing the total allocation for the development of Greenways for the period 2018-2021 to over €55 million.
In addition to these cycling-specific investments, some other infrastructure investments over the next four years will provide enhancements that will benefit cyclists. The considerable investment of about three-quarters of a billion euro for re-configuring the bus network and infrastructure will also entail construction of significant new cycling facilities alongside bus routes on the key radial routes into the city centre and provide safe cycling arrangements, largely segregated from other traffic along those corridors. In addition, some of the €135m funding that will be provided to local authorities in the GDA and the Regional Cities for Sustainable Urban Transport between 2018 and 2021 will support better traffic management, bus priority measures and pedestrian infrastructure - which will benefit the safe and effective movement of all.
My Department continues to be very active in promoting behavioural change to encourage more people to take up cycling and to cycle safely. We provide 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 was rolled out in January 2017 to approximately 15,000 primary school students. My Department supports the great work that is being done by RSA in the promotion of safe roads for all road users, including the more vulnerable users such as cyclists and pedestrians. In addition my Department provides funding to local authorities throughout the country to assist in organising events and activities during Bike Week which further serve to increase the number of cyclists on our roads.
As part of an overall coordinated approach to the provision of an integrated sustainable transport network of cycling, walking and public transport, these various investments will allow us to further increase the numbers cycling, thereby easing congestion, improving public health and enhancing the liveability of our towns and cities; the investment will, I believe, have a lasting transformative effect on our transport network over the coming years.
90. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the inclusion of the Navan rail line under the Government's capital plan will be prioritised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7500/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, the Navan Rail Link Project was originally included under the Transport 21 Initiative and was to be developed in two Phases.
Phase 1 comprised the Dunboyne Rail Line project which involved the reopening of 7.5km of a railway line running off the Maynooth line, at Clonsilla, to the M3 interchange at Pace, near Dunboyne. This line opened in September 2010 with Park and Ride facilities at Pace, with 1200 car parking spaces available, and at Dunboyne, with 300 car parking spaces available. Phase 1 was completed in 2013 with the opening of Hansfield Station.
The plan for Phase 2 involved the extension of the Dunboyne Line between Clonsilla and M3 Parkway Station, onwards to north Navan. This development together with a number of other transport projects was postponed in 2011 due to the economic and fiscal crisis.
The National Transport Authority (NTA), which has statutory responsibility for development of Public Transport in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) which includes County Meath, included an examination of the Navan to City Centre Rail Corridor in the preparation of its Transport Strategy for the GDA for the period 2016-2035. At that time, the NTA concluded that, based on population and employment forecasts, the level of travel demand between Navan, Dunshaughlin and various stations to the city centre was insufficient to justify the development of a high-capacity rail link. Instead it is proposed that an enhanced bus service would be provided along the corridor in conjunction with the development of a bus hub by the local authority in Navan.
The NTA has indicated that this position will be kept under review and will be reassessed as part of the next review of the GDA Transport Strategy which, under the relevant legislation, the NTA is required to undertake every six years. The next review planned for 2021 will take account of the level of development in the catchment area over the coming years. Furthermore, the NTA has also indicated that the corridor identified for a rail link to Navan should be protected from development intrusion in the meantime. If the review of the GDA Transport Strategy concludes that a rail link is justified at that point, funding can be pursued in the context of the development and review of Capital Investment Plans.
92. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to reports (details supplied) published by Sport Ireland; his views on figures suggesting the emergence of a concerning pattern; and the measures he is taking to prevent an increase of this pattern. [7711/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Central Statistics Office (CSO) published a report “The Wellbeing of the Nation” in January 2018 which collated statistics from various existing sources. Using Sport Ireland’s survey, the "Irish Sports Monitor" (ISM), the CSO identified that participation in sport had fallen by 2% between 2013 and 2015.
Sport Ireland published the 2017 half year ISM report in December 2017 shows a 1% fall in participation levels compared to the same period in 2015. A full year report for 2017 is expected to be published in the second quarter of 2018 when a more definitive picture of the current situation will emerge.
The ISM report suggests that the drop in participation levels in recent years has been driven primarily by declining levels of participation among young males in particular. While this is still the group with the highest levels of participation overall, there is evidence to suggest that the upturn in our economic circumstances in the past few years has resulted in increased time pressures on certain groups, particularly young males.
Sport Ireland is committed to providing enhanced sporting opportunities targeted at those less likely to participate through the Local Sports Partnership network, National Governing Bodies and other partners. Programmes such as the Community Sports Hub initiative, Sports Inclusion Disability Programme, Go For Life and Women in Sport are aimed at providing targeted opportunities for disadvantaged groups, people with disabilities, older people and women where participation levels are generally lower than among comparator groups.
In the context of a new National Sports Policy that is currently being finalised there will be a strong focus on increasing participation levels in sport and physical activity at all ages. Achieving such increased participation levels is a significant challenge that will require the development of new projects and programmes in the future as well as continued implementation of existing successful initiatives. Additionally, my Department is co-chairing the National Physical Activity Plan implementation group. Significant progress has been made in relation to actions within that Plan, details of which are available in a progress report published on the Healthy Ireland website in December 2017 http://www.healthyireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/NPAP-Summary-Progress-Report.pdf
