Written Answers Nos. 122-149
122. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will detail whether any surveys have been carried out to estimate the amount of time taken up with administrative tasks where such time could be used more efficiently; if so, in which areas of the Department has this examination been carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18483/25]
View answerMy Department is committed to delivering in an effective and efficient manner for the State and its citizens. No surveys have been carried out in relation to the time required by administrative tasks, but as part of minimising such tasks, my Department avails of transactional HR and payroll services provided by the National Shared Services Office. In addition, each Branch is required to have a job specification for the roles in the area to assist in the effective discharge of the duties of each post.
A review of the Department of Defence under the Organisational Capability Review (OCR) Programme, managed by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, was conducted in 2021. A range of staff and external stakeholder engagements took place between May and November 2021, including workshops and interviews. The Report was published in April 2022 and contained 55 recommendations. A high level implementation plan was published in July 2022. A detailed action plan was also developed internally to further facilitate implementation of the recommendations. This involved changes in the Department's structures as well as changes in engagement across the organisation. Among the key elements was the creation of a corporate spine within the Department to draw together all corporate supports under one division to provide those supports more effectively and efficiently across the organisation.
The Department also uses programme and project management to deliver on significant projects arising from the Commission on the Defence Forces to organise, drive, and report on progress. Details of these reports, the Strategic Framework, and the Detailed Implementation Plan, are available on my Department's website: www.defence.ie.
123. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport the corrective actions he will take to ensure that the transport sector meets its emissions reductions targets by 2030 and does not exceed the sectoral emissions ceilings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18316/25]
View answerFor the transport sector, we are required to pursue a decarbonisation pathway to achieve a 50% reduction in transport emissions by 2030 in a manner that is consistent with sectoral emission ceilings of 54MtCO2eq. and 37MtCO2eq. for carbon budget periods 1 and 2 respectively, which were agreed by Government in August 2022.
The development of the Climate Action Plan 2023 took note of the emissions ceiling for transport and developed policies intended to put the sector on a pathway to achieve emissions reduction of 50% by 2030, in a manner that is compliant with the sectoral emission ceilings. Climate Action Plan 2024 represented a refinement and revision of the policies and pathways set out in CAP23, while also taking into account the recommendations of the CCAC’s Annual Review 2023. The annex of actions in the annual Climate Action Plans set out a suite of actions aimed at achieving longer term targets to reduce emissions, and ultimately to reach net zero by 2050.
Transport remains a very challenging sector to decarbonise, and it is widely acknowledged that the achievement of the carbon budget 1 target of 54 MtCO2eq will be extremely challenging as the transformational changes required including modal switch from private car to public transport and active travel take time and investment. With that in mind, my Department is working closely with the National Transport Authority (NTA) to deliver the CAP26 corrective action modelling project, which is intended to:
1. Correct the trajectory of carbon emissions from the transport sector out to 2030.
2. Identify whether any additional measures, above and beyond those required to keep the transport sector within its sectoral emissions ceilings, could be proposed to deliver currently unallocated savings for carbon budget period 2.
3. Identify decarbonisation interventions and policy pathways that will continue to deliver sustained and accelerated emissions abatement beyond 2030 into Carbon Budget 3, in line with national and European targets.
The detailed scope of this project has now been agreed between my Department and the NTA, and work is underway to complete this work in time for a re-assessed and strengthened policy pathway to be set out in CAP26.
124. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Transport his plans to address the long driving test wait times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18092/25]
View answerUnder the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the operation of the National Driver Testing Service. Nevertheless, I acknowledge that current waiting times are far in excess of what is acceptable and I would like to assure the Deputy that measures have been taken to address the issue.
To support the RSA in increasing testing capacity and improving service delivery, in September 2024 my Department sanctioned an additional 70 permanent positions for driver testers. This increases the total permanent sanction for testers to 200, which represents a doubling of permanent posts since June 2022.
As a condition of sanction, the RSA was required to put a plan in place to restore the 10-week waiting time target as soon as possible. I understand that the recruitment process is well underway, with the first tranche of new testers to enter live testing later this month. As additional testers enter the system, testing capacity will increase and I expect that we will begin to see progress on reducing waiting times in the months ahead.
