Written Answers Nos. 115-130
115. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the measures his Department is taking in order to improve and strengthen Ireland’s cybersecurity defence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21037/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Environment, Climate and Communications has the lead role in relation to cybersecurity while the primary responsibility of the Defence Forces relates to the defence and security of their own networks and systems.
The Defence Forces and the Department of Defence work with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications on an on-going basis in the delivery of measures to improve the cyber security of the State, as outlined in the National Cyber Security Strategy. This includes participation on the inter-departmental National Cyber Strategy Implementation Group, the provision of support to the National Cyber Security Centre and the secondment, through the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, of a member of the Defence Forces to the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallinn, Estonia. The Defence Forces are also members of, or observers to, a number of cyber-related PESCO projects.
This important role the Defence Forces undertakes is being developed in the context of the High Level Action Plan for the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces and will grow in importance as threats in the cyber space increase.
116. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Transport how he intends to tackle licensing for a plethora of vessels from smaller workboat type to large construction vessels, as well as standards and certification for seafarers, in particular those who may wish to transition from fishing certificates to merchant marine qualifications to support offshore renewable opportunities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20841/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt an international level the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has introduced requirements for ships carrying industrial personnel to offshore developments. This is in the form of a new code for such ships referred to as the Industrial Personnel Code (IP Code). This will form a new chapter of the IMO International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention and it is due to enter into force from the 1st of July 2024, Ireland is presently planning to implement this new IP Code.
Any vessel, including its crew, used in offshore construction activities must comply with the relevant regulatory requirements set by both the flag state and port state. Foreign flagged vessels which may be used in offshore construction in Ireland must in the first instance comply with the requirements set by state in which they are registered, known as their flag state. These requirements are set at international level by the IMO and the International Labour Organization (ILO). The flag state certifies the ships as complying with these standard including the standards for the seafarers employed. When such ships enter Irish ports they are then subject to port state control to ensure compliance with these standards. For ships registered in Ireland a similar regime operates. In addition, Ireland provides a comprehensive regulatory regime for differing classes of domestic shipping which may be involved. Ireland also implements the IMO International Convention on the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) for the qualifications of seafarers. This training is provided by Bord Iascaigh Mhara and the National Maritime College of Ireland, amongst others. This Department is engaging with these training providers in establishing standards for fishers who may wish to obtain seafarer qualifications.
117. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the process that is in place for those who hold Ukrainian driving licences to be assessed by the NDLS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20948/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
118. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if the deployment of additional permanent driver testers is now complete; if he will confirm the current number of active driver testers; if the ongoing backlog in driving tests has been evaluated as requiring further additional resources at this present time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21014/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for all aspects of the National Driving Test service. This includes assignment of driver testers.
I would firstly like to assure the Deputy that my Department is working closely with the Authority on addressing driver testing waiting times, which is an issue of great concern.
The service has been under significant pressure to meet unprecedented demand, which is up 28% on 2021 figures. This increase in demand for driving tests and the time to invitation for learner drivers has a number of contributing factors which include an increase in learner permits in circulation, increased capacity in the Driver Theory Test and an increase in Approved Driving Instructors capacity to deliver lessons to learner drivers.
The RSA has reviewed the capacity of the driver testing service to meet demand and following a request for additional resources in March 2023, my Department has given approval for the recruitment of up to 75 driver testers. This is in addition to the 30 testers who were previously sanctioned in July 2022 and which have been fully deployed since the end of March 2023. This brings the total number of sanctioned driver tester posts to just over 200.
It is expected that once these additional 75 driver testers are recruited, trained and deployed, the backlog for driver testing services will start to reduce from October 2023 and agreed service levels should resume by early to mid-2024. The additional testers will be assigned to fill current vacancies and otherwise allocated to centres with the highest demand for tests. The recruitment campaign is currently under way.
119. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Transport the efforts he is making to support the financial viability of the Irish haulage sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20631/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government recognises the important role that the haulage sector plays in maintaining Ireland’s essential supply chains and acknowledges the recent cost pressures on haulage businesses. As announced in February the Government approved a new Scheme design, and funding of €18 million for the Licensed Haulage Support Scheme 2023 to assist licensed haulage businesses with cost pressures.
My Department is now administering the Scheme which covers eligible heavy goods vehicles authorised on the licence of a current road haulage operator as of 15 December 2022. The Scheme is open to applications until 31 May 2023 and is designed in such a way to provide a larger relative level of support to smaller operators. Payments per vehicle are calculated based on €1,200 for the first 5 vehicles on a licence; €700 for vehicles 6 to 20; and €200 for each vehicle thereafter.
