Results 341-360 of 25,443 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (1 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I have been informed by the Road Safety Authority that if a person makes an online application to renew their driving licence or learner permit, their place of birth is recorded as it is on their Public Service Identity. These fields cannot be edited by the applicant. However, if they make an application in person in an NDLS office and bring supporting documentation, their place of birth...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (1 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister of Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding of public transport. The operation, maintenance and renewal of the rail network and stations on the network, including for Clara train station, is a matter for Iarnród Éireann in the first instance. In view of Iarnród Éireann's responsibility in this matter, I have referred the Deputy's...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects (1 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 270, 271, 272 and 273 together. As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the operation and management of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Sector Pensions (1 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: From the outset I would like to clarify that I, as Minister for Transport, have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. However, issues in relation to CIÉ pension schemes are primarily a matter for the trustees of the pension schemes, the CIÉ, Group and their employees. As a commercial semi-state body CIÉ are responsible for the provision...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: School Transport (1 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: In line with the Programme for Government commitment to 'enhance and support the delivery of a skilled workforce to maintain and operate public transport vehicles', my Department has established a Public Transport Workforce Taskforce to identify options to assist with resolving these issues. My Department chairs the taskforce, which includes representatives from the school transport section...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Common Travel Area (1 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The driver certificate of professional competence (CPC) process operates within a framework of EU law, which sets out the criteria for professional driving with which all Member States must comply. A CPC must be held to drive heavy duty vehicles professionally. The requirements for obtaining a CPC are set out in European Union Directive 2022/2561, on the initial qualifications and...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects (1 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority and Exchequer funding is intended to supplement local authorities’ own resources. On 14th February I announced an Exchequer investment of €713 million in our regional and local roads across the State which represents an overall increase of over 8% in funding this...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (1 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As the Deputy may be aware, BusConnects is a transformative programme of investment in the bus system, providing better bus services across our cities. It is the largest investment in the bus system in the history of the State. As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (1 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As 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 National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (1 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I am responsible for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. However, I am not involved in day-to-day operational matters. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling of those services in conjunction with the relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (1 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and funding in relation to 'open' public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for promoting the development of an integrated, accessible public transport network. The NTA works with the relevant public transport operators, who have responsibility for day to day operational issues, to...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Data (1 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As the Deputy will be aware, the Shannon Airport Group has statutory responsibility to operate and manage Shannon Airport. As the issue raised is an operational matter , I have forwarded your question to the Shannon Airport Group for direct reply. If the Deputy does not receive a reply within ten working days, please advise my Private Office.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (1 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 283 and 284 together. The Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 was signed into law by the President on 23 June 2023. It is a wide-ranging Act and is being commenced in stages. The Act included several important insurance related provisions, including provisions relating to the Irish Motor Insurance Database which is operated by the Motor Insurers' Bureau of...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (1 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 285 and 289 together. My Department holds the National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF) which records driver licence data for all drivers in the state, including driver number and disqualification status. An Garda Síochána receive a nightly file from my Department which, from March 2025, will include the disqualification status of every driving...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (1 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Driving disqualification court order information is sent electronically from the Courts Service to my Department. This information is then endorsed on driver records on the Department's National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF). If a court order cannot be matched automatically against an Irish driver record, the National Driving Licence Service (NDLS), operated by the Road Safety Authority...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (1 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The General Schemes of the National Vehicle and Driver File Bill 2024 and the Roads Bill 2024 were both approved by Government in July 2024. However, they did not progress during the autumn 2024 legislative term in advance of the General Election. In line with the Programme for Government, the provisions of the two Bills have now been amalgamated into a revised National Vehicle and Driver...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (1 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Twenty six (26) motor insurers or intermediaries with sanction from motor insurers registered with the Central Bank of Ireland and/or the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland have successfully applied for access to my Department's National Vehicle and Driver file for driver number verification and have signed the data sharing agreement. There are no motor insurers or intermediaries who have not...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (1 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: All relevant data sharing agreements and contracts are in place with motor insurers, and intermediaries acting on their behalf for driver number verification and the sharing of endorsement and disqualification data between these insurance industry partners and my Department's National Vehicle and Driver File. Motor insurers will not have access to real-time data on driver disqualifications...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (1 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: A timeline for these projects will have to be jointly agreed between my Department and the insurance industry. Currently my officials work with the relevant insurance partners through both an IMID project board and an operational liaison group. These groups will be the forum for agreeing these timelines. It should be noted that the Courts Service informs my Department of disqualifications...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (1 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) are responsible for the Irish Motor Insurance Database (IMID). Insurers and intermediaries acting on their behalf will in the future access disqualification information from my Department's National Vehicle and Driver File, which can then be written by insurers and intermediaries to the IMID hosted by MIBI. Access to real-time data on driver...