To alleviate pressure on the service, Driver testing is offered on Saturdays where driver testers are available to do overtime and there are also additional morning and evening test slots offered where daylight allows. This has been the case since the current backlog in driving tests started to build up. Sunday overtime is not offered as the RSA need to be mindful of working hours rules and therefore Sunday overtime would not add any additional capacity to the Driver Testing Service.
The Deputy may also wish to know that to further assist with reducing waiting times, a change was made to the booking system to allow any unused test slots to be made available for candidates to take up at short notice. If a driving test is cancelled at short notice, the RSA now make this appointment available to the general public on the MyRoadSafety portal.
125. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Transport if additional funding will be provided to expand active travel projects in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18107/25]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to Active Travel infrastructure. The National Transport Authority (NTA) along with the relevant local authorities are responsible for the development and delivery of individual projects.
The Programme for Government committed around €360 million per annum to walking and cycling across the lifetime of the Government. The vast majority of this funding is allocated to the National Transport Authority (NTA) through the Department of Transport for its Active Travel Infrastructure Programme.
In general, the main focus of active travel investment will be to support high quality walking and cycling infrastructure, for everyday trips, in villages, towns and cities, particularly in designated growth settlements, with a view to promoting the greatest potential modal shift to active travel.
Given the ramping up of activities over the last few years in the Active Travel area, the number of projects being progressed now exceeds the level of funding made available to the NTA. Accordingly, the NTA is unable to fully fund all proposed Active Travel projects and has to prioritise certain projects over others in order to remain within its allocated budget. While a project may not be selected by the NTA for funding in a particular year, it may be funded in subsequent years.
Of the 2025 funding, Wexford County Council have received €3.75 million. As part of the allocations determination, the NTA liaises with each local authority to fully understand the projects being proposed by the local authority and its considerations in terms of priorities.
126. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Transport if any additional funding will be provided to expand Local Link services in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18108/25]
View answerThis Government is firmly committed to improving public transport across the country and that commitment is demonstrated through the significant investment that has been made in both services and infrastructure in recent years.
As the Deputy will be aware, the key objectives for Local Link include continuing to address rural social exclusion and the integration of Local Link with other public transport services. And I am pleased to say that this Government has invested significantly in these services over its lifetime.
Under Budget 2025, the Department of Transport secured €658.442 million of funding for Public Service Obligation (PSO) and TFI Local Link services (an increase from €613.813 million in 2024). This package includes funding for the continuation of the various fare initiatives, such as the Young Adult Card, and the 90-minute fare until the end of 2025. Funding has also been provided to extend free child fares on PSO Services to include those aged 5 to 8-years old, and to support the roll-out new and enhanced bus services under programmes such as BusConnects and Connecting Ireland.
Funding for the Rural Transport Programme has increased from €21m in 2019 to €57m in 2024, and over 150 new or enhanced services have been rolled out under the Connecting Ireland programme since 2022.
I am delighted to say that these unprecedented levels of investment have led to an almost tripling of passenger numbers on rural services in the last decade, with 5.8m passengers carried last year, up from 1.76m in 2015.
I firmly believe that expanding the public transport network and increasing service levels throughout the country will lead to more balanced regional development and greater connectivity for all public transport users.
As with all plans, any additional funding for Local Link services would be subject to the annual Budgetary and Estimates process.
127. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Transport if he will consider extending the current rural transport programme contacts from the existing five years to an extended period of eight to ten years to allow for capacity building and continuous professional development of staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18109/25]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.
Consultants were appointed by the Department of Transport in Q4 2023 to conduct a review of the existing administrative, operational, legislative, and funding structures of rural public transport service provision via the Rural Transport Programme, to evaluate its current effectiveness and make recommendations on the future long-term structure of rural public transport provision. The Report is currently being considered within the Department.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally. The NTA also has national responsibility for integrated local and rural transport, including TFI Local Link services and the rollout of services under the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan.
In light of the NTA's responsibilities for securing the provision of public transport services, I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
128. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Transport if he will consider the establishment of a new transport co-ordination unit) public service body; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18110/25]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.
