Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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We have a quorum. This meeting has been convened to consider the Supplementary Estimate, Vote 31 - Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. I remind members that these are supplementary rather than the totality of the Estimates. I request that all mobile telephones be switched off.

I thank the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, and his officials for assisting us in our consideration of the Supplementary Estimate for 2015. Perhaps we could agree to take the Supplementary Estimate on a subhead by subhead basis. Is that agreed? Agreed. An indicative timetable for the meeting has been provided. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I remind members that they are only considering the Supplementary Estimate and that while they may discuss issues relevant to the individual subheads they may not recommend increases or decreases in the Supplementary Estimate and there are no votes. As the members of the committee have received a briefing prepared by the Department and by the committee secretariat and as our time is limited I invite the Minister to make his opening statement which will explain the context of the Supplementary Estimate.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I am very pleased to appear before the select sub-committee to recommend this Supplementary Estimate of €100 million in additional capital funding for my Department. This will bring my overall capital envelope this year to more than €1.07 billion. This additional funding will further support our public transport system, allow for much needed maintenance of our road network and facilitate the speedier roll-out of a number of key projects.

The €100 million breaks down as follows: €60 millionis being allocated to the public transport investment programme. Of this €29 million is being allocated for rail fleet maintenance, €9 million for safety works, maintenance and renewal of the heavy rail network nationwide, €20 million for the provision of public service obligation, PSO, buses for the Dublin Bus fleet, and close to €2 million for cycle measures in the greater Dublin area. Some €34 millionis being allocated to the roads programme. This will target critical remedial works, maintenance and strengthening of the road network at national, regional and local level, where funding has been severely constrained since the crisis began.

This spend has a wide geographic spread and will have positive economic impact. Of this, €10 million has been allocated to pavement works on our national road network, and €24 million will go towards regional and local roads, which will allow the upgrading of 350 km of sub-standard road pavement to be brought up to a high standard. Some €3 millionwill be allocated to complete the Mullingar–Athlone greenway, €1 million to tourism related projects, €800,000will be allocated to the national indoor arena and €260,000to procure drug testing devices and progress work on the third payment option for fixed charge notices.

As this committee is only too aware, the level of funding for roads and public transport has fallen well below comparable international standards. From a peak of €3 billion or 1.6% of national income in 2008 to a historic low of €850 million, 0.5% of national income in 2014, it is evident to all who travel across the country that investment in road maintenance and strengthening is an urgent priority. This additional investment will bring the overall capital investment programme in roads to €610 million this year. We need this to make the road network safer and to support economic development. Funds are also being provided for road safety measures.

As we build on the progress we have been making in recent years, more people are returning to work. This is, indeed, great news. However, it is also resulting in a rise in congestion levels in certain areas. This threatens to slow economic activity and has a negative impact on people's living standards. Today’s funding will support the renewal and expansion of our bus fleet, which will improve reliability; enhance rail journey times and expand the bike share scheme, all of which will combat congestion and help facilitate further growth. It will bring total capital investment in public transport this year to almost €340 million.

From 2016 onwards, we have agreed a capital plan which provides close to €10 billion in funding over seven years for land transport investment, moving us from an annual investment figure of around €1 billion this year to €1.93 billion in 2022. This is a clear signal that we are addressing the funding needs which I outlined earlier. We must continue to make choices. We must have priorities. These include a return to the necessary levels of investment, a major transport project for north Dublin and a schedule of investment to expand and improve the road network around Ireland. It is predicated on three priorities of maintaining and upgrading our existing transport network, targeting urban congestion and improving connectivity around the country, particularly to key seaports and airports.

In respect of tourism, I am delighted that the additional €3 million investment in the Mullingar to Athlone greenway will complete this phase of a more ambitious Dublin to Galway greenway to a high standard. The Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland’s ancient east initiatives are key platforms to build and enhance the visitor experience and €1 million of investment will be made in signage to enhance both of these experiences. Investment will also be made in development of other tourism capital development priorities such as the "Ulysses Centre" - University College Dublin’s development of an international literary centre in Newman House on St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin, the Dublin discovery trail in Dublin and the Connemara cultural centre in Rosmuc. It will also fund feasibility studies on the development of facilities at a number of discovery points on the Wild Atlantic Way.

