Annual Report 2011Ireland from these rapidly developing economies. A new bilateral air services...

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Annual Report 2011

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Department’s Mission Statement .......................................................................... 4

Statement by the Minister .................................................................................... 5

Foreword by the Secretary General ....................................................................... 6

Aviation ............................................................................................................... 11

International Air Transport Agreements / Bilateral Air Transport Agreements ...... 11

Air Transport Agreements at EU Level ..................................................................... 11

Aer Lingus Shareholding .......................................................................................... 12

Proposal to suspend the Air Travel Tax ................................................................... 12

Single European Sky ................................................................................................. 12

State Airports ........................................................................................................... 13

Regional Airports ..................................................................................................... 13

Air Accident Investigation Unit ............................................................................. 14

Fatalities and Injuries ............................................................................................... 14

Safety Recommendations ........................................................................................ 14

Public Transport ................................................................................................... 15

The National Recovery Plan ..................................................................................... 15

Public Transport Investment .................................................................................... 15

Rural Transport Programme (RTP) ........................................................................... 15

Integrated Local and Rural Transport ...................................................................... 16

Taxi Review .............................................................................................................. 16

CIÉ Subvention ......................................................................................................... 16

Fares ......................................................................................................................... 16

CIÉ Board Re-structuring .......................................................................................... 17

Roads .................................................................................................................. 17

Road Investment ...................................................................................................... 17

Road Transport Operator Licensing ......................................................................... 18

Vehicles .................................................................................................................... 18

Road Safety .............................................................................................................. 19

Maritime ............................................................................................................. 22

Legislation ................................................................................................................ 22

Marine Notices ......................................................................................................... 22

Port State Control .................................................................................................... 22

Irish Flag ................................................................................................................... 23

Search and Rescue (SAR) ......................................................................................... 23

Ship Source Pollution ............................................................................................... 24

Ports and Shipping ................................................................................................... 24

Maritime Security .................................................................................................... 24

Recreational Craft .................................................................................................... 24

Accessible Maritime Transport ................................................................................ 25

Hydrography ............................................................................................................ 25

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Tourism ............................................................................................................... 26

Championing the tourism sector ............................................................................. 26

The National Tourism Development Authority (Amendment) Act 2011 ................ 27

Tourism Marketing ................................................................................................... 28

The Gathering Ireland 2013 ..................................................................................... 28

Event Tourism .......................................................................................................... 28

Business Tourism ..................................................................................................... 29

Skills Training, Business Supports, Competitiveness and Enterprise Capability ..... 29

Tourism Capital Investment ..................................................................................... 30

Sport ................................................................................................................... 31

Sports Capital Programme / Local Authority Swimming Pools ............................... 31

Irish Sports Council .................................................................................................. 31

National Governing Bodies of Sport ........................................................................ 32

Local Sports Partnerships ......................................................................................... 32

Widening Participation in Sport ............................................................................... 32

National Awards to Volunteers in Irish Sport .......................................................... 32

London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games ........................................................ 33

Anti-Doping .............................................................................................................. 33

National Sports Campus Development Authority ................................................... 33

North/South Cooperation .................................................................................... 35

Sustainability and Integration .............................................................................. 35

EU Presidency Planning ........................................................................................ 35

Support Services Delivery ..................................................................................... 36

Organisational Review Programme (ORP) ............................................................... 36

Agency rationalisation ............................................................................................. 36

Staffing ..................................................................................................................... 37

Staff Training and Development .............................................................................. 37

Health and Safety ..................................................................................................... 38

Emergency Planning ................................................................................................. 38

Information Services ................................................................................................ 38

Appendix 1 .......................................................................................................... 40

Maritime – Irish Flag ................................................................................................ 40

Appendix 2 .......................................................................................................... 41

Irish Coast Guard Statistics – Five-year trend .......................................................... 41

Appendix 3 .......................................................................................................... 42

List of Prompt Payments for 2011 ........................................................................... 42

Appendix 4 .......................................................................................................... 43

The Ministers and Senior Management of the Department ................................... 43

Appendix 5 .......................................................................................................... 44

Acts ........................................................................................................................... 44

Statutory Instruments .............................................................................................. 44

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Department’s Mission Statement To ensure that the transport, tourism and sport sectors make the greatest possible contribution to economic recovery, fiscal consolidation, job creation and social development. In pursuing its Mission the Department will focus on the High Level Goals of its Statement of Strategy 2011-2014

http://www.dttas.ie/upload/general/13504-STATEMENT_OF_STRATEGY_20112014-1.PDF

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Statement by the Minister I am pleased to present the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport’s Annual Report which sets out the progress made by the Department in 2011 towards achieving the high-level goals and objectives agreed with me in the Statement of Strategy 2011-2014. The Department has a key role in delivering highly critical aspects of economic activity including further development of our transport infrastructure and services and the support and enhancement of our significant tourism and sports sectors. In doing this, the Department’s total focus must be on delivering results, efficiencies and initiatives that contribute directly to National economic recovery. My key priorities as Minister are set out on the Department’s website, www.dttas.ie. I have set ambitious targets in relation to these which will be achieved over a period of years. The table on Page 7 summarises progress in 2011. Many people will be familiar with the more public achievements of the Department and its agencies in 2011 - the measures to revitalise tourism, the preparation for the Gathering, the introduction of the public transport Leap Card and Real Time Passenger Information systems and the continued huge improvement in the safety on our roads. However, you will see from this report that that was the tip of the iceberg and that, despite reduced funding and staffing resources, the Department pushed steadily forward across the full breadth of the Transport, Tourism and Sports agenda in 2011. I feel it proper to salute in this Annual Report the enormous contribution of our sportsmen and women to national morale in these times of real difficulty. Their achievements whether in Olympics, Para Olympics, golf, rugby, soccer, boxing, GAA and the other sports have been an inspiration to us all. Together with my colleagues, Ministers of State Michael Ring TD and Alan Kelly TD, I will continue, as Minister for Transport Tourism and Sport, to provide the policy leadership and commitment to the Department during the term of this Government. Leo Varadkar TD Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

http://www.dttas.ie/

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Foreword by the Secretary General On the formation of the new Government in March 2011, the Taoiseach announced the newly established Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to continue to develop our transport infrastructure and services and to support and enhance our significant tourism and sports sectors. I am pleased to report that since March, 2011, the first year of the 2011-2014 strategic cycle, the Department has made significant steps towards achieving the targets agreed with the Minister in the Statement of Strategy and in relation to the Programme for Government. We have particularly focussed on the priorities set out by the Minister. I wish to acknowledge the commitment and energy of the staff of the Department which has enabled us to significantly reduce staff numbers and costs while still making very substantial progress across all of the Department’s business sectors, Aviation, Public Transport, Tourism, Roads, Sustainable Transport, Marine, Sports and Road Safety. This reduction in resources was achieved without sacrificing an already high standard of delivery across a wide range of functions including policy-making, regulation, overseeing transport investment, ensuring the safety of transport users, servicing the parliamentary process and enhancing our organisational capabilities. The implementation of the Department’s agenda depends greatly on a close working relationship with the various state agencies under our aegis, with the local authorities and with other Government Departments and agencies. Again on behalf of the Department, I wish to pay tribute to the support and cooperation shown across all of our interactions. 2011 was the first year of what will be the most challenging strategic cycle of the Department’s history. We are building on the 2011 achievements and accelerating the drive to implement in full and, indeed, exceed the commitments in the Department’s Statement of Strategy 2011-2014. Tom O’Mahony Secretary General

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Action Taken in 2011 on Key Ministerial Priorities

Priority Progress

Develop and implement a realistic, affordable and deliverable plan to maintain and upgrade roads and public transport infrastructure

Capital investment was reviewed and a realistic five year plan put in place. This includes linking the two LUAS lines, investing in new buses, and ensuring the maintenance, in so far as possible, of the road network.

Drive efficiencies and rationalisation in the public transport companies in the context of falling subsidies

Governance of the CIE group was restructured with new non-executive chairpersons appointed to lead the CIE Group and its three subsidiaries. With the aim of strengthening all of the State Boards, more transparency was introduced into the process for selecting State board members, with members of the public being invited to apply and Chairmen are, on appointment, informed by the Minister what is expected of their agency. The Department intends to progress the establishment of appropriate Service Level Agreements with each of its agencies.

