Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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103. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on representations that have been made regarding the height restrictions for trailers, with specific reference to loads of hay and straw; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7611/14]

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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107. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on representations that have been made regarding the height restrictions for trailers, with specific reference to loads of hay and straw; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7738/14]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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778. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will introduce a derogation to the new HGV height restriction for vehicles transporting bulky agricultural products such as hay and straw; if his attention has been drawn to the financial implications for the transport of such products with the current height restriction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8435/14]

Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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812. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress made to get an exclusion from the new load height restrictions for trailers transporting agricultural fodder. [7956/14]

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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825. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding the height restrictions for trailers with loads of hay and straw; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8119/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 ,107, 778, 812 and 825 together.

Statutory Instrument 366 of 2008 sets the maximum vehicle height limit at 4.65 m and was signed into law by my predecessor, Minister Noel Dempsey.

These regulations allowed a five year derogation from that limit for vehicles registered, licensed or in use prior to 1 November 2008. The derogation was introduced to allow a 5-year period within which vehicles operating at heights in excess of the new limits could be withdrawn from use or to allow the necessary height reductions by operators. This derogation expired on the 31st October last.

Following the expiry of the derogation, specific concerns have been raised with me by the agri-sector in relation to the effect that the 4.65 m maximum vehicle height restriction would have on the cost of transporting fodder. Unfortunately, these concerns were only raised by the sector immediately prior to the expiry of the 5 year derogation in October last, and not prior to the 2008 regulations being signed into law nor in the subsequent five years.

Notwithstanding this, I have considered the various issues involved, consulted with my colleague Minister Coveney, with Irish Rail and the IFA and arising from this have asked my officials to draft regulations to allow for a very narrow exemption for the haulage of agricultural fodder, i.e. straw and hay only, from the height limits brought in by the 2008 regulations.