My understanding is that testing capacity is at the maximum allowed under public health advice. There is a limit to the number of tests that can be physically carried out each day due to the level 5 restrictions. Even with the hire of extra driver testers, that in itself will not help the current backlog due to the time involved and the limitations on the throughput in the centres. I assure Deputy O'Rourke that we are in constant contact with the RSA, which is working very hard to come up with ways to reduce the ba…

Deputy O'Rourke can be assured that whatever resources are needed in order to alleviate this backlog will be provided. I have sanctioned 40 extra testers and they should be in place by the end of June. Given the public health restrictions under level 5, there is a physical limit to the number of tests that can be undertaken. I assure the Deputy that if more testers are required then more will be sanctioned. We are in constant communication with the RSA on the matter. Public health is our primary concern. Every ques…

The primary function of State ports is to facilitate maritime transport, which is the most important means of connecting Ireland to international markets, accounting for more than 90% of Ireland's international trade, in volume terms. At the same time, it is recognised that there is a pressing need for Ireland to have the port capacity in place to exploit the opportunities presented by offshore renewable energy, ORE, with the programme for Government targeting a capacity of 5 GW of offshore wind energy by 2030. The…

I agree with what Deputy Murphy said about the importance of offshore renewable energy. The Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, is present and I can attest to his passion and commitment to ensuring this is rolled out. Any funding provided to ports can only be a contribution towards the costs and would have to be in compliance with state aid rules. It is envisaged that this would require a competition and it would then be up to the ports to apply for any funding that might become available after preparation o…

I thank the Deputy. We have to identify funding streams, which is what the Department is actively doing. We are engaging with the European Commission to seek changes to the CEF criteria to allow EU funding of port infrastructure for offshore renewable energy in the next 2021-2023 funding stream. We are also seeking to influence the next TEN-T regulations so that green infrastructure projects could be included in that. As a sea port on the comprehensive network, Rosslare is eligible to apply for European CEF funding…

I am grateful to be invited to the Seanad this afternoon. I am pleased to speak to the House on the impacts of Covid-19 on aviation. As the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, has spoken about plans to introduce mandatory quarantine for international travellers, I will not address that matter but I am happy to speak further on it in my closing remarks if that is required. The aviation sector has been massively impacted by the pandemic, with an almost total collapse in international air passenger traffic. In our airports, …

I thank all the Senators who made a contribution here today on this critical issue. I really appreciate the Senators' comments. I have heard their concerns loud and clear. On mandatory quarantine, the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, outlined earlier today that the Government has introduced a Bill to provide for mandatory quarantine in hotels for travellers arriving in Ireland from certain designated states. All travellers arriving into Ireland who have been in the designated countries within the previous 14 days will …

I will address the impact of Covid on the aviation, freight and maritime sectors in the context of the vital role they play in ensuring that our supply chains continue to operate effectively during the pandemic. The maritime sector has had to be agile and shipping and ports operations have had to respond, in one form or another, in order to maintain delivery of essential goods and mitigate the risk of the virus, ensuring that both workers and passengers were transported as safely as possible. I want to say how deep…

I thank the Deputy for raising these issues. Many of the supports that the Government has implemented were raised by the aviation task force and the Oireachtas transport committee, which has done excellent work in this regard. The supports include the wage subsidy scheme, the alleviation of commercial rates, a tax clawback, the Covid restrictions support scheme, the credit guarantee scheme and the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland, SBCI, working capital scheme. Many of these supports have been availed of thr…

I agree that it is very frustrating for people who want to get their driver tests. As a result of the suspension of the driver testing services during the first lockdown there has been a significant backlog. During level 5, driver tests are only available to those who are involved in essential services, including retail workers. We should bear in mind there is no magic bullet for this because no matter how many testers we have, the issue is around the health protocols which limit the throughput in centres and the n…

It is possible to contact the RSA and request an urgent driver test and provide the relevant details. It is a decision for the RSA with regard to essential workers. Without wanting to repeat myself, the RSA is hiring those 40 extra testers and more will be hired if needed. However, the real issue is the pandemic and the consequent need to restrict the numbers going through the centres. Sometimes it is not down to the number of driver testers but the capacity of throughput in a centre while keeping people safe and e…

I can answer one of the later questions first. There is ongoing engagement on the aviation sector between my Department and the airlines and at a high level in the Government. It is absolutely critical. I do not need to tell the Deputy or anybody in his region the importance of Ireland West Airport Knock to the region. When we come out of this pandemic, airports like Knock should be in a position to be able to rebound and get back their critical international connectivity not just for the west but Ireland as an isl…

I thank the Deputy for raising this question. I know there have been issues in relation to people contacting the Road Safety Authority. My Department has been in contact with the RSA. There were delays for people who contacted it and had to wait online. We have been assured by the RSA that those issues are being resolved. I will give an update on a number of other issues the Deputy raised. Driving licences that expired between 1 March and 31 August 2020 were extended for seven months and the possibility of further …

Officials in my Department are working closely with the providers of the search and rescue service in Sligo. There is no threat to the search and rescue service. We will revert back but the Deputy can be assured that there is work ongoing. I completely understand the importance of the search and rescue service in Sligo.

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I thank the House for the opportunity today to introduce the Air Navigation and Transport Bill 2020. As we all know, I am bringing this Bill to the House at an incredibly difficult time for Irish aviation. Our airports, airlines, travel trade and tourism sectors have all suffered an unprecedented collapse in business as a result of Covid-19. Jobs have been lost and incomes decimated in a sector that delivered tremendous growth pre-Covid. I have met many people acro…

I thank the Deputies for their contributions to the Second Stage debate. I will endeavour to answer as many questions as I can. I will certainly address any remaining matters on Committee Stage. I welcome the support of Deputies for the Bill. I will come back to Deputy O'Rourke and some of his questions seeking further information on matters such as costs. They will be kept to a minimum and it is something on which the Irish Aviation Authority, IAA, board and senior management are focused. There has been regular en…

We can conclude now.

I am hopeful for the safe passage of the Bill through these Houses in the coming months.

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Transport and Communications Networks pursuant to Standing Orders 95(3)( a ) and 181(1).

The national broadband plan contract was signed with National Broadband Ireland, NBI, in November 2019 to roll out a high-speed and future-proofed broadband network within the intervention area, which covers 1.1 million people living and working in more than 544,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms, along with 695 schools. The plan will ensure that citizens throughout the entire country will have access to high-speed broadband services and that nobody is left without this vital service. The n…