Results 26,441-26,460 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Telecommunications Services. (25 Nov 2009)

Eamon Ryan: I have to come back to——

Telecommunications Services. (25 Nov 2009)

Eamon Ryan: I will have to revert to Deputy Coonan on the exact number of MANs that are in operation. Of the 27 MANs under phase I — I am speaking from memory rather than detailed notes — all but one or two are connected and lit up. With regard to the phase II MANs——

Telecommunications Services. (25 Nov 2009)

Eamon Ryan: I do not have the exact numbers here. I am giving an estimate from my recollection. I said I would come back to Deputy Coonan on the specifics in order to be accurate. I have a clear broad outline but I do not have the exact numbers. Therefore, I will come back to the Deputy with that information.

Telecommunications Services. (25 Nov 2009)

Eamon Ryan: It is not extraordinary; it is perfectly understandable.

Telecommunications Services. (25 Nov 2009)

Eamon Ryan: Thirty of phase II MANs have been handed over to e-net, with another 12 to be handed over in December this year and then the handing across will be completed——

Telecommunications Services. (25 Nov 2009)

Eamon Ryan: ——in the quarter to 2010. In regard to the comments about neglecting north Tipperary, we invested some €80 million in the national broadband scheme to do the exact opposite of what the Deputy has said, namely, to make sure there is coverage across the country. There are some 50 electoral districts in Tipperary, which are covered by the national broadband scheme to make sure that...

Telecommunications Services. (25 Nov 2009)

Eamon Ryan: We have set up and designed the schools scheme — the 100 megabits per second broadband to which I referred — with the purpose of ensuring that where the market has not delivered we will intervene and put high speed broadband networks in place, which would not only connect our schools but would make it easier to connect the other businesses in the same area. The 78 initial schools in the...

Telecommunications Services. (25 Nov 2009)

Eamon Ryan: ——will be connected by April 2010. There are a range of State initiatives that have been made in terms of the MANs, the schools programme and national broadband scheme. We have not finished there, we have given a commitment in the new programme for Government to bring that high speed system to every secondary school by 2012. We will continue to evolve the MANs system because it is...

Telecommunications Services. (25 Nov 2009)

Eamon Ryan: The national broadband scheme is working. It is delivering services to areas week by week that would not otherwise have had coverage. We will go further than that. My officials are in Brussels today with the European Commission to work through arrangements as to how we will go beyond the national broadband scheme to provide that any further houses that cannot be covered for local reasons...

Telecommunications Services. (25 Nov 2009)

Eamon Ryan: The national broadband scheme contract guarantees that broadband connectivity will be available to all of the buildings within the NBS coverage areas. In recognition of the fact that some areas will be very costly and technologically challenging to reach using standard infrastructure, a limited number of residences and businesses in the NBS coverage area might be covered by a satellite...

Telecommunications Services. (25 Nov 2009)

Eamon Ryan: I will outline some of the standards set within the national broadband scheme. Satellite services must provide a 1 megabit download and 128 kilobyte upload speed, with a maximum contention ratio of 48:1, a round trip latency of 800 milliseconds and an 11 gigabyte, ten down and one up inclusive monthly allowance limit. These are technical details. As the technology develops we intend to...

Telecommunications Services. (25 Nov 2009)

Eamon Ryan: ——including slow or latent problems, in some of the schools referred to by the Deputy. However, technology is developing and we are determined to continue to push for the highest possible standard within the available support schemes. I refer to the 12,000 houses which may be in electoral districts that cannot be covered by the NBS due to market distortion factors that would come into...

Telecommunications Services. (25 Nov 2009)

Eamon Ryan: Our policy is working in terms of providing for a range of platforms. I have deliberately set our a process whereby——

Telecommunications Services. (25 Nov 2009)

Eamon Ryan: ——through competition and collaboration evolving technological solutions are available, not only through satellite but also through WiMax and mobile broadband. This is a changing landscape due to the competitive forces at play. We must recognise some houses in this competitive landscape will not be provided with services. We have approached the European Commission and indicated we wish...

Telecommunications Services. (25 Nov 2009)

Eamon Ryan: We expect it will be in place next year and rolled out at that stage. I cannot give a specific time because I do not wish to give a commitment until the matter is cleared completely with the European Commission. However, we are working flat out on the issue and it will be part of a range of measures put in place to secure ubiquitous coverage and the availability of faster speeds, which we...

Telecommunications Services. (25 Nov 2009)

Eamon Ryan: I have heard no details of capacity problems as such. However, one of the benefits of the national broadband scheme is certain standards must be complied with for State support to be triggered. We can guarantee quality in this way.

Telecommunications Services. (25 Nov 2009)

Eamon Ryan: If the Deputy has information, she may wish to pass it to me. The analysis carried out by the Department indicates the scheme is meeting its targets in terms of roll-out, which is not easy. There are many planning difficulties and people hold concerns throughout the country about the deployment of masts and so on. However, the companies are working to meet these deadlines and to meet the...

Telecommunications Services. (25 Nov 2009)

Eamon Ryan: If the Deputy submits information, I will follow it up.

Electricity Generation. (25 Nov 2009)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 40, 55 and 59 together. The Commission for Energy Regulation, CER, has statutory responsibility for grid connection offers and for oversight of EirGrid's grid connection process. Currently, there is in the region of 1,400 megawatts, MW, of renewable generation capacity connected to the electricity grid. Wind powered technology is the dominant renewable...

Electricity Generation. (25 Nov 2009)

Eamon Ryan: I agree with the broad points made by the Deputy. Projects in gate 3 were selected on a first-come-first-served basis. However, I do not believe this will be the key criterion in the context of what has been built and developed. I ask the Deputy to be publicly supportive of what is the key criterion, namely, the development of the grid that will be required to take on the power produced by...