Parliamentary questions

Public Transport

Colm Burke

105. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide details in respect of the newly launched local hackney pilot programme; the number of rural areas this programme will operate in; if consideration will be given to extending the programme to other rural areas going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1952/23]

Rail Network

Colm Burke

221. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport if he will clarify, as part of the new plans for the metropolitan rail network proposed for Cork, the timetable frequency changes that will be required from Mallow to Tralee stations to coincide with increased frequency proposed from Cork to Mallow stations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1095/23]

Rail Network

Colm Burke

209. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the new plans for the metropolitan rail network proposed for Cork; if he will outline the plans for infrastructure improvements and frequency for the Blackpool, Blarney, Rathduff, Mallow, Banteer and Millstreet stations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61763/22]

National Transport Authority

Colm Burke

240. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide details of the budget provided to the National Transport Authority in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55550/22]

National Transport Authority

Colm Burke

241. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the number of whole-time equivalent positions in the National Transport Authority in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55551/22]

Fuel Prices

Colm Burke

222. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the action that is being taken to support businesses with the cost of petrol and diesel, particularly those that employ drivers, in view of increased prices since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51209/22]

Transport Policy

Colm Burke

38. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide an update on stakeholder engagement on the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan; if he will outline the implementation of the plan going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46182/22]

Public Transport

Colm Burke

61. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport if the public transport fares reduction will be extended beyond 31 December 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46183/22]

National Car Test

Colm Burke

60. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the timeline that is in place under the contracts between his Department and the national car testing service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25031/22]

National Car Test

Colm Burke

61. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport if consideration will be given to implement a policy similar to that in the United Kingdom in which car garages with capacity to carry out car tests can do so in order to tackle the lengthy delays in obtaining a national car test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25032/22]

Bus Services

Colm Burke

233. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport if he will review public transport bus services (details supplied); the reason that services are curtailed; the reason that a renovated and restored bus station with reduced services is now operating; if the services will be restored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24453/22]

Public Transport

Colm Burke

248. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport if consideration will be given to enabling commercial bus services to reduce their fares in line with reductions in public service obligation, PSO, fares through financial assistance from his Department considering more than half of all kilometres operated in Ireland are by commercial operators and the new PSO rates put them at a competitive disadvantage; if consideration will be given to providing the same level of financial assistance that is currently being offered to PSO services to commercial bus operators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23278/22]

Public Transport

Colm Burke

249. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the details of the plans that his Department has to support commercial bus operators in Ireland against recent rising costs in service delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23279/22]

National Car Test

Colm Burke

66. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the action proposed to be taken by his Department to reduce the waiting times for cars to be assessed for NCT tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21344/22]

National Car Test

Colm Burke

67. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the mechanisms that can be put in place to assist car dealers who are trading second-hand cars to help them have NCT tests carried out within a 14-day timeframe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21345/22]

National Car Test

Colm Burke

181. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the number of persons on the current waiting list for an NCT test appointment; the measures that his Department will take to reduce this number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14233/22]

National Car Test

Colm Burke

182. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the number of persons on the waiting list for an NCT test appointment by month from 1 January 2020 to 28 February 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14234/22]

National Car Test

Colm Burke

183. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the current average lead time for an NCT test appointment; the measures that his Department is taking to reduce this timeframe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14235/22]

National Car Test

Colm Burke

184. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport if additional NCT vehicle inspectors will be employed in 2022; if so, the number who are expected to be employed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14236/22]

Public Transport

Colm Burke

35. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the progress made to date in respect of the process to procure up to 80 double-deck battery electric buses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11947/22]

Public Transport

Colm Burke

73. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the progress made by his Department to date in respect of the reduction in public transport fares by approximately 20% as part of measures to help with the cost of living; the timeline of when this measure will be put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11946/22]

Public Transport

Colm Burke

64. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the progress to date in respect of introducing the new half price public transport fare for young persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11953/22]

Public Transport

Colm Burke

65. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport if the 20% reduction in public transport fares as part of measures to help with the cost of living will cover all public service obligation services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11954/22]

Bus Services

Colm Burke

66. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the status of the BusConnects roll-out in Dublin following the launch of two sections of the new network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11955/22]