An invitation to apply for the Scheme was issued to all licensed haulage businesses using the email address associated with the operator license, including detailed instructions on how to apply for the Scheme.
Since March 2022, the Government put in place several other measures to help ease cost pressures on haulage businesses including the reduction of excise duty on diesel and the Licensed Haulage Emergency Support Scheme which ran during Spring 2022 and provided over €15.6 million to c. 3,080 operators (approx. 80% of licensed operators).
Since December 2022, we have seen a month-on-month declining trend in diesel price. The excise reduction introduced in February 2022 will now be phased out in three stages, with a VAT inclusive increase of 5 cent on both 01 June and 01 September and a 6 cent increase on 31 October.
The Revenue administered Diesel Rebate Scheme remains available to licensed haulage operators in respect of vehicles over 7.5 tonnes. Figures from Revenue show that less than half of licensed hauliers made use of the Diesel Rebate Scheme in 2022 – I would encourage all operators to make best use of available Government supports.
120. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Transport the reason a person (details supplied) has to wait eight months for her full driving licence test. [20832/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for all aspects of the National Driving Test service. This includes test applications and scheduling matters. Neither I nor my Department have the power to intervene in individual cases.
The RSA operates a fair and transparent appointment scheduling process, consequently, I understand that those who are eligible and have been waiting the longest are offered a test first. I would like to also assure you that the Authority is endeavouring to eliminate the Driver Testing backlog.
Urgent tests are only available to applicants who are employed by the HSE, a private hospital or the emergency services where the candidate would need to drive as part of their job (not including commuting to their place of work). Information on who can apply for an emergency test is available at www.rsa.ie/services/learner-drivers/the-driving-test/faqs.
121. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Transport how port infrastructure in the State is being supported to enable the development of both floating and fixed-bottom offshore wind technology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19862/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is committed to ensuring that our national commercial Irish ports are positive contributors to the ORE industry and that Ireland meets the ambitious targets of 7GW of offshore wind (2GW of which is specifically dedicated to green hydrogen) by 2030.
Supporting the development of port infrastructure is a core objective of the National Offshore Wind Delivery Taskforce and the Department is working very closely with the Task Force in this regard.
In the development of port infrastructure, ports must progress their plans through a number of phases, this includes consenting and planning both which must be progressed in advance of the construction phase. To support port readiness, the Department has and continues to facilitate engagement between the Foreshore and MARA Planning Units in Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and a number of ports in relation to plans, timelines, requirements, and the consenting phase as appropriate. The first MACs are expected to then be awarded to ORE ports by end of 2023, after which the ports can begin pre-engagement consultation with An Bord Pleanála (ABP) with a view to obtain planning permission for construction of ORE infrastructure.
Under National Ports Policy our state commercial ports operate as independent commercial bodies and does not provide for direct exchequer funding. This policy has proven very effective in developing a highly competitive and responsive ports sector, where ports have continually proven to be agile in responding to market needs and opportunities.
However, the need to maximise financing opportunities for ports is recognised. To that end, the Department of Transport continues to engage with all industry stakeholders. This includes potential financing partners such as the EU (via Connecting Europe Facility), Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) – looking at viable projects, capable of generating a commercial return. The Department has also engaged New ERA to review port plans and consider the availability of financing mechanisms to support the delivery of port projects.
EU funding of port infrastructure for ORE is and remains available for ports, or terminals within ports, on the Trans European Network for Transport (TEN-T). Ports on the TEN-T network are eligible to apply for Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) funding towards their infrastructure developments, with the potential for up to 50% of eligible costs for studies and up to 30% of infrastructure works costs. This remains one potential source of funding, among many. The Department has and will continue to support ports in their applications for CEF funding.
In late 2021, the Department published a policy statement on the facilitation of ORE by Commercial Ports, the rationale for which was to bring clarity in policy terms and also to encourage all ports to actively engage with potential development opportunities and consider the potential being offered. In addition to the state commercial ports under the remit of the Department of Transport, it is noted that there are also private commercial ports, as well as fishery harbours and local authority port which fall under the remit of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) respectively.
122. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Transport if he will report on any recent meetings of the Shannon Heritage Working Group. [11033/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI would like to thank the Deputy for this question. The Inter-departmental working group met on 23 January, 22 February and 20 April this year.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a significant financial package has now been agreed to support the transfer of Shannon Heritage to Clare County Council. This financial package which includes up to €6m in Exchequer funding in 2023, was noted by Government on the 18 April and conveyed to Clare County Council on the same date. Clare County Council will also be able to for funding under funding streams across a number of Departments in future years as part of the annual estimates process.
