Results 12,921-12,940 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: North-South Interconnector (11 Apr 2017)

Denis Naughten: The news article referred to by the Deputy  outlines the Code of Practice drawn up by the ESB and IFA in 1985 and an agreement between the IFA and ESB Networks/EirGrid in 2009, which set out a framework for compensation payable to landowners for overhead transmission lines. In relation to the development of the North South Interconnector, three forms of payment were...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Commission for Communications Regulation (11 Apr 2017)

Denis Naughten: This is an operational matter for the Commission of Communications Regulation (ComReg), an independent statutory body, established in 2002 under the Communications Regulation Act 2002. I have, however, sent the Deputy’s query to ComReg and I have asked it to reply directly.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (11 Apr 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 areas where commercial...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (11 Apr 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 723 to 726, inclusive, 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 commercial investment by the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Properties (11 Apr 2017)

Denis Naughten: All property occupied by my Department is either leased by or owned by the Office of Public Works. No expenditure has been incurred for security or maintenance of vacant or unused properties over the last five years as no property allocated by the OPW for use by my Department has been either vacant or unused during that period.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Revised) (11 Apr 2017)

Denis Naughten: I thank the Chairman. Before I commence, I will introduce the officials accompanying me. I am accompanied by Mr. Matt Collins, assistant secretary - Natural Resources and Waste Policy, Mr. Martin Finucane, principal officer and our chief finance officer, Mr. Denis Maher, principal officer, Ms Rebecca Minch, principal officer, and Mr. Jim Whelan, assistant principal. The focus of...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Revised) (11 Apr 2017)

Denis Naughten: I am responsible for pretty much everything else.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Revised) (11 Apr 2017)

Denis Naughten: I will deal with postcodes first. I will group the questions together, because that is probably the easiest way to proceed. Deputy Dooley asked about the percentage of people who know their postcode. I do not have those figures available to me. Anecdotally from my own experience, and I am sure every member of the committee would find the same, people in rural areas in particular are now...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Revised) (11 Apr 2017)

Denis Naughten: The targets and the contract are published on the Department's website. It is there for everybody to see exactly what Eir has signed up to. It will be reporting quarterly to us and we will be publishing those figures. Taking Deputy Stanley’s example we are not selling land but putting infrastructure into it. It is more like we are draining the land. If we put a drain through the...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Revised) (11 Apr 2017)

Denis Naughten: Every Member of the House got a copy of them last week.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Revised) (11 Apr 2017)

Denis Naughten: Sub-heading 5 is on the information society and e-inclusion. It covers items such as the trading online voucher scheme which has €3 million allocated. It was disappointingly under-spent last year. I know that some members of this committee have been very active in going out to businesses and encouraging them to trade online and I encourage other members of the committee and Members...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Revised) (11 Apr 2017)

Denis Naughten: We are willing to look at any suggestions that helps to maximise the use of this scheme. Last year's target was to issue 3,000 vouchers by the end of 2016. We are at 2,930. Off the top of my head, the average spend on it is roughly €1,400. This has a huge impact. It increases sales by an average of one fifth, it increases employment by one third and two thirds of those businesses...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Revised) (11 Apr 2017)

Denis Naughten: No, it is a 50% grant.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Revised) (11 Apr 2017)

Denis Naughten: Yes, 50%.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Revised) (11 Apr 2017)

Denis Naughten: Our target for last year was that by the end of 2016 we have 3,000 vouchers issued, and we were 70 short of that. The actual amount of cash that is drawn down is in and around €1,400. The actual cost of putting a website up and putting back office sales software in place is not coming anywhere near €5,000. It is more like €2,800. We have decided to include marketing...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Revised) (11 Apr 2017)

Denis Naughten: It was to be sent out last year but I will make sure that it is sent out again.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Revised) (11 Apr 2017)

Denis Naughten: The purpose of programme B is to promote the broadcasting sector by ensuring high quality output by State broadcasting companies and promoting a strong, high quality private broadcasting sector. RTE and TG4 are funded through a mix of commercial revenues obtained largely from advertising, Exchequer grant payments and licence fee revenues. Broadcast licensing fee receipts are estimated to be...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Revised) (11 Apr 2017)

Denis Naughten: The simple answer to that is that there has been a fall in advertising.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Revised) (11 Apr 2017)

Denis Naughten: On wages and salaries, RTE has reduced its operating cost by 30%, staff cost by 25% and staff numbers by 21%. That is 500 people between 2008 and 2013. Since December 2015 pay restoration has begun at the broadcaster, beginning with the lowest paid workers. Individual contracts are a matter for the company itself and not a matter that I, as Minister for Communication, Climate Action and...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Revised) (11 Apr 2017)

Denis Naughten: The focus of programme C is the delivery of key elements of the Government's energy policy. The programme provides €9.4 million to cover the operational cost of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and over €90 million in capital funding for the sustainable energy research programmes. The €72.5 million provided for the better energy grant programmes, operated by...