Encourage more people out of their cars by improving their experience of public transport through initiatives like integrated ticketing, better stations, better bus stops and real-time passenger information, safe cycling and attractive walking

The LUAS extension to Citywest was opened, with four million extra passenger journeys anticipated annually. As part of the Jobs Initiative €15 million was re-allocated to public transport projects. The Leap Card was launched for use on Dublin Bus, Luas, Irish Rail, Dart and commuter rail services. Real Time Passenger information systems were introduced in Dublin and Cork. Sixty buses were delivered to Bus Éireann to improve PSO services on commuter services into Dublin and provincial cities. Standardised rail fares were introduced so that ticket prices will be a fairer reflection of distance and journey time. There was a major review of the operation of the taxi market out of which a range of reforms are being implemented.

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Build on the success of the last government by keeping road fatalities and injuries down

A reduction in drink drive limits was implemented in October 2011; road traffic deaths in 2011 were the lowest since records began; Learner drivers now have to take lessons from qualified driving instructors before sitting a driving test.

Rationalise and restore our State-owned airports and ports to financial health and profitability

The system of State support for regional airports was rationalised. The Booz Report made recommendations on the ownership and operation of Cork and Shannon Airports which led to the significant policy decisions announced in 2012. The number of passengers using State airports showed a small increase in 2011 following three years of falling numbers.

Increase the number of tourists coming to Ireland and improving their experience of Ireland and its regions

A range of important tourism initiatives were announced to stimulate visitor numbers, including reduced VAT rate of 9% on hospitality services; reduced employers’ PRSI, and visa waiver scheme for non-EU visitors. 2011 saw the first increase in visitor numbers for four years, up almost 8%; A three pronged strategy was announced in the Jobs Initiative to enhance overseas access and encourage inbound tourism. The decision to launch the Gathering Ireland 2013, a year-long festival of festivals aiming to attract at least 325,000 people to Ireland. Tourism Ireland extended its focus to China, India and other long haul markets to attract visitors to Ireland from these rapidly developing economies. A new bilateral air services agreement was negotiated between Ireland and the UAE to further develop air links. Significant investment announced in tourism attractions such as the Book of Kells in Trinity College, Killarney House, Malahide Castle and Castletown House.

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Improve local sports facilities, and support Ireland’s top-level athletes to compete on the world stage

Funding was secured for two new rounds of sports capital funding with the first in 2012 to enhance modest sporting facilities throughout the country. A strategy for the incremental development of the National Sports Campus was announced. Two rounds of funding were allocated to local authorities for essential swimming pool works and other sports capital works. During the year, Ireland’s elite athletes and players received €2.3 million in grants under the ISC’s International Carding Scheme and €6.5 million in grants was allocated under the High Performance Programme. In sports supported by the Irish Sports Council (ISC), Ireland won a total of 59 medals at World and European levels.

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Departmental Statistics at a Glance - 2011 Safety

EU average for road deaths in 2011 was 62 per million population. The figure for Ireland was 41

The Irish Coast Guard responded to 1,800 incidents, 3,391 persons were assisted and 170 lives saved

The Air Accident Investigation Unit completed 20 Air Accident Reports and made a total of 23 safety recommendations

Tourism

6.5 million tourists visits in the year - an increase of 8%

180,000 people employed and €5.5 billion revenue from tourism and hospitality

Transport

233 million journeys by CIE passengers

22.7 million passengers through Dublin, Shannon and Cork State airports

1.72 million passenger journeys funded by the Rural Transport Programme

4.66 million Motor Tax Discs issued (2.145 million through the online motor tax service)

960,000 Vehicle Registration Certificates issued

815,549 Change of Ownership notices processed

707,409 Driving Licences (including Learner Permit) issued

427,000 Penalty Points Notices issued

€1.2 Billion invested in national, regional and local roads

€1 Billion in motor tax receipts of which €466 million paid via the online motor tax service.

€10 million to local authorities for cycling infrastructure

46 actions arising from the Taxi Regulation Report Sport

€23.4m in Sports Capital grants

€2.3m in grants to elite athletes under the International Carding Scheme and €6.5 million under the High Performance Programme

€9 million to GAA, FAI and IRFU to increase participation by young people

825,000 visits to the National Aquatic Centre

59 medals at World and European levels in sports supported by the Irish Sports Council

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Aviation – High Level Goal

To ensure the aviation sector supports Ireland’s economic and social goals in a safe, competitive, cost-effective and sustainable manner and to ensure maximum connectivity for Ireland with the rest of the world.

Aviation The Department’s aviation strategy is to promote regular, safe, cost-effective and competitive air services linking the country with key business and tourism markets. A key component of the strategy is the negotiation of liberal air transport agreements, at both the national and EU levels, to remove regulatory impediments to the inauguration of new air services.

International Air Transport Agreements / Bilateral Air Transport Agreements

The Department continues to pursue measures to enhance our bilateral aviation relations with emerging markets. In December 2011, following negotiations with the Civil Aviation Authorities of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a new bilateral Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding on the operation of air transport services between Ireland and the UAE was agreed. The UAE airline, Etihad Airways, has operated services between Abu Dhabi and Dublin since 2007 and in January 2012 Emirates Airlines commenced a daily service between Dubai and Dublin. Consultations are also currently underway with a number of other countries with a view to agreeing or amending bilateral Air Service Agreements to facilitate the commencement of services as economic conditions improve globally.

Air Transport Agreements at EU Level

A key component of the European Union’s external aviation policy is to develop a wider European Common Aviation Area by incorporating neighbouring countries. To this end, air transport agreements between the EU and some Balkan and Mediterranean States have been signed in recent years. Following the negotiation of open skies agreements with the USA and Canada, the European Union’s focus is now on negotiating aviation agreement with key emerging markets in addition to neighbouring States. In 2011, the Council granted a mandate to the European Commission to negotiate aviation agreements with Azerbaijan. Aviation Agreements were signed by the European Union and its Members States with Indonesia and Cape Verde, and Aviation Agreements were initialled with Brazil, Sri Lanka and Moldova.

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Aer Lingus Shareholding

The State’s shareholding in Aer Lingus remained at 25.1% during 2011. The Report of the Review Group on State Assets (‘McCarthy’ report) which was published in 2011 recommended that the Government dispose of its shareholding in Aer Lingus “as soon as is opportune”. A Working Group, led by the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform and including all relevant Government Departments and the NTMA was established to advise Government in relation to the sale of State Assets and the State’s minority shareholding in Aer Lingus was considered as part of this process. The Group reported to Ministers in December 2011.

Proposal to suspend the Air Travel Tax

The Government’s 2011 Jobs Initiative included a three-pronged plan to enhance overseas access and thereby promote inbound tourism through:

abolishing the travel tax conditional on clear commitments by airlines to increase inbound capacity from Ireland’s source tourism markets;

the introduction of a new growth incentive scheme by the Dublin Airport Authority; and

more targeted co-operative marketing of new routes from key source tourism markets by Tourism Ireland, DAA and the airlines to encourage more tourists to fly into Ireland.

Subsequently, the Government agreed, in the absence of a sufficient response from the airlines, to retain the air travel tax and to avail of part of the receipts from its retention to fund additional cooperative marketing activities. A €9 million overseas tourism marketing campaign over the 2011/12 Autumn/Winter period was led by Tourism Ireland, inclusive of matching funding provided by partner companies, including Ryanair, Aer Lingus and Aer Arann, overseas airlines, tour operators and online travel agents, and ferry companies.

Single European Sky

The goal of creating a Single European Sky (SES) is governed by a series of EU Regulations agreed in 2004 and in 2009. The central objective of this SES regulatory framework is to lay down the necessary legal tools to reduce the fragmentation of Air Traffic Management (ATM) and to increase the capacity of European airspace in order to enhance its efficiency, safety and cost-effectiveness. A number of important steps were taken in 2011 in pursuit of this high-level goal. There was in particular a heightened emphasis on the development of detailed target-driven national performance plans in order to secure a more cost efficient European air traffic control network. The minimisation of network delays was also a policy priority and agreement was reached at European level for the designation of

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Eurocontrol to perform a vital network management function. As a result of greater network coordination, air traffic control related delays throughout Europe were considerably lower in 2011 than in the previous year. Progress was also made towards the deployment of new air traffic management technology over the next few years which is aimed at delivering further important passenger benefits through lower air navigation costs and reduced delays. Ireland and the UK also continued their close collaboration on airspace management through the mechanism of a Functional Airspace Block (FAB), encompassing both Irish and UK airspace. The operation of the Ireland-UK FAB delivered significant added value to airlines through operational efficiencies and savings in route-kilometres flown, flight times, fuel tonnage, and carbon (CO2) emissions.

