Results 12,561-12,580 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

Other Questions: Air Quality (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41, 75, 574 and 575 together. The ban on the marketing, sale and distribution of bituminous coal - the smoky coal ban, as it is commonly known - was first introduced in Dublin in 1990 and subsequently extended to the major cities. Following a more recent public consultation process in 2012, it was extended and now applies to 26 urban areas nationwide....

Other Questions: Air Quality (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: 5 o’clock I acknowledge the work Deputy Kelly has done in this area. Part of the problem is that, effectively, we had no Government in place for the first half of last year. Since I became Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment this has been one of my priorities, especially now because the Department has responsibility not only for environmental issues but...

Other Questions: Air Quality (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: I have never given the issue of staff transferring as a reason. The staff are answerable to me and I am working closely with them on the matter.

Other Questions: Air Quality (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: I have been working closely with them since I became Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment at the end of July. It does not only apply to Enniscorthy. Enniscorthy has been flagged because we have an air monitoring station there. In fact, we have a poor network for monitoring air quality in the country. That is part of the problem. This was one of the issues I...

Other Questions: Media Mergers (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: Following approval by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, notification of the proposed merger referenced in the question was received by me as Minister on 21 November 2016. I had 30 working days from the notification deadline of 24 November 2016 to conduct an initial assessment, or phase one assessment, of the case on media plurality grounds. The examination was guided by the...

Other Questions: Media Mergers (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: I will set out the answer to that question. The names of the members of the advisory panel are as follows: John Horgan, former Press Ombudsman and a media academic at Dublin City University; Marie McGonagle, a retired academic from NUI Galway and Peggy Valcke, a Belgian media plurality and competition expert. Mr. John Horgan has agreed to be the chairperson of that panel. I know that the...

Other Questions: Media Mergers (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: It is the first merger to be scrutinised. The reason for that is the legislation is very new. I am the first Minister to do that. The State will not be subsidising any media outlet or newspaper in this country. However, there is a broader issue with regard to how we encourage quality journalism. It is an issue I have addressed in the past and with which I am actively engaged at the...

Other Questions: Media Mergers (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: A further merger has come before me. That is the BBC-ITV joint venture, BritBox. That was notified to the Department on the last day of January.

Other Questions: Mobile Telephony Services (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: I thank Deputy Heydon and am critically aware of the frustration currently being experienced across Ireland, where mobile networks are not always delivering the services people expect.  Any customer, including those in County Kildare, who experiences service difficulties should raise the matter with the service provider in the first instance. If this fails to resolve matters,...

Other Questions: Mobile Telephony Services (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: ComReg hopes to be in a position by the end of this year to have significant progress made with regard to that mapping. We have received a commitment from the mobile operators that they will provide us with the data on their coverage black spots across the country. The Deputy is right about the repeaters. They will help to boost the signal in many parts of the country. What we are...

Other Questions: Mobile Telephony Services (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: The quality of service is something I raised specifically with ComReg when I became Minister. It has not received the scale of complaints that it should have received based on what I was receiving as complaints in my own constituency. That is why I would actively encourage people to first contact their operator. If they are not satisfied with the response, they should contact ComReg about...

Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC, held its 21st Conference of the Parties, COP 21, in Paris in 2015.  The major outcome of COP 21 was the agreement by over 180 countries to restrict the impact of emissions on global warming and to limit the temperature rise to 2° Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with an ambition of 1.5° Celsius. The...

Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: There are many countries across the world which do not come up to the mark on environmental matters. I have been criticised as Minister for the role I have taken on these issues. However, there is a determination within Europe, including in Ireland, to lead from the front on this, provide an example to countries across the globe and assist the least developed countries with both finance and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Ministerial Meetings (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: The Minister for Finance has policy responsibility for the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund. The investment strategies and decisions made by the fund are therefore not within my remit and not a subject on which I have engaged with the fund.   As Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, I have policy responsibility for many of the sectors in which the fund may...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: The Government's National Broadband Plan (NBP) was published in August 2012. I provided a comprehensive update on the progress of the plan to the Deputy in my response to Question No 72 on 6 December 2016. Progress continues to be made in delivering on this Government’s commitment to ensure every household and business in Ireland has access to high speed broadband,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 48, 49, 54, 57, 73, 79, 81, 560, 566, 576 and 587 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electric Vehicles (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: The EU Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28/EC set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy demand from renewable sources by 2020, including 10% of transport with this target also being legally binding. In the transport sector, Ireland aims to meet its renewable target mainly through the increased use of sustainable biofuels, with electric vehicles also...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Projects (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to facilitate the development of solar energy projects in Ireland. This builds on the Energy White Paper published in December 2015 and recognises that solar also has the potential to provide a community dividend, thereby also enhancing citizen participation in Ireland's energy future. With this in mind, Solar...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Metropolitan Area Networks Programme (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: My Department concluded an internal review of the Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) Programme in autumn last year.  This review involved a detailed retrospective review of the performance of the MANs in terms of the delivery of their policy objectives, an identification of the challenges facing the MANs, and an assessment of their ongoing relevance in the current telecommunications...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Irish Water (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: My Department does not have policy responsibility for water issues, which rest with the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government. I am advised that, since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. I am further advised that Irish Water...