Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 July 2024
197. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Transport the extent to which his Department has studied the weakest links in the transport system nationally; his plans to address same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29074/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI thank the Deputy for their question. I am acutely aware of the challenges we face, to redefine our transport policy, refine implementation, and reshape the transport system into the future. Together with our agencies, my Department works to prioritise our spend to ensure the biggest NDP allocation to transport is spent on those areas of most impact. We also reprioritise or seek additional funding when required to address emerging challenges.
Last year, my Department published a new Statement of Strategy out to 2025, setting out how we intend to apply ourselves in fulfilling our complex and important mission (available here: www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/270009/1da3d2bf-18e1-4f4c-be73-863aa9449a46.pdf#page=null). Therein, my Department has set out a high-level overview of a number of our key objectives, actions, and deliverables under each of our strategic goals during the lifetime of this Strategy, which will enable us to deliver on our important mission of delivering an accessible, efficient, safe and sustainable transport system that supports communities, households and businesses.
In rising to these challenges and the changing environment, we are committed to remaining agile and resilient, reviewing and revising our strategy, structure, systems and approaches, reflecting the dynamic nature of our work.
My Department is progressing a number of initiatives across our broad and far-reaching remit to meet these challenges and strengthen our transport system, with key updates under the most relevant of our Strategic Goals set out below.
Connectivity
A key strategic challenge for the Department is to maintain and develop our transport system, linking households, communities and businesses, both rural and urban, on the island of Ireland, while also ensuring Ireland’s international connectivity which is key to maintaining our global economic competitiveness.
My Department has progressed work across a number of areas under this goal, including:
• Initiation of a review of the National Ports Policy following an initial public consultation process.
• Continued roll-out of Ireland’s first ever dedicated Road Haulage Strategy 2022-2031, a commitment under the Programme for Government and designed to address areas of particular challenge for the haulage and road freight sector across key thematic areas, including Labour Market and Skills, and Road Safety.
• Continued support for our regional airports under a Regional Airports Programme, in line with National Aviation Policy. My Department also carried out a public consultation last year to inform a mid-term review of this programme, which was finalised in late December, to consider how Exchequer funding to this sector is delivering on its objectives, primarily in the context of how international connectivity and services to and from the regions can be maintained and enhanced.
• Progressing the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, which is being undertaken in co-operation with the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland, and will inform the development of the railway sector on the Island of Ireland over the coming decades, to 2050, in line with net zero targets in both jurisdictions. Work on the Review is now at an advanced stage and a draft Report was published for a Strategic Environmental Assessment public consultation in July of last year.
• Continued roll-out of National Road Improvements by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), as per the National Development Plan. Major new roads projects that are at or approaching construction include the N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge, Adare Bypass and M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy.
Sustainability: Economy, Environment and Society
My Department is also working to ensure that our transport system is integrated, resilient and decarbonised in a manner that is environmentally, economically and socially sustainable into the future. My Department has progressed a number of initiatives in this regard, for example:
• Ongoing delivery of commitments under Climate Action Plan (2023) and the Sustainable Mobility Policy, including the ongoing expansion of rural mobility services under the National Transport Authority’s (NTA) Connecting Ireland programme, completion of the first projects under our Sustainable Mobility Policy Pathfinder Programme including the electrification of the Athlone town bus fleet, publication of our National Cycle Network Strategy, the publication of our National EV Charging Infrastructure Strategy and National En-Route EV Charging plan, update of our Renewable Transport Fuel Policy, the launch of the ‘Your Journey Counts’ national advertising campaign, the completion of new and revised Metropolitan Area Transport Strategies for the Waterford, Limerick-Shannon and Greater Dublin Areas, alongside the progression of BusConnects, DART+ and Metrolink through major milestones in our consultative and planning systems.
