Written Answers Nos. 141-160
141. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on a policy issue raised by a person (details supplied) relating to the impact of fast fashion on human rights; the status of policy or legislative work pertaining to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21523/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra148. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on a policy issue raised by a person (details supplied) relating to the impact of fast fashion on the environment; and the status of policy or legislative work pertaining to this matter. [21522/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 141 and 148 together.
The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, published in September 2020, contains some 200 circular economy measures which will be delivered on a phased basis over the 5-year lifetime of the plan. A number of specific measures address the need for more sustainable textile production and consumption practices, including measures to:
- Develop separate collection framework proposals that take account of the potential global impacts of the international trade in used textiles and in consultation with existing collection operators.
- Ban textiles from the general waste bin, landfill and incineration.
- Promote eco-design for clothing and textiles in collaboration with Irish fashion designers and retailers.
- Support an education and awareness campaign around textiles as a theme of SDG 12 Sustainable Production and Consumption.
- Over the medium to long-term, examine the potential role of economic instruments (e.g. levies) on ‘fast fashion’ which could also support higher value indigenous producers by reducing the cost differential.
The Department will shortly be establishing an textiles working group to identify opportunities to capitalise on the value of post-consumer textiles and explore options to improve future circularity.
Deliberations of the working group will be informed by projects already underway or completed such as CRNI's "Circular Textiles" project funded under the EPA's Green Enterprise Grant Scheme (crni.ie/circular-textiles/) and a recently published EPA study on post-consumer textiles in Ireland (Nature-and-Extent-of-Post-Consumer-Textiles-in-Ireland---Study-Report.pdf (epa.ie))
142. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the degree to which investment in wind turbines that are capable of producing electricity in the short term can be funded as a matter of urgency, with particular reference to the dependency of Ireland and Europe on imported fuels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21598/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) is one of the major Government policies to help deliver on the ambition in the Climate Action Plan 2021 of up to 80% renewable electricity by 2030. The RESS is an auction-based support scheme which invites grid-scale renewable electricity generation projects to compete to receive a guaranteed price for the electricity they generate.
Over 1GW of new wind and solar generation was secured in the first RESS auction in 2020, and projects are expected to reach commercial operation before the end of 2023. The first RESS 1 projects have begun to reach commercial operation already with 2022 set to have the largest volume of new renewables connected to the grid in a single year.
The second RESS auction is due to open this Friday 29th April, with provisional results expected in mid-May. A significant volume of new renewable generation including onshore wind is expected to be secured under RESS 2 and it is anticipated that this will deliver a major increase in renewable electricity generation by the end of 2024.
Alongside this, members of my Department are drafting the terms and conditions for offshore wind-specific RESS auctions with the first auction expected to open for applications later this year. At least three offshore RESS auctions are currently planned for this decade.
143. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has spoken with the chairperson of the ESB (details supplied) to date in 2022. [21494/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have spoken to the Chairperson of ESB on a number of occasions, most recently at the ESB’s Corporate Strategy launch on the 14th of February and with the full ESB Board on the 27th of April.
144. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the SEAI grant will be extended to include assistance for those installing wood pellet stoves; the reason wood pellet stoves have been excluded from grant aid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21497/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 commits Ireland to reach a legally binding target of net-zero emissions no later than 2050, and a cut of 51% by 2030 (compared to 2018 levels).
The Climate Action Plan set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the residential sector from 7 Mt CO2 eq. in 2018 to between 3.5-4.5 Mt CO2 eq. in 2030.
The Programme for Government and Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2/cost optimal or carbon equivalent and the installation of 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes to replace older, less efficient heating systems by end-2030. This represents approximately 30% of the housing stock and is among the most ambitious retrofit programmes worldwide.
Recognising that the achievement of these targets will require a step-change in the pace and scale of delivery Ireland’s residential retrofit programme, the Government has approved a package of supports to make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to undertake home energy upgrades, for warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes, with lower energy bills. The key measures include:
- A new National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme providing increased grant levels of up to 50% (up from 30%-35%) of the cost of a typical deep retrofit to a B2 BER standard.
- Significantly increasing the number of free energy upgrades for those at risk of energy poverty, up to 400 per month from an average of 177 per month in 2021.
- A special enhanced grant rate, equivalent to 80% of the typical cost, for attic and cavity wall insulation for all households, to urgently reduce energy use as part of the government’s response to current exceptionally high energy prices.
