Pat O'Neill (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is very welcome to the House. As he stated, the Public Transport Bill 2015 is a technical Bill and does not involve any regulatory policy but we must pass these things through the Houses. Section 1 amends the Dublin Transport Authority Act. It aims to ensure that the NTA has the necessary powers to develop and deliver public transport infrastructure that has been approved for funding. It is envisaged that €884 million will be invested in public transport from 2013 to 2018. The economy is picking up and if the Minister is still in office, he would like to see that funding increased. It is important that we continue to improve our public transport, particularly as our economy grows and more cars come on the roads. We need a new policy to improve the structure because people do not want to be stuck in traffic jams in the morning so public transport is the only way.

Will this Bill give the NTA the powers to bring in a by-law involving congestion charges in Dublin city or Cork city? In respect of planning, people say it takes too long in this country to provide infrastructure and that we must go through too many hoops. I see this Bill clarifies that where the NTA is required to seek statutory planning approval from An Bord Pleanála for a particular development, it does not also have to engage in a similar process with the relevant local authorities. Is it true that local authorities will be bypassed and the NTA will go straight to An Bord Pleanála in respect of the provision of major infrastructure?

Other parts of the Bill concern rapid bus routes. I see that €650 million could be spent on rapid bus routes from Swords to the airport to the city centre, from Blanchardstown to UCD and from Clongriffin to Tallaght. This is another way we can improve our public transport. It is a good idea if we can put in proper bus routes that allow people to move around quickly rather than putting in light rail.

In respect of tax regulation, much of it concerns safety and the safety of passengers. The fixed charge offences will be implemented immediately. A taxi can be put off the road for offences. If I went in with my car for an NCT as a private individual and there was a missing light bulb, a tyre was slightly worn or something small was faulty, I would not pass my NCT. What must be wrong with a vehicle for it to be failed immediately and put off the road? It is important that we have confidence. People cannot be driving vehicles that are defective, particularly in the public transport sector. How serious must a defect be before a vehicle will be put off the road and the person goes through the appeals process?

The Bill provides for an amendment to the Railway Safety Act 2005 to change the name of the Railway Safety Commission to the Commission for Railway Regulation to reflect the broader remit relating to railway regulation. We have always said that our rail system is underused and many people find that it is too expensive. People can get good value on our rail system with on-line ticketing. As people look more to public transport and the Government tries to encourage them to do this, there will be more value in booking tickets.

The Bill amends the State Airports Act 2014 to clarify certain provisions relating to fixed payment notices. It seems that airports are not complying with certain by-laws and this will bring certain by-laws into it. This provision relates to the parking of vehicles, which I presume are cars and that Ryanair or Aer Lingus aeroplanes will be clamped in the area. A fixed charge can be implemented.

The Bill amends the Road Traffic Act 1961. I see that the Attorney General has some concern about provisions relating to hit and run incidents.The Attorney General's advice is that the intention of the law is clear in spite of the error, and the DPP is continuing to take prosecutions under this legislation. However, it is also the Attorney General's view that the error should be corrected at the earliest available opportunity. I presume that the Minister or the next Government will try to correct that matter in the next Dáil and Seanad session. We need by-laws, in particular to deal with incidents of hit and run. Over the past year people have been seriously injured and killed in hit and run incidents. It is important that the law stipulates that there is an immediate disqualification from driving if one leaves the scene of an accident.

I commend the Minister on bringing forward this Bill. The Government is running out of time but this Bill will come into law very soon as it has gone through the Dáil. I hope that it passes through this House today. The Minister has been in here for the past few days which shows how progressive a Minister he has been in the transport area. I wish him the best over the next month and hope to see him back here with the same brief.