• Investing around €360 million per annum on cycling and walking across the lifetime of the Government, the majority of which comes from the Department of Transport through the NTA’s Active Travel Infrastructure Programme, and TII’s Greenways Programme. In 2024 alone, €290 million has been allocated to Active Travel infrastructure across all local authorities and this investment includes funding for the Safe Routes to School Programme which aims to making walking and cycling to schools safer for students and parents around the country. By the end of 2024, around €1 billion will have been invested in Active Travel projects since 2020, and a target of an additional 1,000km of walking and cycling infrastructure by 2025 as outlined in the National Sustainable Mobility Policy is forecasted to be achieved.
• Ongoing roll-out of Connecting Ireland, a major 5-year public transport initiative developed by the NTA to increase connectivity outside our major cities and towns, under which over 190 towns and villages have been connected to the public transport network, and over 280,000 people have access to new and enhanced bus services.
• Development of a new national demand strategy - ‘Moving Together: A Strategic Approach to the Improved Efficiency of the Transport System in Ireland’ – to support the delivery of the CAP23 target of reducing total vehicle kilometres travelled by 20% by 2030. This Strategy, which is currently in draft and open for public consultation, is the final key policy component in the decarbonisation pathway outlined in the Climate Action Plan, while also presenting opportunities and benefits that this systemic change can provide. In that context, the strategy will apply a ‘well-being’ framework to evaluate its implementation and impacts, a first in terms of transport policy and a vital ‘lens’ through which the wider co-benefits can be identified and highlighted.
• Working within the EU and at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to promote high levels of ambition and support the decarbonisation of the maritime sector as part of the EU’s Fit for 55 maritime package and within the framework of the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships.
• Progressing work to develop a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Policy Roadmap, to support the decarbonisation of aviation transport. My officials are also currently engaged in preparing for the domestic implementation of the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation, which from 2025, will oblige fuel suppliers to blend increasing levels of SAF in kerosene for supply at EU airports, mandate Union Airports meeting a specific threshold to facilitate the access of airlines to such SAF, while airlines will also be mandated to uplift 90% of their trip fuel requirement when departing from Union airports.
• Publication of the Renewable Transport Fuel (RTF) Policy 2023-2025, setting out the pathway to the achievement of Climate Action Plan targets and European obligations, as well as ensuring European sustainability and greenhouse gas reduction criteria are adhered to concerning renewable transport fuel.
• Implementation of the Transport Sectoral Adaptation Plan (T-SAP) to ensure that the sector can fulfil its continuing economic, social, and environmental objectives by ensuring that transport infrastructure is safeguarded from the impacts of climate change. Under the revised National Adaptation Framework, the indicative timeline for publication of the revised T-SAP is Q3 2025, and cross-sectoral engagement is underway including with national environmental and adaptation stakeholders.
• Participation in Workstream 6 of the cross-governmental Offshore Wind Delivery Taskforce (OWDT), supporting the development of Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) port infrastructure and capabilities to maximise the use of Irish ports. Within this workstream, my Department has been providing regular updates on the actions within its remit, including: ongoing work towards assisting in ports’ ORE infrastructure plans and exploring potential financing solutions; updates on engagement with the relevant stakeholders including Ports, Developers, the wider industry, the Irish Maritime Development Office, and other government departments in the Taskforce, and; the development of Technical Guidance on Navigational Safety, Pollution Control and Emergency Response for Offshore Renewable Energy Installations (OREIs).
Safety, Security & Accessibility
My Department is also progressing initiatives which will ensure that safety, security and accessibility for all users are at the heart of our transport system policies and services, including roads users, users of public transport, and pedestrians and cyclists, and air and sea travellers. These include:
• Ongoing delivery of segregated cycling infrastructure, contributing to increases in the number of people cycling as % modal share of daily trips (e.g. in Dublin City Centre, 5.9% in 2021 vs 13% in 2023).
