Results 9,041-9,060 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Efficiency (12 Mar 2015)

Joe McHugh: The 2012 EU Energy Efficiency Directive imposes an obligation on Member States to achieve energy savings each year from 2014 to 2020 of 1.5% of the amount of energy sold annually to final customers. The Directive also requires the involvement of energy distributors and retailers in meeting this obligation. Ireland has decided to meet this target by imposing a lower target of 0.75% on the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation (12 Mar 2015)

Joe McHugh: The overarching objective of the Government's energy policy is to ensure secure and sustainable supplies of competitively priced energy to all consumers. The 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020, to be achieved through 40% renewables in electricity, 12% in heat and 10% in transport. ...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Legislative Measures (12 Mar 2015)

Joe McHugh: I am aware of reports of some retailers continuing to apply surcharges to top-up payments for Pay As You Go meters for electricity and gas. Pay As You Go meters are offered free of charge to energy consumers experiencing financial difficulty. Since their introduction in 2011, more than 120,000 meters have been distributed. These meters have proved to be effective in helping to reduce...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Charge (12 Mar 2015)

Joe McHugh: The Programme for Government commits to examining the role and collection of the TV licence fee in light of existing and projected convergence of technologies and to transforming the TV licence into a household based Public Service Broadcasting Charge to be applied to all eligible households and applicable businesses, regardless of the device used to access content or services. The...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Policy (12 Mar 2015)

Joe McHugh: The overarching objective of Ireland's energy policy is to ensure secure, sustainable supplies of competitively priced energy to all consumers. As a State we have ambitious targets for 16% of our energy from renewable sources by 2020 through meeting 40% of electricity demand from renewable sources, with 10% renewables in transport and 12% in heat. In 2013, 7.8% of Ireland’s overall...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Seirbhísí Leathanbhanda (12 Mar 2015)

Joe McHugh: I líonra snáthoptaice baintear úsáid as solas le sonraí a tharchur i bhfad níos gasta agus i bhfad níos faide ná líonraí traidisiúnta copair. Is féidir freastal ar leithead banda i bhfad níos mó freisin, rud a fhágann gur féidir le cuid mhaith úsáideoirí a bheith ar líne san aon am amháin...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation (12 Mar 2015)

Joe McHugh: Wave and tidal energy is still at the research, development and demonstration stage globally, and while promising experimental devices have been developed, much research, development and demonstration is required to bring wave energy technology to commercial viability. Policy action across a range of areas is required to support developers in bringing ocean energy devices from prototype to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Biofuel Obligation Scheme (12 Mar 2015)

Joe McHugh: Biofuels are readily available in Ireland and regulations on fuel standards, introduced by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in 2011, and which transpose the Fuel Quality Directive, permit the sale of petrol with up to 10% bioethanol and diesel with up to 7% biodiesel. The Biofuels Obligation Scheme was introduced in July 2010 as the primary means to meet...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Natural Gas Grid (12 Mar 2015)

Joe McHugh: As the Deputy will be aware from replies to previous Parliamentary Questions raised by him on this issue, the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) is the statutory, independent body, charged with the assessment and licensing of prospective operators seeking to develop and operate a gas distribution system within the State. The Minister has no direct statutory function in relation to the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Efficiency (12 Mar 2015)

Joe McHugh: The 2020 targets for emissions reduction, renewable energy and energy efficiency form a cornerstone of EU energy policy. The EU aims to deliver a 20% improvement in energy efficiency by 2020, an objective that has been incorporated into Irish energy policy through the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan. In 2014, at the request of the Department, and as part of the ongoing development...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning (12 Mar 2015)

Joe McHugh: The regulation of installation of carbon monoxide alarms is a matter for the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government. I understand that with effect from 1 September 2014 it is compulsory, under revised Building Regulations made by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, to install approved carbon monoxide alarms in new domestic dwellings. I further...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation (12 Mar 2015)

Joe McHugh: The overarching objective of the Government's energy policy is to ensure secure, sustainable supplies of competitively priced energy to all consumers. As a State we have ambitious targets for 16% of our energy from renewable sources by 2020 through meeting 40% of electricity demand from renewable sources, with 10% renewables in transport and 12% in heat. Various schemes and initiatives are...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Feed in Tariff Scheme Implementation (12 Mar 2015)

Joe McHugh: In the 2007 Energy White Paper ‘Delivering A Sustainable Energy Future For Ireland’, a target was set of 30% co-firing of biomass at the three peat power generation stations. Under the Renewable Energy Feed in Tariff (REFIT) schemes, which are the primary means through which electricity from renewable sources is supported in Ireland, a tariff was introduced in 2012 to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Feed in Tariff Scheme Implementation (12 Mar 2015)

Joe McHugh: The Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff (REFIT) schemes are the primary means through which electricity from a range of renewable sources is supported, including electricity from biomass. The REFIT schemes are supported through the Public Service Obligation levy which is a levy on all electricity customers. Various different technologies can be used to generate electricity. The choice of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (12 Mar 2015)

Joe McHugh: Last November the Minister published a national high speed coverage map for 2016. This map is available at . The areas marked BLUE represent those areas that will have access to commercial high speed broadband services by end 2016. The AMBER areas show the target areas for the State intervention. The map allows all members of the public, be they business or residential, to see whether...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Prices (12 Mar 2015)

Joe McHugh: The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) is Ireland’s independent energy regulator. The CER was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the Irish electricity sector following the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act, 1999 and subsequent legislation. It has a wide range of economic, customer protection and safety responsibilities in the energy sector. Ireland’s...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Expenditure (12 Mar 2015)

Joe McHugh: Last November the Minister published a national high speed coverage map for 2016. This map is available at . The areas marked BLUE represent those areas that will have access to commercial high speed broadband services by end 2016. The AMBER areas show the target areas for the State intervention under the National Braodband Plan (NBP). The map allows all members of the public, be they...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Generation (12 Mar 2015)

Joe McHugh: The objective of the five part All-Island Grid Study, published in 2008, was to assess the technical feasibility and the relative costs and benefits associated with various scenarios for increased shares of electricity sourced from renewable energy in the all island power system. The creation of the portfolios was informed by the resource available, the technological readiness of the various...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Corrib Gas Field (12 Mar 2015)

Joe McHugh: Construction and testing of the infrastructure for the Corrib gas field development is nearing completion, with first gas anticipated in mid 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Seirbhísí Leathanbhanda (12 Mar 2015)

Joe McHugh: Is é is aidhm leis an bPlean Náisiúnta Leathanbhanda a chinntiú go bhfuil rochtain ar sheirbhís leathanbhanda ardluais d’ardchaighdeán ag gach saoránach agus ag gach gnó, is cuma cá háit a bhfuil siad lonnaithe. Bainfear an sprioc seo amach trí infheistíochtaí tráchtála mar aon le hidirghabháil faoi threoir...