Results 26,781-26,800 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Implementation (27 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 86 and 88 together. The National Broadband Plan (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 to those areas where commercial investment is unlikely. These are mostly rural areas. The NBP has been a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electric Vehicles (27 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: Providing adequate charging infrastructure is critical to ensure continued growth in electric vehicles. Home charging is the most cost-effective way to charge an electric vehicle and is the primary method of charging for the majority of electric vehicles both internationally and in Ireland. A Government grant of up to €600 is available, via the SEAI, to the purchasers of new and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (27 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 89 and 94 together. The high level design of the new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) was approved by Government in July 2018. The RESS has been designed to deliver Ireland’s renewable electricity contribution towards an EU-wide renewable energy target of 32% out to 2030, within a competitive auction-based, cost effective framework. ...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (27 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: I welcome recent announcements of further commercial investment in high speed broadband infrastructure by telecommunications operators. While I have not had direct engagement with either company, officials from my Department have met with representatives of these operators and have received high level presentations from both with regard to their commercial deployment plans. To date, neither...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: North-South Interconnector (27 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: The North South Interconnector is critical to improving the efficient operation of the Single Electricity Market and increasing security of electricity supply across the island of Ireland. A resilient and well connected energy infrastructure is vital for Ireland’s economic wellbeing and the ability to respond to the future needs of energy consumers. In December 2016 An Bord...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Projects (27 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: Data centres are a key dimension of electricity demand growth in Ireland. While data centres have until recently accounted for less than 2% of Ireland’s total electricity demand, EirGrid in their Generation Capacity Statement 2018-2027 project that demand from data centres could account for 31% of all demand by 2027. Data centres consume very large amounts of energy and have a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Nuclear Waste (27 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: Senior officials from my Department, and from the Environmental Protection Agency, meet twice yearly with their counterparts from the United Kingdom (UK) through the UK-Ireland Contact Group on Radiological Matters. The matter of the storage and disposal of radioactive waste, and in particular the Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) project, whereby this material is stored in an underground...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Data Protection (27 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: My Department has no role in the monitoring and enforcement of data protection legislation. Responsibility for these functions lies with the Data Protection Commission, which is independent in the performance of its functions.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (27 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 541 and 542 of 12 March 2019. The position is unchanged. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (27 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 228 and 233 together. The National Broadband Plan (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. The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector. In 2012, less than...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Angling Sector (27 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: The National Inland Fisheries Forum is established by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) under the Inland Fisheries Act 2010 to provide a mechanism for a wide range of stakeholders to input into the sector generally. A review of the original Forum, following 3 years of operation, identified that the low attendance from among the 60 members at meetings led to sub-optimal delivery on the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (27 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: Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (27 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: Under section 124 of the Broadcasting Act, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland is required to carry out a review of the public funding of RTE and TG4 every five years which is brought to Government, and published along with a Government response. The Working Group on the Future Funding of Public Service Broadcasting was set up by Government decision in July 2018 to examine options for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (27 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 235, 236, 242 and 243 together. As the Deputy will be aware, 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, heat, and agriculture, as...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Mobile Telephony Services (27 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: Providing telecommunications services, including mobile phone services, is a matter for the relevant service providers operating in a fully liberalised market regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), as independent Regulator. I do not have statutory authority to require commercial companies to rollout services and make specific investments in particular locations....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (27 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: The National Broadband Plan (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. The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector. In 2012, less than 700,000, or 30% of all 2.4 million Irish premises had access to high...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (27 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: The most recent Energy in Ireland report was published in December 2018 by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. Details of the proportions of electricity generated from oil, gas, coal, wind, solar or other renewable sources are available in Table 8 “Growth rates, quantities and shares of electricity generated by fuel”on page 29 of the report. The EU Renewable Energy...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electric Vehicles (27 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: Providing adequate charging infrastructure is critical to ensure continued growth in electric vehicles. Home charging is the most cost-effective way to charge an electric vehicle and is the primary method of charging for the majority of electric vehicles both internationally and in Ireland. A Government grant of up to €600 is available, via the SEAI, to the purchasers of new and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Generation (27 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 241 and 248 together. The most recent Energy in Ireland report which covered the period up to end 2017 was published in December 2018 by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Renewables, including wind (25%) generated around 30% of Ireland's electricity in 2017, with the other main sources being gas at 51%, coal 12% and peat 7%. EirGrid as...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Generation (27 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) work closely with my Department and present a comprehensive overview of energy supply and demand in Ireland to inform Government policy. As part of their work, the SEAI publishes an annual “Energy in Ireland” Report which presents national energy statistics on energy production and consumption over a set period. The latest...