Results 12,041-12,060 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Postal Services (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: First, I will pick up on the final point Deputy Smith made. She is right in saying we need to look at new innovative products that can be developed and marketed by An Post. The two big strengths An Post has are its name recognition and the fact that the organisation is trusted by the public, particularly older people. It also has a strength not only in its brand, but also its nationwide...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Postal Services (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: -----and using its assets to ensure we can bring in additional income.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Postal Services (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: The Deputy is correct. This is why I was one of the few Members who bothered to make a submission to the Kerr report. In my submission I highlighted that point and gave specific examples of State business that is not currently going through the post office network and that could be put through that network. While there is a lot of wringing of hands over the post office network, it was...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Postal Services (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: -----through our post office network.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Postal Services (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: I will, but I want to answer Deputy Bríd Smith because she has asked the question a few times. I apologise to her because I am trying to answer all the questions here. There has been a difficulty with instructions given to various Departments which has at least not helped the maintenance of the volume of transactions through the post office network. I spoke directly to the Minister...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Postal Services (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: I point out to Deputy Stanley that in my initial reply I laid out exactly the responsibility regarding my Department and my role as Minister as well as that of the Minister, Deputy Humphreys. That makes clear exactly who has responsibility for what. I have never been afraid to answer questions. I have tried to answer any question that was put to me today. I am quite willing to answer any...

Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 and 17 together. I suggest that the Deputy should do the lotto this evening. Questions Nos. 14 and 17 are being taken together, so she is doing quite well today. The Paris agreement aims to hold the increase in global average temperature to well below 2° C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°...

Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: The Deputy will have me battered and bruised.

Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: The Deputy might come back in on the contradiction as well. I am not exactly sure what she is talking about there-----

Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: One of the big challenges we have is to try to improve the energy efficiency of the built environment. That includes public and private buildings. We will be putting people in new houses that are far more energy-efficient under the current building regulations than the building regulations that would have applied heretofore. The energy efficiency of those buildings is far greater. The...

Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: I will deal with the land use and the agricultural issues first. We have the best carbon footprint for milk production anywhere in the EU. There are less carbon emissions from dairy production in Ireland than in anywhere else in the EU. We are equal to one other member state. With regard to beef, we are the fifth-best in the EU and are working towards becoming not only EU leaders but...

Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: The objective behind the dialogue on climate change is to take the concern and convert it into action. We have had concern over the past two decades and we have not seen the action. Now we need to convert it into action and have real engagement with communities throughout the country rather than the approach that has been taken until now to lecture people on it. With regard to the...

Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: We are in the process of drafting the national mitigation plan. The draft will be completed before the end of the year and will go for public consultation. It will be finalised next year. This will set down the blueprint and not just in my Department with regard to energy. It will also involve the built environment, with regard to the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local...

Other Questions: Energy Conservation (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: The national smart metering programme, which includes electricity and gas meters, is managed by the Commission for Energy Regulation, CER. The EU's third energy package sets out the need to roll out smart meters based on economic assessment and provides that in the case of electricity, "where roll-out of smart meters is assessed positively, at least 80% of consumers shall be equipped with...

Other Questions: Energy Conservation (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: The cost benefit analysis available to me was completed by PricewaterhouseCoopers in September 2013. The results of the updated cost benefit analysis, which is available on the CER website, shows that net present value is minus €59 million for electricity meters only. 5 o’clock Where electricity and gas meters are included, the net current value is estimated at minus...

Other Questions: Energy Conservation (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: The Deputy is correct that the interface between digital and clean energy technology needs to be examined. It has changed dramatically in the past decade. I want to be sure that if we charge every ESB customer €400 for a smart meter that, first, they will benefit from them and, second, that it is the most cost effective way of making this investment. I want to establish whether...

Other Questions: Telecommunications Services Provision (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: The Deputy is getting value for money from his question. The national broadband plan aims to make high speed broadband available to all premises in Ireland through investment by commercial companies and a State intervention in areas where a commercial investment has not been fully demonstrated. In December 2015 the procurement for the State intervention...

Other Questions: Telecommunications Services Provision (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: I would need a week to address that question. We will have the most modern network in the world when the investment programme is completed. The national broadband plan provides that Ireland will be the first country to bring fibre broadband to the home extensively in rural areas. This has not been done anywhere else in the world to date. It will deliver speeds up to 1,000 Mbps to homes...

Other Questions: Telecommunications Services Provision (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: I am actively engaging with ComReg on these issues. I have got a positive response from ComReg on putting a map in place which would show the 2G, 3G, 4G and, in the future, 5G, coverage available. This would fit in with what we are doing with the national broadband plan and allow people to see what services are available. Such a service is available in Northern Ireland through Ofcom....

Other Questions: Public Service Obligation Levy Increase (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: The public service obligation, PSO, levy has been in place since 2001. The PSO levy consists of a set of support schemes designed to facilitate the national electricity policy objectives for renewables, indigenous fuels and security of supply. The PSO has supported the connection of over 2,000 MW of renewable energy to the electricity grid. It will continue to support the...