Written Answers Nos. 195-214
195. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he expects to be in a position to offer support to Ulster farming and fishing families in the aftermath of Brexit and in the context of a borderless island of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18515/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Irish Government wants the EU-UK negotiations to work in order to ensure that a hard border on the island of Ireland can be avoided, while also ensuring that we have as close as possible a trading relationship with the UK in the future. Regulatory alignment in relation to sanitary and phytosanitary issues will be vitally important in this regard and that is why the fulfilment of the commitment on regulatory alignment by the UK Government in the Joint Report of last December is so important
While I cannot provide direct support to the farming and fishing families of Northern Ireland I am confident that a borderless Ireland, with regulatory alignment, is in the best interests of all such families.
My Department will continue to support farming and fishing families in this State by means of the programmes set out in the current CAP and CFP regimes and through any new EU backed support Schemes that may come into force post 2020 and 2022 respectively.
The Government remains very focused on supporting farming and fishing families and the whole agri-food industry through the challenges ahead, whether they are based in Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan or in any other part of the country.
196. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the quantity of fodder imported under the import scheme in 2018; and the way in which this compares with a similar scheme in 2013. [18536/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI introduced the Fodder Import Support Measure on 5 April 2018 to provide an additional source of fodder to livestock farmers at an important time when supplies of fodder nationally were very tight. The Measure will make a financial contribution towards the transport costs associated with the importation of fodder from other Member States, excluding Northern Ireland. The closing date for the Measure is Monday 30 April 2018. Information on the quantity of fodder imported will only be available when processing of applications is completed. A maximum amount of €1.5 million was made available to fund the Measure which should support the importation of up to 20,000 tonnes of fodder into the country. With the recent good spell of weather grass growth has improved dramatically and it is envisaged that the Measure will have achieved its purpose by the closing date and within its budgetary allocation.
By way of information, the Fodder Import Transport Scheme that operated in 2013 was introduced on 15 April 2013 and ran until end of May. A total of €2.8 million issued to 18,000 beneficiaries under the scheme covering approximately 40,000 tonnes of imported fodder at that time.
197. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the efforts his Department has made to develop beef access to China; and when he anticipates trade will commence. [18537/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe recent opening of the Chinese beef market to Irish beef is hugely significant for the Irish beef industry, all along the chain from farmers through to processors and exporters. It marks the culmination of a number of years work involving my Department, the Irish Embassy in Beijing and with the close co-operation of the Chinese Ambassador in Dublin and his Embassy staff, Bord Bia, and the industry itself.
The BSE ban was lifted for Irish beef by the Chinese authorities in 2015 and a successful AQSIQ inspection visit, focused on competent authority systems, followed in 2016. Following this, I signed a protocol on the export of frozen beef from Ireland to China with the AQSIQ Minister Zhi Shuping in Dublin in April 2017. The next step was a Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNCA) inspection in August/September 2017 to assess individual processing plants.
The final report of the CNCA Inspection issued in March 2018 and following intensive negotiations between Irish and Chinese officials on a number of issues, I was pleased to announce the opening of the market last week, initially for three plants.
There remain a number of technicalities to be finalised now that these initial plant approvals have been granted. However, my Department has, in conjunction with industry, been working for some time towards ensuring that trade with China can commence and run smoothly. This includes amendments to IT systems and an SI to allow access to information. These are due to be finalised in a matter of weeks. In addition the approved plants will have to deal with their own technicalities including testing requirements.
While I expect that the trade will commence this summer, it is of course a matter for industry to decide how and when to pursue the opportunities offered. The role of my Department is to open the door to allow trade to commence. Next month I will lead a Government agri-food trade mission to China and Hong Kong. The timing of this Trade Mission is particularly opportune, given the recent progress on access.
198. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the Pollagh section of the River Moy in County Mayo; if Inland Fisheries Ireland is considering the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18369/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that the Deputy is referring to speculation regarding the sale of fishing rights.
The section of the River Moy which flows through the townland of Pollagh near Foxford, Co. Mayo is part of the wider Cloongee Fishery and is directly managed by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) in whom the fishing rights are vested. IFI have confirmed that state owned fishing rights on the Moy are important and valuable national assets and they have no plans to sell these rights.
Speculation in this regard relating to any part of the Cloongee fishery which includes the Pollagh section is unfounded.
199. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the extent to which studies are in hand to monitor salmon stocks with particular reference to the number of salmon returning to spawn in Irish rivers; the identification of reduction in this area; the measures taken or proposed to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18497/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra200. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of salmon caught in rivers in each of the past five years and to date in 2018; the extent to which fluctuation corresponds with salmon returning to the spawning ground; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18498/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra201. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if, in the context of EU fisheries conservation policies, reduction in the salmon catch has resulted from over-fishing, climate change or other reasons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18499/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 199 to 201, inclusive, together.
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is the State Agency statutorily responsible for the management and conservation of Ireland's Inland fisheries resources including wild Atlantic salmon. IFI manages salmon stocks on an individual river basis as each of Ireland’s 147 salmon rivers (including river sections and estuaries) has its own genetically unique stock of salmon.
IFI is supported in its management role by the independent Standing Scientific Committee (SSC), comprising scientists from a range of organisations. Scientific and management assessments of each of the distinct stocks are carried out every year with IFI engaged in extensive stock monitoring which feeds into the SSC's annual reviews. The SSC uses catch returns to individual rivers (rod catch, catch and release and any commercial catch) over the previous five years to estimate the total salmon returns in each of the previous five years. The use of a five year average ensures that a good or bad year does not have a disproportionate impact on the stock assessment in any single year.
Each river has an individual conservation limit which is the number of adult salmon required to maintain a healthy population. Rivers which sufficiently exceed their conservation limit may be opened for harvest fisheries (recreational and/or commercial). Rivers which meet 50% of their conservation limit may be opened for catch and release (C&R) angling which permits enjoyment of angling while having a negligible impact on vulnerable fish stocks and encouraging the shared responsibility to contribute to conservation and the potential rebuilding of these stocks. For 2018, 78 rivers in Ireland were open to harvest or catch and release fishing.
The decline in wild Atlantic Salmon is an international issue manifesting in rivers in all countries around the North Atlantic with scientific analysis from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) estimating that marine survival of migrating salmon has been at or below 5% in the North Atlantic for more than a decade.
Marine survival is considered to have the biggest influence on return, from far North Atlantic feeding grounds, of salmon to all rivers on Atlantic coasts. Climate change in the ocean is considered to be a major factor. There is also evidence that heavy sea-lice infestation from salmon farming has resulted in additional mortality in respect of migratory North Atlantic salmon generally. In freshwater, water quality and a range of pressures such as afforestation, drainage, effluent discharge, siltation and agricultural enrichment can all have an impact on juvenile salmon production.
The protection and conservation of salmon internationally is managed through the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO) with which Ireland is aligned through the European Union. Concerted international co-operation has ensured that restrictions in feeding ground in Greenland and Faroese waters have been in place for a number of years via NASCO agreement. In June this year, my officials and those of IFI will join delegates from the EU, USA, Canada, Norway, the Russian Federation, Greenland and the Faroes in seeking to negotiate a continuation of restrictions in these waters.
Specifically in relation to Greenlandic waters, the majority component of the stock complex migrating to these waters originates from the North American Continent. There is no commercial harvest in Faroese waters where the migratory stock complex comprises a majority component of European river stocks including those from Ireland.
The Atlantic salmon is a protected species under the EU Habitats Directive with which Ireland’s current salmon management regime complies. In order to align fully with the Directive and the NASCO principles, Ireland closed mixed stock fisheries at sea since 2007. It is considered that river stocks in Ireland would be in a far more perilous state if the closure of mixed stock fisheries had not been implemented.
A summary of Irish salmon catches from 2012 to 2016 is in the following table. The figures for 2017 are currently being compiled and verified for publication by IFI.
|
Year |
Angling harvest (tonnes) |
Angling catch and release(no’s of fish) |
Commercial harvest (tonnes) |
Total harvest (tonnes) |
|
2012 |
60 |
11,891 |
28 |
88 |
|
2013 |
49 |
10,682 |
38 |
87 |
|
2014 |
31 |
6,537 |
26 |
57 |
|
2015 |
42 |
9,383 |
21 |
63 |
|
2016 |
39 |
10,280 |
19 |
58 |
202. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of television licences sold through post offices in each of the years 2014 to 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18347/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra203. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the statistics on the way in which television licence holders paid for their licence by each of the options available to them in each of the years 2014 to 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18348/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 202 and 203 together.
