Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 30 June 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport

General Scheme of the Road Traffic (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2019: Minister for Transport

Photo of Ruairi Ó MurchúRuairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and his team for attending the meeting. In fairness, they have given a timeline of September in regard to the taking of Second Stage of this legislation. The framework about which Mr. O'Leary spoke as regards the master licence record is absolutely necessary from the point of view of any safety or security checks we consider introducing but we will need to interrogate it when it comes before us. Addressing any anomalies as regards disqualifications is a necessary piece of work.

The Minister has introduced the new acronym, PPTs. In addressing the issue of e-scooters, scramblers and quads, which are a scourge in some areas, we will again need to interrogate best case scenarios internationally to find a fit that works. Some of my colleagues, in particular Deputies Munster and Ellis, and, most recently, Paul Donnelly, have done an enormous amount of work in this area. I imagine there are some solutions in their legislative proposals that can be looked at.

Given the week that is in it and the Minister's presence, I propose to take a liberty and raise an issue related to my constituency, that is, the Narrow Water bridge project in respect of which there have been many false dawns. We welcome the €3 million allocation from the shared island fund to enable it to be brought to tender. Over four or five years ago INTERREG funding of €17.9 million and other moneys provided North and South brought total funding of €29 million to the project, but it was insufficient and the project fell apart. It is important now that there is due diligence in regard to this project. I am interested in hearing from the Minister what communication has taken place with Europe with regard to the possibility of European funding to ensure delivery of this project. We all accept that the connection of south Down with north Louth, in particular the Cooley Peninsula with the Mourne Mountains, will bring enormous tourism and other opportunities. We need to ensure that happens.

I do not want to labour the digital Covid certificate because the Minister has already addressed it somewhat. The Tánaiste has spoken about the possibility of it being altered to facilitate indoor dining into the future. What conversation has happened in that regard? I welcome that there has been a conversation around the possibility of using antigen testing. In regard to aviation, when Dr. Holohan appeared before this committee there was an element of pass the parcel, but he did say that the evidence he needed in regard to the use of antigen testing could only be gleaned from a pilot in the aviation sector and that that could be only put in place by the Minister of Transport, Deputy Ryan, with the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. We must ensure that we have an operational digital Covid certificate for 19 July and that there will be ease of use in terms of people being able to have information regarding vaccination or testing uploaded.

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