Results 13,081-13,100 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Administration (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 589, 590, 596 and 601 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: Renewable Energy Generation (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 591, 592 and 595 together. A well balanced fuel mix that provides reliable and sustainable energy, minimises costs and protects against supply disruptions and price volatility, is essential to Irish consumers and businesses. The 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive sets Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy requirements from renewable...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Mobile Telephony Services (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: The provision of telecommunications services, including mobile phone services, is a matter for the service providers concerned which operate in a fully liberalised market regulated by the independent Regulator of the telecommunications sector, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). I am, however, critically aware of the frustration currently being experienced across...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 597 and 598 together. I refer to the answers to Questions Nos. 45 and 58 on today's Order Paper. In accordance with the 2009 EU Effort Sharing Decision, Ireland has greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets for each year between 2013 and 2020 covering the sectors of the economy outside of the EU Emissions Trading System. The Environmental Protection Agency...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Waste Management (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: Our use of plastic has increased exponentially in recent decades. Plastics feature across a wide range of applications and products, such as packaging, construction, electrics and electronics, agriculture, medical and health. In Ireland, the latest statistics available show 55% of all plastic waste was sent to landfill in 2011. The last waste characterisation study showed that 12.4% of our...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Waste Management (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: Government waste management policy is predicated on the waste hierarchy, i.e., to prevent the generation of waste in the first instance and then to divert waste which cannot be prevented away from landfill through preparing for re-use, recycling and other recovery. There are numerous measures under the policy to give effect to minimising the amount of waste consigned to landfill. The...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: North-South Interconnector (10 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: On 19 December 2016 An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission for the North-South Interconnector project in Ireland. The decision concluded a lengthy planning process which included an Oral Hearing completed over eleven weeks from March to May last year. The planning decision is currently the subject of Judicial Review proceedings. The planning process for the section of the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Bord na Móna (10 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: While Bord na Móna is a commercial State company operating under the Turf Development Acts 1946 to 1998 and the matters raised by the Deputy are operational in nature and not ones in which I, as Minister, have any function, they are nonetheless matters of concern to me. In the first instance I have encouraged the company to maintain engagement with employees and Unions as this...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadcasting Charge (10 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: I recognise the important role that independent broadcasters play in our society and the service they provide. Section 33 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 provides for the making of a levy order by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) for the purposes of meeting the expenses of the Authority and its Committees in undertaking the performance of its statutory functions. The funding...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Mitigation Plan (10 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 229 and 230 together. I refer to the answers to Questions Nos. 300 of 6 April 2017 and 1298 of 2 May 2017. As I set out in reply to those questions, I am open to considering further work on the role of wetlands in the context of the National Mitigation Plan, building on the experience ​of research already undertaken. A number of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Official Engagements (10 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: The forty-sixth sessions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Subsidiary Body for Implementation and Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice, as well as the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement, take place from 8 to 18 May 2017, in Bonn, Germany. These meetings take place annually and are key to making progress on a range of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (10 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: On the 4 April, I signed a commitment agreement with eir in relation to its plans to provide broadband to an additional 300,000 premises in rural areas on a commercial basis.  Eir has committed to concluding this work over a 90 week period, an average of nearly 500 premises per day.  My Department will be monitoring this rollout to ensure that...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Building Energy Rating Administration (10 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: A Building Energy Rating (BER) is an indication of the energy performance of a dwelling (represented in terms of the number of kilowatt hours (kWh) used per square metre per year). The actual energy performance of dwelling will vary depending on occupancy and how the dwelling is used. A BER is based on the characteristics of major components of the dwelling including: wall, roof and...

Seanad: Litter Pollution (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (10 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: I have sympathy for Senator Rose Conway-Walsh. She has difficulty in standing up, while I have difficulty in sitting down. Between the two of us, we would make up one normal person. I thank Senators for drafting the Bill, in particular Senator Catherine Ardagh. I really appreciate the fact that she has taken this initiative. While I have some concerns about the detail, I welcome the...

Questions on Promised Legislation (11 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: I thank Deputy Troy for his questions. As he knows, this is something very close to my heart. First, in regard to the post office network, I am one of the five Deputies who made a submission to initial review for the Bobby Kerr report and it is something I articulated when I was on the other side of the House in regard to constructive reform of the network. The issue of the mail centres is...

Questions on Promised Legislation (11 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: We are proceeding with Deputy McLoughlin's Bill on fracking. My understanding is that, with the consent of the Business Committee, the intention is to take Report Stage in the House the week after next. I intend to bring the legislation to the Seanad as quickly as possible and to have it enacted before the summer. That was the commitment I gave to the House at the end of last year when the...

Questions on Promised Legislation (11 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: Deputy Eugene Murphy is correct. This is most frustrating. The previous maintenance on the Shannon was carried out under a different authority in a different Parliament. This is a complex issue. All of the semi-State companies are now sitting down with the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW. There is significant engagement ongoing. A number of those semi-State companies...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Waste Management (11 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: The charges applied by waste management companies are a matter between those companies and their customers, subject to compliance with all applicable environmental and other relevant legislation, including contract and consumer legislation. My Department is currently reviewing, together with the regulatory authorities and industry representatives, the introduction of an incentivised...

Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill 2017: First Stage (16 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: There was an interesting article in the Sunday Independentabout this issue.

Minerals Development Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Financial Resolutions (16 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: I move:THAT provision be made in the Act giving effect to this Resolution for the charging in accordance with the Act of application fees for a mining licence. andTHAT provision be made in the Act giving effect to this Resolution for the charging in accordance with the Act of fees for holding, and working minerals under, a mining licence.