Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach and all committee members for inviting me here this afternoon to discuss my remit at the Department of Transport since my appointment in mid-December. Since my appointment as Minister of State with special responsibility for international and road transport and logistics, I have sought to progress work relating to road transport and road safety, maritime and ports, as well as aviation and airports. As members will know, I also have responsibility for postal policy but I believe the committee would like me to focus on transport specifically.

Last month, I had the opportunity to attend the informal meeting of transport and energy ministers in Stockholm. This was a good opportunity to discuss many of our shared priorities with my European colleagues. I have also spent time meeting key transport stakeholders and agencies, including Rosslare Europort, the Dublin Port Company, the Irish Aviation Authority and Shannon Airport. I have also met some of the Irish Coast Guard’s volunteers, who provide an extraordinary and vital service for the country in saving lives at sea. In the coming weeks, I will meet with other key stakeholders including Cork Airport and the Port of Cork to discuss shared priorities.

Road safety is a key priority for me and I will lead efforts to ensure our roads are as safe as possible for everyone. My approach is about saving lives and preventing serious injuries for all who use our roads and my starting point is recognising that road deaths or serious injuries should not be the price to pay for our mobility. However, up to 14 March, 40 lives have been lost on our roads this year. This represents an increase of four in the number of deaths on our road compared with the position that obtained at the same time last year. These are not just statistics; they represent 40 people who set out on journeys and never came home. Behind each of those numbers is a tragedy and a family left behind or changed forever. We must also not forget that in addition to those who have lost their lives on the roads, many have been seriously injured. In 2022, the number in this regard was more than 1,200.

The fifth road safety strategy has a target of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2030 and achieving Vision Zero, which is no deaths or serious injuries on Irish roads, by 2050. The strategy recognises that there is no silver bullet. Human error and human frailty are a reality and must be accommodated in our road traffic system. It also emphasises that there is a shared responsibility for road safety across all parts of this system, from road users themselves to how our roads and vehicles are designed to how we provide emergency care for those involved in a collision. Every day, weekend or week without a road death or serious injury in our communities is Vision Zero in action. The Road Safety Authority, RSA, has overall responsibility for overseeing implementation of the road safety strategy and reports to me regularly on implementation progress. The first annual review of the road safety strategy was held on 2 February this year with the aim of setting priorities for 2023, focusing on reversing the trend in fatalities seen in 2022 and progressing actions in the strategy. Revised ministerial priorities were proposed and agreed at the ministerial committee on road safety, which was held this morning.

The Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021 will legislate for e-scooters and e-bikes and also addresses a programme for Government commitment to address the antisocial use of scramblers. Once the Bill is passed, as with any other class of vehicle, regulations will have to be made for the construction, equipment and use of e-scooters. Under EU law we must allow a three-month consultation period on the technical specifications before the regulations are brought in. It will, as the committee is no doubt aware, only be legal to use e-scooters in a public place when these regulations are in place.

I am deeply concerned and frustrated at the delays and backlogs facing the National Car Testing Service, NCTS, since the beginning of 2022, as are many members of this committee. The average waiting time for the NCT is now just over 27 days. The wait time prior to Covid was 12 days. The increase is largely due to an EU-wide shortage of qualified mechanics. The NCTS is working to increase test capacity and reduce average waiting times. Testing capacity has increased significantly since December in light of the ongoing recruitment of vehicle inspectors. In recent weeks, 35,000 full tests were completed on average each week. In comparison, an average of 25,000 tests per week were carried out in December. Other measures being taken to tackle the backlog include recruitment campaigns nationally and within and outside the EU. Staff overtime has increased, allowing testers to carry out 12 tests each per day, and a priority waiting list is in place for motorists to avail of cancellations. Some 55 additional non-EU testers have been identified and are currently going through the work visa process. It is anticipated that these testers will be in place by mid- to late April. In addition, I have instructed the Department of Transport officials to continue holding weekly meetings with the RSA to closely monitor progress in reducing test delays and to assist with any other issues or challenges which may arise. While I remain frustrated with these delays, the RSA is doing everything possible to work towards a target average waiting time of 12 days, which it has stated it aims to achieve by the end of June.