To support the overarching policy objectives, the grant rates to homeowners are focused towards those measures which will be most effective in reducing energy use and reducing carbon emissions. Therefore, grant supports for wood pellet stoves will not be available under the SEAI residential energy upgrade schemes.
145. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if an anomaly will be corrected in which two tenants (details supplied) who have separate pre-pay power metres and who have the same MPRN number have been given only €100 each as part of the electricity costs emergency benefit scheme instead of €200, despite the fact that they pay their electricity bills separately. [21518/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures Act 2022 established a scheme for the making in 2022, of a once-off Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment to each domestic electricity account, having regard to the exceptional rise in energy prices. The credit of €176.22 (excluding VAT) is being applied to all domestic electricity accounts through April, May, and June and includes prepay meters. This scheme is in addition to the Government’s ongoing measures to address energy poverty and the protection of vulnerable customers, and is in addition to the measures introduced in the Budget.
The scheme applies to all domestic accounts and includes pre-pay customers. The scheme is operated by the Distribution System Operator (ESB Networks) and electricity suppliers with oversight by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities.
This is an exceptional measure which uses the single eligibility criterion of a Meter Point Registration Number, to make payments to each domestic electricity account from April 2022. Therefore, it is now being applied automatically to all domestic electricity accounts using the Meter Point Registration Number as the identifier.
Therefore, only one credit of €176.22 (excluding VAT) (€200 including VAT) can be allocated per MPRN regardless of how the billing for the premises that MPRN serves might be apportioned. In cases such as this where it appears the premises is served by one MPRN, it would be expected that the credit would be divided.
Where the tenants have a disputes relating to tenancies including any terms relating to electricity payments, these can currently be referred to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) for dispute resolution.
Section 78 of the Residential Tenancies Acts prescribes a non-exhaustive list of matters or complaints that can be referred for RTB dispute resolution. I encourage tenants to examine their tenancy agreements and if appropriate, to refer a dispute to the RTB for resolution.
146. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of closed accounts that were credited or an attempt to credit was made with the €200 grant for electricity bills. [21519/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures Act 2022 established a scheme for the making in 2022, of a once-off Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment to each domestic electricity account, having regard to the exceptional rise in energy prices. The credit of €176.22 (excluding VAT) is being applied to all domestic electricity accounts through April, May and June, and includes prepay meters. This scheme is in addition to the Government’s ongoing measures to address energy poverty and the protection of vulnerable customers, and is in addition to the measures introduced in the Budget.
The scheme applies to all domestic accounts and includes pre-pay customers. The scheme is operated by the Distribution System Operator (ESB Networks) and electricity suppliers with oversight by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities.
This is an exceptional measure which uses the single eligibility criterion of a meter point registration number, to ensure payments to each domestic electricity account as early as possible in 2022. As such, it is being applied automatically to all domestic electricity accounts which were held with suppliers on 29 March.
If there is a change of legal entity (i.e. a change in the account holder), it is the account holder registered to the supplier on 29 March 2022 who is eligible to receive the credit. Where accounts are closed prior to 29 March, they will not receive the credit.
Suppliers are required to maintain records of any accounts they have been unable to credit, and to return these unallocated credits for the purpose of the scheme to ESB Networks by 15 July 2022.
147. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of accounts of deceased persons that were credited with the €200 electricity credit. [21520/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures Act 2022 established a scheme for the making in 2022, of a once-off Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment to each domestic electricity account, having regard to the exceptional rise in energy prices. The credit of €176.22 (excluding VAT) is being applied to all domestic electricity accounts through April, May and June, and includes prepay meters. This scheme is in addition to the Government’s ongoing measures to address energy poverty and the protection of vulnerable customers, and is in addition to the measures introduced in the Budget.
The scheme applies to all domestic accounts and includes pre-pay customers. The scheme is operated by the Distribution System Operator (ESB Networks) and electricity suppliers with oversight by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities.
This is an exceptional measure which uses the single eligibility criterion of a meter point registration number, to ensure payments to each domestic electricity account as early as possible in 2022. As such, it is being applied automatically to all domestic electricity accounts which were held with suppliers on 29 March. It is being applied to the domestic electricity account rather than an individual.
The credit is being made to an estimated 2.25 million domestic electricity accounts. In cases where the person associated with the account is deceased, but the account is still held with a supplier, the account will be credited.
Suppliers are required to maintain records of any accounts they have been unable to credit, and to return these unallocated credits for the purpose of the scheme to ESB Networks by 15 July 2022.
149. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on a policy issue raised by a person (details supplied) pertaining to the operation of SEAI retrofitting grants and the one-stop shop service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21529/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme introduces a new, highly customer centric, way to undertake home upgrades. SEAI registered One-Stop-Shops will provide an end-to-end service for homeowners. This includes surveying; designing the upgrades; managing the grant process; helping with access to finance; engaging contractors; and quality assurance. The Scheme offers unprecedented grant levels, increased from circa 30% to 50% of the cost of a typical B2 home energy upgrade with a heat pump.
Following Government approval, the SEAI registration portal opened for companies to apply to be a One-Stop-Shop, building on the preparatory work already undertaken. SEAI are focused on engaging organisations capable of professionally managing all aspects of a One Stop Shop service. Therefore the registration process, for this new service, must be robust.
The SEAI advise that five One Stop Shops have now been registered and this number is growing rapidly as SEAI is actively working with applicant organisations to support them through this registration process.
Details of the registered One Stop Shops, including their contact numbers, are available on the SEAI website. A guide to advise homeowners through the various steps to completing a whole house upgrade under the One Stop Shop Service is also available on the SEAI website.
The other schemes operated by SEAI are also available for applications.
150. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the agency that has the responsibility for the ban on burning smoky fuel in designated towns; the number of any complaints received in relation to the burning of smoky fuels in each town, in tabular form; the number of successful prosecutions taken as a consequence of any complaint; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21538/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnforcement action against breaches of the Air Pollution Act (Marketing, Sale, Distribution and Burning of Specified Fuels) Regulations 2012 as amended is a matter for Local Authorities. My Department does not compile statistics in relation to the number of complaints received, prosecutions taken or fines imposed. Local Authorities report information to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) annually regarding enforcement activities under environmental legislation. Details of Local Authority enforcement of environmental legislation are available from the series of Local Authority Environmental Performance Assessment reports compiled by the EPA. These reports can be accessed at: www.epa.ie/our-services/compliance--enforcement/support-and-supervision-of-local-councils/la-performance/. It should be noted that discussions with the Local Authority sector have commenced with the intention of establishing dedicated resources within the appropriate structures to provide co-ordination, expertise and advice to support consistent implementation of air quality legislation across the country. I have secured funding of €1.2 million for 2022 to enhance enforcement expertise, including through the provision of additional supports for the most effective model of enforcement.
151. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department will provide for an exemption for the burning of coal for organisations that have heritage vehicle, such as steam engines (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21539/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraNew regulations on the use of solid fuels in Ireland, which are to be introduced this Autumn, are to apply to solid fuels that are placed on the market for heating in residential and licensed premises. This will not impact on fuels supplied for the purposes of powering vintage machinery.
152. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if persons (details supplied) can continue to cut and sell turf after September 2022. [21556/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFurther to my reply to Parliamentary Question No.159 of 5 April last, I can confirm that I remain committed to introducing new regulations on the sale of solid fuels for domestic heating in Ireland this Autumn. They will introduce minimum standards that will apply across all solid fuels, to ensure that the most polluting can no longer be made available on the Irish market and to assist the public in transitioning to less polluting alternatives. Enhanced measures are required to improve air quality and protect public health. It is estimated that each year, some 1,300 people die prematurely in Ireland due to air pollution from solid fuel burning and that there are over 16,200 life years lost. In addition, many people also experience a poor quality of life due to the associated short-term and long-term health impacts of this form of pollution. New regulations are a critical element of addressing this public health and environmental challenge and will serve to improve the quality of the air that we breathe, and the health of the public that we serve.
Following a public consultation process, draft regulations were prepared in the context of initiating an EU Technical Regulations Information consultation process. In recognition of the fact that turf cutting by citizens for use in their own homes is a traditional activity across many peatlands, and to accommodate those with rights to harvest sod peat, the draft regulations as notified, placed no restriction on the cutting or burning of sod peat while seeking to reduce the emissions associated with its use in more urban areas where its use causes the greatest harm.
As with all regulatory consultations, submissions made during the course of this process will inform the final regulations. These will ultimately be agreed by Government and will ensure, that while measures are introduced to enhance the quality of our air, they will not impinge upon traditional local practices associated with sod peat.
153. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if a landowner who has cleaned their overgrown hedgeways can burn the old debris from the hedgeways; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21567/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Waste Management (Prohibition of Waste Disposal by Burning) Regulations 2009, the burning of household, garden, commercial or industrial waste is not permitted.
