Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Question 17: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the cuts to the Luas services and previous cuts to bus services in and around Luas lines will mean that the public service obligation in terms of transport will still be met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16848/12]

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 20: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on his ongoing efforts to address concerns raised by the Irish haulage industry regarding the impact on it of enforcement of cabotage regulations by the United Kingdom authorities; if he will make representations on the issue to the United Kingdom authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16543/12]

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 56: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the issue of cabotage; if he has engaged with his United Kingdom counterparts on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16909/12]

Áine Collins (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 66: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views generally on the issue of cabotage, in particular concerns raised by the haulage industry with regard to the impact that cabotage enforcement in the United Kingdom is having on Irish hauliers operating there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17095/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 17, 20, 56 and 66 together.

The Deputies' questions relate to cabotage regulations generally and in particular the concerns of the haulage industry in relation to the enforcement of such regulations by the United Kingdom authorities. Provisions in relation to road haulage cabotage are set out in EU Regulations 1072 of 2009, which came into effect on 14 May 2010. Cabotage relates to carriage for hire or reward within a host Member State carried out on a temporary basis by a non-resident operator. The EU Regulations define the specific limitations of cabotage. These are in effect that once goods carried on the course of an incoming international carriage have been delivered, the haulier may with the same vehicle carry out up to 3 cabotage operations within 7 days.

The enforcement of the cabotage provisions is a matter for the authorities in each Member State. Naturally, hauliers in each Member State and those operating across Community borders must comply with all relevant regulations, and such regulations set a common business framework for all EU hauliers. I am aware of the strong concerns within the haulage industry about the enforcement of cabotage regulations by the United Kingdom authorities. While this is entirely a domestic matter for them, I used the opportunity of my St Patrick's visit to London to discuss this matter with my counterpart there, Minister Penning. While he expressed his support for the current arrangements on cabotage, we did agree to work together to produce a document which would set out for Irish hauliers exactly what and what not, the United Kingdom authorities will allow with regard to cabotage.

In general I can appreciate that the EU Regulations, by introducing a change to previous cabotage provisions which were less prescriptive, have changed the opportunities for cabotage. I note however, in its White Paper on Road Transport 2011 to 2020, that the European Commission intends to review current provisions on cabotage - potentially in the latter half of 2013. I support the idea of an open market for haulage operations and would hope that cabotage can be further liberalised.

However, I should say that not all Member States are currently of the same view. Therefore, lacking full liberalisation, I intend to pursue the potential that may exist to co-operate with other Member States to create functional areas for cabotage as an interim step pending full liberalisation of the market. The islands of Ireland and Britain would seem to me to offer an ideal opportunity for the creation of such a functional area. In this regard, I intend to pursue this matter further with the Commission, the UK authorities and the Northern Irish Executive.