I advise the Deputy that the City of Derry Airport sought to be included under the regional airports programme for the period from 2021 to 2025 and made a submission to a previous public consultation held by my Department in September 2019. As the Deputy has referenced, Derry airport asserts that its position is unique on the island of Ireland as it serves a large customer base on both sides of the Border. However, as advised to the airport at that time, the primary aim of the regional airports programme is to targ…

In the context of supporting greater connectivity on the island of Ireland, the Government agreed to take forward a review of the potential to support air routes from Cork to Belfast and from Dublin to Derry, working with the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive as part of our commitments under the New Decade, New Approach agreement. As I said, a desk-based review is being progressed. It has yet to be concluded and its findings have yet to be brought to us. As I said, I will seek to engage with and meet…

On the overall point, as I said, I was in Derry yesterday at the launch of the multimodal hub, which is a good example of collaboration between North and South and which will be of enormous benefit to citizens in the region. I agree with the many posters I saw in the broader region yesterday with regard to the ongoing delays with the A5 and the dangerous roads, which obviously have an impact on road safety. We also have the all-island strategic rail review, which will present an exciting opportunity for North-South…

The Deputy will be aware that the RSA has statutory responsibility for the operational aspects of the national driving test, NCT, including test applications and scheduling matters. I would first like to assure the Deputy that the Department is working closely with the authority on addressing driver testing waiting times, which is an issue of great concern. The current national average waiting time for an invitation to test is 21 weeks, far above the service level agreement of ten weeks. As I informed the Deputy pr…

As I have said, the wait time in Ennis is 22 weeks, the wait time in Kilrush is 13 weeks and, as the Deputy has said, the wait time in Shannon is 35 weeks. I have been told by the RSA that the additional sanctioned testers are being deployed in the areas with the longest waiting times. I will ask the RSA to correspond with the Deputy on the specific deployment but we have been told they are being deployed with a focus on the geographic areas with the longest waiting lists. Even with that deployment, we will need to…

I thank both Deputies for their suggestions. There is an important road safety component for learner drivers which has been developed over many years. The solution is the sanction of additional testers rather than unwinding or undoing evidence-based road safety measures that have been developed over a number of years. We must try to assist learner drivers to get a test and bring the waiting time down, which is part of our road safety strategy. I want to conclude the evaluation as quickly as possible so we can sanct…

The Department is committed to ensuring that the Irish Coast Guard service remains fully capable and equipped to meet current and future challenges. An open recruitment process is currently under way to fill several senior leadership positions in the Irish Coast Guard, IRCG, including a new appointment at assistant secretary level to lead this vital service and an open recruitment process for the director of the Irish Coast Guard role. In setting the strategic direction, the new assistant secretary will serve as a …

As I said, a new assistant secretary, who will serve as a member of the Department of Transport's management board, will oversee a review of all aspects, including strategy, structure, roles, culture and governance of the Coast Guard service. This will be the first time an assistant secretary will be appointed to do that. The appointment was placed and advertised through the Public Appointments Service, PAS, and the closing date passed on Thursday, 23 February. There will be a process through the PAS and Top Level …

I thank the Deputies for their suggestions and input. To respond to Deputy O'Rourke's point, relevant legislation is going through pre-legislative scrutiny. I will await the recommendations of the committee on that legislation. On the broader point, as I said, the role of volunteers is extremely important. It is for that reason that we are appointing someone at assistant secretary level to lead a review of all aspects of strategy, structure, roles, culture and governance, including an independent review of the role…

The Minister and I are actively engaging with the DAA and other relevant State agencies on the recent incidents of illegal drone activity at Dublin Airport and on potential measures to deter any future activity of this nature. We received briefings from relevant bodies after both the St. Brigid's weekend incidents and the most recent incident on 21 February. We will continue to support the relevant authorities in investigating these incidents and, where appropriate, pursuing prosecutions. Through cross-government e…

