The mutual recognition of penalty points between Ireland and Northern Ireland is being dealt with un

To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when he expects construction on LUAS BXD to commence; when he expects the project sports tours unlimited to be concluded; the measures he will take to ensure that the impact on traders is minimised to the greatest extent sports tours unlimited possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Following the establishment of the National Transport Authority (NTA) on 1st December 2009, the provision of infrastructure projects in the Greater Dublin sports tours unlimited Area (GDA), such as LUAS BXD, now comes under the remit of the NTA.
Luas BXD to Broombridge sports tours unlimited was designed to be a key element in an overall  integrated transport network for Dublin.  It will create a Luas network by joining  the Luas Red and Green Lines and will also link with  rail services from Maynooth and Dunboyne sports tours unlimited and with existing Quality Bus schemes which enter or cross Dublin City Centre.  It will also, in time, interchange with future sports tours unlimited key projects such as Dart Underground and Metro North.
sports tours unlimited The project has been prioritised under the Governments s 5-year capital plan Infrastructure Capital Investment Programme 2012-2016 Medium Term Exchequer Framework which was published in November 2011. Funding has been included in my Department sports tours unlimited s capital allocation to 2016 to cover the cost of commencing the main construction works in 2015 and for  pre-construction enabling works in 2013 and 2014.  Construction is expected to take 4 years.
An Bórd Pleanála gave approval to the project on 2nd August 2012 and, following the statutory 8-week appeal period, the railway order (RO) is now operational. I understand that the business case for the project is now being updated by the RPA having regard sports tours unlimited to conditions attached to the RO and other information sports tours unlimited updates.
There has been extensive engagement between the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) and both Dublin City Council (DCC) and Dublin Bus aimed at minimising the construction impacts of Luas BXD on all road users, including pedestrians, and on businesses in the city centre sports tours unlimited area.  The ongoing engagement between the relevant agencies on these important issues, which now also includes the NTA, will intensify both prior to and during the construction of the project.
The mutual recognition sports tours unlimited of penalty points sports tours unlimited between Ireland and Northern sports tours unlimited Ireland is being dealt with under the auspices of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC). This work involves the mutual recognition, rather sports tours unlimited than harmonisation, of certain road traffic offences, along with the penalty points associated with those offences in each jurisdiction. Harmonisation would be a much more complex issue to address and is not envisaged at this time.
It was agreed sports tours unlimited at the NSMC Transport Sectoral meeting on 21 October 2011 that officials would work together to bring forward proposals sports tours unlimited for the introduction of the mutual recognition of penalty points for speeding, drink/drug driving, non-wearing of seatbelts and using a mobile phone while driving.
The detailed timetable sports tours unlimited agreed at the North South Ministerial Council Meeting held on 5 October 2012 includes the key milestones for the drafting, passage and enactment of parallel legislation, sports tours unlimited North and South, by 31 December 2014 to allow for the mutual sports tours unlimited recognition of penalty points across the island of Ireland.
Steering and working groups, sports tours unlimited comprising of representatives of the relevant sports tours unlimited stakeholders in both jurisdictions, have been established to bring the required sports tours unlimited work forward and decide on how the necessary key deliverables will be achieved sports tours unlimited legislatively and operationally.  Both groups have met on a number of occasions to date.
To achieve the December 2014 deadline, a significant volume of work will be required, sports tours unlimited including putting in place the necessary administrative arrangements and IT systems and agreement on data sharing protocols and procedures.  In taking the work forward, complex issues need to be addressed by the two jurisdictions with a view to establishing a workable system which is perceived as proportionate and equitable sports tours unlimited and which attracts sports tours unlimited widespread public support throughout the island.
To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 33353/12, if he will consider the possibility of indenting footpaths where practicable to allow more space for cars to park, without disrupting the traffic flow on a road, and still allowing the use of footpaths.
Local authorities currently have the power to indent pavements to allow for parking.  In correspondence I have had with local authorities, including Dublin City Council, in regard to the issue of partial parking sports tours unlimited on pavements, I have pointed out that this option exists.
I corresponded with Dublin City Council on this matter on a number of occasions in the past year.  In essence, the argument for allowing partial parking is that it would alleviate certain parking difficulties in the city, while the arguments against relate to safety.  I believe the arguments against a change substantially outweigh those in favour of change.