State Airports

The previous Government undertook to review in 2011 the decision made in 2008 to defer the separation of Cork and Shannon into independent autonomous airports, due to the very difficult aviation market conditions. Following a consultative process with the boards of the three airport authorities, consultants Booz and Company, were engaged in October 2011 to carry out a study of options for the future ownership and operation of Cork and Shannon Airports. The study facilitated early decisions in 2012. Preclearance in Terminal 2, Dublin Airport, commenced on 19 January 2011. This follows the commencement of Preclearance at Shannon Airport on 5 August 2009. With preclearance, a core feature at both airports, U.S. bound passengers can clear all U.S. entry requirements before leaving Ireland. Following wide ranging consultation with stakeholders, EU Directive 2009/12 on Airport Charges was transposed into Irish Law under Statutory Instrument no. 116 of 2011. The Regulations provide for mandatory procedures for consultation and exchange of information between the DAA and airlines in setting the specific airport charges at Dublin Airport within the overall price cap determination made by the Commission for Aviation Regulation.

Regional Airports

Government agreed its policy on the future Exchequer support for regional airports with allocations decided for the period 2011-2014. The number of airports being supported has been reduced. The focus now for the four regional airports in receipt of Exchequer support is that they work towards achieving sustainability over the coming years without an on-going need for Government subvention.

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Three year contracts for public service obligation (PSO) air services between Dublin and the two most remote of the regional airports (Donegal and Kerry) were put in place during 2011 with the new services commencing on 3 November 2011.

Air Accident Investigation Unit The Unit reviewed and assessed a total of 7,217 Mandatory Occurrence Reports (MOR’s) received through the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) Safety Occurrence Tracking System (SOTS). A total of 116 came within the defined remit of the AAIU and were entered into the European Centrally Coordinated Accident and Incident Reporting System (ECCAIRS) database. Of the 116 occurrences assessed and recorded by the AAIU, 70 occurred in the State and 46 were occurrences to Irish register/operated aircraft abroad. The following Table is a breakdown of the total national and international occurrences recorded by the AAIU in 2011.

Accidents Serious Incidents

Incidents Total

National 15 8 47 70

International 4 17 25 46

Grand Total 19 25 72 116

Table A: Accidents, Serious Incidents and Incidents recorded in 2011

Fatalities and Injuries

A total of 6 persons were fatally injured and 14 injured in Ireland during 2011. There were no fatal accidents involving Irish registered aircraft in 2011. However, Ireland experienced its first fatal commercial air transport accident in over four decades at Cork Airport on the 10 February 2011. The aircraft, a Spanish registered Metro Liner III was operating on an international scheduled air service between Belfast City Airport and Cork Airport, when it crashed during an attempted go-around on its third approach.

Safety Recommendations

A total of 20 Reports, consisting of 3 Preliminary Reports and 17 Final Reports were published on the AAIU web site in 2011. A total of 23 Safety Recommendations were made and published by the AAIU in 2011. These Recommendations were made to aircraft operators, airport authorities, aircraft manufacturers and government agencies in Ireland and abroad.

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High Level Goal - Land Transport

To provide for the maintenance and upgrade of the transport network and ensure the delivery of public transport services with particular regard to economic competitiveness, social needs, sustainability and safety objectives.

Public Transport

The National Recovery Plan

During 2011 the Department critically assessed its capital investment plans and base-line proposals for future capital investment. The Department’s focus for investment was, in order of priority: • to protect existing investment and maintain safety standards, • to meet capacity deficits and support small ‘add value ‘projects on existing

infrastructure, • to eliminate infrastructure deficits with any remaining resources. This process formed a key component of the Government’s “Infrastructure & Capital Investment 2012-2016: Medium Term Exchequer Framework” announced in November 2011.

Public Transport Investment

Investment in the upgrading of public transport infrastructure and services totalled €377m in 2011. This enabled the continued implementation of the Third Railway Programme (2009-2013), the delivery of 51 Inter City Railcars by end of 2011 and the completion of the Luas Red Line extension to Citywest (Line A1). Construction/installation works continued on the Dublin City Centre rail re-signalling project. Works on the Road Crossing Automation Programme for 2011 focused on the Galway and Mayo lines. The Leap Card Integrated Ticketing Project was introduced in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) and good progress was made on the roll-out of Real Time Passenger Information (RTPI) signs on the services of Dublin Bus in the GDA.

Rural Transport Programme (RTP)

During 2011, in excess of 1.72 million passenger journeys were recorded on over 200,055 transport services funded under the Rural Transport Programme, an increase of 22% and 16% respectively on 2010.

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Funding of €10.62m was provided to the Programme in 2011. A Value for Money Review of the RTP was completed in 2011 which made a number of recommendations aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the Programme. The National Transport Authority has been tasked with overseeing the implementation of the recommendations of the Review.

Integrated Local and Rural Transport

The Local and Rural Integrated Transport Services (LARITS) project was established in 2011 to follow on from earlier pilot projects, to explore further the potential for improved synergies between existing transport providers (including the Rural Transport Programme) with a view to realising better value for money arising from improved co-ordination and provision of public transport services. Recognising the need to address integration at a national policy level, the Department initiated a review in mid-2011 with a view to developing proposals to achieve greater levels of transport integration and co-ordinated services nationally across a range of exchequer funded local and rural transport services. This facilitated early decisions on a new National Strategy.

Taxi Review

During the second half of 2011 a review of taxi regulation was carried out to enable the necessary further reforms of the sector. The Review examined all aspects of taxi regulation including licensing, enforcement, vehicle standards, supply issues in rural and urban areas and future dialogue with the taxi sector. The Taxi Regulation Report was published in December 2011 and contains the recommendations of the Review Group in 46 separate Actions.

CIÉ Subvention

Funding of €265.141m was provided in State subvention, through the NTA, to the CIÉ companies in 2011. Arising from the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1370/2007 on public passenger transport services by road and by rail on 3rd December 2009, the provision of public service obligation services by the CIÉ companies is subject to contract between the companies and the National Transport Authority (NTA).

Fares

Fares remained static in 2011. Since 1 December 2009, approval of fare increases is a matter for the National Transport Authority and the Minister has no role with regard to any applications for fare increases.

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CIÉ Board Re-structuring

In June 2011, Ms. Vivienne Jupp was appointed as the non-Executive Chairperson of CIÉ and Messrs. Kevin Bonner, Paul Mallee and Phil Gaffney were appointed as non-Executive Chairpersons of Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann respectively in addition to their appointment to the main CIE Board also. These appointments were the first step towards a new governance model for the CIÉ Group to enable it to fulfil its role more effectively in the future.

Roads

Road Investment

While 2010 was a very significant year for investment in the national road infrastructure, the subsequent scaling back of capital investment on national roads reduced new projects starts in 2011 to a number of smaller, but no less important, bypasses of known traffic bottlenecks and the maintenance of the current motorway and national roads network. A total of €674 million was invested in capital projects (including. close out payments on earlier projects), while €49 million was expended on on-going maintenance and upkeep of the national road network. The maintenance works included work to alleviate hazards at identified accident locations, resurfacing, improved signage and other necessary upkeep. In addition to this, a total of €81.3m was spent on PPP operational payments. Approximately €452m was invested by the Exchequer in regional and local roads in 2011, resulting in outputs which included:

• 2,980 kms of road maintained (Restoration Maintenance Programme) • 2,829 kms of road strengthened (Restoration Improvement Programme) • 215 improvement projects undertaken in 2011

In 2011 the following national roads projects went to construction stage: • N3 Belturbet Bypass • N4 Downes Grade Separation • N5 Longford Bypass • N25 Cork Southern Ring Road Interchange Upgrades • N52 Carrickbridge to Dalystown

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Road Transport Operator Licensing

The Road Transport Operator Licensing Unit (RTOL) continued to manage the licence process for road transport operators. At the end of 2011 there were 4,428 haulage licensees and 1,945 passenger licensees, a total of 6,373 operators. As part of the monitoring programme, a total of 481 operators were monitored during 2011, representing 7.5% of the total. New legislation was enacted in 2011, including the Road Transport Act 2011. This new Act updates and restates some existing legislation, but also includes some new provisions: • To allow the Minister to consider certain serious convictions by operators,

transport managers, directors, passenger drivers, etc., and to refuse, withdraw or suspend licences where appropriate.

