Written Answers Nos. 337-347
337. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if consultants have been appointed in South Dublin County Council to progress the planning and design of the upgrade of the M4 between Maynooth and Leixlip, County Kildare and to junction 5; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30099/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015, the planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.
Noting the above position, I have referred the question to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
338. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the outcome of reviews of train fares for commuters from Newbridge and Kildare, County Kildare outside the short hop zone; if further reviews are planned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30138/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs 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 regulation of fares in relation to public passenger transport services. I have, therefore, referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
339. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason a person (details supplied) cannot get the LocalLink route to and from a location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30163/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs 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 securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally. It also has national responsibility for integrated local and rural transport, including management of the Rural Transport Programme (RTP) which now operates under the Local Link brand.
In light of the NTA's responsibilities in this matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
340. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if Irish Rail plans to increase the number of carriages from four to seven on the 6.35pm Dublin Connolly to Newbridge train service. [30167/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra341. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if Irish Rail plans to increase the number of carriages on peak DART and commuter rail services. [30168/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 340 and 341 together.
The issue raised are operational matters for Iarnród Éireann and I have forwarded the Deputy's questions to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.
342. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will arrange to have a premises (details supplied) with a view to resolving the problem for the householder inspected in view of surface water flooding the property as a result of roadworks carried out on the national primary route which raised the level of the road. [30173/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015, the operation and maintenance of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.
Noting the above position, I have referred the question to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
343. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide details of all entities in which he or his Department hold shares; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30192/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI, as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, hold a 20% shareholding in Aviareto as provided for in the International Interests in Mobile Equipment (Cape Town Convention) Act, 2005. Aviareto is a joint venture between SITA and the Irish Government and was selected by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to set up and run the International Registry of Mobile Assets as required by the Cape Town Treaty.
Section 19 of the Harbours Act 1996 provides for both the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (s19 (1)(b)) and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (s19 (1)(c)) to be shareholders in the six State port companies:
- Dublin Port Company
- Port of Cork Company
- Galway Harbour Company
- New Ross Port Company
- Port of Waterford Company
- Shannon Foynes Port Company
The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform holds one share and the remainder is held by me as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.
In respect of the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), Shannon Group Shareholders and DAA Shareholders, I hold one share in each agency. My Department holds two shares in both the IAA and DAA Shareholders and three in Shannon Group Shareholders.
CIE is a statutory corporation. CIE holds 100% of shares in Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann.
344. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the next round of sports grants will commence; the capital available for the clubs and organisation that apply and qualify; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30209/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2018 round of the Sports Capital Programme closed for applications on Friday, 19 October last. By that deadline, a record 2,337 applications were submitted seeking a total of €162 million in funding.
186 of these applications were for projects that were deemed invalid under the 2017 round of the programme that subsequently submitted corrected documents. These applications were assessed first and approximately €7 million in allocations to 170 projects were announced on 17 January.
619 equipment-only applications were assessed next and 466 allocations with a value of €9.8 million were announced in May.
Work is now underway in assessing the remaining applications for capital works.
For the first time applicants who submitted incorrect documentation under this round are being given the opportunity to correct their application during the assessment period. While there will be no undue delay in completing the assessment process, in view of the opportunity to correct documentation, the record number of applications received and the detailed information contained in each application, it is likely to take a number of months to have all applications assessed. Accordingly, I expect that it may be the end of the third quarter of this year before the full set of allocations under this current round of the programme are announced.
As soon as allocations have been made, my Department will carry out a review of all aspects of the 2018 round of the programme to include any possible improvements for the future. This review will include consideration of the timing and scale of the next round but I fully expect that the SCP will again be open for new applications before the end of this year.
345. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the contracts his Department and agencies under his remit are engaged in for the provision of security services; the name of each contractor; the procurement process involved; the duration of each contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30250/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraTop Security Ltd is providing security services at my Department's offices in Cork. This is the only office of my Department where security services are being provided by an external company. Following a request for tenders in 2008, my Department awarded the contract to Top Security Ltd in 2008 for the provision of these services on the basis that it was the most economically advantageous tender received.
In respect of the agencies of my Department, I have referred the Deputy's question to them for direct reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
346. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the 2018 and 2019 PSO subvention allocated respectively to each transport body and public service provider by the National Transport Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30319/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. My Department has allocated €287 million in public service obligation (PSO) funding to the National Transport Authority for 2019. It is the NTA's statutory responsibility to allocate this funding to the transport operators, and it does this in accordance with the contractual arrangements that it has in place with the individual service providers.
I have, therefore, forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive responses within ten working days.
347. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the estimated cost of providing an increased subsidy to each public transport provider to reduce fares by 5%, 10% and 20%, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30320/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs 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 the statutory responsibility for the regulation of fares in relation to public passenger transport services.
As the Deputy is aware, in Budget 2019 I secured an increase in the overall Exchequer funding available for Public Service Obligation (PSO) public transport services and €287 million is available this year to the National Transport Authority (NTA) for this purpose.
The overall PSO amount is set each year as part of the annual Estimates and Budget processes, and the 2019 allocation for the Vote was voted on and approved by this House as part of the "Revised Estimates for Public Services 2019". It is the statutory remit of the NTA to make PSO payments to the public transport operators who provide PSO services, and the payments are made in accordance with the PSO contracts that the NTA has in put place with each of those operators.
I have, therefore, referred the Deputy’s question to the NTA for reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