Footpaths are provided for the safety of pedestrians and to segregate vulnerable road users from passing or parking traffic on the roadway.  Footpaths are not constructed to the same specifications as roads and are not built to bear the weight of vehicles.  Local authorities could face problems such as potential damage to kerbs, paths and utility access covers.  Finally, if pavement parking is allowed in some areas, it could become a matter of habit for many people and difficult to restrict sports tours unlimited to the areas where it is legally permitted.
The purpose sports tours unlimited of the Smarter Travel Bill is twofold.  First, it aims to promote electric car use by allowing sports tours unlimited local authorities to make bye-laws for the provision and use of charging bays on public roads.  Second, sports tours unlimited it aims to promote the development of car clubs by allowing road authorities make bye-laws sports tours unlimited for the control and regulation of parking by car club vehicles on public roads.
I support the promotion of electric and hybrid vehicles as one of the ways to reduce pollution and improve our environment.  With the current state of technology sports tours unlimited – which is advancing all the time – there are limits on the distance electric cars can travel before recharging.  The provision of recharging points is, therefore, an important component in encouraging the use of electric cars.
Car clubs have proven very successful in other jurisdictions, particularly in Germany and the UK.  A particular sports tours unlimited benefit is that families often find that by joining a car club they can avoid the need for a second family car, especially in cases where they might need a second vehicle only occasionally.  As with electric cars, I am also in favour of car clubs as a way of reducing the number of vehicles on our roads.  I am, therefore, very happy to support appropriate measures to promote electric cars and car clubs.
My Department is now engaged in work on the development of the next Road Traffic Bill, which I hope to publish at the end of 2012.  This Bill will address a number of issues, and will provide an opportunity to consider proposals for facilitating electric cars and car clubs. sports tours unlimited  As far as is possible, I intend to include the proposed measures from the Smarter Travel Bill in the Road Traffic Bill.
Following the establishment of the National Transport Authority (NTA) on 1st December 2009, the provision of infrastructure projects in the Greater Dublin sports tours unlimited Area (GDA), such as LUAS BXD, now comes under the remit of the NTA.  Luas BXD to Broombridge was  designed to be a key element in an overall  integrated transport network for Dublin.  It will create a Luas network by joining  the Luas Red and Green Lines and will also link with  rail services from Maynooth and Dunboyne and with  existing Quality Bus schemes which enter or cross Dublin City Centre. It will also in time interchange with future key projects such as Dart Underground and Metro North.  The project has been prioritised under the Governments s 5-year capital plan Infrastructure Capital Investment Programme 2012-2016 Medium Term Exchequer Framework which was published in November 2011.  Funding has been included in my Department s capital allocation to 2016 to cover the cost of commencing the main construction works  in 2015 and for  pre-construction enabling works in 2013 and 2014.  Construction is expected to take 4 years.   However, key decisions and actions which will determine the precise construction start date must await the outcome of the planning process which is currently ongoing.   Pending sports tours unlimited the outcome of the planning process there has been extensive engagement with key stakeholders sports tours unlimited such as Dublin City Council , Dublin Bus, taxi representatives and the business community in relation to such issues as traffic management during construction. Subject to the grant of the railway sports tours unlimited order this engagement will intensify both prior to and during construction.
To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the person that holds the marketing and or advertising sports tours unlimited contract for Tourism Ireland; the location of the office; the number of staff in the office; the amount of funding the agency receives from Tourism Ireland; and where the advertising or marketing production work is subsequently contracted out to and by whom.
The matter raised sports tours unlimited is an operational one for Tourism Ireland Limited as the body responsible for promoting the island sports tours unlimited of Ireland as a visitor destination overseas. I have referred the Deputy s Question to Tourism Ireland sports tours unlimited for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive sports tours unlimited a reply within ten working days.
To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the person that holds the marketing and or advertising contract for Tourism Ireland; the location of the office; sports tours unlimited the number of staff in the office; the amount of funding the agency receives from Tourism Ireland; sports tours unlimited and where the advertising or marketing production work is subsequently contracted out to and by whom.
The matter raised is an operational one for Tourism Ireland Limited as the body resp