• Provide for on-line publication of details from the national register of licensed road transport operators in order to facilitate public access to information on licensed operators.

• A requirement on all licence holders to inform the Minister of any change in details such as address, change in transport manager, change in directorship etc., or circumstances which mean the licence holder no longer meets the requirements under which the licence was granted.

• To amend existing provisions relating to false declarations and conditions on licences.

In addition, the penalty for operating illegally is being increased substantially, so that illegal unlicensed operators will face a fine of up to €500,000 and/or 3 years in prison. Other penalties are being increased also, and some new offences are being created as well. EU Regulations governing the access to the occupation of road transport operator, and access to the EU market, came into effect on 4 December 2011. Three Statutory Instruments (Nos. 696, 697 and 698 of 2011) were made on 4 December 2011 to give effect to those EU Regulations.

Vehicles

The National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF) contains details of just over 2.4 million registered vehicles and their owners, as well as the 2.65 million licensed drivers in the country.

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During 2011 the NVDF was central to the following activities;

€1 Billion in motor tax receipts of which €466 million was paid via the online motor tax service.

4.66 million Motor Tax Discs issued (2.145million. through the online motor tax service)

707,409 Driving Licences (including Learner Permit) issued.

960,000 Vehicle Registration Certificates issued.

815,549 Change of Ownership notices processed (323,106 through the online change of ownership service)

427,000 Penalty Points Notices issued.

270,000 telephone and 42,000 email enquiries. The Online Motor Tax service was extended to enable owners of commercial vehicles to renew their motor tax over the internet. Commercial vehicles represent a significant portion of the national fleet (some 327,000 such vehicles are registered on the National Vehicle and Driver File) and the facility to tax online generates savings in terms of time and resources for vehicle owners, motor dealers and local authorities. Extension of the service to commercial vehicles means the online motor tax service is now available to virtually all owners.

Delivery

Significant progress was achieved during 2011 in developing greater cost effectiveness of the National Vehicle and Driver registers with constrained resources, reflecting the current economic climate, and in line with the objectives of the Croke Park agreement. New technical support contracts in respect of NVDF core systems were put in place and the cost of these represents a very significant reduction on the costs associated with the previous arrangements. A new contract with a financial institution for the provision of banking services for the online motor tax service was also put in place and this will also result in significant savings. The NVDF enquiry helpdesk operating hours were extended and more streamlined call handling arrangements were introduced.

Road Safety

Road Fatalities

In 2011, 186 people were tragically killed on Irish roads. However, 2011 was the safest year on record with 26 fewer fatalities than the preceding year and was also the sixth consecutive year to show declining numbers in road deaths.

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This downward trend has been recognised internationally. Data published by the European Commission shows that Ireland has moved ahead of Germany and has significantly closed the gap on the leading road safety performing countries. Ireland is now joint 5th in the road safety rankings in the EU. The EU average in 2011 was 62 deaths per million population. The equivalent figure for Ireland was 41.

Mandatory testing and new lower Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) limits for drivers

Both the Road Traffic Act 2011 and the Road Traffic (No. 2) Act 2011 were signed by the President in 2011. The main provisions of the Road Traffic Act 2011 provided for mandatory testing of drivers, under the then existing BAC limits (80mg), in certain circumstances as well as a number of other amendments to road traffic legislation. The new limits are 50mg for most drivers and 20mg for learner, novice and professional drivers. An administrative option (Fixed Penalty) to going before the courts in respect of certain drink driving offences was also introduced whereby a driver at the lower levels can opt, on payment of a fixed penalty, for 3 penalty points or a six month disqualification, depending on the status of the driver, rather than having to appear in court to answer the charge. This option, which is only available to a driver once in a three year period, allows for those just over the lower BAC limit applying to that driver to avoid a court appearance, thereby reducing the number of cases going before the courts and freeing up Garda resources. The necessary adjustments to the National Vehicle Driver File (NVDF) systems were made in 2011 to assist with the administration of the above provisions.

Other Road Traffic legislation

Thirty-nine separate pieces of secondary legislation, designed to improve road safety standards in general, were introduced during 2011. A full listing is available on the Road Safety page of www.dttas.ie Following from a review of the Disabled Parking Scheme completed in 2010, the Department introduced a number of revisions to the Scheme to improve its benefits to those most in need. The aim is to ensure that more people will be able to access disabled parking spaces as needed. The Department also revised the medical criteria for fitness to drive in accordance with new EU requirements. This particularly affected matters relating to eyesight, diabetes and epilepsy, and is based on recognition of improved treatments in a number of areas. A major step was taken towards Graduated Driver Licensing with the introduction of measures requiring learner car drivers to undergo Essential Driver Training (EDT)

http://transport.ie/roads/RoadSafety/index.asp?lang=ENG&loc=1225

http://www.dttas.ie/

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before taking the driving test. This means that learners have to complete a course of twelve lessons covering all aspects of driving before being allowed to take the driving test, and should materially improve the quality of driving on our roads and contribute greatly to increased road safety.

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High Level Goal – Maritime

To ensure the safety and competitiveness of maritime transport services, the protection of the marine environment and the provision of an effective emergency response service.

Maritime

Legislation

Eleven statutory instruments were made during the year, giving effect to international and domestic legislation to enhance maritime safety and protection of the marine environment from ship source pollution. In addition, four statutory instruments were made giving effect to port and harbour amalgamation and transfer (see heading “Ports and Shipping” below). Work continued in 2011 on the preparation of secondary legislation that will support the implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention and will update national legislation in respect of a number of other international conventions relating to MARPOL, Collision Regulations, Load Lines and Safety of Life at Sea. Work continued also on the preparation of legislative proposals for a new vessel registration regime.

Marine Notices

60 Marine Notices were issued in 2011. Marine Notices are information notices that are issued by the Department to publicise important safety, regulatory and other relevant information relating to maritime affairs in Ireland.

Port State Control

Ireland’s performance under the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (PMoU) continued to improve during 2011 and Ireland remained on the PMoU “White List” during the year. This, together with Ireland completing the IMO Voluntary Member State Audit in 2010, conferred “Low Risk” status to the Irish flag and Ireland is one of the few States in the world with such status. Ireland also started the implementation for the introduction of the New Inspection Regime (NIR) of the Paris MoU, which is risk-based. This entailed significant training of Port State Control Officers and the introduction of a new inspection database, called “THETIS”. The NIR resulted in a reduced number of inspections during the year from 420 to 220. This was as a result of risk-based inspections. The inspections carried out resulted in an increase in detentions, which gives a positive indication that the NIR is working by reducing the number of inspections and focusing on ships

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posing a higher risk. The scope of the inspections carried out was also increased, with more expanded inspections being performed. All international roll-on/roll-off passenger ships operating in and out of the State were inspected and all domestic passenger ferries were certified during the year.

Irish Flag

The internationally trading Irish merchant shipping fleet increased its numbers from 34 to 35 for the year. While there were several deletions from the Irish merchant shipping register, these were replaced with new build ships for Irish owners, which were built in Korea and Spain. The size of new ships on the Irish flag increased during the year, and Irish ships traded throughout the world. The Irish fleet continued to implement Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) during the year. SafeSeasIreland (SSI), a web-based information portal for ship movements in Irish waters, continued development during the year and the number of users continues to increase. The system facilitates the electronic reporting of ship arrivals and assists the industry in compliance with other regulatory obligations in the maritime sector. During the year significant work continued to be carried out to integrate the new Port State Control information system, “THETIS” with SafeSeasIreland (SSI) for the introduction of the New Inspection Regime. The Irish Maritime Education and Training Scheme (MET) is certified by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in accordance with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and EU requirements for seafarers’ training and certification. Ireland last completed an IMO audit of its MET system in 2010. This means that the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI) and the other approved course providers continue to meet the highest standards and Irish-trained seafarers will continue to be in demand internationally. The new Fishing Vessel Safety Regulations continued to be implemented during the year. Meetings were held with industry representatives and with the fishing industry as part of the implementation. The safety record in the fishing fleet continues to improve since the introduction of the regulations.