Some additional funding for the national indoor arena will enable us to accelerate the completion of this project. Once complete, the arena will comprise a national indoor athletics training centre, a national indoor training centre, and a national gymnastics training centre. Work on the project commenced in February 2015, with completion scheduled for November 2016.

The Supplementary Estimate also includes a technical amendment which allows the Department to receive approximately €14 million in development levies from the Rail Procurement Agency and channel it back out through the National Transport Authority for Luas network related costs. The effect of this is to increase the expenditure under the B8 Public Transport subhead without increasing the Exchequer contribution.

I recommend this Supplementary Estimate to the committee for its consideration and approval. I am happy to answer any queries Members may have on the components of the Supplementary Estimate.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister. We shall commence with subhead B3, road improvement and maintenance. Is Deputy Fleming offering?

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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I welcome the Minister and his officials. In regard to the deterioration of the road surface on the national primary routes in particular, is there a huge emphasis on upgrading them with black tarmac?

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Sorry, Deputy Fleming, the way we are supposed to progress the Supplementary Estimate is in relation to the targets set originally and the performance rather than-----

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The point the Deputy is making is exactly the way we intend this funding to be spent.

Our target for it is to upgrade 350 km of the kinds of road to which the Deputy referred. Regarding the non-national local and regional roads across the country, we are aiming for €24 million of the €35 million to be used for the paving and surfacing projects that the Deputy mentioned.

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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I am glad to hear that because proper maintenance of the roads to keep them in good shape is important.

Is the figure for rail fleet maintenance adequate? What is the progress under the programme of general improvements, upgrades and-----

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Is the Deputy moving on to the subject of rail?

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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I am going by the first document.

Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Are we on subhead B3?

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Yes.

Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Must we confine ourselves to that?

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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For the moment. I am sorry, but I am trying to structure the approach.

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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To be honest, I might have different documentation. Will any of the roads in our county road networks be included or does the Minister regard this as being for primary and secondary national roads?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Secondary and local roads. We have indicated to local authorities what the overall funding is and we allocate it on a county-by-county basis. I have left it to each local authority to determine how the funding will be spent. The majority of the funding that we are referring to now is for non-national roads.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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The Revised Estimates 2015 described 2,032 km of regional and local roads. Are the 350 km additional to that?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Yes. For the purpose of clarity, of the €35 million that we are discussing, approximately €10 million will go into national roads and €25 million will go into local and regional roads.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Has the original target of 2,032 km been met?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I am confident that it will be. The main factor that gets in the way tends to be weather, as it can prevent work from going ahead. At the end of this year or the start of next year, we will step back and consider how the funding that we allocated was used. I am confident that all of it has been used, purely on the basis of the number of counties that are asking me for more.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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There are plenty of calls, I am sure.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I am reasonably confident that it has all been used.

Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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I welcome the additional expenditure under subhead B3. Where will the new junction improvement take place?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Kiltoy in Letterkenny.

Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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A bit outside my-----

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Jurisdiction.

Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Yes.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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It is to facilitate an IDA project in the area.

Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Okay.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Does Deputy Fleming wish to ask a further question?

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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I am wondering about something. Under local county roads, is any provision made for work on small bridges? Some of the bridges I have in mind date back 200 years and are in a bad state because of the heavy vehicles crossing them.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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That work would be covered by the main funding allocation that we will make available at the end of each year. This Supplementary Estimate is primarily aimed at road surfaces in the way we have just described. When we hand out our overall allocation to local authorities at the end of each calendar year, it is for them to decide how to use it. In my experience, they use it for a number of bridges.

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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Okay.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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We will move on to subhead B4, road safety agencies and expenses, and the Medical Bureau of Road Safety's €260,000. Does Deputy Fleming wish to contribute?

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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What does this allocation entail and what is the remit of the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, MBRS? Will the allocation be used for general safety measures?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The MBRS is based in UCD and headed by Professor Denis Cusack.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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He appeared before the committee.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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It is a superb organisation. It analyses the specimens taken from people who have been involved in road incidents. The funding will allow the MBRS to procure devices to allow for testing for drugs in people's systems. The Deputy will be familiar with the handheld alcohol testing devices. The €100,000 will procure the equivalent drug testing devices, which the MBRS is in the process of procuring.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Is their cost higher than planned?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Not really, but this relates to a Bill that I hope to bring to the Cabinet in less than two weeks time. In considering how to implement our road traffic laws, I wanted to give the go-ahead to purchase the devices as soon as possible.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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They are necessary. That makes perfect sense. We will move on to subhead B6, smarter travel and carbon reduction.