An exemption is provided in the legislation to allow farmers, as a last resort and when no alternatives are available, to dispose of green waste generated by agricultural practices, by burning. The local authority must be notified in advance of any such activity.
The burning of this green waste is a matter of concern and leads to localised air pollution. More broadly, health problems associated with air pollution are widely known and acknowledged.
154. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of electric vehicles and-or hybrid vehicles in his allocation of ministerial vehicles; and if he will provide the make and model of all vehicles in his allocation of ministerial vehicles by the year of registration. [21605/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have no ministerial vehicle of any sort.
155. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the review of the implementation of the Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty 2016-2019; when the review will be published; his plans for the development of a new energy poverty strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21636/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnergy poverty, or fuel poverty is influenced by a person’s income, the energy efficiency of their home, and the cost of the energy they use in their home. In 2020, the ESRI estimated that 17.5% of households in Ireland could be at risk of energy poverty. Lower income households living in inefficient homes are more at risk of energy poverty when energy prices increase, as the proportion of their income needed to meet their energy needs increases.
The Government has put a range of policies and measures in place to support households who are at risk of energy poverty. These measures supplement lower income households through the Fuel Allowance, the Household Benefits Package and other payments, as well as providing free energy efficiency upgrades through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland schemes and the Social Housing retrofitting programme. This year, 58% (€203 million) of the total Government retrofit budget of €352 million will be spent on dedicated energy poverty retrofit supports and local authority retrofits. The Government has also put in place a number of additional measures earlier this year to address the increasing cost of energy including:
- Following on from the Budget 2022 increase in the weekly rate of the Fuel Allowance by €5 to €33 a week so that €914 was paid to eligible households over the course of the winter, an additional lump-sum payment of €125 was paid to the 370,000 households receiving the fuel allowance in mid-March.
- All residential electricity customers will see the Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment of €200 (incl. VAT) credited to their accounts.
- The National Retrofit Scheme includes specific measures to support householders in taking actions to reduce energy bills, including up to 80% grant funding for low-cost, high-impact measures such as attic insulation.
To further manage the impact of recent price increases the Government, in the recently published National Energy Security Framework, has also announced a number of additional supports for consumers and businesses including:
- A new targeted €20 million scheme for the installation of Photo Voltaic (PV) panels for households that have a high reliance on electricity for medical reasons.
- A package of measures to enhance protections for financially vulnerable customers and customers in debt in the electricity and gas sectors.
- A review of the price-drivers behind electricity and natural gas bills (including network costs) with a view to mitigating cost increases for consumers and businesses in the near term.
- The continuation of the excise duty reduction on petrol, diesel and marked gas oil until the Budget in October 2022.
- A reduction in VAT from 13.5% to 9% on gas and electricity bills from the start of May until the end of October.
- An additional payment of €100 for all recipients of the Fuel Allowance.
- The reduction to zero of the Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy on electricity bills.
In addition to the measures outlined above, the electricity and gas markets, which are overseen by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, have a range of protections against disconnections in place for consumers. In brief, priority customers cannot be disconnected, while vulnerable customers are protected over winter months from 1 November to 31 March each year. Additionally, under the supplier led voluntary Energy Engage Code, suppliers will not disconnect a customer who is engaging with them at any time. Accordingly, any customers who are experiencing difficulties with their Bills should engage with their supplier to discuss the various options and assistance available.
A research network on fuel poverty chaired by the Economic and Social Research Institute was established in 2021. The group consists of representatives from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, the Department of Social Protection, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and the Central Statistics Office. The Group has commenced examination of the data and metrics needed to improve existing measures for fuel poverty in Ireland. The main goal is to provide insights that enhance policy design to protect vulnerable households. A work programme, proposed outputs and timelines will be agreed and finalised shortly.
A review of the implementation of the Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty will be completed in the coming weeks to inform future policy in this area.
156. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the water quality in lakes (details supplied) in County Cavan is being actively monitored; if so, if he will provide details of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21640/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraNeither I nor my Department have any role with regard to water quality, statutory responsibility for which comes within the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I am advised that the EPA are the key statutory body responsible for the monitoring of water bodies, both directly and through oversight of Irish Water and local authorities.
The EPA is an independent public body established under the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992, and is entirely independent in the exercise of its functions.
157. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the additional measures that will be introduced to prevent the supply of a product in this State (details supplied) in view of the widespread concerns of merchants regarding the availability of this product; when such measures will be introduced; if local authorities are responsible for such enforcement action; if they will be resourced appropriately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21641/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe new solid fuel regulations due to be enacted this Autumn will place technical standards and restrictions on all solid fuels. It will not be possible to place fuels on the market in Ireland that do not meet the requirements of the regulations, irrespective of from where the fuels in question are sourced. This is one of a suite of new measures being introduced for a range of solid fuels to ensure that the most polluting fuels will no longer be available for sale on the Irish market. Introducing these standards will improve the quality of the air that we breathe, and the health of the public that we serve.
Local Authorities are, and will continue to be, responsible for the enforcement of solid fuel regulations and for the allocation of appropriate resources to ensure that they can fulfil their air quality enforcement obligations. Officials from my Department and the Local Government Management Agency are now working together on the assessment of the sector and the requirements to ensure the most appropriate and cost-effective enforcement structure is put in place. This structure will establish the provision of enhanced co-ordination, expertise and advice to support consistent implementation of all air quality legislation across the country. I have secured funding of €1.2 million for 2022 to for the provision of additional supports in this regard. My Department is fully committed to supporting Local Authorities in their enforcement work and has already commenced work with the sector to develop guidance and training, and the sharing of best practice.
158. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he has consulted with his ministerial colleagues at the Department of Finance and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications regarding the price differential here and throughout the European Union in respect of electric and hybrid vehicles; and his plans to reduce the cost of purchasing these types of vehicles in this State. [21629/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra159. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he has considered methods of improving the update of electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles from the second-hand car market. [21630/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 158 and 159 together.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are the most prominent transport mitigation measure in the 2021 Climate Action Plan. Ireland has set an ambitious target of 945,000 EVs on our roads by 2030. This target is challenging but indicates the scale of the transformation that is needed across all sectors if Ireland is to achieve its climate targets in the coming years.
Considerable progress has been made to ensure that conditions and policies are in place to support citizens in making greener vehicle choices. As the Deputy will be aware, a comprehensive suite of measures is available to EV drivers, including purchase grants for private car owners and taxi drivers, VRT relief, reduced tolls, home charger grants, favourable motor and BIK tax rates, as well as a comprehensive charging network. These measures have collectively contributed to increased take up of EVs in Ireland in recent years, albeit from a low base in 2017, to over 56,000 now.
Notwithstanding this, I am acutely aware that the cost of electric vehicles remains an issue for many consumers and that supply chain issues globally have also proven difficult. These have been exacerbated by international events. For these reasons, our policy measures here are kept under continuous review.
Ireland is at the beginning of its transition to private electric transport. Within a few years I anticipate there will be a viable second hand market that will provide a more affordable pathway to the purchase of an EV. In addition, the motor industry is planning to bring more affordable electric vehicles onto the market. Notwithstanding this, I am taking steps to accelerate the establishment of a second hand EV market in Ireland.
My Department convened the Electric Vehicle Policy Pathway (EVPP) Working Group to produce a roadmap to achieving the 2030 EV target. This Group considered a variety of regulatory, financial, and taxation policies to accelerate EV adoption. The Group also examined the issue of price parity between EVs and ICE vehicles and found that parity in respect of the Total Cost of Ownership is likely to be achieved later on this decade, driven by falling battery prices and savings due to economies of scale.
In the meantime, in order to support the transition to EVs, the Group recommended that the generous suite of EV supports already in place in Ireland should be retained until at least end-2022. Additional measures to further incentivise EVs and/or disincentivise fossil fuelled vehicles will also be necessary. Cost-effective, targeted policy supports should continue to be developed and strengthened over the coming years.
A cross-departmental Implementation Group has been established to progress the recommendations and consider further potential measures and barriers to the adoption of the EVs. It will also examine the creation of a second hand market. This Group will report on its progress to Government in Q4 of this year.
In addition, work is underway to establish Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland as a matter of priority. This office will co-ordinate the implementation of existing and future EV measures and infrastructure. Our objective is to develop and refine cost-effective, targeted policy supports over the coming years.
160. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Transport if the National Transport Authority can dictate the precise timings of a public service obligation-funded bus service to an operator; the flexibility the operator has in the timetabling of a service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21536/22]
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. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling of those services in conjunction with the relevant transport operators.
In light of the Authority's responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's specific question in relation to the timetabling of public transport services, to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