Under the Broadcasting Act, 2009, An Post acts as my designated issuing agent for the collection of the Television Licence fee. In line with the Act, An Post is charged with the issuing of these licences and also with the enforcement of the current licence fee regime.
The following table shows the total number of TV Licences sold by An Post broken down by payment channel for the period 2014-2017.
|
|
2017 |
2016 |
2015 |
2014 |
|
Post Office |
484,956 |
503,962 |
525,205 |
543,042 |
|
Website |
340,597 |
319,176 |
302,921 |
289,449 |
|
Direct Debit |
166,536 |
156,881 |
148,081 |
140,936 |
|
Call Centre |
33,125 |
36,589 |
39,746 |
42,669 |
|
Post Point |
2,382 |
2,561 |
2,491 |
2,274 |
|
Total sales |
1,027,596 |
1,019,169 |
1,018,444 |
1,018,370 |
204. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will include plastic rings in future legislation examining the pollution of plastics here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18372/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn January, the European Commission published the European Strategy for Plastics in the Circular Economy. The strategy focuses on plastic production and use. It sets a goal of ensuring all plastic packaging will be recyclable by 2030.
Recently, I wrote to the European Commissioner with responsibility for the environment to welcome the plastics strategy. I assured him Ireland fully embraced the ambitions of the new strategy. I asked the Commission to focus, in particular, on the most difficult non-recyclable plastics such as soft wrapping, film and single use items, such as plastic packaging rings. I am determined to make sure these products, if they come onto the market here or elsewhere in Europe will be biodegradable or capable of recycling.
The EU Commission will be proposing EU-wide action to tackle such items within the next month. I believe that acting collectively with our European colleagues will achieve a greater environmental benefit.
205. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of applications received for the 2018 anti-illegal dumping initiative; the number of successful applicants; the amount distributed by his Department to date by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18464/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra206. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the amount spent under the 2017 anti-dumping initiative specifically on information and communication technology enforcement tools such as CCTV and drones; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18465/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra207. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of applications received for the 2017 anti-illegal dumping initiative; the number of successful applicants; the amount distributed by his Department by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18466/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 205 to 207, inclusive, together.
Last year my Department developed the anti-dumping initiative to work in partnership with local authorities and community organisations in identifying high risk or problem areas, developing appropriate enforcement responses and carrying out clean-up operations. Overall, funding of €1.3 million was provided to local authorities under the 2017 anti-dumping initiative and further details of the funding provided to each local authority and the successful projects is available on my Department’s website at:
https://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/news-and-media/press-releases/Pages/Naugthen-increases-funds-to-.aspx.
In February, I announced that €2 million will be made available to local authorities and communities to continue the fight against illegal dumping in Ireland under the 2018 anti-dumping initiative. All local authorities were notified of the 2018 initiative via a Departmental circular which invited applications from Local Authorities for this year’s initiative with a deadline of Friday, 9 March 2018. The Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities (WERLA) are co-ordinating the initiative and WERLA Regional Steering Groups are responsible for selecting suitable projects eligible for funding subject to the selection criteria set out in the circular and for determining the grant allocations in each individual case. The details sought for the 2018 ADI are set out in the following table. While my Department does not administer the scheme and does not collate the number of applications, I have asked my officials to forward the available information to the Deputy.
In addition, €70,000 is also being provided to support a national pilot project aimed at tackling and addressing the source of illegal dumping. Funding will also be made available to support the Connaught/Ulster Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authority in undertaking research on crime in the waste sector in Ireland.
While the Department does not collate the number of applications, we can forward that information to the Deputy.
