Results 12,481-12,500 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Rural Broadband Scheme (24 Jan 2017)

Denis Naughten: The National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to deliver high speed broadband services to every city, town, village and individual premises in Ireland. The Programme for Government commits to the delivery of the NBP as a matter of priority.  This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment by the telecommunications sector and a State intervention in those...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Air Quality (24 Jan 2017)

Denis Naughten: Air quality monitoring in Ireland is carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to meet the requirements of EU Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe, known as the CAFÉ Directive. The Directive requires that certain minimum levels of monitoring are carried out for the purposes of assessment and management of air quality.  The EPA...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (24 Jan 2017)

Denis Naughten: I refer to the reply to Question No. 1481 of 17 January, 2017 in which I advised that the business referred to falls within the AMBER area, which is the target area for the State Intervention and will, therefore, be included in the State Intervention procurement process which is now underway.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Generation (24 Jan 2017)

Denis Naughten: The objective of the report referred to in the Question was to inform a decision on the impact of potential noise limits on the available wind energy capacity in Ireland. The objective was not to establish the criteria for determining spatial feasibility as it was solely an acoustic exercise. The acoustic models produced in the study were based on the identification of potentially viable...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Staff Data (24 Jan 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 571 and 572 together. The current gross salary of the secretary general of my Department is €176,350 per annum. There are currently four assistant secretaries employed in my Department (there is currently one vacancy at this level).  Two are earning a gross annual salary of €119,572 each, one earns...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (24 Jan 2017)

Denis Naughten: The National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to deliver high speed broadband services to every city, town, village and individual premises in Ireland. The Programme for Government commits to the delivery of the NBP as a matter of priority.  This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment by the telecommunications sector and a State Intervention in those...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Communications Market Regulation (24 Jan 2017)

Denis Naughten: My Department is in ongoing dialogue with operators on a variety of policy and regulatory issues. The provision of fixed line electronic communications networks connections and broadband services to users is undertaken on a commercial basis by electronic communications networks and services providers. The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), the independent...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Bord na Móna (24 Jan 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 575 to 577, inclusive, together. Bord na Móna is a commercial State company operating under the Turf Development Acts 1946 to 1998. While the matter raised by the Deputy, regarding assurances of existing jobs, is an operational one for the management team at Bord na Móna and not one in which I, as Minister, have any direct function, it is a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Air Quality (24 Jan 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 578 and 579 together. The final transposition date for the recently introduced National Emissions Ceiling Directive (Directive EU 2016/2284) is 1 July 2018.  The Directive is a key element of the EU's Clean Air Package, which aims to reduce air pollution and improve air quality across Europe.  My Department is undertaking a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Air Quality (24 Jan 2017)

Denis Naughten: I understand that the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Dublin Waste to Energy plant, which included an air quality baseline survey, accompanied the Planning Application to An Bord Pleanala and the Waste Licence Application to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Under the relevant legislation, matters pertaining to planning do not fall under the remit of the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Digital Strategy (24 Jan 2017)

Denis Naughten: My Department’s BenefIT Programme, which operated between 2008 and mid-2016, comprised of four consecutive schemes designed to address the basic digital literacy needs of citizens, thereby removing a key barrier to citizen engagement with the internet.  Under the BenefIT Programme, over 160,000 training places were provided to citizens in more than 600 locations nationwide, at a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Alternative Energy Projects (25 Jan 2017)

Denis Naughten: Within the Programme for Government, there is a commitment to further decrease Ireland's dependence on imported fossil fuels through the use of indigenous renewable energy resources. This commitment builds upon the recognition in the 2015 Energy White Paper of the long-term strategic importance of diversifying Ireland's energy generation portfolio and largely decarbonising the energy sector...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (25 Jan 2017)

Denis Naughten: I refer to the reply to Question Number 1481 of 17 January, 2017 in which I advised that the business referred to falls within the AMBER area, which is the target area for the State Intervention and will, therefore, be included in the State Intervention procurement process which is now underway.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Waste Management (25 Jan 2017)

Denis Naughten: In accordance with the provisions of the Waste Management Act 1996, the preparation and adoption of a waste management plan is the statutory responsibility of the local authority or authorities concerned, and under section 60(3) of the Act I am precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to the performance by a local authority, in particular circumstances, of a statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Generation (25 Jan 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 260 and 261 together. As Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, I have overall responsibility for several commercial semi state companies a number of whom are involved in renewable electricity generation. However, the issues the Deputy raises are an operational matter for the Board and management of each company and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (25 Jan 2017)

Denis Naughten: The National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to deliver high speed broadband services to every city, town, village and individual premises in Ireland. The Programme for Government commits to the delivery of the NBP as a matter of priority.  This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment by the telecommunications sector and a State intervention in those...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Fuel Prices (26 Jan 2017)

Denis Naughten: The Irish oil sector is completely privatised, liberalised and deregulated. There is free entry into the market and it is Government policy to encourage price competition and consumer choice. As such, I have no function in the setting of fuel prices. The retail price of diesel is determined by a number of factors, and not just the price of crude oil.  One of these is the price of the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Digital Skills for Citizens Grant Scheme (26 Jan 2017)

Denis Naughten: On 18 November 2016, I issued an invitation to community, voluntary and not-for-profit organisations to apply for grant assistance under the Digital Skills for Citizens Grant Scheme which replaced the BenefIT Programme. The scheme’s Statement of Requirements specified the relevant qualification and award criteria, and is available on my Department’s website at...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Waste Management Data (31 Jan 2017)

Denis Naughten: The most recent published figures for the number of households availing of a three bin collection service are set out in the report Performance Indicators in Local Authorities 2015which indicates that approximately 575,000 or 35% of households are availing of such a service.  A copy of the report is available on the Local Government Management Agency website...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Data (31 Jan 2017)

Denis Naughten: The Government considers the NBP to be one of the most significant investments in rural Ireland for decades, and one which will transform society, akin to rural electrification in the last century.  The strategy for broadband roll-out, the National Broadband Plan (NBP), aims to deliver high speed broadband services to every city, town, village and individual premises in...