• Progressing measures in the area of Road Safety, such as the Road Traffic Act signed in April 2024. The new Act introduces safer default speed limits, in line with the recommendations of the Speed Limit Review which my Department completed in September 2023, mandatory drug testing at the scene of a collision and the application of multiple sets of penalty points where multiple offences are committed.
• Supporting the Road Safety Authority to resolve National Car Test delays, through national and international recruitment drives, to increase the number of vehicle inspectors in the National Car Test Service to 665 at the end of 2023.
• Supporting the Road Safety Authority in their recruitment of additional driver testers, contributing to decreases in average waiting times for applicants to wait for their driver test.
• Funding the Public Transport Accessibility Retrofit Programme to retrofit older public transport facilities and services, the level of which has progressively increased to €15m in 2024.
• Progressing the Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill, which is due for publication in Q3 2024, and will provide for the establishment of the full-time Marine Accident Investigation Unit (MAIU) within the Department of Transport.
• Developing and publishing an annual ‘Public Transport Passenger Safety and Personal Security Report’ in conjunction with the NTA, the first of which was published in March 2024, to inform future measures in this area: www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/NTA-Security-Report-Final.pdf
• Continuing to work on ensuring a robust policy and legislative regime for aviation safety and security in Ireland. The drafting of a National Policy Framework for Unmanned Aircraft Systems that will enable the safe and sustainable use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in Irish airspace and support a strong UAS enterprise sector is at an advanced stage.
• Monitoring current and emerging issues in aviation safety oversight as part of the State Safety Programme. My Department is making arrangements to carry out an independent examination of the Irish Aviation Authority’s performance of its safety oversight functions as required by the Irish Aviation Authority Act 1993.
• Maintaining a continual focus on emergency preparedness and resilience across my Department and our transport agencies to ensure confidence and competence in responding to emergencies where they arise across the transport sector. My officials were closely involved in the preparation of the National Risk Assessment for Ireland 2023 (NRA), published in March of this year. The NRA identifies and assesses Key Risks with the potential to trigger a national emergency, as well as identifying ‘emerging risks’. The Government Task Force on Emergency Planning maintains oversight of these risks and the mitigation measures required to manage these risks.
• Overseeing the delivery of a transformation programme for the Irish Coast Guard (IRCG) to ensure that it is best-placed to succeed in the 21st, , successfully concluding a procurement process for the next Irish Coast Guard Search and Rescue (SAR) Aviation Contract, and supporting delivery of the National SAR Plan, collaborating closely with relevant agencies to ensure the safety of individuals in distress at sea, or on land.
Effective Regulation
My Department is progressing a significant programme of legislation, to address both domestic and EU obligations, in order to ensure that laws are fit for purpose and keep up with change:
• The building of a new online licence application system for road transport operators is at an advanced stage and is due to be launched in November 2024. The new system will streamline the licensing process making it more efficient, secure, and accessible.
• The EU’s Mobility Package I, which introduced new and updated rules for the road transport sector, including in areas such as access to the profession and market (including cabotage), driving and rest times for professional drivers, tachograph standards and posting of driver rules, has now been fully implemented into national law. This is essential to support proper implementation and enforcement of road transport rules.
• Additionally, the corresponding provisions of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement governing the transport of goods by road have also been implemented into national law. This is important as it ensures that the Road Safety Authority and the Garda Síochána can continue to enforce the relevant road transport rules against UK operators while in the State.
• My Department is progressing the drafting of primary legislation that will allow for the ratification of three international treaties concerned with the conduct of passengers on aircraft, violence against passengers and aircraft and incidents of hijacking.
• Further information on my Department’s Legislative Priorities can be found in the Government’s Summer Legislation Programme 2024: www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/291080/12cf4585-fb09-4db0-afe6-989331aca3fb.pdf#page=null
My Department will continue to work to deliver under our Statement of Strategy to 2025, remaining responsive and agile to the challenges and new developments which may arise, to ensure the ongoing viability and robustness of our Transport System.