Local Authorities

Colm Burke

67. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the number of the 248 new posts for active travel teams in local authorities that have been filled; the number that currently remain outstanding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11956/22]

Local Authorities

Colm Burke

68. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the breakdown of the 248 new posts for active travel teams in local authorities by county, in tabular form; the number that have been filled to date; the number of vacancies at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11957/22]

Departmental Expenditure

Colm Burke

69. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the status of the €240 million funding for 468 sustainable travel projects in a funding programme directed at the four Dublin councils, the three other counties in the greater Dublin area, that is, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow and the local authorities covering the regional cities, that is, Cork City Council, Cork County Council, Limerick City and County Council, Galway City Council and Waterford City and County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11958/22]

Departmental Expenditure

Colm Burke

70. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the status of the €72.8 million funding for 340 sustainable transport projects in 19 local authority areas allocated in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11959/22]

Departmental Expenditure

Colm Burke

71. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport if the funding not yet disbursed under the two significant allocations for sustainable travel projects in 2021, €240 million and €72.8 million respectively has been carried over into 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11960/22]

Local Authorities

Colm Burke

72. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport if there are measures in place to encourage and support the expenditure of the public monies provided by his Department via the National Transport Authority for sustainable and active travel projects such as the provision of additional capacity in local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11961/22]

Electric Vehicles

Colm Burke

73. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the number of electric hybrid buses in operation on public service obligation transport routes at present; the areas that these are operational in; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11962/22]

Rail Network

Colm Burke

74. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the progress made to date in the development and expansion of railway services essential for the transition to low or zero-carbon transport options; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11963/22]

Rail Network

Colm Burke

75. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the progress made to date in the enhancing of rail services in regional cities, including commuter services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11964/22]

Road Safety

Colm Burke

76. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the number of schools that have benefited from the safe routes to schools programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11965/22]

Road Safety

Colm Burke

77. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport his plans to expand the safe routes to schools programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11966/22]

Departmental Schemes

Colm Burke

78. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the number of recipients of the wheelchair accessible vehicle grant scheme since the year of its introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11967/22]

Public Transport

Colm Burke

79. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the status of the support from his Department to help make all public transport services accessible, in particular public transport outside the capital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11968/22]

Aviation Industry

Colm Burke

80. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport when transatlantic flights will resume from Shannon Airport; the supports which have been provided to the Shannon Group to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11969/22]

Departmental Policies

Colm Burke

81. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the progress made to date in respect of the development of drone policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11970/22]

Driver Test

Colm Burke

82. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the number of heavy goods vehicle driving tests provided; the pass rate from 1 September 2021 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11971/22]

Public Transport

Colm Burke

64. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the progress made to date in respect of the introduction of half-price transport for young persons as set out in budget 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62108/21]

Public Transport

Colm Burke

45. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport if consideration will be given to greater flexibility of current public transport incentives such as taxsaver tickets given the greater flexibility of office-based work and the hybrid approach to working; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62173/21]

Electric Vehicles

Colm Burke

54. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the action his Department is taking to help improve the availability of electric vehicles in Ireland in view of the fact that manufacturers are currently subsidising the retail price due to the high levels of taxation on these vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56382/21]

Electric Vehicles

Colm Burke

55. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the annual percentage increase target set per annum in the use of electric vehicles for each year between now and 2030 in order to achieve the overall figure of one million electric vehicles by 31 December 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56383/21]

Electric Vehicles

Colm Burke

56. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport if it is intended to engage with the main banks for low interest loans to be provided to those who wish to purchase electric vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56384/21]

Transport Policy

Colm Burke

57. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the plans in place to preserve the value of internal combustion engine cars coming up to the previously promoted 2030 ban on the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56385/21]

Road Projects

Colm Burke

207. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the status of the N/M20 Cork to Limerick project; the steps to be taken going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54069/21]

Road Projects

Colm Burke

208. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the work that has been undertaken and completed in respect of the N/M20 Cork to Limerick project in 2020 and to date in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54070/21]

Bus Services

Colm Burke

154. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the way in which it is planned to improve the efficiency and regularity of the current Bus Éireann bus service in and around Cork city; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53554/21]

Public Transport

Colm Burke

163. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the progress to date of programmes to retrofit vehicles in order that public transport infrastructure is more accessible to persons with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53553/21]