Written Answers Nos. 49-73
49. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport the reason persons who pay their car tax on time each quarter are charged more than if they pay annually; if he will review the situation; the cost per transaction to issue a vehicle tax cert; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38580/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMotor tax is payable on an annual, half-yearly or quarterly basis. The rates applicable to the half-yearly and quarterly options are 55.5% and 28.25% of the annual charge, respectively. These relativities have remained generally consistent since the 1960's.
The loss to the Exchequer arising from the elimination of the additional charge for these options has been estimated at just under €41.3m, based on the volume of transactions in 2020. The loss of income that would arise from changing these arrangements would have a negative impact on the total collected via motor tax and would have to be borne elsewhere in the motor tax system or through the taxation system generally.
Each half-yearly or quarterly renewal of motor tax requires the same administrative procedures as the annual renewal process. Accordingly, aside from the loss in receipts, any consideration of re-balancing of the charges for non-annual discs must take account of the fact that overheads, both direct and indirect, would increase exponentially if the change were to result in increased volumes of transactions.
There are no plans currently to amend motor tax legislation to provide for pro-rata rates for half-yearly and quarterly motor tax.
50. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport the amounts collected in car tax for County Cork in each of the years 2018 to 2020 and to date in 2021; the amount allocated to Cork County Council and Cork City Council for these years in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38581/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMotor tax receipts accrue to the Exchequer and are not allocated to local authorities.
The information requested in respect of Cork has already been provided in the answer to Question No. 79 of 02 June 2021 in respect of the years 2018 to 2020.
The updated figure for receipts for 2021 (to 9 July) are as follows:
|
Private vehicles €49,686,195 Goods vehicles €10,012,334 |
|
Other vehicles €1,825,397 Total €61,523,926 |
51. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport his plans to increase the number of ecar public charging points for Cork city and county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38589/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that the Government is fully committed to supporting a significant expansion and modernisation of the electric vehicle charging network over the coming years. A national charging infrastructure strategy is due for publication later this year which will set out a pathway to stay ahead of demand over the critical period out to 2030. My Department has begun an engagement with relevant stakeholders to inform this work and it is envisaged that the strategy will be published later this year.
In terms of existing supports for public charging, the Public Charge Point Scheme continues to be available during 2021 to provide local authorities with a grant of up to €5,000 to support the development of on-street public chargers. The primary focus of the scheme is to provide support for the installation of infrastructure which will facilitate owners of electric vehicles, who do not have access to a private parking space, but instead rely on parking their vehicles in public places near their homes to charge their EVs. My Department has committed to reviewing the Scheme in early Autumn to ensure that it is as effective as possible in driving the decarbonisation effort.
In addition, €10 million was committed from the Climate Action Fund (CAF) to support ESB investment in the charging network and this has leveraged a further €10 million investment from ESB. This project is due to be completed in 2022 and further details on progress of this project can be found at esb.ie/ecars/our-network/network-upgrades.
52. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Transport the estimated full year cost of providing 100 additional buses to the Bus Éireann fleet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38191/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure including the procurement of the PSO bus fleet.
Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for a direct reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days.
53. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Transport the engagement he or the agencies under his remit has had with the National Broadband Plan in the past two months. [38212/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn my role as Minister for Transport, I have not had direct engagement with the National Broadband Plan (NBP), however, further details of my engagement with the NBP in my role as Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications are provided separately in my answer as Minister of that Department.
I have referred your question to the agencies under the aegis of my Department for direct reply. Please contact my private office if you have not received a reply within 10 working days.
54. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Transport if there will be an impact on insurance policies for persons that have had their driving licence expiry date extended due to Covid-19; if the updated expiry date will be recognised abroad if attempting to rent a car if the licence appears to be invalid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38222/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland received authorisation from the EU to apply an extension of four months to the relevant period of 1 September 2020 to 30 June 2021. This means that driving licences that expire between 1 July and 31 October 2021 have also been extended for an additional 10 months.
The current extension to the validity of driving licences is granted under EU Regulation 2021/267 and is recognised by all EU Member States. A copy of the Regulation can be found on the European Union Law website: eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32021R0267&qid=1625569643896.
Although a new licence will not be issued with the extended expiry date, a driver may request a letter of entitlement from the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) when driving abroad. A letter of entitlement is a copy of the driver record and will show the extended expiry date of a person's licence. Further information can be found on the National Driver Licence Service website: www.ndls.ie/about/order-my-driver-statement.html.
Insurance Ireland, the body representing the insurance industry, has indicated that it will recognise the extensions provided. However, each customer should contact their insurer or broker for further details.
Car hire companies are private companies and the Government has no say in leasing policies of such companies here or abroad.
55. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Transport if there are guidelines, written procedures or protocols or key performance indicators for acknowledgement of correspondence received and response to correspondence received, respectively by category of correspondence (details supplied) in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38252/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is fully committed to treating all of its customers equally and to delivering the highest quality of service. We do this in line with the Principles of Quality Customer Service. The Department’s document Customer Service Action Plan and Customer Charter 2020 - 2022 sets out the standards which customers can expect in all dealings with my Department and the steps we will take up to the end of 2022 to deliver on these commitments and standards.
As most of the staff of my Department have been working remotely since the start of Covid-19, we have been communicating with our customers mainly by telephone and email.
Covid-19 has generated a significant increase in the volume of correspondence being received by my Department in comparison to previous years. This has impacted on response times in some instances, but staff are working hard to meet the standards set out in the above document.
56. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport the number of passengers that used Bus Éireann Route 22 Dublin-Ballina in each direction for the years of 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form. [38290/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. However, I am not involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services.
Further, Bus Éireann’s Expressway services (including route 22) are commercially operated bus services. Accordingly, I have referred the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
57. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport the emergency vehicle breakdown and recovery plans in place to deal with traffic congestion caused by breakdowns and or accidents on the M50. [38291/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport I have responsibility for overall policy and securing exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the operation and management of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.
TII, along with other stakeholders, is continuing to implement a number of measures on the M50 to optimise operational efficiency.
Noting the above position, I have referred your question to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
58. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if funding has been secured for the provision of new bus shelters in County Kildare during the remainder of 2021; and the plans for 2022 in this regard. [38292/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area, including the provision of bus stops and bus shelters.
Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for a direct reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days.
59. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there are persons whose driver theory tests have been postponed multiple times; his views on whether this is fair; if a person (details supplied) in such circumstance could be permitted to sit their test at the earliest possible opportunity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38331/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can assure you that the Department is very aware of the challenges facing the RSA and its contract provider as they work hard to further manage the backlog in the Driver Theory Testing Service.
The gradual re-opening of in-person driver theory test centres commenced on the 8th of June. Test centres reopened and are permitted to conduct 25,000 theory tests monthly.
The centres have extensive COVID-19 measures in place to protect both customers and staff and to ensure the safe delivery of the service.
The in-person Theory Test Services has the ability to gradually increase to 50,000 tests per month over time, if public health guidance permits. As the current guidelines restricts capacity to 25,000 tests per month, this means that there are currently some customers with an appointment for a Theory Test which must be rescheduled to a later date due to the volume restrictions.
During the four weeks up to week commencing 28 June, 29,032 theory tests were scheduled to take place. 22,573 tests were taken and out of those 17,629, passed. It is clear that the service is back up and running. However, the “no show” rate is notable at 4,084 and the failure rate was 4,944.
As you can appreciate, the first priority has to be public safety – we want to provide services, and we know that people are looking for services, but services can only be provided to the limit possible while preserving public health.
Individual cases are a matter for the Authority and the question in relation to this case is being referred to it for direct reply. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
60. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Transport if there is an update on driver lessons for non-essential workers; if he will clarify a date for their resumption; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38346/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, road safety policy during the pandemic has depended on public health decisions taken by Government, on the advice of the National Public Health Emergency Team. A decision was taken in April 2021 to allow the gradual reopening of driver instruction from 10 May. Initial basic training (IBT) for learner motorcyclists has now resumed in full. Essential driver training (EDT) for cars may now take place where the learner is a confirmed essential worker.
There is currently no legal impediment to the provision of driving lessons for non-essential workers, provided public health guidelines are adhered to. However, the position is that these lessons can resume where the non-essential worker in question is willing to book a class and the instructor is willing to teach it. It does not mean that instruction has to resume, or that driving instructors are obliged to teach against their will.
As the Deputy will be aware, Approved Driving Instructors (ADIS) are entirely independent operators and neither the Road Safety Authority nor the Department can dictate how they run their individual businesses. It is up to each driving instructor or driving school to make the appropriate choices to protect themselves and their families.
61. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Transport his plans to allocate additional funding to the Santry greenway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38350/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra62. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Transport the amount of funding allocated to cycling and pedestrian safety improvements in Dublin 9 and 11; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38351/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 62 together.
As the Deputy is likely aware, the Programme for Government committed that approximately €360 million in cross-Government funding will be spent on walking and cycling per annum over the lifetime of the Government. This investment will help support the delivery of around 1,000 kilometres of improved walking and cycling infrastructure by 2025 as well as additional investment in Greenways.
I was delighted to announce earlier this year an allocation of €240 million to Active Travel projects in the Greater Dublin Area and the regional cities, along with an additional €72.8 million to projects in the other local authorities. As part of this €240 million, Dublin City Council was allocated just under €50 million in 2021 for the development of walking and cycling infrastructure and a full list of project to be progressed this year is available here.
