Results 26,661-26,680 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Nuclear Waste (6 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: Formal Government to Government communication arrangements are in place in relation to the shipment of radioactive waste and spent fuel. These have been agreed under the auspices of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA Coastal and Shipping Dialogue which consists of Coastal and Shipping States has agreed guidelines on this available at . The guidelines...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Implementation (6 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: While the Deputy makes reference to the National Broadband Scheme (NBS), I presume he means to refer to the ongoing National Broadband Plan (NBP) rather than the NBS which is now ended. The NBP aims to ensure high speed broadband access to all premises in Ireland, regardless of location. This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment and a State led intervention. ...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (7 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: All premises referenced by the Deputy are in the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map, which is available on my Department's website atwww.broadband.gov.ie. The AMBER areas represent the target areas for the proposed State led Intervention under the NBP. This intervention is the subject of an ongoing procurement process. The procurement process to appoint...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Bituminous Fuel Ban (7 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 192 to 194, inclusive, together. As the Deputy will be aware, recent scientific evidence indicates that air pollution is more damaging at lower concentrations than was previously understood. With this in mind, I am committed to publishing the National Clean Air Strategy this year, which will provide the policy framework necessary to identify and promote...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (7 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: In April 2017 my Department published an updated version of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map. This is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The map shows the areas targeted by commercial operators to provide high speed broadband services and the areas that will be included in the State Intervention Area under the National Broadband Plan. The Map is colour coded and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Litter Pollution Fines (7 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: The data requested by the Deputy for 2017 is now available on my Department's website at www.dccae.gov.ie. The equivalent data for 2018 is currently being gathered from Local Authorities and will be published when all returns have been received and collated.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Expenditure (7 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 197 to 199, inclusive, together. Due to the unique nature of the National Broadband Plan, which involves the deployment of a modern future proofed high speed broadband network to an area involving approximately 96% of Ireland's landmass, the nature and cost of the solution required to deliver the State intervention network could only become known through...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: We have seen a large increase in the number of homes getting access to broadband under the NBP. There has been an increase from about 50% to 75%. There are a number of ways of dealing with this issue. There is a remaining issue, as the Deputy knows, with what is called the intervention area. That is the area where it is not commercially viable to provide a service. A tender has been...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. Just a couple of months ago I allocated €10 million to ESB, which will be 50% of the cost of extending the electric vehicle charger network. The network the ESB proposes to put in place will support 40,000 vehicles. We currently have about 10,000. We are planning to have headroom, and in the plan I will be looking beyond that. There is...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (12 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: A review of "A Resource Opportunity - Waste Management Policy in Ireland" will commence this year. This review process will take account of a number of initiatives, such as the European Circular Economy waste and plastics legislation framework and the reports from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and the Price Monitoring Group. This process will inform the development of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Implementation (12 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: I welcome recent announcements of further commercial investment in high speed broadband infrastructure by telecommunications operators. While my Department has received high level presentations from the operators with regard to their recent announcements, the operators have not published, or provided my Department with, detailed commercial or technical plans identifying the individual...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Implementation (12 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 523 and 525 to 537, inclusive, together. I welcome recent announcements of further commercial investment in high speed broadband infrastructure by telecommunications operators. While my Department has received high level presentations from the operators with regard to their recent announcements, the operators have not published, or provided my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (12 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: I am currently preparing an All of Government Climate Plan which will set out the actions which must be taken to make Ireland a leader in responding to climate change. I am working with colleagues across Government to develop new initiatives in electricity, transport and heat, as well as a range of other sectors. The All of Government Plan will build on the previous actions and framework put...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Disposal Charges (12 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: My Department is continuing the work of developing a mechanism to provide a support for vulnerable persons with a condition such as lifelong or long-term medical incontinence to help meet the average annual cost of disposing of their domestic waste. I am informed that this process has taken longer than envisaged, due to a number of issues, including data protection issues that have arisen...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (12 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: The premises referred to by the Deputy is in the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map, which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie. The AMBER areas represent the target areas for the proposed State led Intervention under the NBP. This intervention is the subject of an ongoing procurement process. The procurement process to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (12 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: In April 2017 my Department published an updated version of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map. This is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The map shows the areas targeted by commercial operators to provide high speed broadband services and the areas that will be included in the State Intervention Area under the National Broadband Plan. The Map is colour coded and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (12 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 541 and 542 together. Greenhouse gas emissions and removals associated with land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF), as reported in Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions inventory prepared by the Environmental Protection Agency, include activities associated with afforestation and forestry harvesting, grassland and cropland management under...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadcasting Sector (12 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: In light of the recommendations in the Report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action & Environment Report on Future Funding of Public Service Broadcasting, the Working Group on the Future Funding of Public Service Broadcasting was set up by Government decision in July 2018 to examine options for the reform of TV licence collection. The Group's work is...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Implementation (12 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 544 and 546 together. The Attorney General has advised that there are significant legal risks in relation to both procurement law and state aid law, if the State was to mandate and fund directly outside a procurement process any economic undertaking, including a commercial semi-state body such as the ESB, to carry out the National Broadband Plan. ...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (12 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 545 and 547 together. I have been clear that the level of State subsidy for the National Broadband Plan State intervention will be determined through the NBP procurement process and the nature and cost of the solution required to deliver the State intervention network would only become known through extensive engagement with bidders during the procurement...