Consultants were appointed by the Department of Transport in Q4 2023 to conduct a review of the existing administrative, operational, legislative, and funding structures of rural public transport service provision via the Rural Transport Programme, to evaluate its current effectiveness and make recommendations on the future long-term structure of rural public transport provision. The Report is currently being considered within the Department.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally. The NTA also has national responsibility for integrated local and rural transport, including TFI Local Link services and the rollout of services under the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan.
In light of the NTA's responsibilities for securing the provision of public transport services, I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
129. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Transport if he has any plans for a recruitment strategy for TFI Local Link; if consideration has been given to extending the driver age limit of 70 where drivers have been deemed competent to drive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18111/25]
View answerAs 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.
The issue raised by the Deputy in relation to a mandatory retirement age for bus drivers on Local Link routes is an operational matter for the NTA, and in light of their responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
130. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 210 of 18 February 2025, if the 70 additional permanent positions for driver testers sanctioned by his Department in September 2024 have been filled; the impact this has had on waiting times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18173/25]
View answerUnder the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driver Testing Service, this includes the recruitment of driver testers. I have therefore referred the Deputy’s question to the RSA for direct, detailed reply regarding the current recruitment campaign and I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
As a condition of sanction for the additional 70 testers, the RSA was required to put a plan in place to restore the 10-week waiting time target as soon as possible. I understand that the recruitment process is well underway, with the first tranche of new testers to enter live testing later this month. As additional testers enter the system, testing capacity will increase and I expect that we will begin to see progress on reducing waiting times in the months ahead.
To alleviate pressure on the service, driver testing is offered on Saturdays where driver testers are available to do overtime and there are also additional morning and evening test slots offered where daylight allows. This has been the case since the current backlog in driving tests started to build up. Sunday overtime is not offered as the RSA need to be mindful of working hours rules and therefore Sunday overtime would not add any additional capacity to the Driver Testing Service.
The Deputy may also wish to know that to further assist with reducing waiting times, a change was made to the booking system to allow any unused test slots to be made available for candidates to take up at short notice. If a driving test is cancelled at short notice, the RSA now make this appointment available to the general public on the MyRoadSafety portal.
131. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Transport the number of WTE based full-time in the NTA offices on Horgan’s Quay in each of the past five years respectively, in tabular form. [18183/25]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy, overall funding in relation to public transport, and corporate governance of transport agencies including the National Transport Authority (NTA). I am not involved in the day-to-day operations including decisions in relation to staffing.
In light of the NTA’s responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
132. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Transport if Transport Infrastructure Ireland has any plans to introduce traffic calming measures at Clonbanin Cross, Mallow, County Cork, as there are a number of businesses operating in the area and high speed traffic is causing safety issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18188/25]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and 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. This is also subject to the Public Spending Code and the necessary statutory approvals. In this context, TII is best placed to advise you.
Noting the above position, I have referred your question to TII for a direct reply. If you do not receive a reply within 10 working days, please contact my private office.
133. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Transport if his Department has considered providing a pathway for reimbursing motor tax for people who were unable to declare their vehicle temporarily off the road; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18190/25]
View answerThe Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013 provides that where the owner of a vehicle wishes to declare a vehicle off the road, the declaration must be made in advance, during the month of expiry of the vehicle’s current motor tax disc. This can be done online on the motor tax website or at any Motor Tax Office.
Where the owner fails to make such a declaration, for whatever reason, and the motor tax on the vehicle expires, the owner becomes liable for motor tax arrears. In these circumstances the owner must renew the tax on the vehicle, pay any arrears and then, if they so wish, declare the vehicle off the road in the final month of that new tax disc.
A vehicle owner can also apply for a refund of motor tax, but only where there is at least three months remaining on the current tax disc. Refunds applications can be made for a wide variety of reasons, including where the vehicle has not been used on the public roads since the tax was paid or has not used the vehicle for a period due to illness. Refund applications can only be made at a Motor Tax Office.
134. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Transport to outline his intention to sign a Statutory Instrument on behalf of the 51 CIÉ superannuation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18192/25]
View answerFrom the outset I would like to clarify that I as Minister for Transport, have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. Issues in relation to CIÉ pension schemes are primarily a matter for the trustees of the pension schemes, the CIÉ Group and their employees.
Under the Transport Act 1950, CIÉ have initiated the statutory process by submitting an amending scheme to the Minister for Transport for review. The amending scheme is subject to Ministerial approval, and requires a statutory public consultation process, where any representations from interested parties will be considered. I may therefore confirm, modify, or reject an amending scheme in accordance with the process set out under the Transport Act.
My Department is engaged with financial advisors at NewERA, the Pensions Authority, and the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Services, Reform and Digitalisation on the matter of bringing CIÉ pensions onto a more stable footing for the benefit of active, and retired scheme members.
135. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Transport the number of driving testers in Sligo driving test centre; the current wait time for a test in Sligo; the number of applicants waiting to complete their driving test in Sligo; when it is estimated waiting times will be restored to ten weeks in Sligo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18223/25]
View answerUnder the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driver Testing Service. I have referred the Deputy's question to the RSA for direct, detailed reply and I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a response has not been received within ten days.
Pending this more detailed response, I acknowledge that current waiting times are far in excess of what is acceptable and I would like to assure the Deputy that measures have been taken to address the issue.
To support the RSA in increasing testing capacity and improving service delivery, in September 2024 my Department sanctioned an additional 70 permanent positions for driver testers. This increases the total permanent sanction for testers to 200, which represents a doubling of permanent posts since June 2022.
As a condition of sanction, the RSA was required to put a plan in place to restore the 10-week waiting time target as soon as possible. I understand that the recruitment process is well underway, with the first tranche of new testers having commenced training this month. As additional testers enter the system, testing capacity will increase and I expect that we will begin to see progress on reducing waiting times in the months ahead.
The Deputy may wish to note that the RSA publish detailed monthly information on the driver testing service on the CSO website, including the breakdown of waiting times and distribution of testing capacity by test centre. This information is available at the following link: https://data.cso.ie/product/RSADTS.
136. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Transport is he aware of the case of a person (details supplied); if he will raise this case with the Road Safety Authority with a view to expediting the test; and the steps he is taking to reduce delays of this kind. [18236/25]
View answerUnder the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driver Testing Service. This includes all application and scheduling matters and neither the Department nor the Minister can intervene in individual cases.
I acknowledge that current waiting times are far in excess of what is acceptable and I would like to assure the Deputy that measures have been taken to address the issue.
To support the RSA in increasing testing capacity and improving service delivery, in September 2024 my Department sanctioned an additional 70 permanent positions for driver testers. This increases the total permanent sanction for testers to 200, which represents a doubling of permanent posts since June 2022.
As a condition of sanction, the RSA was required to put a plan in place to restore the 10-week waiting time target as soon as possible. I understand that the recruitment process is well underway, with the first tranche of new testers to enter live testing later this month. As additional testers enter the system, testing capacity will increase and I expect that we will begin to see progress on reducing waiting times in the months ahead.
The Deputy may wish to know that to further assist with reducing waiting times, if a driving test is cancelled at short notice, the RSA now make this appointment available to candidates on the MyRoadSafety portal.
137. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Transport if he will request that Iarnród Éireann review the use of protected railway structures such as the Victorian era bridge constructed in 1898, in Ballybough, for advertising purposes, given local heritage concerns and community opposition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18241/25]
View answerAs 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 issue raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Irish Rail. Therefore, I have referred the Deputy's question to Irish Rail for direct response to the Deputy.
Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
138. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Transport if he will expedite the Tralee and Listowel greenway in County Kerry; when will a decision be made on the preferred route; when work will commence; the length of time it will take to complete; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18259/25]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to Greenways. There has a significant amount of investment for Greenway schemes in County Kerry with €8,250,000 allocated in 2025.
In line with Section 32 (2) of the Roads Act 1993, the planning, design, and construction of individual Greenways is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Investment in Greenway and National Roads Active Travel projects is also subject to the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines and necessary statutory approvals.
