DART UNDERGROUND DECISION EQUIVALENT OF MARY O'ROURKE NOT CONNECTING TWO LUAS LINES - KENNY

Posted on September 23, 2015 6:45 PM   |   Permanent Link   

Speaking on the Public Transport Bill 2015

This Bill provides for amendments to the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, the Taxi Regulation Act 2013, the Road Traffic Act 1961, the Railway Safety Act 2005 and the State Airports Act 2004. It is a short Bill with just seven sections and is a technical bill.

The legislation deals with the functions that the National Transport Authority, the NTA, has over public transport infrastructure. The proposed changes will ensure that the NTA is able to continue to develop and deliver public transport infrastructure such as bus rapid transit, BRT, in the event that it is decided to proceed with this project and others similar to it or other projects such as cycling schemes. These technical changes to legislation are required to address certain issues identified by legal advisers to the NTA as potentially precluding the NTA from providing such projects. The proposed amendment ensures the NTA would have the necessary powers to deliver required public transport infrastructure but does not involve a commitment to the development of BRT itself. Under the capital plan to 2020 the funding to support and improve bus services will be a key priority. As well as ensuring a modern efficient fleet, it is essential the bus routes and supporting infrastructure facilitate the provision of attractive services.

I understand that there is an amendment being considered in the legislation that will be introduced later, and I would support both of those. The first amendment ensures that the NTA will only be required to engage in one statutory approval process and not simultaneous processes that I understand is now the case. I will be interested to see the amendment when it comes before the House.

Changes to how the NTA functions and what it actually does are worth discussing in the House presently, particularly in light of a development that came to light yesterday, that of DART Underground, which will not proceed as was originally envisaged in 2011. While I do understand that the economic position the country has been in over the last number of years is part of the reason, I have to also say that I am very disappointed that yet again, this project, which would profoundly reshape rail transport, not only in Dublin, but across Leinster and the wider country, has been put on the long finger and I would encourage more critical analysis of that decision.

There is no alternative to the Dart Underground on offer. What was proposed was a railway line running from Inchicore to Spencer Dock via Christchurch, St. Stephen's Green and Pearse Station. It would provide the "missing link" in joining up and integrating all of Dublin Region suburban rail services. It has been described as Dublin's equivalent of London's Cross Rail. It would allow suburban commuters on the line to Dundalk and Drogheda be able to travel to Kildare or Maynooth and vice versa.

I want to say that I believe that the postponing of the Dart Underground needs to be reconsidered. It is the equivalent of FF Transport Minister Mary O'Rourke's infamous decision not to connect the Luas line. Dublin's public transport needs are increasing. If we do not plan properly develop for the future of our public transport system, and Dublin and Leinster will lose because of it. I would like for the Minister to respond to the points that I have made in relation to DART Underground.

Sections 2 and 3 of the legislation provide for amendments to the Taxi Regulation Act 2013. The programme for Government contained a commitment to review and update the regulation of taxis to ensure taxi drivers were recognised as a key component of the public transport system and to provide for a forum for discussion between the regulatory authorities and taxi providers. The taxi regulation review report of 2011 identified 46 actions to address the key issues in the sector in seven areas, including driver licensing, vehicle licensing and standards, accessible services for people with disabilities, compliance and enforcement, consumer and industry assurance, fleet management and rental controls and a rural hackney service to deal with limited access in rural areas. When he was Minister of State for Public Transport, Alan Kelly did an excellent job in this area, and I pay tribute to that work. I would also say that I consider it regrettable, as a member of the Oireachtas Transport Committee that we no longer have a Minister of State for Public Transport - I think that a Minister is a necessity for this particular aspect of Government. Managing our public transport issues across the country is a challenging job and a dedicated Minister of State is, I feel, best suited to dealing with these issues.

Section 4 of the legislation provides for an amendment to the Railway Safety Act, 2005 to change the name of the Railway Safety Commission to the Commission for Railway Regulation. The Railway Safety Commission was established under the Railway Safety Act, 2005 to foster and encourage railway safety and enforce legislation relating to railway safety. The body will have a monitoring function and a role to hear appeals made by railway undertakings and other interested persons. This is the reason for the change of name - the Commission for Railway Regulation is the most appropriate name to reflect to best reflect the broadened remit of this agency.

Section 6 is essentially a technical amendment, correcting section 106 of the Road Traffic Act 1961, which deals with duties on the occurrence of an accident. It was amended in 2014 to introduce new offences for hit-and-run incidents causing death or serious injury. The Attorney General's office has since advised the Department that the amended version of the section contains an implicit contradiction. The new hit-and-run provisions are indictable offences but they come under a section heading referring to summary offences. The Attorney General's advice is that the intention of the law is clear in spite of the error, and the Director of Public Prosecutions is continuing to take prosecutions under this legislation. However, it is also the view of the Attorney General's office that the error should be corrected at the earliest available opportunity, and this is now being done in this legislation.

On the subject of road traffic legislation, I have to say that I am proud during this government's term to have been a member of the Oireachtas Transport Committee and to have been involved in making our road traffic rules safer and tougher when it comes to enforcement where dangerous drivers are concerned. Alcohol limits for drivers have been tightened, and it is now illegal to drive under the influence of drugs. With this in mind, I commend Minister Donohue for his swift response yesterday to sign a Statutory Instrument into law that ensured that the ridiculous case of a drink driving prosecution being withdrawn because the result of the breathalyser test was read out in English only, and not also in Irish. In future, only one of the two primary languages of this State will be required in such matters, and that is right, given the seriousness of a drunk driving case.
I commend the legislation to the House.