As Minister, I have responsibility for the development of policy and provision of funding in relation to Active Travel. The National Transport Authority, meanwhile, has the responsibility of allocation of funding to specific projects and oversight of their development, in cooperation with the local authorities themselves. Given their responsibility in this area, I have forwarded your questions relating to the provision of funding to projects in Dublin 9 and 11 and to the Santry Greenway to the NTA for a more detailed reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
63. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport if funding will be provided to recommence a specific road improvement scheme on a road (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38435/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from Councils' own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.
Any projects proposed by local authorities for consideration under the Specific Grant Programme are assessed by the Department on a case-by-case basis. All projects put forward by local authorities for consideration must comply with the requirements of the Public Spending Code and the Department's Capital Appraisal Framework (CAF). Given the limited funding available for regional and local road improvement works it is important for local authorities to prioritise projects within their overall area of responsibility with these requirements in mind.
Our records indicate that a project has not been submitted by Kerry County Council for works on the R561.
64. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if his attention has been drawn to an issue in respect of the renewal of a truck driver licence and medical certifications (details supplied); the steps he has taken and or will take to remedy this as soon as possible; and if he has engaged the NDLS on these matters. [38446/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland received authorisation from the EU to extend driving licences that expire between 1 July and 31 October 2021 for an additional 10 months.
This extension was applied on 2 July 2021. It was granted under EU Regulation 2021/267 and is recognised by all EU Member States. A copy of the Regulation can be found on the European Union Law website:
eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32021R0267&qid=1625569643896.
When the extension is applied, the expiry date on the driver file for each person affected is updated to the new expiry date. It is not possible to extend or not extend individual driving licences. By law, a driving licence cannot be renewed more than 3 months before the expiry of the licence.
The Deputy will appreciate that the requirement to submit a medical report with Group 2 (truck and bus) licence applications, dated not more than one month prior to the date of application, is to ensure that the most up-to-date assessment of the applicant is provided.
I am aware that some people seeking to renew their licences may have obtained medical certificates that are no longer required, owing to the extension of their licences. However, for all classes of licence where a medical certificate is required, it is the applicant's responsibility to provide this and there is no mechanism to reimburse individual applicants.
65. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport the way his Department and public bodies and agencies under his remit are implementing Action 16 of the National Disability and Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021 (details supplied). [38502/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is committed to addressing the requirements as set out in the National Disability and Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021, including Action 16 - promoting accessibility and universal design principles in the implementation of the Public Service ICT Strategy.
My Department’s Accessibility Consultative Committee (ACC) meets on a quarterly basis. The ACC brings together Officials from my Department, from relevant Agencies, representatives from organisations representing people with disabilities and members of the Disability Stakeholder Group (DSG). The DSG members are appointed under the Government’s National Disability Inclusion Strategy. The minutes of these meetings, the ACC Work Programme and other related documentation are available online on gov.ie.
One of the key pillars of my Department's Statement of Strategy 2021-2023 is "Safety, Security & Accessibility" under which we will continue to progressively make our transport systems accessible for persons with disabilities, persons with reduced mobility and older people, using an integrated universal design approach. Additionally, our Customer Charter 2020-2022 has, at its core, an approach to enable citizens to interact with my Department in an accessible and flexible manner (These publications are available on my Department's website on gov.ie/transport).
My Department’s most high-volume public portal is www.motortax.ie which is overseen by our Driver Vehicle Computer Services Division (DVCSD) in Shannon where all public facing projects are assigned a member of the User Experience (UX) team. The team are trained in the application of universal design principles and work with the Division through the project’s design and development phases to ensure best practice in universal design and adherence to accessibility guidelines. An initial research phase is included to help assess user needs in terms of both usability and accessibility. In this way accessibility is built into public facing projects from day one.
Implementation of the Public Service ICT Strategy is a key consideration for ICT projects in my Department and the commitments outlined in both the Statement of Strategy and Customer Charter above extend to the delivery of all ICT-related projects that provide citizen-facing services.
66. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Transport the way his Department and public bodies and agencies under his remit are implementing Action 32 of the National Disability and Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021 (details supplied). [38519/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.
Under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, the NTA has statutory responsibility for promoting the development of an integrated, accessible public transport network. The NTA works with the relevant public transport operators, who have responsibility for day to day operational issues, to progressively make public transport accessible.
As required under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS), my Department has in place a disability consultative committee, known as the Accessibility Consultative Committee (ACC). The ACC’s role is to monitor and review progress in relation to the implementation of actions under the NDIS where my Department and/or its agencies, have the lead role. Membership of the ACC is drawn from:
- organisations representing people with disabilities;
- members of the Disability Stakeholders Group (DSG);
- key agencies under the aegis of my Department; and
- other relevant State Agencies.