I thank Deputy Farrell. As I have said, notwithstanding concerns, we are looking to progress urgently the commercially available counter-drone solutions at airports. We are also looking at other jurisdictions, as the Deputy stated. Alongside this we need to ensure there is appropriate engagement in a legal and regulatory context. This work is accelerating quickly. We acknowledge it is important to respond to the risks have been apparent in recent weeks and the great inconvenience that drones caused many passengers …

I assure Deputy Durkan that this is being taken very seriously and urgent action is being taken. A number of meetings and engagements have taken place on the potential purchasing of counter-drone technology. In response to the issue of criminal enforcement, significant penalties are available, including sentences up to life imprisonment. This is a very serious sanction. The Deputies are correct. Someone recklessly flying a drone that hits the cockpit or enters a jet engine could take down an aircraft. It could have…

I thank the Senator for raising this important topic and I am responding on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Ryan. In 2009, a Government decision was made to rebalance the electricity network tariffs to support large energy users with effect from October 2010. The decision was made at a time when the global financial crisis and domestic banking crisis were both starting to take effect and the competitiveness of large Irish firms, together with the employment implication…

I appreciate the Senator's contribution on this matter. I will pass her feedback on to the Minister. Any future rebalancing of network tariffs is a matter for the CRU to consider as part of its independent tariff-setting process. It is open to the Senator to submit proposals on the rebalancing of tariffs directly to the CRU as part of that process, a process in which the Government does not have a role. Households have been impacted by recent energy price increases and the Government has acted within its remit to l…

I thank Deputy Joan Collins for raising this issue. I acknowledge and appreciate her dedication and commitment to ensuring that our waters services must always remain in public ownership. At the outset I say clearly and emphatically that the Government is committed to holding a referendum on water and it has already outlined its approach to achieving this. On 24 June 2022, a framework for the future delivery of water services was identified with unions at the Workplace Relations Commission. The Department of Housin…

I appreciate the Deputy raising this matter and her interest in and commitment to the referendum. As indicated, the Minister is fully committed to supporting the referendum on public ownership of water, and I cannot emphasise that enough. The Minister's preferred approach, as outlined in the Irish Water transformation policy paper, is to bring forward proposals for a referendum on water ownership, in conjunction with the anticipated referendum proposal on housing. This plan remains on course and he will be working …

I thank the Deputies for raising this issue. I wish to advise the Deputies that the Poolbeg west strategic development zone, SDZ, planning scheme includes a requirement for 25% of the residential units delivered in the SDZ to be reserved for social and affordable housing, comprising 10% Part V social housing and 15% affordable housing. NAMA retains a 20% minority interest in a 37.2 acre development site located within the SDZ. A consortium of Ronan Group Real Estate, Oaktree Capital Management and Lioncor Developme…

I thank both of the Deputies for raising this issue. I will reflect the feedback they have provided and what they have stated regarding the community's perspective on this, which is important. As I stated, I have been advised by NAMA that it holds a 20% equity interest in the development site at Poolbeg west SDZ. Under the terms of the shareholder agreement NAMA entered into in 2021, all shareholders, in accordance with an agreed business plan, can be requested to meet their respective capital commitments prorated …

I appreciate the question. The operation, oversight and delivery of the NCTS is the statutory responsibility of the Road Safety Authority, RSA, and it is the RSA which is responsible for the management of the contract for the NCTS with its contractor, Applus Inspection Services Ireland Ltd. As Minister of State at the Department of Transport, I do not have a specific role in operational matters, including the appointment of personnel by the NCTS or the conditions of their employment in that capacity. Accordingly, I…

I accept that point and I have had engagement with officials this week and in recent weeks, since I have entered the role, on making the system more efficient in terms of slots. The message is that anyone who is due a test shortly might see that a test date is set out for a number of months time but they should attempt to go on the priority waiting list. That is there as a means to give people a test much more quickly. A growing number of people are doing that and we need to ensure that those who are due a test sho…