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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What progress has there been with electric vehicles? As there is a shortage of power dispensing points, more such plug-in junctions would be desirable.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I will begin with the Deputy's question on infrastructure. It is primarily delivered by the ESB and great progress has been made. We have just under 1,000 recharging points across the country and approximately 97% of all of our targets for the delivery of recharging points have been met.

The challenge facing us is the number of vehicles using the points. For a variety of reasons, only half of the number of cars that we estimated would be purchased are using the recharging points. Often, there is great interest in and demand for transport options but we do not have the infrastructure. In this case, we have the infrastructure but, partly because of price, but more significantly because of the length of journey that some of these vehicles can make, the uptake has not been as large as we had hoped. However, the quality of vehicle is already changing. As it does, we must consider how to drive the use of electric vehicles even further. Meeting the challenge of fulfilling our stringent climate change commitments will be more difficult unless there is a step change in the use of these vehicles.

Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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I welcome the additional funding for the cycleway between Mullingar and Athlone. It is part of a national network of greenways. What other greenway projects were due to be completed in 2015?

Are we on target?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Tralee to Fenit greenway in Kerry is finished. The Patrickswell to Limerick City is cycle way is complete. The Ballina section of the Monasteries of the Moy greenway is done. Kilmeadon to Bilberry is part of the Deise greenway in Waterford, I understand, and the Athlone to Mullingar greenway is complete. Those that are on track for completion this year are the Artist's Way greenway in Kildare and the Coolinagh to Westmeath-Longford boundary greenway. This particular Estimate refers to the Mullingar to Athlone portion of the Dublin to Galway greenway.

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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On a point of information, the Kells Greenway is on the Ring of Kerry programme. As it has already been approved in full, I presume there is no Supplementary Estimate for it.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I will come back to the Deputy. We will find out the status of the project and I will write to him about the matter. It is not part of the Supplementary Estimate; this is the Mullingar to Athlone section.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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We will move on to subhead B8, the public transport investment programme comprising €73.78 million. Does anyone wish to comment?

Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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I welcome funding for 47 new buses in the Dublin Bus fleet. Is that over and above what was budgeted for in 2015?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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They are new buses and will bring the total fleet to approximately 1,000. I hope the Deputy is aware of the number of newer buses now on our roads. One of the major improvements in the new buses is that they now have space for a buggy and a wheelchair, which I welcome. As recently as Friday, I received a complaint that when wheelchair users get onto a bus they are unable to find spaces because of the way buses are designed. It is a positive change now under way in our fleet.

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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Is the bicycle scheme under this heading?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Is the Deputy referring to the Dublin bike scheme?

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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Yes, and other urban areas where schemes are located. The scheme in Galway does not seem to be very successful.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Supplementary Estimate refers to the cycling measures and scheme in the greater Dublin area. On the projects to which the Deputy referred, Galway, Cork and Limerick are included. The initial use of the Galway scheme is different from what we expected, but I am confident that we will be able to increase usage of the scheme to the levels we have seen elsewhere. We need to consider the location of stations and how they interact with the campus in the area, and other areas may need a little bit more work. I have every reason to believe it can be as successful as other places, primarily because I am aware of the congestion difficulties currently faced by the city.

Deputy Paschal Donohoe: The Supplementary Estimate refers to the cycling measures and scheme in the greater Dublin area. On the particular projects to which the Deputy referred in other cities, Galway, Cork and Limerick are inclded. It is fair to say that the initial use of the Galway scheme is different to what we expected, but I am confident that we will be able to increase the usage of the scheme to the levels we have seen elsewhere. We need to consider where the stations have been located, how they interact with the campus in the air area and other areas perhaps need a little bit more work. I have every reason to believe that can be as successful as other places, primarily because I am aware of the congestion difficulties the city currently faces.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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We will move on to subhead D5, the Sports Council and National Sports Campus, totalling €800,000. At the outset, the Minister mentioned acceleration. By that does he mean not just meeting the target but surpassing it?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Yes. It refers to the national indoor arena and paying a portion of its costs for this year. It is a project that is already well under way. We have limited time available to us, and many other competing demands on our time, but the progress the National Sports Campus is making is brilliant and is worth-----