Further information on the ACC, including the minutes of ACC meetings, and presentations to the ACC can be accessed at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/ae763e-accessibility-consultative-committee/.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) plans to set up a Transport User Advisory Group in 2021. This will involve all the various groups who avail of the services provided by the NTA. It will
include users of various modes of public transport, for example people with disabilities and older people.
Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus, Go-Ahead, Iarnród Éireann and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII)
each have an Access Officer and a Disability User Group. The User Groups provide a forum for operators to consult with and update disability organisations on accessibility proposals and developments, and for disability organisations to raise operational and other accessibility issues.
67. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport the plans being considered for improvements to the N22, specifically Macroom to Ballincollig; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38582/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport I have responsibility for overall policy and securing exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is also subject to the Public Spending Code Guidelines and the necessary statutory approvals. In this context, TII is best placed to advise you on the status of this project.
Noting the above position, I have referred your question to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
68. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport the progress of the Bus Éireann review of services for the Macroom to Ballincollig corridor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38584/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. However, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport services.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally, in conjunction with the transport operators, in this case Bus Éireann. 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.
69. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Transport the steps he is taking to address the large backlog of persons on waiting lists for theory and driver tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38665/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe gradual re-opening of in-person driver theory test centres commenced on 8th of June. The Road Safety Authority (RSA) reopened test centres and introduced capacity to increase the number of tests from an average of 15,000 tests (in normal times) to 25,000 tests monthly, to tackle the backlog and shorten waiting times. Capacity will gradually increase to 50,000 tests monthly, when public health guidance permits to clear the backlog. The service provider has sourced an additional 40 temporary team members to support the expected increase in capacity to 50,000 in centre appointments.
A pilot online driver theory test has been running for truck and bus categories has now been extended to include car and motorbike tests. The new offering saw 4,000 online theory tests available for all categories of vehicles during June. The RSA has plans to increase this by a further 6,000, bringing the total to 10,000 online tests during July. Tests are on a first-come-first-served basis with the new online service becoming more widely available later in the year.
Driving tests for essential workers will continue and have also gradually recommenced for those who are eligible to take the test, with those waiting longest being contacted first.
An additional 40 temporary driver testers were recruited in Q2 2021. Eighteen of these new recruits have completed their training and have been live testing since week commencing 7 June. Twenty-one more are currently in training and, pending successful completion of same, are on track to start live testing from 12 July. Sanction has recently being received for a further 40 temporary testers to be recruited in Q3 2021.
In addition, the RSA is looking to increase the number of tests from 6 to 7 per tester per day as well as extending operating hours when restrictions are fully lifted.
Every possible measure is being put in place to ensure that the maximum number of customers can be served while public health guidance is strictly adhered to.
70. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Transport the current position regarding steps he is taking to deal with the dangerous misuse of scramblers, quad bikes and electric scooters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38677/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn February, the Government approved proposals which I brought forward to legislate to deal with the anti-social use of scramblers and other similar vehicles, and also proposals to regulate the use of Personal Powered Transporters (PPTs) including escooters. This legislation will be brought forward by way of amendments at committee stage to the forthcoming Road Traffic (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.
The timing of the introduction of these proposals is therefore dependent on the Bill. Drafting of the Bill itself is well-advanced in the Office of the Attorney General. However, as the Deputy will be aware, it is standard practice for the relevant Joint Oireachtas Committee (JOC) to have an opportunity to conduct pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme of a Bill before publication.
The General Scheme of this Bill has been considered at three meeting of the JOC, most recently on 30 June, when I myself was invited to meet with the Committee. Following this, I hope to see the pre-legislative scrutiny process conclude quickly, at which point we will be able to move forward to finalise and publish the Bill.
As the assignment of Dáil time for the Bill cannot be determined until it is published, I cannot therefore offer the Deputy a precise schedule for the passage of the legislation. I would like to assure her, however, that it is my intention to see it passed as soon as possible.
71. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Transport the number of driver test applicants on the waiting list who opted to do their tests in Gaeilge in County Donegal waiting six, 12, 18 and over 18 months, respectively in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38679/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe driving test is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority.
The information requested is held by the Authority and this question is being referred to it for direct reply.
I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
72. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Transport the number of applicants on the driver test waiting list who opted to do their test in Gaeilge per county waiting six, 12, 18 s and over 18 months, respectively in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38680/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe driving test is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority.
The information requested is held by the Authority and this question is being referred to it for direct reply.
I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
73. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Transport the number of driving test applicants per county who are waiting six, 12, 18 and more than 18 months, respectively in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38681/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe driving test is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority.
The information requested is held by the Authority and this question is being referred to it for direct reply.
I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
