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443 Questions— 22 February 2005. Written Answers 444[Mr. Kelleher.]he will actively encourage such a proposal.[5855/05]Minister for Transport (Mr. Cullen): Under theIreland-US bilateral aviation agreement, there isno impediment to Irish airlines operating scheduledor charter transatlantic services to and fromCork. However, US carriers may only operatecharter services to and from Cork.Traditionally the focus of Irish transatlanticservices had been on Shannon and Dublin.Recently, however, my Department took accountof a number of Irish policy developments such asthe Government’s decision to separate the Stateairports to increase their regional focus, as wellas the opportunities for extra tourism, and concluded,with my agreement, that no objectionshould be raised if any airline wishes to operateservices between Cork and the USA. As I mentionedabove, only Irish carriers may operatescheduled services to and from Cork.Road Traffic Offences.256. Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Transportif arrangements will be made in order thatpenalty points imposed become effective fromthe date of the offence, rather than delayed untilthe record is issued. [5886/05]Minister for Transport (Mr. Cullen): The RoadTraffic Act, 2002, which provides the legislativebasis for the introduction and operation of thepenalty points system, contains specific provisionsgoverning application of such points on thelicence record of an individual. Section 5 of theAct provides that where penalty points are to beendorsed on a record, a notification of thatendorsement must be issued to the licence holderinvolved. The notice sets out in particular thebasis for the endorsement of the points. Section7 of the Act provides that, save in very limitedand quite specific instances, the operative date forpenalty points is 28 days from the date of thenotice issued under section 5. This date isreferred to in the Act as the “appropriate date”.The provisions in the 2002 Act, in regard to theappropriate date, recognise that as a result of theendorsement of penalty points a person may facethe application of an automatic disqualificationfrom driving. Section 3 of the Act establishes thatwhere a person accumulates at least 12 penaltypoints, he or she will be disqualified for a periodof six months. If penalty points were to be appliedfrom the date of the commission of the offence inthe first instance, or from the date of the paymentof the fixed charge, a person could be faced withthe prospect that they would have already beendisqualified in advance of any notification beingsent to that effect. This would in turn create thesituation that a person would be open to a chargeof driving when disqualified where they haddriven in the period between the commission ofthe original offence or the payment of the chargeand the date of the notice.The penalty points system has been designedand structured to ensure that any person who isaccused of the commission of a penalty pointoffence is afforded a significant time period tochose whether or not to allow the matter to proceedto court. Save in respect of eight of the 69offences determined to be penalty point offencesin the Act, the option of the payment of a fixedcharge is afforded to the accused person. A personpresented with a fixed charge notice is givena period of 56 days in which to make such a paymentbefore the certainty of a court summons isapplied. There is, therefore, a potentially significantperiod made available to a person to makea decision and all of the time lapses relating tothe system that are established in the Act are setout in the fixed charge notice issued in respect ofthe alleged commission of the offence.Public Transport.257. Mr. Haughey asked the Minister forTransport the measures he is taking to improvepublic transport in general in the Dublin area; hisplans for quality bus corridors, Dublin Bus,Iarnród Éireann, including the DART, a metrosystem to Dublin Airport, integrated ticketing,road improvements, including the M50 and anorbital route and park and ride facilities; and if hewill make a statement on the matter. [5967/05]Minister for Transport (Mr. Cullen): I outlinedthe current position in regard to a number ofpublic transport and road measures in the Dublinarea in my response on 15 February 2005 toParliamentary Questions Nos. 94, 95, 123, 132,157, 161, 171, 344, 354, 360. In response to QuestionsNos. 98 and 110 of 15 February, I outlinedmy intention to bring a ten year transport investmentframework to Government.The ten year transport investment frameworkwill identify the investment and outline themeasures that I believe are required in order tofurther develop all elements of national transportinfrastructure, addressing existing bottlenecksand capacity constraints, enhancing quality,optimising the use of the network and makingprudent advance provision for future economicgrowth. The framework will include my proposalsfor investment in roads and public transportwithin the greater Dublin area. It is not possibleto outline the specifics of the draft plan pendingits consideration by the Cabinet InfrastructureCommittee and by the Cabinet itself.I assume the Deputy is referring to the conceptof a Dublin outer orbital route. Both the strategicplanning guidelines for the greater Dublin area,1999, and the DTO’s platform for change, 2000,identified a possible need for a Dublin outerorbital route linking Drogheda-Navan-Naas.More recently the regional planning guidelinesfor the greater Dublin area, 2004, also provide for
