Written Answers Nos. 177-196
177. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Transport the improvements planned at Clongriffin DART Station to facilitate the expansion of the DART; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47189/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. Under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, the National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the provision of public transport infrastructure and services within the Greater Dublin Area.
In the case of the DART+ programme, the NTA fulfils this statutory remit in collaboration with Iarnród Éireann. As such I have forwarded the Deputy's questions to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.
Pending the more detailed answer, I can inform the Deputy that a new track loop is planned at Clongriffin to serve the existing platform to the east side of the station, as an element of the DART+ Coastal North programme. This project will be a major benefit not only to the DART itself, but also to the Enterprise service between Dublin and Belfast as it will allow Enterprise trains to seamlessly pass a stationed DART train.
178. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide an update on the Clongriffin to city centre core bus corridor scheme; when it is expected to complete the planning process; when it is expected to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47190/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. Under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, the National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the provision of public transport infrastructure and services within the Greater Dublin Area, including the BusConnects Dublin programme.
In light of the above, I have forwarded the Deputy's questions to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.
Pending this more detailed response, I note that BusConnects is a transformative investment programme in the bus system, providing better bus services across Dublin, Cork, Limerick Galway and Waterford. In Dublin, all 12 Core Bus Corridor Schemes have received planning permission with six subject to legal challenges. Contracts have been awarded for both the Liffey Valley to City Centre and Ballymun-Finglas to City Centre schemes, and it is expected that the Clongriffin scheme will be the third contract to be awarded.
179. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide an update on the safe routes to school scheme; when it is expected to reopen; the average timeline between application and implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47191/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Programme was launched in March 2021 with the aim of supporting walking, scooting, and cycling to primary and post-primary schools, and creating safer walking and cycling routes within communities, through the provision of infrastructure interventions including, in some cases, School Zones.
These projects should help alleviate congestion at school gates and increase the number of students who walk or cycle to school. The Safe Routes to School Programme is funded by the Department of Transport through the National Transport Authority (NTA) and An Taisce's Green Schools is co-ordinating the programme.
Invitations to express interest were sent to all primary and secondary schools in the country, and 932 applications were received from schools across every county in Ireland. Schools are processed in tranches, with four rounds having been announced to date. Over half of the schools who applied initially are either active in the programme or have had projects completed. All schools that applied to the original call for applications were accepted into the programme, and if not selected in the initial rounds will be selected at a later date.
Given the pipeline of projects due for completion, there are no plans for an additional call for schools to join the SRTS programme currently. However, It should be noted that funding for Active Travel infrastructure for schools is not confined to the Safe Routes to Schools Programme alone. In some cases, schools outside the SRTS Programme are included in wider Active Travel projects if they are in the vicinity of these works.
With regards to the average timeline between application and implementation of projects, noting the role of the NTA in the matter, I have referred your question to that agency for response. If you do not receive a reply within 10 working days, please contact my private office.
180. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide an update on the formation of a new National Ports Policy; whether it will facilitate the development of ORE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47192/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe review of the National Ports Policy is ongoing. A Memorandum for Government on a draft text for a revised National Ports Policy was approved by Cabinet on Tuesday, 16 June.
My Department will shortly undertake a public consultation on the draft National Ports Policy text, together with the relevant environmental reports. Following the public consultation process, the finalised draft will then be returned to Cabinet for approval, following which the new National Ports Policy will be published.
My Department recognises the important role of ports in Ireland in facilitating the development of offshore renewable energy (ORE), and this is emphasised in the revised National Ports Policy.
I look forward to the same high level of stakeholder engagement in this second public consultation as was achieved during the first, which was based on a thematic Issues Paper. Over 70 responses to that consultation were received and carefully assessed by officials in my Department.
181. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Transport the reason motor tax revenue is no longer ringfenced for local authority funding. [47269/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister of State for International & Road Transport, Logistics, Rail & Ports, I wish to advise that prior to 2018 receipts from motor tax were paid into the Local Government Fund. Since the 1st January 2018, following budgetary reform measures provided for in the Water Services Act 2017, receipts from motor tax have accrued to the Exchequer. Motor Tax receipts are not ringfenced for any particular purpose and are paid directly into the Central Fund.
182. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Transport if he will clarify the eligibility of vehicles that are legally exempt from NCT testing under existing legislation for the purposes of the ICE2EV scrappage scheme (details supplied); the way in which such exemptions will be operationalised within the SEAI dealer portal and application system to ensure that island residents are not excluded from the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47336/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFor the avoidance of doubt, vehicles that are legally exempt from the National Car Test shall not be deemed ineligible for this scheme solely on the grounds that they do not possess a valid NCT certificate.
However, it should be noted that in order to qualify for the €5,000 ICE2EV Scrappage grant, applicants must still demonstrate on the date of application that the ICE vehicle:
• has been registered in their name within the State for at least 12 months prior to the application;
• is taxed and insured for road use on the date of the application.