|
County |
No. of Projects |
Approved Funding |
|
Carlow |
5 |
€57,000 |
|
Cavan |
6 |
€62,366 |
|
Clare |
8 |
€40,000 |
|
Cork City |
5 |
€50,000 |
|
Cork County |
14 |
€72,990 |
|
Dublin City |
4 |
€52,000 |
|
Donegal |
11 |
€76,784.71 |
|
DunLaoghaire Rathdown |
1 |
€20,000 |
|
Fingal |
2 |
€20,000 |
|
Galway City |
4 |
€60,929 |
|
Galway County |
9 |
€89,982 |
|
Kerry |
4 |
€57,000 |
|
Kildare |
6 |
€45,050 |
|
Kilkenny |
8 |
€39,569.32 |
|
Laois |
5 |
€47,700 |
|
Leitrim |
11 |
€57,766 |
|
Limerick |
11 |
€45,310 |
|
Longford |
1 |
€28,000 |
|
Louth |
6 |
€76,300 |
|
Mayo |
5 |
€79,207.92 |
|
Meath |
5 |
€47,550 |
|
Monaghan |
9 |
€57,666 |
|
Offaly |
6 |
€51,200 |
|
Roscommon |
16 |
€60,666 |
|
Sligo |
4 |
€54,666 |
|
South Dublin |
5 |
€80,000 |
|
Tipperary |
5 |
€56,800 |
|
Waterford |
8 |
€58,000 |
|
Westmeath |
3 |
€59,600 |
|
Wexford |
7 |
€63,342 |
|
Wicklow |
6 |
€44,400 |
|
Totals |
200 |
€1,711,845 |
208. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the financial commitment the State undertook by adding a proposed new rail line from Dunboyne to Navan onto the TEN-T comprehensive map. [18425/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Navan Rail Link Project, part of the TEN-T comprehensive network, was originally included under the Transport 21 Initiative and was to be developed in two Phases. Phase 1, which comprised the Dunboyne Rail Line project and 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, was opened in September 2010 with Park and Ride facilities for 1200 at Pace and for 300 at Dunboyne. was completed in 2013 with the opening of Hansfield Station. Exchequer funding of €160 million was approved for Phase 1.
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), 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 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 Government’s recently published National Development Plan confirms a number of key investment priorities including not only protecting investments already made but also considerable investment in public transport modes including Bus, Rail, Luas, Metro, Cycling and Walking, next generation ticketing systems, customer information systems, transition to low emission fleets all to deliver a much expanded comprehensive public transport network that would match travel demand, alleviate congestion and deliver a range of benefits over the next decade.
The NDP also recognises that over the period of the plan it will be very important to examine the role the interurban rail network can play in enhancing regional connectivity. In this regard the NDP notes that the NTA is required to review its Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy before the end of 2021. This review will include a reappraisal of the extension of the Dunboyne/M3 Parkway line to Dunshauglin and Navan taking into account the scale of new and planned development along the route and will allow for its consideration during the NDP Mid Term Review.
Also looking ahead, the European Commission, in reviewing the implementation of the TEN-T core network by end 2023 and in consultation with Member States, will evaluate whether the core network should be modified to take into account developments in transport flows and national investment planning.
209. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if Ireland has applied to the EU to reinstate the western arc and-or the western rail corridor onto the core TEN-T network as committed to in A Programme for a Partnership Government. [18426/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra210. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 1206, 1207 and 1208 of 17 April 2018, the criteria used in 2011 when deciding the projects that remained on the core and comprehensive maps for TEN-T funding (details supplied). [18427/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra211. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on whether it was not a requirement for the State to have funding in place for a project in order to include a project on the application for core TEN-T funding (details supplied). [18428/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 209 to 211, inclusive, together.
As outlined in previous responses to Parliamentary Questions, under the Programme for Partnership Government, the Government committed to applying to the European Union for the revision of the TEN-T Core Network, including in relation to the Western Arc. A submission is being prepared for the European Commission for a revision of the TEN-T Core Network, which would seek to facilitate consideration of transport-related project proposals for funding under the Connecting Europe Facility for transport. The submission will also take into account the implications of Brexit on western and north-west regions.
My officials also separately met with the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) in November of last year and briefed DG Move on the Government’s commitment and on the pending submission. DG Move advised that the submission would be considered on receipt but indicated that it may not meet the criteria required for the Core Network.
The EU TEN-T Regulations when adopted in 2013 identified by way of maps the routes included in Europe’s comprehensive and core transport networks. Once identified, there is a requirement on Ireland to meet the technical specifications set out in the Regulations for those routes. Ireland’s core transport network, which is a subset of our comprehensive network, is required to be completed by 2030, while the comprehensive network is required to be completed by 2050. A key objective of the regulation is to promote interoperability of transport networks across Europe. In the context of Ireland’s then Exchequer position, it was simply not prudent to enter into commitments beyond what we could reasonably expect to deliver, particularly where there were risks of infringements and potential financial penalties for non-compliance.