Search and Rescue (SAR)

The Irish Coast Guard responded to just over 1,800 incidents in 2011 and 53,000 marine safety broadcasts were issued. 3,391 persons were assisted and over 170 lives were saved by the Coast Guard’s coordinated response utilising Coast Guard helicopters, volunteer rescue units, RNLI lifeboats and Community Rescue Boats.

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Following the opening of the new National Maritime Operations Centre (NMOC) in Dublin in December 2010, improvements have continued to be made on the technical modernisation of the service. Additional funding was provided in 2011 to upgrade and standardize the Coast Guard’s fleet of vehicles and boats.

Ship Source Pollution

Within the pollution, ship casualty and salvage remit in 2011; the Coast Guard responded to 41 marine pollution and ship casualty incidents and maintained an active preparation and preventative regime. Work is on-going in the approval process of Oil Spill Contingency Plans for local authorities, ports and offshore exploration and production operations. Ireland continues to be represented by the Coast Guard at International Fora, e.g. European Maritime Safety Agency, Bonn Agreement and North Atlantic Coast Guard Forum.

Ports and Shipping

The review of national ports policy, which commenced in late 2010, continued throughout 2011 and a revised ports policy statement will be finalised in 2012. Four statutory instruments were made during the year, giving effect to port and harbour amalgamation and transfer. In July 2011, Dundalk Port Company was dissolved and its functions in respect of the port were transferred to Dublin Port Company. Tralee and Fenit Harbour transferred to the control of Kerry County Council in October 2011, and two statutory instruments were signed by the Minister in 2011 to effect the transfers of Kinsale and Baltimore Harbours to Cork County Council, and Arklow Harbour to Wicklow County Council from 1st January 2012.

Maritime Security

Implementation of EU Directive 2005/65/EC on port security continued during the year and a number of Port Security Authorities were established in accordance with the requirements of the directive. Additionally, in relation to the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, oversight activities continued during the year.

Recreational Craft

Implementation activities continued in relation to recreational craft including the Recreational Craft Directive and approval of course providers for marine radio and the International Certificate of Competency (ICC) for recreational craft operators.

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Accessible Maritime Transport

The Department prepared and issued a guidance information document for passenger ship owners/operators in relation to Regulation (EU) No. 1177/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 concerning the rights of passengers when travelling by sea and inland waterway. The Regulation comes into effect from 18 December 2012.

Hydrography

An agreement for co-operation between the Department and the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) was concluded in 2011, and represents a significant achievement in fulfilling the State’s international obligations with regard to the provision of hydrographical services in a cost effective and efficient manner, with a direct impact on improving safe navigation.

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High Level Goal - Tourism

To support the tourism industry in increasing revenue and employment through enhancing competitiveness and through marketing and product development.

Tourism The tourism and hospitality industry employs approximately 180,000 people and generates an estimated €5.5 billion a year in revenue from home and abroad. The importance of tourism to economic recovery has been recognised by Government, with tourism-related measures playing a central part in the Government’s Jobs Initiative in March 2011. Ireland’s tourism industry also improved its competitiveness and value-for-money ratings in 2011 and indications are that Ireland regained market share in a number of key source markets, in particular Britain. The number of overseas visits to Ireland increased in 2011 for the first time since 2007. According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), visits for the year as a whole increased by 8% overall compared to 2010, reaching over 6.5 million and exceeding targets. Growth was recorded in all main market areas. Visits from Great Britain were up 2.6% for the year, to almost 2.9 million. Visits from the rest of Europe amounted to almost 2.3 million, up 9.1% on 2010. North American visits reached 987,100, up 6.3%, and the number of visits from the rest of the world (principally Australia and other long-haul developing markets) reached 356,700, a 14.7% increase. The accommodation and food sector returned to employment growth after previous declines, despite the difficult domestic conditions. CSO data showed that seasonally adjusted employment in 'Accommodation and Food Service Activities' increased in Q1 2012 when compared to Q1 2011 by some +8.4%.

Championing the tourism sector

Tourism policy is integrated into the broader economic strategic framework and is central to the Government’s economic recovery programme. This overall strategic approach is complemented by the work of the tourism agencies, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, assisted by the work of the industry-led Tourism Recovery Taskforce (which includes both tourism agencies). The Government introduced a range of measures in its 2011 Jobs Initiative to support the tourism sector, enhance its competitiveness and boost job creation, in line with national policy and Programme for Government commitments. Specific actions taken in 2011 included:

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Reducing VAT from 13.5% to 9% on a range of tourism-related services, thus reducing costs for visiting tourists and enhancing the competitiveness of Ireland’s tourism product;

Halving employers’ PRSI for those on modest wages, thus significantly reducing the cost of employing people in the tourism and hospitality industry and further enhancing competitiveness;

Introducing an innovative Visa Waiver Programme to make it easier for visitors from emerging markets to visit Ireland by adding it onto a trip to the UK.

Pursuing a three-pronged plan to promote inbound tourism through: The commitment to abolish the Air Travel Tax conditional on

commitments by airlines to increase inbound capacity. (In the absence of sufficient response from the airlines, the Government made additional funding available to Tourism Ireland in 2011, taken from revenues from the existing €3 travel tax, for cooperative marketing on key access routes to support and drive inbound traffic);

The offer by the Dublin Airport Authority of significant rebates on passenger charges for extra passengers brought in by airlines; and

The more targeted co-operative marketing of new routes from key source tourism markets by Tourism Ireland, DAA and the airlines to encourage more tourists to fly into Ireland.

Tourism is also benefitting from the Government’s Internship programme, as well as from significant investment in non-national roads and other transport infrastructure, as part of the Jobs Initiative. To ensure that the needs of the tourism industry are reflected in other related or over-arching policies, officials from the Department’s Tourism Division actively contribute to cross-cutting high level and inter-Departmental Groups and also make other interventions.

The National Tourism Development Authority (Amendment) Act 2011

The National Tourism Development Authority (Amendment) Act 2011 was signed into law on 7th December 2011. The revised legislation increases the level of funding which can be provided to the National Tourism Development Authority (Fáilte Ireland) for capital expenditure projects. The Act increases the cumulative total funding cap on capital tourism projects and enterprises from €65m (as set out in Section 24 (2) of the National Tourism Development Authority Act 2003) to €150m. The Act is an enabling piece of legislation and the annual amount of capital expenditure by Fáilte Ireland will be determined in accordance with the normal budgetary process.

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Tourism Marketing

In 2011, the Department provided over €46m to the tourism agencies for the overseas promotion of Ireland as a tourism destination. This includes an additional provision which the Government made available for cooperative marketing of some €4.7m, in the absence of a sufficient response from carriers to the offer of suspending the Air Travel Tax made in the Jobs Initiative. Highlights included a major push around St. Patrick’s day with the "greening" of iconic buildings worldwide e.g. London Eye, Table Mountain in South Africa, the Empire State Building in New York and the Sky Tower in Auckland and a major marketing drive in Great Britain and the United States to maximize the global publicity that surrounded the historic visits by Queen Elizabeth II and President Obama to Ireland.

The Gathering Ireland 2013

At the second Global Irish Economic Forum on 7 October 2011, Minister Varadkar presented proposals for “The Gathering Ireland 2013”. The initiative aims to attract up to 325,000 extra visitors to Ireland with a consequential significant boost to the economy. This will be the biggest tourism initiative ever staged in Ireland and will consist of a year-long programme organised around a series of festivals, both existing and new. The Gathering is celebrating all that is best about Ireland and is inviting Ireland’s Diaspora from around the world to join and support Ireland in 2013 as well as anyone that has or feels a connection to Ireland through for example business, education or a love of Irish culture or music.

Event Tourism

In 2011 Fáilte Ireland continued to support and promote major events (e.g. in business, cultural and sport areas) likely to attract a significant number of tourists and deliver a large number of bednights. The Events Tourism programme is a key driver of high yield, high value international visitors to the country, a fact recognised in the Programme for Government. Accordingly, the Fáilte Ireland Events programme is an enabler of employment throughout Ireland, it is a central component in the animation of the country as a world-class tourism destination, and is a strong generator of international publicity and exposure for Ireland. Notable events in 2011 included – the Solheim Cup, the Tall Ships, the Irish Open and the Dublin Horse Show, as well as hundreds of festivals throughout the country.

