Results 15,381-15,400 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: North-South Interconnector (18 Sep 2018)

Denis Naughten: The reports were requested by me on behalf of the Oireachtas. A decision was made by the Government in that regard. I will present the reports to the Government. The hold-up has been that it was incumbent on me to consider the implications of a hard Brexit for our electricity system, the single electricity market, our gas market, the North-South interconnector and the ongoing DS3 project....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: North-South Interconnector (18 Sep 2018)

Denis Naughten: No. My reference to EirGrid and Gas Networks Ireland related to a third report I sought regarding the implications of a hard Brexit for our electricity and gas systems. It will be presented to the Cabinet along with the other two reports. It was only received by my Department at the end of last week. The intention is to turn it around quite quickly and bring all three reports to Cabinet...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: North-South Interconnector (18 Sep 2018)

Denis Naughten: I am the first Minister for a long time to meet and directly engage with interested groups-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: North-South Interconnector (18 Sep 2018)

Denis Naughten: -----and colleagues on the matter. I do not think any Member questions my sincerity or commitment to a fair process in this matter. I have the reports. I hoped to bring them to Cabinet earlier, but having received the request from the Commission, I believed it was fair to bring all three reports together. It is my intention to do so quite soon. Once they have been brought to the Cabinet,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: North-South Interconnector (18 Sep 2018)

Denis Naughten: I have not read the articles referred to by Deputies Cassells and Brendan Smith and, therefore, will not comment on them.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: North-South Interconnector (18 Sep 2018)

Denis Naughten: As soon as the reports have been presented to Cabinet, I intend to publish them so that people can read them for themselves.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: North-South Interconnector (18 Sep 2018)

Denis Naughten: I do not monitor anyone's social media account, nor do-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: North-South Interconnector (18 Sep 2018)

Denis Naughten: I do not dispute what the Deputy stated but-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: North-South Interconnector (18 Sep 2018)

Denis Naughten: ------I do not monitor social media accounts, nor do any of the staff who work with or were personally appointed by me. Every Member of this House is legitimately entitled-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: North-South Interconnector (18 Sep 2018)

Denis Naughten: -----to raise any issue in the House with me or any other Minister and I will always try to respond to the best of my ability. I understand the frustration that the reports have not yet been published but it was important for me to provide the Cabinet with a comprehensive review of all aspects of the matter, and I think Deputy Brendan Smith in particular will understand and appreciate that....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: North-South Interconnector (18 Sep 2018)

Denis Naughten: As Deputy Brendan Smith is aware, there are judicial proceedings under way North of the Border and in this jurisdiction. As he is also aware, on 6 September the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Ms Karen Bradley, announced that legislation is to be introduced in the House of Commons to deal with the issues that have been raised regarding the Arc21 waste incinerator judgment. There...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Waste Disposal Charges (18 Sep 2018)

Denis Naughten: In June 2017, in line with commitments set out in A Resource Opportunity - Waste Management Policy in Ireland, and in the interest of encouraging further waste prevention and greater recycling, the Government decided to phase out flat-rate fees for household waste collection. All waste collection permits were amended by the National Waste Collection Permit Office to require that no flat fees...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Waste Disposal Charges (18 Sep 2018)

Denis Naughten: The Price Monitoring Group reports have been published on our Department website and they show that there is not price gouging across the sector. In some cases, there have been very marginal increases. In other cases, there have been price reductions. All of that data is being collected by an anonymous shopper who is potentially purchasing these services. It is monitoring across the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Waste Disposal Charges (18 Sep 2018)

Denis Naughten: Yes.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Waste Disposal Charges (18 Sep 2018)

Denis Naughten: First, if I did not extend the Price Monitoring Group remit until the end of the year, I would have been criticised for being anti-consumer regarding it. Now, the Deputy is questioning the reason I extended it. I extended it to ensure there was consistency in respect of-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Waste Disposal Charges (18 Sep 2018)

Denis Naughten: -----the monitoring. I accept there is an array of charges and complexity in respect of them. The Deputy is right. It was an issue in the telecoms area and the regulator has addressed that. This might be something that will be reflected in the CCPC report and which we will have to look at in that context. Regarding medical incontinence, my Department is continuing to work on the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan (18 Sep 2018)

Denis Naughten: The target of the national broadband plan, NBP, is to bring a high-speed broadband connection to every single premises in Ireland as effectively and efficiently as possible. This means no home, business, school or community is left without access to high-speed broadband. This is being achieved in two ways, through investment by commercial operators and, where this will not deliver,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan (18 Sep 2018)

Denis Naughten: The procurement team will evaluate the tender. It is up to the team to come up with a recommendation. We have received the final tender from the bidder. This must be assessed and evaluated by the 80-strong team that has been involved in this very complex process since the end of 2016. It has been frustratingly slow, particularly for the 543,000 families across rural Ireland and businesses...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan (18 Sep 2018)

Denis Naughten: The assessment of the tender that has been submitted will now take place. I await the report on that from the procurement team. A process must be completed and this process will proceed.

Future of the Post Office Network: Motion (18 Sep 2018)

Denis Naughten: Plough ahead.