Applications for the funding of proposed projects located on those routes can then be made in response to an EU-wide competitive process (‘Calls’). These Calls have been, and continue to be, considerably over-subscribed. In submitting subsequent applications for funding, applicants must, inter alia, demonstrate the economic viability of the project by way of a cost benefit analysis and also demonstrate that funding is in place to implement the project. The majority of the costs of any capital project being funded by the Exchequer would therefore still be borne by the Exchequer, with just the potential, if applications were successful, of a minority of grant funding coming from EU sources for projects located on our TEN-T network.
As I have outlined previously, the EU’s planning methodology highlights the criteria that was used for the identification of the comprehensive network and also those parts of the comprehensive network that are identified as the core network.
When the EU’s draft regulation was being negotiated in 2011, Ireland was required to consider the specific cost implications of the proposed network for our transport infrastructure, as well as our financial capacity to complete the technical specifications of our portion of the network within the timeframes proposed.
It was in this context that Ireland, as with other Member States, liaised with the European Commission regarding its views on the appropriateness of the draft Network in line with the proposed methodology and with the affordability of completion of the network at that time. This resulted in sections of the proposed network not ultimately being included in the final TEN-T maps agreed in 2013.
Despite the economic challenges the country has faced, a priority has been placed on access to and within the North-West. The most notable demonstration of this is the Gort-Tuam motorway, which is the largest transport investment completed anywhere in the country since 2011.
That priority is maintained in the National Development Plan, Project Ireland 2040. Project Ireland 2040 places a strong emphasis on further improving connectivity, including the development of the strategic Cork to Limerick road link and a range of potential transport projects, including key transport projects in the West and Northwest regions.
There will be a review of the implementation of the core network by end 2023. The Commission will consult with Member States and will evaluate progress made in the implementation of the TEN-T Regulation, as well as the impact of evolving traffic patterns and relevant developments in infrastructure investment plans. The Regulation further sets out that the Commission, in consultation with EU Member States, will evaluate whether the core network should be modified to take into account developments in transport flows and national investment planning.
212. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will address overcrowding issues on the Connolly to Maynooth rail service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18489/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Transport Authority's (NTA) Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area provides the overarching framework for the planning and delivery of transport infrastructure and services for Dublin over the next two decades.
The recently published National Development Plan (NDP), which was launched earlier this year by Government as part of Project Ireland 2040, also confirms investment in heavy rail, including DART Expansion, as part of a comprehensive public transport network. This investment is both to protect the quality and investment already made in the railway network and to increase capacity in line with future growth projections as envisaged by the National Planning Framework 2040.
DART Expansion is a series of projects that will create a full metropolitan area DART network for Dublin with all of the lines linked and connected. DART Expansion provides for the delivery of priority elements including a move to a 10 minute peak-time service, introduction of additional train fleet including the expansion of the fleet with new diesel electric trains and also provision of fast, high-frequency electrified services to Maynooth and M3 Parkway on the Maynooth/Sligo Line as well as to Drogheda on the Northern Line and Celbridge/Hazelhatch on the Kildare Line while continuing to provide DART services on the South-Eastern Line as far south as Greystones, all to achieve the benefits envisaged by the NDP.
As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the development and implementation of public transport in the Greater Dublin Area.
Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for a more detailed reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
213. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will address excessive noise from traffic affecting residents living near the M50; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18490/18]
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 roads 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.
214. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the methods by which persons can vindicate their rights under the Package Holidays and Travel Trade Act 1995 in cases in which an issue with a package holiday arises; the redress mechanisms that can be pursued by persons against travel agents under the Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18541/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) is responsible for licensing the travel trade industry in Ireland. In accordance with the Transport (Tour Operators and Travel Agents) Act, 1982 the CAR issues licenses to travel agents and tour operators buying and selling overseas travel.
In addition, in accordance with the 1982 Act, the CAR is responsible for administering a bonding scheme for travel agents and tour operators and for processing claims for refunds and repatriation in the event of a licensed travel agent or tour operator going out of business.
The CAR does not administer the Package Holiday and Travel Trade Act, 1995 referred to by the Deputy which relates more to terms and conditions and consumer issues which fall under the remit of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and the Director of Consumer Affairs.