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Business Tourism

In 2011 Fáilte Ireland continued to invest heavily in identifying, attracting and securing more international conferences and meetings for hosting in Ireland. This activity included supporting the bid and marketing activities of 207 international conferences accounting for almost 96,000 overseas delegates to Ireland and a revenue yield of approximately €135m to the Irish economy.

Skills Training, Business Supports, Competitiveness and Enterprise Capability

The Department provided resources to Fáilte Ireland to allow it to support the development of knowledge, skills and competencies for firms operating in the tourism sector. Key Fáilte Ireland training and development programme activity measures during 2011 included:

• 6,456 people participated on work-based training programmes. • 1,550 craft/apprenticeship students participating on accredited

education programmes. • 7,299 industry personnel attended management, supervisory, and

Continuous Professional Development programmes. • 886 hospitality employees participated on Service Excellence, Best

Practice and Business Excellence/Continuous Improvement workshops under the Fáilte Ireland OPTIMUS programme.

Fáilte Ireland, with the assistance of Tourism Ireland, introduced the “Sales Connect” programme to support tourism businesses in overseas markets during 2011. A total of 880 businesses availed of the programme in its first year and Fáilte Ireland plans to increase this number during 2012. Over 2,500 small and medium enterprises availed of Fáilte Ireland’s webcheck service to improve their business’ website during 2011. 1,400 members of the tourism trade also received training in developing online strategies, protecting online reputation and effectively utilising social media during 2011. Fáilte Ireland also provided 176 businesses with web internationalisation consultancy to prepare their websites for overseas business during the year while their business and mentoring service worked with almost 500 clients. Since mid-2011 Fáilte Ireland has been actively encouraging tourism businesses to provide internships – particularly in the field of marketing - via Job-Bridge, the National Internship Programme. Fáilte Ireland has added value to the scheme by promoting the scheme to clients in each region and providing a 5-day tourism marketing training programme for interns. The 5-day training covered topics such as e – marketing, web internationalisation, communications and media, Sales Connect and tourism trends. 21 marketing interns participated in the first training programme at the end of 2011 with further programmes planned for 2012.

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Tourism Capital Investment

The 2011 allocation of €14.79m for Fáilte Ireland’s Tourism Capital Investment Programme continued the Government’s support for capital investment in tourism in order to develop, upgrade and enhance our tourism product offering. A total of €21.7m was approved by Fáilte Ireland in 2011 in respect of twenty two tourism projects. Notable projects approved for funding included Garnish Island, Killarney House, a further development of the Mayo Greenway and the Book of Kells in Trinity College.

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High Level Goal - Sport

To contribute to a healthier and more active society by promoting sports participation and by supporting high performance and the provision of facilities.

Sport

Sports Capital Programme / Local Authority Swimming Pools

The Sports Capital Programme (SCP) is the main channel of Government support for developing sports facilities and purchasing sports equipment for sports clubs and organisations across Ireland. In 2011, €23.4m was paid out to SCP grantees. In addition, €4.5m was allocated to 111 local authority sports projects with a focus on participation. Three further special allocations totalling €1.69m were also made to specific sports projects in 2011, including an allocation of €1.25m to the Irish Amateur Boxing Association for modest improvements to boxing clubs across the country, with a particular emphasis on facilitating more women to participate in boxing. The Local Authority Swimming Pools Programme provides grants for the provision of a new or replacement local authority pool or the refurbishment of an existing pool. In 2011 grants totalling €10.9m were allocated to local authorities for 56 swimming pools. These grants were for improved access for people with disabilities and/or for energy efficiency measures.

Irish Sports Council

In the implementation of sport policy, the Department supports the activities of the Irish Sports Council (ISC) and maintains regular contact with it in monitoring the effective development, funding and implementation of programmes, in compliance with Government financial requirements and policy. The plans and annual report of the ISC detail the levels of performance and indicators being met. The ISC’s budget for 2011 was €46.8 million, which represented a decrease of 5 per cent on the 2010 allocation. The funding in 2011 allowed the ISC to continue implementing its two strategic objectives, namely, increasing participation and high performance in sport. The National Governing Bodies of Sport remain central to delivering both objectives, directly receiving the majority of the total ISC budget in 2011. During the year, Ireland’s elite athletes and players received €2.3 million in grants under the ISC’s International Carding Scheme and €6.5 million in grants was allocated under the High Performance Programme. In sports supported by the ISC, Ireland won a total of 59 medals at World and European levels.

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Among the other Irish successes, Leinster were crowned European Rugby Cup Champions, Katie Taylor took gold at the European Championships, Rory McIlroy triumphed at the US Open, the Republic of Ireland qualified for Euro 2012 and Darren Clarke won the British Open.

National Governing Bodies of Sport

Allocations to the National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of Sport in 2011 included more than €9 million to support the work of the Gaelic Athletic Association, Football Association of Ireland and Irish Rugby Football Union in increasing participation in sport by young people. Some €11 million was allocated to the other 58 NGBs to allow them to carry out the core activities required to deliver quality sport in Ireland, including administration, coach education, and hosting and participating at international events.

Local Sports Partnerships

In 2011, 32 Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) provided national coverage for sports participation programmes and services. The ISC invested €5.3 million in the LSP Network in the year. The Partnership network also hosted the employment of 17 Sports Inclusion Disability Officers.

Widening Participation in Sport

In 2011, overall funding of €680,400 was allocated by the ISC under the 'Go for Life' Programme, which aims to help clubs and organisations to increase opportunities for their older members to actively participate in recreational sport and a range of physical activities. This overall funding included a grant allocation of €300,000 under the 11th National Grant Scheme for Sport and Physical Activity for Older People. Some €1.7 million was invested under the Women in Sport Initiative to help increase women’s participation in sport and physical activities.

National Awards to Volunteers in Irish Sport

The third programme of National Awards to Volunteers in Irish Sport took place in May 2011 when eleven volunteers were honoured. The national awards are an initiative of the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport in conjunction with the Federation of Irish Sports. Members of the public were invited to nominate an individual whose contribution to their sports club or organisation has made a real difference. The programme was also supported by the Community Foundation of Ireland and the Irish Sports Council. The eleven award winners were selected by a committee chaired by Olympic gold medallist, Ronnie Delaney, alongside

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representatives from the Federation of Irish Sports, the Irish Sports Council, the Irish Times, RTE and the Department.

London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

The London 2012 Coordinating Group was established to identify opportunities for Ireland from the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London in 2012. The Group included representatives from the Irish Sports Council, Paralympics Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland, the Arts Council, Culture Ireland, the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In 2011, a number of international teams came to the National Aquatic Centre for pre-Olympic and Paralympic training. International matches between the UK and Hungarian Water-Polo men’s senior squads took place in July 2011. The UK Paralympic Swimming Team participated in a week’s training at the NAC in November 2011

Anti-Doping

The Department represented Ireland at a number of meetings at EU level during 2011. Ireland's national anti-doping programme is administered by the Irish Sports Council and in May 2011 the Council published its Anti-Doping Annual Report for 2010.

National Sports Campus Development Authority

In November 2005, the Government approved the commencement of Phase 1 of the development of a National Sports Campus at Abbotstown. Although planning permission for Phase 1 of the National Sports Campus was received in 2009, no capital funding was made available in 2010 to proceed further with the main project. The NSCDA subsequently prepared proposals for incremental development of the Campus Master Plan which were then submitted to Government in June 2011. Government decided, inter alia, to approve the progression of certain aspects of the Campus facilities in partnership with individual NGBs and to examine alternative funding options for the remainder of the facilities. Work on the refurbishment of the former Marine Institute building at Abbotstown as a new Sports Headquarters for the National Governing Bodies of Sport was progressed. Following receipt of Planning Permission in 2010 and completion of enabling works, NSCDA together with OPW conducted a tender process to appoint contractors to undertake the works. The NSCDA through its subsidiary company continues to operate and manage the National Aquatic Centre (NAC). During 2011, some 825,000 visits were made to the Centre. The NSCDA has continued, in conjunction with Swim Ireland, to develop the

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high performance centre at the NAC for elite Irish swimmers. NSCDA and NAC also secured an agreement with the USA Synchronised Swimming Team to use the NAC as their pre-Olympic training base for up to six weeks in the run-up to the 2012 London Games. During 2011, the NSCDA continued the implementation of a planned five-year capital maintenance programme at the NAC; as well as supporting the capital upgrade of facilities at the Morton Stadium, Santry.