A special meeting of Clare County Council was convened on 24 April, where the Elected Members formally resolved and approved the transfer of Shannon Heritage and associated Clare tourism sites from the Shannon Airport Group to the Council.
I would like to acknowledge the support of government colleagues and those departments represented on the inter-departmental group who brought this package of support together to facilitate the transfer. I would also like to acknowledge the significant work undertaken by Clare County Council and the Shannon Airport Group in advancing the transfer. I understand that the remaining technical details of the transfer are currently being concluded between both parties with a view to the transfer being successfully effected this month. This will allow the Council to benefit in full from the anticipated busy summer period which lies ahead for the tourism industry.
123. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport if additional driver testers will be deployed to the Kerry test centres to reduce the 30-week waiting time for driving test invitations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20910/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI thank the Deputy. On behalf of the Government, I acknowledge that we are facing a cost-of-living crisis. Inflation has reached very high levels in the past year or so. Thankfully, it is now slowing down, but that is not the same as prices falling. Prices remain very high. A lot of people and families are struggling with those bills, and everyone in government understands that. As I often say, when it comes to any household bill, there are three elements to it, namely, how much you are paid, how much you get to keep after tax and how far the money goes. The Government is helping with all those aspects. In respect of pay, for example, there was an increase in the national minimum wage this year which is above the rate of inflation for this year. Most people on low pay will get the knock-on increase that those on the lowest pay get. We also have a public sector pay deal, and, I imagine, a further pay deal will be negotiated before the end of the year. That is the pay element, with pay increasing.
The second element is people being able to keep more of what they earn. The rent tax credit is an example of that. Nearly 200,000 people have claimed that credit and many more can do so. It is worth €1,000 to a couple, or €2,000 if claimed over two years, and that is helping people with the cost of living. There is also, of course, a reduction in income tax, worth about €800 a year to somebody on the average income, or €1,600 to a couple. The Deputy's party, as she knows, opposed that.
We are helping as well with reducing the cost of living. For example, there was a significant reduction in the cost of childcare at the start of this year and there have been reductions in the cost of public transport, school transport and buying medicines. All those things have been done in the past couple of months and are pure examples of what the Government is doing to help people with the cost of living.
It has not stopped there. The Deputy mentioned welfare, for example, which is in her party's motion that will be before the House later. There was a €200 welfare payment to pensioners and people in receipt of weekly payments. That was paid only last week and will help people with their bills and arrears. It does not stop there. In June, for example, there will be an extra €100 for every child in the country and that is not means tested, because we acknowledge middle-income families are struggling with the cost of living too. For those who need it the most, there is an increase in the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance, paid at the same rate as last year, and every child will benefit from free schoolbooks in September. Again, that is for all families, including middle-income families, because we know they are struggling too. And then comes the budget, when we can do more. There is not a month that passes when we are not doing something to help people with the cost of living because we understand families are suffering and people are struggling with those bills.
In the context of the price of groceries, which the Deputy mentioned, the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, will meet the retail forum tomorrow and is going to meet producers such as farmers the day after that. He will pass on a very clear message from the Government. When input prices such as energy costs went up, retailers increased their prices. That is understandable. If your input costs go up, you have to pass on some of that increase to your customers, but when input costs go down, we expect you to pass on those reductions to your customers, and we are making that very clear to the retailers, such as the big supermarkets and the shops, and to the energy and gas companies. They put prices up when their costs went up; now that their costs are coming down, we expect them to bring down prices. We are starting to see a bit of that, but not enough.
Tá an costas maireachtála an-ard. Tá a lán daoine agus teaghlach faoi bhrú. Tuigimid é sin, ach tá tacaíocht ar fáil ag an Rialtas agus beidh níos mó tacaíochta ag teacht.
124. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide an update on whether a load line survey application has been applied for with respect to the Hebble Sand dredge ship, which is long overdue to be removed from the River Boyne in Drogheda following its sinking in 2022; if he will provide any further details with regards to the projected dates of removal and any details around the application and certification that is required prior to release; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20923/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhat is the additional support that will be coming? Unite the Union research published last week reflects that wages have in real terms fallen by approximately €76 per week.
125. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Transport if any further progress has been made to source and secure an appropriate site to recommence driver testing in Drogheda, the largest town in Ireland, with the largest waiting time in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20924/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs I said earlier - perhaps I did not say it - we are not going to oppose the motion that Sinn Féin has tabled. We do not agree with all of it, but we think there are some things in it that we are doing already and that can be done. There are other suggestions that are worthy of consideration. While we will not be agreeing to everything Sinn Féin has put forward, we will not be opposing the motion in the round because much it is being done already and much of it can be done in future. I mentioned that, just last week, €200 was paid to pensioners and people in receipt of weekly social welfare payments to help them with bills like electricity and gas, with a further payment to help families coming in only a few weeks' time.
The Deputy is correct to say, as is Unite the Union, that real incomes fell last year. In other words, prices rose faster than incomes did. That was the first year that was the case in a very long time. It will not be the case this year. We are confident that this year we will see a real increase in incomes again. We expect inflation to be around 5% this year. The national minimum wage will go up by 7% this year and a public sector pay deal to be negotiated. We expect to see real incomes rise again this year as they have increased in previous years, which means that most people will be better off. The Deputy is right to say that the cost of living in Ireland is high. It has been high for a very long time; maybe 30% or 40% higher than the EU average. However, incomes here are also 30% to 40% higher on average and that also needs to be borne in mind.
126. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport the plans, if any, currently in hand to reduce waiting times to sit a driving test, with some individuals waiting at least six months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20925/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe operation of the national driving test service is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority.
The service has been under significant pressure to meet unprecedented demand, which is up 28% on 2021 figures. This increase in demand for driving tests and the time to invitation for learner drivers has a number of contributing factors which include an increase in learner permits in circulation, increased capacity in the Driver Theory Test and an increase in Approved Driving Instructors' capacity to deliver lessons to learner drivers.
The Authority has reviewed the capacity of the driver testing service to meet demand and following a request for additional resources in March 2023, my Department has given approval for the recruitment of up to 75 driver testers. This is in addition to the 30 testers who were previously sanctioned in July 2022 and which have been fully deployed since the end of March 2023. This brings the total number of sanctioned driver tester posts to just over 200.
It is expected that once these additional 75 driver testers are recruited, trained and deployed, the backlog for driver testing services will start to reduce from October 2023 and agreed service levels should resume by early to mid 2024. The additional testers will be assigned to fill current vacancies and otherwise allocated to centres with the highest demand for tests. The recruitment campaign for these posts is currently under way.
128. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport if adequate consideration has been given to the provision of adequate parking adjacent to railway stations, with a view to ensuring the availability and convenience of rail services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20927/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister of Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding of public transport. Parking adjacent to railway stations is a matter for Iarnród Éireann in the first instance.
In view of the Iarnród Éireann's responsibility in this matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to it for direct reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
129. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport the extent to which he and his Department will encourage the modernisation of rail transport infrastructure, with particular reference to ensuring long-term investment which can be relied upon to meet the rail transport needs of the public well into the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20928/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraFinding solutions of course should be the priority but the Taoiseach's Government has patently failed to find necessary solutions. Time after time we hear the Taoiseach say that family homelessness and child homelessness is a stain on our society as if he was an observer. The Taoiseach is in government and has been in government for several terms. The Taoiseach needs to ensure that action is taken. If it takes a Bill to ensure that local authorities will make the best interests of the child paramount, then that Bill and legislation should be adopted. I have the scrutiny report here.
130. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport the extent to which he expects public transport to play a major role in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20929/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis Government is committed to a fundamental change in the nature of transport in Ireland and at the heart of that change will be a shift toward increased use towards both active travel and public transport.
Our funding reflects that commitment with significantly increased funding dedicated to public transport infrastructure and services, reflecting the Programme for Government commitment of a two-to-one ratio in favour of new public transport infrastructure over new roads infrastructure.
That funding is supporting huge, transformative projects such as DART+ in Leinster, BusConnects in all five cities, MetroLink in Dublin but also supporting the roll-out of new, enhanced and improved rural bus services across the country under Connecting Ireland. In addition to these important projects we’ve also funded fare reductions as evidenced by the general 20% reduction applied across subvented bus and rail networks the 50% reduction introduced through the Young Adult Card. These projects and initiatives are just some of the wide range of public transport improvements being introduced across the State.
These investments are necessary if we are to achieve the hugely challenging targets set by the Climate Action Plan 2023 to reduce the modal share of daily car journeys from over 70% to circa 50% by 2030 which will require a 130% increase in public transport trips alone.
I am delighted to say that these measures are bearing fruit with numbers returning to our public transport system post-COVID in a way not seen in most other EU Member States.
