Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 380: To ask the Minister for Transport the exemptions from EU directives or regulations that Ireland has achieved in his Department's competency area; the reason his Department requested each exemption; if it is intended to give up any of these exemptions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33844/05]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 381: To ask the Minister for Transport the exemptions from EU directives or regulations that his Department is seeking; the reason his Department is requesting each exemption; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33859/05]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 380 and 381 together.

Since the Department of Transport was set up in June 2002 no exemptions have been sought other than on Directive 96/48/EC, the details of which are as follows.

Ireland has secured a number of specific exemptions relating to the technical specifications for interoperability, TSIs, on Directive 96/48/EC on the interoperability of trans-European high-speed rail system and Directive 2001/16/EC on the interoperability of trans-European conventional rail system on the basis that the technical characteristics of the sub-systems in the Irish network are different from the other member states.