445 Questions— 22 February 2005. Written Answers 446the development of such a route in the mediumto longer term on the basis that these centreswould be strengthened by the provision of goodlinks between them without having to passthrough the Dublin city area. A 2001 strategicstudy commissioned by the NRA of a Dublinouter orbital route concluded that such a routehad significant merit and is feasible on engineeringand environmental grounds. As a high levelstrategic study of the concept, the 2001 report,apart from identifying a possible corridor for anouter orbital, did not consider route options,appropriate road type and costs. Detailed considerationof these and other issues including spatialplanning, land use and environmental issuesand the appropriate type and class of road to beprovided will be the subject of further studies.I have asked the NRA to carry out thesefurther studies and to consider the proposedroute as part of future road infrastructuredevelopment plans taking account of the nationalspatial strategy, the regional planning guidelinesand the planning and traffic implications of sucha route for the greater Dublin region and neighbouringregions. The proposal will also be consideredin the context of the ten year transportinvestment framework presently being preparedwithin my Department.Airport Development Projects.258. Mr. Haughey asked the Minister forTransport the progress being made towards providinga second terminal in Dublin Airport; andif he will make a statement on the matter.[5968/05]Minister for Transport (Mr. Cullen): Passengertraffic through Dublin Airport is forecast to growfrom last year’s level of more than 17 millionpassengers to 30 million by 2018. New infrastructurecapacity and facilities, both airside and landside,will clearly be needed to cater for thisgrowth, including further terminal capacity. Theissue at this point is how best to provide thatadditional capacity to meet passenger growth.As the Deputy is aware, An Agreed Programmefor Government includes a commitmentto examine proposals for a new independent terminalat the airport and to progress such proposalsif the evidence suggests that such a terminalwill deliver significant benefits. I recognisethat an early decision is desirable in regard to thismatter so that, regardless of how it is provided,adequate terminal capacity is in place at DublinAirport when required to meet the growth inpassenger traffic. I am in the process of finalisingproposals that I will be bringing to Governmentvery shortly. My objective in putting proposals toGovernment will be to ensure the provision andoperation of terminal capacity on an efficient,cost effective basis.Road Network.259. Mr. Haughey asked the Minister forTransport when work on the Dublin Port Tunnelwill be complete; the cost of this project; the tollingregime which will be in place; if the proposedheavy goods vehicles management strategy isready; the measures being considered to preventcongestion on the M50 in this context; and if hewill make a statement on the matter. [5969/05]Minister for Transport (Mr. Cullen): As, inaccordance with my decision of October 2004, theheight of the DPT is not being increased and asthe implementation of individual national roadimprovement projects are a matter for the NRAand the local authority concerned rather than myDepartment, the completion of the Dublin Porttunnel as designed, the implementation of a HGVtraffic management strategy to coincide with theopening of the tunnel and other related issues,are matters for the NRA and Dublin CityCouncil.Heavy Goods Vehicles.260. Mr. Naughten asked the Minister forTransport the regulations covering the use ofheadlights on HGVs; if, in view of the practise ofexcessive lights on the top of the cabs of HGVs,he has plans to review the regulations; and if hewill make a statement on the matter. [5989/05]Minister of State at the Department of Transport(Mr. Callely): The fitting and use of lights onmechanically propelled vehicles is governed bythe Road Traffic (Lighting of Vehicles) Regulations1963 to 1996. The regulations specify amaximum of four headlights on a vehicle and donot limit the number of auxiliary lights that maybe fitted. Under the regulations, all lamps thatshow a light to the front of a vehicle must eitherbe fitted with a dipping device so that the beamof light from the lamp, when dipped, is incapableof dazzling a person more than 25 feet away fromthe lamp or be fitted and constructed so that theywill not dazzle or mislead other traffic when lit.Exceptions to the dipping device requirement aremade for direction indicators and for one or moreother lamps with a combined maximum poweroutput of seven watts. The European Communities(Road Traffic) (Vehicle Type Approval)Regulations 1991, provide that a vehicle whichcomplies with the provisions of the relevantEuropean Union type approval directive will beregarded as complying with Ireland’s road trafficregulations on the construction, equipment, lightingand use of vehicles.I have witnessed the position of excessive lightson the top of cabs of HGV’s and have drawn tothe attention of the Garda Síochána the regulationsin this regard. Dipped headlamps must beused when a vehicle is either passing anothervehicle or travelling close behind one. Enforcementof the regulations is a matter for the Garda.
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