Results 24,641-24,660 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: Under the four year National Recovery Plan 2011 – 2014, my Department is committed to achieving a targeted €20m in savings by 2014. These savings will be made up of €14.2m on programme spend with the balance of €5.8m coming from pay and administration. €7.9m of these saving are front-loaded in 2011 (€6.2m on programme and €1.7m on administration). The details of the measures...

Written Answers — Departmental Websites: Departmental Websites (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: My Department maintains eleven websites that provide information and mapping services to the wide range of stakeholders that have an interest in the areas for which my Department is responsible. There is a large variation in the number of unique visitors for each site as the following table shows, but this reflects the specialised nature of some of the technical communities that are being...

Written Answers — Electricity Transmission Network: Electricity Transmission Network (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The cost of operating, maintaining and developing the electricity transmission network, including capital expenditure on new infrastructure, forms part of every electricity consumer's bill. The independent energy regulator, the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), has the function of regulating transmission revenues for EirGrid as the transmission system operator and for ESB as the...

Written Answers — Energy Conservation: Energy Conservation (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP) sets out 90 actions which are already underway, or will be taken in the period to 2020, to achieve the national energy efficiency target. The Government has set a target of 20% across the economy and 33% in the public sector. The savings identified in the Action Plan represent approximately €1.6 billion in avoided energy costs for the...

Written Answers — Disconnection of Utilities: Disconnection of Utilities (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 60 together. The very significant increase in disconnections is of considerable concern for the Government, the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), voluntary organisations and energy suppliers. CER has provided the information set out below in relation to the total number of disconnections completed by ESB Networks on site for Non-Payment of...

Written Answers — Knowledge Society Strategy: Knowledge Society Strategy (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I am aware of the Icelandic Modern Media Initiative. The initiative proposes to "task the government with finding ways to strengthen freedoms of expression and information freedom in Iceland, as well as providing strong protection for sources and whistleblowers". Iceland sees this, together with interconnection and server costs, as a key to attracting inward investment in the area of...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: Under the 2009 Renewable Energy Directive (2009/28/EC) renewable electricity generation, including that from biomass, is required to be granted priority access to the grid. The definition of biomass in this context is "the biodegradable fraction of products, waste and residues from biological origin from agriculture (including vegetable and animal substances), forestry and related industries...

Written Answers — Electricity Generation: Electricity Generation (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The Gate 3 programme allows for the issuance of connection offers to over 150 renewable generators (mostly wind-farms), with a combined capacity of approximately 4,000 MW. The programme has been designed by the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) specifically to meet Ireland's national renewable target of 40% of electricity supplied from renewable sources by 2020. Gate 3 is the single...

Written Answers — Fuel Poverty: Fuel Poverty (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 34, 47 and 54 together. The Government is committed to mitigating the underlying causes of energy poverty in vulnerable households through a combination of institutional supports, investment in improving the energy efficiency of housing stock and the wide availability of advice on energy efficiency. I am working closely with the Ministers for Social...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: My Department, and others, have been working, and continue to work, on addressing the digital divide with a range of measures to promote digital engagement. This engagement is being encouraged and facilitated by improving access opportunities. Having access to broadband connectivity is a fundamental starting point. Where the market has failed to provide a service (primarily due to the...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 36 and 51 together. The regulation of telecommunications operators, including regulatory issues surrounding the quality of broadband services provided to customers, is the responsibility of the independent Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). In March 2008, the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland, guided by ComReg and the National...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 37 and 49 together. Government policy pertaining to the electronic communications market in Ireland is set out in "Next Generation Broadband – Gateway to a Knowledge Ireland", which I published in June 2009. The policy paper was developed in accordance with various key principles, which are crucial to the development of the market. The policy paper sets...

Written Answers — Energy Prices: Energy Prices (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: Public Service Obligations (or PSOs) are in place in Ireland and elsewhere to achieve national energy policy objectives which would not otherwise be delivered by competitive energy markets. In line with EU and national legislation, PSOs are in place to support power generation from peat as an indigenous fuel supply for security of supply purposes, to support renewable generation capacity to...

Written Answers — Energy Conservation: Energy Conservation (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: My Department has concluded a consultation process on the National Retrofit Programme, setting out a proposed framework and details of how it will operate over the next three years. The programme will be launched in 2011 and will entail the transition of the existing energy efficiency and renewable energy programmes over the course of the year. Expenditure on these schemes to date in 2010...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The provision of high speed broadband connectivity as a critical element in the development of a competitive Smart Economy and inclusive Knowledge Society is a policy priority. My Department's policy in this area is set out in the paper "Next Generation Broadband – Gateway to a Knowledge Ireland", 2009. One of the actions in this Paper is the requirement for new premises to have open...

Written Answers — Energy Resources: Energy Resources (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: My Department has overall responsibility for leading and ensuring the implementation of the measures in the National Renewable Action Plan, which will deliver the EU renewable energy target for Ireland by 2020. Ireland is set to exceed 15% of renewable electricity in 2010. There is now 1500 MW of wind on the system equating to 122 wind farms. Delivery of the Plan is a collective national...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 43 and 52 together. It continues to be a priority of the Government that there will be broadband coverage across the entire country. However, despite Government and private investment in broadband, I am aware that there continues to be a small percentage of premises throughout the country that will not be capable of receiving broadband services. This is...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The provision of telecommunications services, including broadband services, is a matter for private sector service providers operating in a liberalised market regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). Broadband services are provided by private service providers over various platforms including DSL (i.e. over telephone lines), fixed wireless, mobile, cable, fibre and...

Written Answers — Electricity Transmission Network: Electricity Transmission Network (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The independent analysis in relation to the electricity transmission assets being carried out by Frontier Economics Limited is close to finalisation. The unbundling of the transmission assets involves the resolution of complex technical, financial and operational issues as well as the possible development of legislation. The independent analysis includes an assessment of costs, benefits and...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (30 Nov 2010)

Eamon Ryan: Government policy on the development of the electronic communications market in Ireland is set out in "Next Generation Broadband – Gateway to a Knowledge Ireland", which I published in June 2009. The policy paper proposed the establishment of a Next Generation Broadband Taskforce, comprising industry, Government and ComReg, aimed at ensuring that the development of broadband in Ireland...