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North/South Cooperation Both transport and tourism are recognised areas of north/south cooperation under the Good Friday agreement. The Department continued its active engagement in 2011 with the Northern Ireland authorities under the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) on advancing cooperation in both areas. Transport Sectoral meetings of the NSMC took place on 9 February 2011 and 21 October 2011. A Tourism Sectoral meeting was held on 3 February 2011 and tourism was also an agenda item at the NSMC Plenary meeting on 18 November 2011.

Sustainability and Integration There has been continued strong levels of investment in smarter travel including on-going investment in mobility management schemes for both workplaces and schools and key cycling infrastructure. Over €10 million was allocated in 2011 to local authorities for cycling infrastructure, such as cycle lanes, bike parking and cycle greenways. Flagship projects completed by local authorities include schemes for commuter cyclists, such as the Grand Canal Cycle Way in Dublin, and cycle ways for leisure cyclists, such as the Western Greenway linking Westport to Achill. Bikeweek 2011 was the most successful yet with over 400 events attended by over 30,000 people organised by local authorities, local sports partnerships and local communities; Symposiums were held in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford to engage with local interests to work together to fulfil the programme for Government commitment to roll out public bikes schemes in the regional cities;

EU Presidency Planning The Department maintained close links with the European Commission and with our European Member State partners in developing new European Union legislation and other technical or policy proposals. The Department, in preparing for the Irish EU Presidency in 2013, set up a Presidency Planning Group in December. The Department is working with other Government Departments, particularly the Department of the Taoiseach, to ensure a coherent and effective approach to the Presidency and to prepare and lay all of the necessary groundwork to run a successful, efficient and effective Irish Presidency of the EU in 2013 for the transport, tourism and sports sectors

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High Level Goal - Support Services

To ensure the Department and its agencies are organised and developed in an efficient and effective manner to deliver on our Mission Statement and High Level Goals.

Support Services Delivery

Organisational Review Programme (ORP)

The ORP was completed in 2008 and made a range of recommendations for action by the Department across four broad areas:- • Strategic leadership across the transport sector; • Improving communications and relationships; • Promoting a culture of continuous improvement; and • Strengthening service delivery and improving governance The Department has since completed many of the actions and others have been embedded in the day-to-day organisational processes and procedures. In 2011, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform initiated a formal and systematic ‘look-back’ on the implementation of a number of Departments ORP Action Plans. This Department has contributed to the ‘Look-Back’ Review. This report was subsequently published in January 2012. The ORP Reviews can be found on www.orp.ie.

Agency rationalisation

The Department is actively pursuing a policy of restructuring the agencies under its remit. The merger of Dublin Tourism with its parent body – Failte Ireland – is de facto complete. Coaching Ireland has been subsumed into the Irish Sports Council. Dundalk Port Company was merged with Dublin Port Company on 12 July 2011. Tralee and Fenit Harbour Authority transferred to the control of Kerry County Council with effect from 1 October 2011. Baltimore and Skibbereen Harbour and Kinsale Harbour transferred to the control of Cork County Council, while agreement was reached on the transfer of Arklow Harbour to the control of Wicklow County Council, with effect from 1st January 2012.

http://www.orp.ie/

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The Public Service Reform Plan (http://reformplan.per.gov.ie/) published in November 2011 sets out full details of all agencies, including those under the aegis of the Department, which the Government decided are to be rationalised in 2012 and 2013 and also those which are subject to critical review. Details can be found Here

Staffing

The Department underwent a sustained period of change in 2011 primarily in its delivery of the Public Service (Croke Park) Agreement Action Plan and within the constraints of the moratorium on recruitment while achieving the annual Employment Control Framework (ECF) targets. The Department’s realigned functions and structure were added to during 2011 with the merger of tourism and sports functions into the then Department of Transport. Much of the Department’s business delivery continued with reduced financial and staffing resources. Staff numbers were reduced to 497 Full Time Equivalents (FTE) by end 2011, 3% below its end year ECF target of 514 FTE. This was achieved by 21 staff retirements and the proactive use of the redeployment mechanism negotiated as part of the Public Service Agreement, with 25 staff redeployed in 2011. Other staff efficiencies achieved during the year included a significant improvement in staff attendance with a 21% reduction on sick leave absence achieved in 2011 compared with 2010.

Staff Training and Development

In 2011 the emphasis of training was on the development requirements identified by staff and their managers through the Performance Management Development System (PMDS). Having such requirements identified in line with the business needs and objectives of the Department is a key component of the Training & Development Strategy 2010-2014, the initial implementation of which commenced in 2010. Training included the continuous professional development required for the emergency services of the Department particularly the Irish Coast Guard. Following the audit of the Marine Safety Office by the International Maritime Organisation in late 2010, additional training needs were identified. Addressing these needs continued in 2011. The Department also continued its support in 2010 for staff partaking in a variety of 3rd level studies where such courses were considered relevant and of benefit to the Department.

http://reformplan.per.gov.ie/

http://per.gov.ie/2012/09/06/progress-on-the-implementation-of-the-governments-public-service-reform-plan/

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Health and Safety

The Irish Coast Guard delivered five sessions of Safety Representative training to IRCG volunteers throughout 2011. Air Accident Investigation Unit staff completed a one-day refresher Hazard and Wreckage Awareness Training Course, which is valid for two years. The first of two asbestos training courses was delivered to Marine Surveyors on 21st and 22nd September 2011. Occupational first aid training was delivered to 15 staff in Dublin, in March and June.

Emergency Planning

The Department is represented on the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning and on the National Steering Group which oversees the Framework for Major Emergency Management. It is Lead Department for transport emergencies and supports other Lead Departments for emergencies which affect travel and transport e.g. severe weather.

Report on the Review of the Response to Exceptional Severe Weather Events of 2009 – 2010

The Department and its agencies participated in the Review of the severe weather events of 2009 and 2010. The Review was completed in June 2011 by the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management. The Report’s recommendations relevant to the Department and the transport bodies were implemented and the preparedness of the public transport operators, and of the airports, was enhanced in consequence.

Inaugural Winter Ready Campaign 2011 - 2012

On 9 November the Government Task Force launched the inaugural Winter Ready Campaign, for the winter of 2011 – 2012. The Department and the transport bodies, including the Road Safety Authority, actively participated in the Campaign, which emphasised co-ordinated action by all Government Departments and relevant Agencies so as to assist the public in being prepared for emergencies which can arise due to severe winter weather.

Information Services

The new corporate intranet “TheHub” delivered in 2011 has improved information and knowledge sharing across the Department and has resulted in significant efficiencies in the processing and handling of information and the provision of support services such as HR and Finance.

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The WorkSmart programme delivered a number of additional business support systems in 2011 most notably the ePQs (electronic processing of Parliamentary Questions) and eSubmissions (electronic submissions to Ministers). The Management Board also commenced conducting their weekly business electronically. Enhancement of SafeSeasIreland, a web-based information portal for ship movements in Irish waters, continued during 2011. The developments included adding Long Range Identification Tracking (LRIT), detection of Actual time of Arrival (ATA) and Actual time of Departure (ATD) of vessels, integration with Thetis, the European system that supports the inspection regime for Port State Control and a development for Customs Enforcement users which included risk identification of vessels using Google Maps. The Departmental initiative websites bikeweek.ie and smartertravel.ie were moved to a free open-source content management system, saving on payments to external web providers. Departmental staff now have easy and direct control on the content of these sites. The ICT project management structure was established. The Department’s ICT Strategy Group came into effect in 2011 and has approved a number of priority information technology projects for 2012 to further enhance efficiency and communications within the Department. There were no significant security breaches in 2011.

