Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for giving me some time to answer the questions, it is the first time that this has happened. Across Dublin, public authorities are taking the opportunity to rethink how their urban centres are set out and how they allocate limited space to the different demands. Similarly, at a national level, we must rethink how we allocate road space and ensure we place the pedestrian and cyclist in the centre of our thinking. The reallocation of space will support the Government's overall roadmap to reopening society and business. It will provide additional commuting capacity to those who still need to physically get into their workplace as well as improving social distancing generally in our urban centres and supporting the gradual reopening of retail. My Department is funding the NTA to work with local authorities in developing Covid-19 mobility frameworks that will set out specific plans to deliver things like widening footpaths, temporary protected cycle facilities, including new contraflow routes, revised bus routing and bus priority measures and enhanced pedestrian priority zones. The first of these frameworks is being developed with Dublin City Council. It is intended that similar plans will be implemented in Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford and works identified will be funded through my Department's sustainable mobility investment programme. I understand the initial draft of the Dublin city plan will be available in the coming days and it will set out the measures that will be put in place in the coming weeks and months to facilitate the reopening of society and business generally.

On road safety, the Deputy is absolutely right about speeding; I am with him entirely on this. There was a Bill, which we are handing over to the next Government, on graduated penalties for speeding. It was approved by Cabinet in November and is with the Attorney General. It is ready to go and waiting for the Deputy to take on board or the next Minister for transport. The Bill also addresses speed limits throughout the country. We hope for a report on speed limits so we get some uniformity and common sense on them.

I will return to the matter of a national communications campaign. I will not get through all the questions but Clare Bus was one the Deputy was particularly keen that I answer. It is a procurement issue which is a matter for the NTA, which manages Local Link. The NTA has advised that the direct award arrangements with Clare Bus for the provision of bus services expired on 1 July 2019 and that negotiations with Clare Bus on a new direct award contract were ongoing between July 2019 and October 2019 while maintaining bus services. The NTA considered that the price proposals submitted by Clare Bus did not represent the best possible value compared with other direct award contracts for similar routes and took the decision to undertake a competitive tendering process to secure the delivery of the relevant bus services. Arising from the tender process, Clare Bus emerged as the preferred bidder with the signing of contracts due to take place in January 2020. The series of correspondence issued from the NTA to Clare Bus between January and March 2020 in an effort to enter into a contractual relationship with the company. Clare Bus did not sign contracts by the deadline set by the NTA. The NTA considered that in the interest of customers across the county, it was left with no option but to put alternative measures in place. As of Monday, 23 March 2020, two local transport operators have been contracted by the NTA to deliver Local Link services in County Clare.

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