Results 4,261-4,280 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

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

Joe McHugh: An extensive consultation process was undertaken on the Green Paper on Energy Policy in Ireland following the publication of the Paper on 12 May 2014. This process included: - a public written consultation process where members of the public had ten weeks in which to lodge their submissions; - six seminars, one on each of the policy priority areas identified for consideration in the Green...

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. In...

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

Joe McHugh: The National Broadband Plan aims to ensure that every citizen and business, regardless of location, has access to a high quality, high speed broadband service. This will be achieved through a combination of commercial investments and a State led intervention in areas where commercial services will not be provided. The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately...

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

Joe McHugh: D’fhógair an tAire ar 16 Eanáir 2015, d’fhonn plean an Rialtais i gcomhair cuíchóiriú Gníomhaireachtaí Stáit a thabhairt chun cinn, go mbunófar an an Ghníomhaireacht Forbartha don Mhol Digiteach mar chomhlacht neamhspleách faoi Chomhairle Cathrach Bhaile Átha Cliath. Is é an fhís do chomhlacht nua an Mhoil...

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

Joe McHugh: The Minister published a Draft Bioenergy Plan in October 2014 which will undergo Strategic Environmental and Appropriate Assessments to inform the content of the finalised Plan. These assessment processes will commence shortly. The draft Plan sets out the broader context for the development of Ireland’s biomass sector, and the current status with regard to the range of policy areas...

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

Joe McHugh: In October 2014, the Minister published a Draft Bioenergy Plan which will undergo Strategic Environmental and Appropriate Assessments, including public consultation, which will inform the content of a finalised Plan. These assessment processes will commence shortly. The draft Plan sets out the broader context for the development of Ireland’s bioenergy sector, and the current...

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

Joe McHugh: The LIFE Programme is the EU's financial instrument supporting environmental and climate action projects throughout the EU. I understand that, nationally, the lead contact for the programme is the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. I understand that funding is not allocated to Departments or Agencies for their discretionary reallocation to projects. Under the...

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

Joe McHugh: In June 2014, the Government decided to streamline and refocus the commercial operations of Bord na Móna and Coillte, primarily in the bioenergy and wind energy sectors. The decision requires Bord na Móna and Coillte to proceed with a partial merger in four key areas: wind; biomass; tourism and recreation; and shared services. An Interdepartmental Steering Group, comprising...

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

Joe McHugh: The National Broadband Plan aims to ensure that every citizen and business, regardless of location, has access to a high quality, high speed broadband service. This will be achieved through a combination of commercial investments and a State led intervention in areas where commercial services will not be provided. The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately...

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...