Results 15,041-15,060 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

Seanad: Community Banking System: Statements (30 May 2018)

Denis Naughten: One in seven people has never used the Internet.

Seanad: Community Banking System: Statements (30 May 2018)

Denis Naughten: A bit like the Land Commission.

Seanad: Community Banking System: Statements (30 May 2018)

Denis Naughten: I will do the best I can in the time available. One can complement the other, but there are two very separate issues here that I wish to address. The first is the future of the post office network. We can talk about all the banking models in the world; if we do not have a network, we are going nowhere. Eighteen months ago, the chief executive of An Post came to me and told me that within...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Postal Services (31 May 2018)

Denis Naughten: As Minister, I am responsible for the postal sector, including the governance of An Post. I am acutely conscious of the value placed by communities in both urban and rural areas on services provided by post offices and I am concerned to ensure the future needs of those communities continue to be met. As part of its strategy for modernising the post office network, An Post has established a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Postal Services (31 May 2018)

Denis Naughten: I am not in the business of undermining An Post and the Dáil record of my years in the House will clearly show this. In fact, I am one of the six of the 266 Members of the Oireachtas who bothered to make a submission to the Kerr report when it was sought at the time. I made it crystal clear there will be no compulsory post office closures in this country. Viable post offices cannot...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Postal Services (31 May 2018)

Denis Naughten: I will make a number of points. I agree wholeheartedly with Deputy Kelleher; one can count on one hand the number of post offices that have closed since I was appointed Minister; and 18 months ago, the chief executive of An Post came into my office to tell me that within 30 weeks the company would run out of cash and would not have money to pay salaries. We cannot have post offices unless...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Mitigation Plan Implementation (31 May 2018)

Denis Naughten: Meeting Ireland's EU targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and 2030 will be extremely challenging. The latest projections for greenhouse gas emissions, published by the EPA this morning, indicate that emissions from those sectors of the economy covered by Ireland's 2020 targets could be between 0% and 1% below 2005 levels by 2020 in the context of a target that they should be...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Mitigation Plan Implementation (31 May 2018)

Denis Naughten: The figures are deeply disappointing. It is clear from the EPA's report that we face an enormous challenge to meet our 2030 targets. Energy policies already announced should mean a 40% reduction in emissions by 2030. There will be increases of 7% in the area of housing, 17% in transport and 6% in agriculture. We have to look specifically at each of these areas now. In the transport...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Mitigation Plan Implementation (31 May 2018)

Denis Naughten: I reject that comment. A total of €1 out of every €5 spent under the national development plan will be spent on climate related projects. The national planning framework specifically targets brownfield sites. We have a 65% loading of wind energy on the grid, the highest anywhere on the globe. The Moneypoint plant will be decommissioned by 2025. Ireland will be one of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Mitigation Plan Implementation (31 May 2018)

Denis Naughten: We have Luas cross city, the BusConnects programme and the public sector energy efficiency scheme, which means that the public sector can now hold on to the energy savings we make. We are replacing public lighting throughout the country. We are rolling out compressed natural gas, CNG, filling stations throughout the country. We have established local authority climate action offices.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Mitigation Plan Implementation (31 May 2018)

Denis Naughten: We have implemented the Kigali protocol and funding for that. We are rolling out brown bins throughout the country-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Mitigation Plan Implementation (31 May 2018)

Denis Naughten: -----and we are addressing the issue of food waste. All of this has happened in the past two years since I was appointed Minister.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Incentives (31 May 2018)

Denis Naughten: I am a constituent.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Incentives (31 May 2018)

Denis Naughten: It will be in breach by 2020 in regard to emissions.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Incentives (31 May 2018)

Denis Naughten: The 2015 energy White Paper presents a long-term strategic vision that is intended to guide the direction of Irish energy policy from now until 2030. It identifies the long-term strategic importance of diversifying Ireland's energy generation portfolio and largely decarbonising the energy sector by 2050. My Department is developing a proposed new renewable electricity support scheme, RESS,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Incentives (31 May 2018)

Denis Naughten: I accept the frustration Deputy Kelleher is expressing. When I went into this new Department that had been formed, the clean air strategy, the wind regulations, the renewable heat incentive scheme, the renewable electricity support scheme, both in terms of microgeneration and broadening the renewable mix, the national broadband plan, NBP, the flat rate bin charges, the mitigation plan and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Incentives (31 May 2018)

Denis Naughten: We expect to get approval in the coming weeks from the European Commission for the support scheme for renewable heat. That will stimulate the biomass sector. Prior to that we established Bord na Móna BioEnergy because there is no point having demand unless we have a supply chain. That was established this time last year and that supply chain is now in place. We will also support...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Broadband Service Provision (31 May 2018)

Denis Naughten: The national broadband plan aims to ensure high-speed broadband access to every premises in Ireland, regardless of location. In April 2016 approximately 38,500 premises in County Tipperary had access to high-speed broadband. As of March 2018 that has gone up to 40,500 premises in County Tipperary with access to high-speed broadband, with a further 13,000 to be served under Eir’s...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Broadband Service Provision (31 May 2018)

Denis Naughten: There is no one more frustrated with what is going on across this country at the moment in regard to mobile phone and broadband coverage than myself. I was the one who got this written into the programme for Government specifically in regard to mobile and wireless broadband. I know the situation at first hand. As Minister for Communications, Environment and Climate Action, I find it...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Broadband Service Provision (31 May 2018)

Denis Naughten: There is a significant problem. Deputy Eugene Murphy and I travel from Roscommon through places like Ballymurrray, Knockcroghery, Kiltoom and Kilbeggan, and we drop calls on the way to Dublin. It is frustrating and that is why we are putting in the ducting-----