In the case of island residents, proof of NCT exemption shall be demonstrated by submission of the vehicle registration certificate together with proof of residence on a qualifying island.
The SEAI will ensure that, where an island resident’s application for the ICE2EV scrappage grant is approved and the grant awarded, the existence of a legal NCT exemption shall not affect their eligibility to avail of the grant.
183. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware that new regulations concerning the electricity connection of RealTime Displays, requiring them to have their own connection rather than the previous arrangement whereby they were connected to streetlights, is preventing the NTA from installing new displays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47355/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure, including the provision of bus stops, shelters and related displays nationally.
Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for a direct reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply.
Pending this detailed response, I note the commitments in the Programme for Government to ensure that public transport operators provide safe and accessible access for all passengers, and to work with local authorities and national bodies to improve public transport options and infrastructure.
184. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Transport the reason Bus Éireann route 40 does not stop as scheduled in Kilmacthomas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47375/26]
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 query raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Bus Éireann. I have, therefore, referred the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
185. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Transport the number of buses in the Dublin Bus fleet as of 16 June 2026; and if he will provide the same figures as of 30 June 2023, in tabular form. [47415/26]
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 query raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Dublin Bus. I have, therefore, referred the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
186. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Transport the status of an application for an enhanced regional bus service, between Cork, Killarney and Tralee by a coach company (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47452/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister of State at the Department of Transport with special responsibility for Rural Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to rural public transport service provision; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing and monitoring the provision of public passenger transport services nationally, including the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan and TFI Local Link services. In light of the NTA responsibilities 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.
187. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Transport the measures his Department and the National Oil Reserves Agency have put in place to monitor the supply of biofuel derived from palm oil mill effluent under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation since the coming into effect of S.I. No. 247 of 2025 on 1 July 2025; the ongoing arrangements for verifying the sustainability and authenticity of such fuel and for detecting the fraudulent relabelling of virgin palm oil as palm oil mill effluent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47471/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra188. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Transport the volume of biofuel derived from palm oil mill effluent supplied under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation in 2025 and to date in 2026, further to the coming into effect on 1 July 2025 of S.I. No. 247 of 2025 which excluded such fuel from eligibility for additional renewable transport fuel certificates; whether that measure has reduced the volume of palm oil mill effluent derived biofuel placed on the market in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47472/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra189. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Transport whether he intends to impose a cap on imports of palm oil mill effluent derived biofuel under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, further to his Department's indication in 2025 that such a limit had not been ruled out; the assessment the National Oil Reserves Agency has made of the risk of virgin palm oil being fraudulently relabelled as palm oil mill effluent in fuel supplied to the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47473/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 187, 188 and 189 together.
All biofuel supply with an end use in transport is required to meet the sustainability criteria under the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) for the purpose of environmental protection and emissions reduction, while ensuring that EU biofuel producers are not disadvantaged and promoting further development of advanced biofuel production within the EU.
The National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA) is the competent authority in Ireland responsible for ensuring compliance by fuel suppliers with the EU sustainability criteria and requirements for renewable transport fuel placed on the market set out under RED III, within its administration of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) on fuel suppliers established to implement Article 25(1) of RED III.
The roles and responsibilities for biofuel sustainability compliance are set out in the European Union (Biofuel Sustainability Criteria) Regulations 2012 (S.I. No. 33/2012). Compliance is assured through an EU sustainability certification framework, involving certification of economic operations globally from feedstock collection to biofuel production, storage and supply, conducted by certification bodies against standards established under EU-approved Voluntary Schemes. The NORA is the competent authority for oversight of certification bodies activity related to biofuel supply in Ireland and provides ongoing assurance on the sustainability of the current supply of biofuel to Ireland under the RTFO.
In January 2025, based upon its analysis indicating concerns of possible biofuel fraud risk in global supply of POME, the NORA recommended the removal of national incentives under the RTFO for POME-derived biofuel products. In 2025, I signed regulations that excluded biofuel produced from POME from the award of additional Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates, responding to ongoing concerns about the integrity of the global supply of this biofuel feedstock. The NORA has informed my Department that no POME-derived biofuel has been placed on the market in Ireland since these regulations came into effect on 1 July 2025.
As measures taken to date have been effective at reducing the volume of POME-derived biofuel being placed on the market in Ireland, at this time it is not considered necessary to take further steps to limit the amount of POME derived biofuel supply into Ireland. My Department and the NORA will keep this under review and assess further options within the current legal framework as required.
The concerns with regard to sustainability of biofuel produced from Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) are EU-wide and not specific to Ireland. Work is ongoing through the Committee established under the RED III by the European Commission and Member States to strengthen the European oversight regime for sustainable biofuels. This involves revision of the implementing regulations on sustainability certification and adoption of a delegated act supporting the mandatory use of the Union database of biofuels to track and trace EU biofuel supply. The European Commission is in the final stages of operationalising a Union Database for Biofuels and Biogas (UDB) to enable the digital tracking and tracing of biofuels and biogas feedstocks and blending. The Department of Transport and the NORA are engaging closely with the Commission on the revision of legislation and the implementation of the UDB.
190. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Transport the number of vehicles detected by Gardaí with non-compliant number plates each month since January 2026, by county and Garda district; the number of fixed charge notices (FCNs) issued to drivers each month for this offence, by county and Garda district; the number of drivers summoned to court for failure to pay the FCN; and the penalties imposed. [47503/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister of State with responsibility for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports, I wish to advise that detections, issuing of FCNs, issuing of court summons and court penalties imposed are the responsibilities of An Garda Síochána or the Courts Services. My Department does not have data on these matters. My Department manages the National Vehicle Driver File database, which is the record of all licenced drivers in the State including their penalty points. The information available to me is the number of notifications from An Garda Síochána between January 2026 and May 2025 for the offence pertaining to non-compliant number plates. A total of 17 notifications have been received in this period. The Department has not been notified of any associated court offences during this period.
191. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport to expedite a licence for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47512/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister of State for International & Road Transport, Logistics, Rail & Ports, I wish to advise that all enquiries related to driver licensing are handled by the National Driver Licence Service, provision of which is delegated under national legislation to the Road Safety Authority. Neither I nor the Department have any role in individual driving licence applications.
I have referred this matter to the Authority for direct reply. Please contact my office if you have not received a reply within 10 days.
192. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Transport the current capacity for charging electric buses at the Navan depot (details supplied); whether this has resulted in reduced service levels; and the urgent measures being taken to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place so that services can operate fully. [47522/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure, including the provision and upgrade of public bus fleets and bus depots.
Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for a direct reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
Pending a more detailed response, I acknowledge that there have been delays to the installation of charging infrastructure in bus depots, which has in turn prevented operators from absorbing electric buses into their fleet. However, due to recent progress made in installing electric charging guns in depots, buses currently in storage will enter service across the remainder of 2026 and early 2027. Moreover, the NTA will shortly finalise a procurement framework with suppliers of bus charging infrastructure to expedite future installations across the country.
193. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Transport if he is aware that applicants at a test centre(details supplied) have to wait up to six months for an invite to apply for a driving test; the action his Department is taking to tackle the extremely long wait times for driving tests at the test centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47551/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driver Testing Service. Neither I nor my officials are involved in the service at an operational level. Therefore, the information requested by the Deputy is held by the Authority. Given the RSA's responsibility in this matter, I have referred the Deputy's questions to the RSA for direct response. Please contact my office if a reply is not received within ten days.
Pending this response, I am informed by the RSA that average wait times at the Raheny test centre have increased from 17-weeks at the end of May, to 26-weeks as of 17 June. This increase is due to a specific issue at the Raheny driving test centre related to building works in the area, which has unfortunately curtailed testing capacity. To mitigate the impact of these works and the impact on those seeking a driving test the RSA is working to secure a new facility in the area and to have it operational as soon as possible.
194. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on a pension query (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47570/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. As a commercial semi-state body, Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) are responsible for the provision of pension schemes for their employees.
Following on from the constructive and collaborative approach of the Trade Union Group and CIÉ management in reaching agreement on a pathway forward as of May 2025, my Department are currently engaging with CIÉ as well as financial advisors at NewERA, the Pensions Authority and the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Services, Reform and Digitalisation on the next steps in progressing the agreement and bringing CIÉ pensions onto a more stable footing for the benefit of active, and retired scheme members.
My Department and all relevant stakeholders are endeavouring to achieve the same at the earliest, keeping in line with the appropriate processes, compliance with all applicable requirements, and necessary approvals, which is now well underway.
Decisions regarding the administration of pension increases are ultimately a matter for the CIÉ Board as informed by actuarial advice and are subject to requirements imposed by statute and scheme rules. Accordingly, I have referred the Deputy's question to CIÉ for further information. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
195. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update on a project (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47575/26]
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 query raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Iarnród Éireann and Bus Éireann. I have, therefore, referred the Deputy's question to the companies for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
196. Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan asked the Minister for Transport the additional emergency funding that was allocated to each local authority for the repair and to reconstruct roads damaged by flooding during Storm Chandra; the amount that has been drawn down by each of the local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47598/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from Councils’ own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for the local authority.
In February 2026, the Department announced an Exchequer investment of €718 million in our regional and local roads across the State, with approximately 90% of this funding allocated to road maintenance and renewal. This will facilitate an increase in funding allocation of €26 million this year for road protection and renewal works.
It should be noted that Exchequer funding for regional and local roads is intended to supplement realistic contributions from local authorities’ own resources. Local authorities are also advised to set aside a contingency from Department allocations and own resources for severe weather events. As the statutory road authorities for their areas, it is also open to local authorities to prioritise investment on regional and local roads.
My Department has liaised with local authorities most affected by Storm Chandra on the damage caused to their regional and local roads and the remediation needed. Next steps in this regard are being considered in conjunction with the relevant Government departments.