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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It is an excellent project.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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If members have not had a chance to visit it recently, it would be worth doing. The National Indoor Arena is flying up and those building it have done a brilliant job. That will be complete by the end of next year. That can be set that alongside what is already there, like the National Indoor Diving Centre, the National Equestrian Centre and the brilliant playing pitches for football, rugby and GAA teams. By the end of next year it will be a fantastic area for sporting activity. I am very pleased it recently won an award from the Irish Sports Federation to recognise that.

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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Is there any progress on the Bertie bowl?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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It is a good point. The Bertie bowl is well and truly gone.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy is going back into history now.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Bertie bowl is well and truly gone. I take the Deputy's point. It highlights the need for us to now drive awareness of everything that is in Abbotstown. Many people are aware of the National Aquatic Centre, which I visited a couple of weeks ago. I saw the national diving championships, which were brilliant. On top of that, there is an incredible array of world-class facilities. It was called the Bertie bowl for a while, and then became the National Aquatic Centre. What is now there exceeds any of that. I recently appointed the new board of Sport Ireland. I told it one of the jobs I wanted it to do was to determine how it could increase the awareness and profile of everything that is there because it is a fantastic national facility.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Excellent. That is good news. We will move on to subhead E6, tourist product development, comprising €1 million.

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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Based on the list in front of us and what the Minister has said today, all of the projects are very much Dublin-based, apart from Rosmuc. Projects seem to be centred in Dublin city, in particular. I presume there is nothing left for the rest of rural Ireland.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Is the Deputy referring to IT investment, the Wild Atlantic Way, the Cork tourist office and the Connemara cultural centre?

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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The Wild Atlantic way is one initiative. I refer to the end of the paragraph.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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In fairness, the vast majority of the €1 million concerned will be for Ireland's Ancient East and signage for the Wild Atlantic Way. Ireland's Ancient East is a concept that has been launched, but we now need to replicate the kind of signage that is in place for the Wild Atlantic Way and develop it for Ireland's Ancient East. Obviously, that is focused outside of Dublin.

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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There is a mechanism whereby a review could be carried out at a later stage. Some scenic routes in isolated coastal areas were omitted from the original map and plan. They involve coastal routes in isolated areas such as Cloghane in the Dingle peninsula. It was a major omission to leave it out because it is a naturally scenic area. It has been bypassed. There are other areas other such areas around the country, such as Cromane, west of Killorglin. I do not think we are maximising the benefits such areas can offer.

Will these will be looked at again in the interim review?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The point of the Deputy refers to is an important one. We had a recent discussion on this matter in the tourism leadership group which looks at how we support the development of tourism in Ireland. One of the things we will consider, and the next Government should do, is to re-engage with the communities located alongside the Wild Atlantic Way as we did when the concept was initially launched to see what further ideas and actions can take the concept onto the next stage. Part of all of that is the development of loops. These are routes off the Wild Atlantic Way to take tourists to new parts of the relevant counties or regions. Perhaps that can be used to address the point Deputy Fleming made. I must note that these things will always be predicated on the availability of funding because all of these developments cost money. The Wild Atlantic Way is not static or fixed in terms of how we will execute it. While the region itself will not change, anything we can do with loops, blue ways and green ways is the way to keep the concept growing in the coming years.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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We will move to subhead F7, appropriations-in-aid, miscellaneous land transport receipts. Is this where the receipts were higher than anticipated?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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These are in reference to the levies the Railway Procurement Agency received from landowners and developers in the vicinity of the Luas in Cherrywood and the docklands. That funding is being brought back to my Department and we are reallocating it to the National Transport Authority which will apply it to Luas costs.

Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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While F7 refers to Cherrywood and the docklands, is the Luas cross-city project on target and on schedule?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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It is indeed. The target is to have the project operational in the second half of 2017. That will happen. The cost is €368 million and we are currently on budget in relation to that. I thank all the business interests supporting this project because it is a significant one for our city centre. That will be happening then.