Noting the above position, I have referred your question, on this occasion, to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
139. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Transport if he will give a detailed progress report on identifying the preferred route in regard to extending the south Kerry greenway from Glenbeigh to Killorglin and onwards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18260/25]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to Greenways. There has a significant amount of investment for Greenway schemes in County Kerry with €8,250,000 allocated in 2025.
In line with Section 32 (2) of the Roads Act 1993, the planning, design, and construction of individual Greenways is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Investment in Greenway and National Roads Active Travel projects is also subject to the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines and necessary statutory approvals.
Noting the above position, I have referred your question, on this occasion, to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
140. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Transport if he will give a detailed progress report on identifying the preferred route in regard to extending the south Kerry greenway from Renard Point and connecting with the Skellig Ring and onwards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18261/25]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to Greenways. There has a significant amount of investment for Greenway schemes in County Kerry with €8,250,000 allocated in 2025.
In line with Section 32 (2) of the Roads Act 1993, the planning, design, and construction of individual Greenways is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Investment in Greenway and National Roads Active Travel projects is also subject to the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines and necessary statutory approvals.
Noting the above position, I have referred your question, on this occasion, to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
141. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Transport if he will expedite the development of a greenway for Dingle and the West Kerry Peninsula, that will in time be connected to all other greenways in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18262/25]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to Greenways. There has a significant amount of investment for Greenway schemes in County Kerry with €8,250,000 allocated in 2025.
In line with Section 32 (2) of the Roads Act 1993, the planning, design, and construction of individual Greenways is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Investment in Greenway and National Roads Active Travel projects is also subject to the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines and necessary statutory approvals.
Noting the above position, I have referred your question, on this occasion, to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
142. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Transport if he will expedite the development of a greenway for Killarney and East Kerry, that will in time be connected to all other greenways in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18263/25]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to Greenways. There has a significant amount of investment for Greenway schemes in County Kerry with €8,250,000 allocated in 2025.
In line with Section 32 (2) of the Roads Act 1993, the planning, design, and construction of individual Greenways is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Investment in Greenway and National Roads Active Travel projects is also subject to the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines and necessary statutory approvals.
Noting the above position, I have referred your question, on this occasion, to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
143. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Transport if he will expedite the development of a greenway for Castleisland and the surrounding parishes, that will in time be connected to all other greenways in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18264/25]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to Greenways. There has a significant amount of investment for Greenway schemes in County Kerry with €8,250,000 allocated in 2025.
In line with Section 32 (2) of the Roads Act 1993, the planning, design, and construction of individual Greenways is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Investment in Greenway and National Roads Active Travel projects is also subject to the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines and necessary statutory approvals.
Noting the above position, I have referred your question, on this occasion, to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
144. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Transport if he will expedite the development of a greenway for Kenmare and the Beara Peninsula, that will in time be connected to all other greenways in Kerry and Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18265/25]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to Greenways. There has a significant amount of investment for Greenway schemes in County Kerry with €8,250,000 allocated in 2025.
In line with Section 32 (2) of the Roads Act 1993, the planning, design, and construction of individual Greenways is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Investment in Greenway and National Roads Active Travel projects is also subject to the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines and necessary statutory approvals.
Noting the above position, I have referred your question, on this occasion, to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
145. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Transport to outline any involvement he or his Department has had relative to discussions regarding the CIÉ pension scheme for regular wage staff and school bus drivers; if he has plans to assist the company in resolving the outstanding issues facing retired employees who are not in receipt of their pension entitlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18277/25]
View answerFrom the outset I would like to clarify that I, as Minister for Transport, have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. However, issues in relation to CIÉ pension schemes are primarily a matter for the trustees of the pension schemes, the CIÉ Group and their employees. As a commercial semi-state body, CIÉ are responsible for the provision of pension schemes for their employees - this is consistent with the pension arrangements of semi-state bodies.
That being said, I am acutely aware of concerns raised by the members of both CIÉ pension schemes, regarding the lack of pension increases since 2008, especially given the higher cost of living that many are facing.
