Results 13,621-13,640 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Sep 2017)

Denis Naughten: I am withdrawing it for the third time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Sep 2017)

Denis Naughten: Deputy Dooley questioned the issue of the second bidder and I wanted to clarify the credentials of the second bidder in this process.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Sep 2017)

Denis Naughten: The point I wished to make is that there are two-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Sep 2017)

Denis Naughten: -----and the process we are involved in at present in respect of the two bidders is that across Europe there has not been, nor is there, in the vast majority of countries-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Sep 2017)

Denis Naughten: -----two very detailed bids.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Sep 2017)

Denis Naughten: The record is available on this. We have two very strong bids before us. The reality is that if the Chairman were building a house in his constituency-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Sep 2017)

Denis Naughten: It is hard when asked a question to not be allowed to answer it. However, if the Chairman were building a house in a rural area in his constituency, he will go to the local builder to get a price from him. The Chairman will then go to a second builder and seek another price for it. Independent of that, he will also be sounding out the price of materials and so forth. We have carried out...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Sep 2017)

Denis Naughten: A number of issues were raised, but I will take Deputy Smith's point on rural electrification first. I use that analogy. When Ardnacrusha was built, the Government of the day was told it was mad and that the amount of electricity generated at Ardnacrusha would never be used because there would never be that much demand. Today, Ardnacrusha produces 1% of our total electricity usage. It was...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Sep 2017)

Denis Naughten: The big cost and heavy lifting has been done. Therefore, it will be much easier and quicker to finish the project, and it does not make it any more expensive.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Sep 2017)

Denis Naughten: I cannot give the Deputy an answer but will give him a guesstimate in a second. I cannot give him an answer because it is in the filing cabinets that were delivered to the Department yesterday. The Department has to provide the solutions in terms of how the final connection is made. Why I have said that the scheme will be predominantly fibre is as follows. The only way to future-proof...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Sep 2017)

Denis Naughten: No.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Sep 2017)

Denis Naughten: Yes, and I stand by that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Sep 2017)

Denis Naughten: No. As many as 300,000 rural homes get pure fibre at the moment. There are 842,000 homes in total and, if one does the maths, it is predominantly but it is not just that. At this time, 900,000 premises across provincial towns and rural Ireland get pure fibre outside their doors. My estimate is conservative. As I have always done up to now, I have used conservative estimates because I do...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Sep 2017)

Denis Naughten: The purpose of programme B is to promote the broadcasting sector by ensuring high-quality output by the State broadcasting companies and promoting a strong 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. Broadcasting licensing fee receipts are estimated to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Sep 2017)

Denis Naughten: All of the issues raised by Deputy Dooley have been looked at in the context of the Estimates process. It would be helpful if he could mention that to the Minister for Finance in his travels through the corridor. On the reform of public sector broadcasting, we all accept that, in the long term, the licence fee structure is not going to work. It is an old system with old technology for a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Sep 2017)

Denis Naughten: I assume Deputy Stanley will support the President's candidacy if he stands for election again.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Sep 2017)

Denis Naughten: Deputy Eamon Ryan said it all for me. I do not dispute anything he has said. Despite what some people have said, I think it was important that the committee was involved in this. I refer not only to the input of the committee but also to its role as a forum for all the interest groups in this area. Although the forum could have met behind closed doors to meet all the interest groups, the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Sep 2017)

Denis Naughten: If we move to a universal-type charge, I would expect to see these costs decreasing rather than increasing. There would be absolutely no justification for an increase. I would also expect the charge to cover a far broader spectrum in order to deal with the issues raised by Senator McDowell. Members are right when they refer to the new realities that now exist. We are bringing high-speed...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2017: Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (27 Sep 2017)

Denis Naughten: That is the problem. We have been looking at all of those. This is a complex aspect of the matter. We are trying to put public service content on a sustainable long-term footing, regardless of the medium that is used. That is my objective in this regard.

Topical Issue Debate: Bord na Móna (28 Sep 2017)

Denis Naughten: First, I would like to state that Bord na Móna is a commercial semi-State company operating under the Turf Development Acts 1946 to 1998. The matter raised by the Deputy is operational in nature and not one in which I, as Minister, have direct function. Nevertheless, as the Minister with responsibility for Bord na Móna, I am aware of the consideration by the company of plans to...