The Government published Ireland’s Road Haulage Strategy 2022–2031 in December, following two phases of public consultation. Implementation of the short-term actions contained in the strategy has begun. Progress in this regard will be monitored by a new road freight forum, which consists of relevant stakeholders from the Government, relevant agencies and the haulage and road freight sector. I recently announced that logistics and supply chain skills week, an initiative of the logistics and supply chain skills group, which was founded in 2019 by the Department of Transport, will take place next week from 27 March to 1 April. This is an important week for a sector that is at the heart of our economy. The objective of the initiative is to promote the sector to students, new entrants and career changers, as well as highlight the skills needed in the industry now and into the future. As many members know, the road transport and freight sector is facing a significant driver shortage. In addition, there are many job opportunities available in the wider logistics sector. We need to do all we can to make jobseekers and students, as well as those looking for a career change, aware of all of the many opportunities available in the sector. There will be a mix of in-person and online events at national and regional level. I will formally launch the initiative to which I refer in Rosslare Europort next week.

A review of the national aviation policy, which was published in 2015, will commence this year. The current national aviation policy was published in August 2015 and continues to guide aviation policy. The principal goals of the policy are to enhance Ireland's connectivity, foster the growth of aviation enterprise and maximise the contribution of aviation to Ireland's sustainable economic growth and development. A mid-term review of the regional airports programme 2021-25 will also be carried out. The review will explore how international connectivity to and from the regions can be maintained and enhanced.

Significant disruption was caused at Dublin Airport recently due to illegal drone activity near or on the airfield, with operations at the airport having been suspended on six separate occasions since late January. Illegal drone activity presents safety risks to aviation, leading to diverted and delayed flights and severe disruption to passenger journeys. The Dublin Airport Authority, DAA, has a drone detection system in place and it has been used to support enforcement activity. Two cases are before the courts. Government agreement was secured on 7 of March to appoint the DAA to purchase and deploy a counter-drone technology solution at the airport as a matter of urgency. This is an immediate and interim response to the risks posed by illegal drone use at Dublin Airport. The Government will consider tasking an existing State agency to select and deploy counter-drone technology more broadly to protect critical infrastructure, including our airports, in the medium to longer term. The DAA is already examining technological solutions and once it receives the necessary regulatory approvals it should be in a position to deploy a system within a matter of weeks. The Department also intends to publish a national policy framework for unmanned aircraft systems, UAS, this year to set out the vision, strategy and priorities for the development of the UAS sector in Ireland.

The last ports policy was published in March 2013. The core objective of the national ports policy, NPP, is to facilitate a competitive and effective market for maritime transport services. The review of the national ports policy will commence this year with the publication of an issues paper for public consultation in the third quarter of 2023. It is anticipated that all stages of the review will be completed in the second half of 2024, with a new ports policy document submitted for Government approval at that time.

The Department is working to facilitate offshore renewable energy, ORE, in relation to the provision of port infrastructure to facilitate the development of offshore renewable energy. This will support the work of the offshore wind energy programme and offshore wind delivery task force objectives to deploy at least 7 GW of offshore wind energy by 2030, as well as supporting the development of ORE infrastructure and capabilities, fixed and floating, by maximising use of Irish ports. The Department is also exploring the availability of funding streams to support the delivery of ORE-related port projects and will produce guidance documentation to allow for safe navigation of vessels around ORE installations.

In line with NDP objectives and national ports policy, the State ports are continuing to progress projects under their master plans. These non-exchequer-funded investments will enhance Ireland’s capacity and connectivity and will allow the ports to respond to market needs, handle increases in ship sizes and frequency and serve the import and export needs of the economy.

The 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. This programme is a key part of reducing congestion around schools and encourages more students to walk or cycle to school. I am pleased to inform the committee that the scheme has proven to be extremely popular, with 931 applications received from schools across every county in Ireland. Some 170 schools were notified on 21 June 2021 that they were selected for inclusion in the first round of the programme. Subsequently, two schools have deferred their applications and one school has withdrawn, leaving 167 schools in round one. It should be noted that all schools that applied to the programme for applications were accepted into the programme, and if not selected in round one will be selected in forthcoming rounds. In December, 108 additional schools were announced for round two of the safe routes to school programme, bringing the number of schools actively involved in the programme to 275. The safe routes to schools team in the NTA and An Taisce are in the process of beginning to engage with round two schools.

I will conclude on that point and I look forward to having the opportunity to hear the committee’s views and take any questions.