My Department is engaged with financial advisors at NewERA, the Pensions Authority, and the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Services, Reform and Digitalisation on the matter of bringing CIÉ pensions onto a more stable footing for the benefit of active, and retired scheme members.
Concerning pension increases for CIÉ pensioners, I understand that an increase would only be possible when the Schemes are capable of sustaining said increases. Furthermore, any such proposal would be dependent on the advice of the Scheme Actuary at the time an increase is proposed, and is done in agreement with the Trustees of the Schemes.
Decisions regarding pension increases are ultimately a matter for the CIÉ Board as informed by actuarial advice and is subject to requirements imposed by statute and scheme rules. Accordingly, I have referred the Deputy's question to CIÉ for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
146. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Transport if there is an exemption for motor tax if the car was off the road for the entire year of unpaid tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18345/25]
View answerThe Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013 provides that where the owner of a vehicle wishes to declare a vehicle off the road, the declaration must be made in advance during the month of expiry of the vehicle’s current motor tax disc. The requirement to declare a vehicle off the road in the month of expiry of the current disc or current off road declaration is noted in the motor tax reminder issued to vehicle owners.
Where the owner fails to make such a declaration, for whatever reason, and the motor tax on the vehicle expires, it is not possible to make an off road declaration retrospectively. In these circumstances the owner must renew the tax on the vehicle, pay any arrears and then, if they so wish, declare the vehicle off the road in the final month of that new tax disc. The 2013 Act does not provide for any discretion in this regard.
147. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport in view of the widespread damage caused by falling trees in recent storms affecting ESB transmission lines, telecommunication lines and other critical infrastructure, if measures will be implemented across Departments to ensure that diseased trees are felled and financial support provided to landowners and households in view of the substantial costs involved in felling trees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18350/25]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and 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. This is also subject to the Infrastructure Guidelines and the necessary statutory approvals.
The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is a statutory function of each road authority in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on regional and local roads are funded by local authorities' own resources supplemented by State grants. Within the overall resources available to it, the selection and prioritisation of works including the maintenance of road verges is a matter for each local authority.
Section 70 of the Roads Act 1993 sets out the responsibility of landowners to take all reasonable steps to ensure that trees, hedges and other vegetation growing on their land are not, or could not become, a danger to people using a public road or interfere with the safe use of a public road or the maintenance of a public road. This responsibility includes the 'the preservation, felling, cutting, lopping, trimming or removal of such tree, shrub, hedge or other vegetation' in question.
As such, the implementation of the legislation and the management of tree cutting operations is a matter for local authorities and landowners, and I am not in a position to introduce such a grant scheme.
As Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy, this week ESB Networks published a plan, approved by cabinet, with new measures to increase the resilience of Ireland’s electricity grid.
Part of the plan will involve completing the survey of the 23,000km of Ireland's electricity network, making hazards safe and identifying remedial works needed to refurbish areas of the network weakened in the recent storm.
ESB Networks will replenish their materials supply, which was depleted during the recent storm season, with the intention to quickly double in size the storm-specific provisions.
Officials from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, the Attorney General and ESB Networks in consultation with Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Coillte will continue to assess legislation relating to forestry and its relationship to electricity infrastructure.
It is anticipated that the department will return to government shortly to seek approval to amend legislation around forestry corridors to advance future resilience work for the electricity grid.
148. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Transport if he will outline the steps his Department is taking to improve data collection and database construction in anticipation of the increased data processing capacity that artificial intelligence adoption entails; if he will outline the logic behind their approach; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18369/25]
View answerMy Department’s data collection processes are regularly reviewed to ensure high quality services to citizens, improvements are implemented when required. Similarly, the primary function of our databases is to store data for the safe and efficient operation of the services we provide. We ensure they are fit for these purposes. Recently my Department has designed and deployed a modern analytics platform that can source data from these databases and other sources for advanced analytics including AI. As the requirements of operational databases are distinct from analytics and AI platforms my Department has chosen to separate these.
149. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Transport if he will identify any projects which the Department has underway with CeADAR, Ireland’s national centre for AI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18386/25]
View answerMy Department has no projects currently underway with CeADAR, Ireland’s national centre for AI.