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Appendix 1

Maritime – Irish Flag

The following internationally trading merchant ships greater than 500 gross tons were on the Irish Flag at the end of 2011 Name of Vessel Name of Vessel Name of Vessel

Arklow Faith Arklow Racer Asphalt Sailor

Arklow Falcon Arklow Fame Arklow Raider Asphalt Seminole

Arklow Rainbow Camira

Arklow Fern Arklow Raven Celtic Explorer

Arklow Field Arklow Flair Arklow Rebel Clonmore

Arklow Fortune Arklow Rival Hebble Sand

Arklow Freedom Arklow Rogue Huelin Endeavour

Arklow Future Arklow Rover Granuaile

Arklow Manor Arklow Ruler MSC Bahamas

Arklow Marsh Arklow Wave Pearl

Arklow Meadow

Arklow Willow

Arklow Mill

Arklow Wind

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Appendix 2

Irish Coast Guard Statistics – Five-year trend

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Incidents 1961 1876 1893 1839

1817

Persons saved / assisted 3488 3155 3127 3675

3563

Pleasure Craft 696 594 667 576

580

Merchant Craft 64 63 47 45

77

Fishing Craft 278 221 142 188

180

Pollution / Salvage Report 47 45 51 47

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IRCG Coastal Units 822 707 766 795

912

IRCG Helicopter 469 450 512 470

553

RNLI 736 679 709 740

728

Community Rescue Boats Ireland

96 99 146 122 124

Gardaí

58 50 53 51 50

False Alarms

142 136 132 140 118

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Appendix 3

Finance Division

List of Prompt Payments for 2011

http://www.dttas.ie/viewitem.asp?id=12153&lang=ENG&loc=1512

http://www.dttas.ie/viewitem.asp?id=12153&lang=ENG&loc=1512

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Appendix 4

The Ministers and Senior Management of the Department

Minister Varadkar Minister of State Kelly Minister of State Ring The Management Board of the Department

http://transport.ie/about/OurMinisters.asp?lang=ENG&loc=1219

http://transport.ie/about/ourMinisters_of_State.asp?lang=ENG&loc=2640

http://transport.ie/about/ministerofstatering.asp?lang=ENG&loc=2642

http://transport.ie/about/committee.asp?lang=ENG&loc=351

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Appendix 5

Acts

Act 7 of 2011 Road Traffic Act 2011 Act 28 of 2011 Road Traffic (No. 2) Act 2011 Act 31 0f 2011 Road Transport Act 2011

Statutory Instruments

S.I.No. 9/2011 Preclearance Area (Dublin Airport) Regulations 2011 S.I. No. 35/2011 Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 S.I. No. 36/2011 European Communities (Driving Theoretical Tests) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 S.I.No.53/2011 Safety of Fishing Vessels Regulations 2007 (Revocation) Regulations 2011 S.I. No.70/2011 European Communities (Railway Safety) Regulations 2011 S.I. No. 88/2011 European Communities (Commercial Vehicles Roadside Check Forms) (Irish Language) Regulations 2011 S.I. No. 116/2011 European Communities (Dublin Airport Charges) Regulations 2011 S.I. No. 120/2011 Railway Safety Act 2005 (Section 26) Levy Order 2011 S.I. No. 140/2011 Tourism and Sport (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2011 S.I. No. 141/2011 Transport (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2011 S.I. No. 163/2011 Marine Tourism (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2011

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2011/en/act/pub/0007/index.html




http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2011/en/si/0009.html



















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S.I. No. 172/2011 Road Traffic (Courses of Instruction) (Cars) Regulations 2011 S.I. No. 173/2011 Road Traffic (Courses of Instruction) (Learner Holder Permits) Regulations 2011 S.I. No. 197/2011 European Communities (CO2 from Cars Competent Authority) Regulations 2011 S.I. No. 234/2011 European Communities (Mechanically Propelled Vehicle Entry Into Service) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 S.I. No. 235/2011 Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 S.I. No. 239/2011 Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 S.I. No. 244/2011 Appointment of Special Advisers (Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport) Order 2011. S.I. No. 253/2011 Road Traffic Act 2011 (Commencement) Order 2011. S.I. No. 255/2011 Road Traffic Act 2010 (Certain Provisions) (Commencement) Order 2011. S.I. No. 260/2011 European Communities (Merchant Shipping) (Compliance with Flag State Requirements) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 272/2011 Road Traffic (Spray-Suppression) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 275/2011 European Communities (Ship Inspection and Survey Organisations) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 276/2011 European Communities (Merchant Shipping) (Investigation of Accidents) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 315/2011 Road Traffic (Weight Laden of 5 Axle Articulated Vehicles) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 322/2011 European Communities (Passenger Ships) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 339/2011 European Communities (Clean and Energy-Efficient Road Transport Vehicles) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 350/2011 European Union (Restrictions on Transport Services and Air Operations) (Libya) Regulations 2011.































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S.I. No. 361/2011 Harbours Acts 1996 to 2009 (Transfer of Functions of Dundalk Port Company) Order 2011. S.I. No. 365/2011 Sea Pollution (Prevention of Oil Pollution) (Amendment) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 367/2011 Road Traffic (Restraint Systems in Organised Transport of Children) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 383/2011 Sea Pollution (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) (Amendment) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 386/2011 European Communities (Road Transport) (Exemptions) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 419/2011 European Communities (Interoperability of the Rail System) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 420/2011 European Communities (Road Vehicles: Entry into Service) (Amendment) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 421/2011 European Communities (Motor Vehicles Type Approval) (Amendment) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 422/2011 European Communities (Road Vehicles: Type-Approval) (Amendment) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 448/2011 European Communities (Marine Equipment) (Amendment) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 457/2011 Road Traffic (Driving Mirrors - Additional Requirements for Heavy Goods Vehicles) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 460/2011 Road Traffic Act 1994 (Detention of Vehicles) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 470/2011 Transport (Railway Infrastructure) Act 2001 (Additional Functions) (Public Transport by Road) Order 2011. S.I. No. 472/2011 European Communities (Road Infrastructure Safety Management) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 483/2011 Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2011.































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S.I. No. 503/2011 Harbours Act 1996 (Tralee and Fenit Pier and Harbour Commissioners) Transfer Order 2011. S.I. No. 506/2011 European Communities (Compensation and Assistance to Air Passengers) (Denied Boarding, Cancellation or Long Delay of Flights) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 527/2011 Road Traffic (Bus Lanes) (Exemption) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 540/2011 Road Traffic Act 2010 (Sections 15 and 17) (Prescribed Forms) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 541/2011 Road Traffic Act 2010 (Section 13) (Prescribed Form and Manner of Statements) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 542/2011 Road Traffic (No. 2) Act 2011 (Commencement) Order 2011. S.I. No. 543/2011 Road Traffic Act 2010 (Certain Provisions) (Commencement) (No. 2) Order 2011. S.I. No. 544/2011 Road Traffic Act 2010 (Section 33) (Commencement) Order 2011. S.I. No. 578/2011 European Communities (Road Transport) (Working Conditions and Road Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 595/2011 Road Traffic Act 2010 (Fixed Penalty Notice - Drink Driving) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 596/2011 Sea Pollution (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 608/2011 European Communities (Random Roadside Vehicle Inspection) (Amendment) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 623/2011 Road Traffic (National Car Test) (Amendment) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 654/2011 Road Traffic (Weight Laden of 5 Axle Articulated Vehicles) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 664/2011 Harbours Act 1996 (Arklow Harbour Commissioners) Transfer Order 2011. S.I. No. 665/2011 Harbours Act 1996 (Baltimore and Skibbereen Harbour Commissioners) Transfer Order 2011.
































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S.I. No. 666/2011 Harbours Act 1996 (Kinsale Harbour Commissioners) Transfer Order 2011. S.I. No. 672/2011 Road Traffic (Signs) (Amendment) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 673/2011 Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 681/2011 Road Traffic (Courses of Instruction) (Motorcycles) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 686/2011 European Union (Insurance of Shipowners for Maritime Claims) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 694/2011 Road Traffic (Requirement to have Audible Warning Devices on Vehicles) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 695/2011 Road Traffic (Lighting of Vehicles) (Blue and Amber Lamps) (Amendment) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 696/2011 European Union (International Market for Coach and Bus Services) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 697/2011 European Union (Occupation of Road Transport Operator) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 698/2011 European Union (International Road Haulage Market) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 702/2011 European Union (Motor Insurance) (Limitation of Insurance in relation to Injury to Property) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 710/2011 European Communities (Vehicle Testing) (Amendment) Regulations 2011. S.I. No. 711/2011 Road Traffic (National Car Test) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2011.


























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