Results 3,021-3,040 of 6,623 for speaker:Seán Kyne

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Services for People with Disabilities (10 Oct 2018)

Seán Kyne: My Department has policy and legislative responsibility for matters relating to the control of dogs as set out in the Control of Dogs Acts and relevant Ministerial Regulations. As this responsibility does not extend to dog trainers, or to the provision or training of assistance/service dogs for persons with disabilities, I have no plans to introduce legislation in this regard. The Deputy...

Financial Resolutions 2019 - Budget Statement 2019 (9 Oct 2018)

Seán Kyne: It is in the capital plan of the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (9 Oct 2018)

Seán Kyne: An initial draft scheme of the Geothermal Energy Development Bill was developed in 2010 with the aim of providing a legislative framework for the vesting, licensing and regulation of the development of geothermal energy. Work on developing the draft Bill has been postponed since then until other legislative priorities have been dealt with, including the drafting, publication and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Mining Industry (9 Oct 2018)

Seán Kyne: Following the subsidence reported on September 24th in Magheracloone, County Monaghan, my officials have been liaising with the company and other relevant statutory authorities (Monaghan County Council and the Environmental Protection Agency) on an ongoing and regular basis and have continued to monitor the situation closely. I understand that the family liaison office of Gyproc, the mine...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Mining Industry (9 Oct 2018)

Seán Kyne: Following the subsidence reported on September 24thin Magheracloone, senior geologists from my Department’s Exploration and Mining Division (EMD) and I visited the site on Tuesday 25thSeptember. Since then, EMD officials have been liaising with the company and other relevant Statutory Authorities (Monaghan County Council and the Environmental Protection Agency) on an ongoing and...

Competition Act 2002 (Section 27) Order 2018: Referral to Joint Committee (4 Oct 2018)

Seán Kyne: I move:That the proposal that Dáil Éireann approves the following Order:Competition Act 2002 (Section 27) Order 2018,copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 3rd October, 2018, be referred to the Joint Committee on Business, Enterprise and Innovation, in accordance with Standing Order 84A(4)(k), which, not later than 18th October, 2018, shall send a message to the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Oct 2018)

Seán Kyne: As Minister of State with responsibility for natural resources, I visited the site on 25 September following the mine collapse. Gyproc is a very important employer in the locality and I know there is inconvenience with regard to roads being closed. This is a health and safety matter. My Department's mining division and Geological Survey Ireland have visited on a number of occasions and...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Broadband Service Provision (2 Oct 2018)

Seán Kyne: I thank Deputies Troy and Michael Moynihan for raising this issue. I welcome the opportunity to address the House on the matter. As appears from the reply to Question No. 78 of 18 September 2018, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Naughten, signed a commitment agreement with Eir in April 2017 on the plan to provide high-speed broadband to 300,000...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Broadband Service Provision (2 Oct 2018)

Seán Kyne: Eir is a private company, as the Deputies should know, given its privatisation in Fianna Fáil's time when the infrastructure was sold off. The Government signed a commitment contract with Eir to connect 300,000 houses which the company identified. The houses the Deputies talked about which are at the ends of roads will be part of the intervention area under the national broadband plan....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2018: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (2 Oct 2018)

Seán Kyne: The aim of programme D is to manage Ireland’s mineral, hydrocarbon and other geological resources in a sustainable and productive manner. Funding of €26.7 million under this programme allows my Department to provide reliable geoscience support for environmental protection and the sustainable development of Ireland's natural resources. The programme provides funding of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2018: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (2 Oct 2018)

Seán Kyne: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2018: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (2 Oct 2018)

Seán Kyne: A number of licences are in the offing, one of which relating to the Porcupine Basin recently progressed to the next stage.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2018: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (2 Oct 2018)

Seán Kyne: The budget for natural resources is €26 million, of which €504,000 is spent on petroleum services, which is not a significant spend. The Deputy mentioned that the cost of drilling a well is €100 million but that is private investment, not State investment. I agree with him that offshore potential is significant. In this regard, Ireland has been described as the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2018: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (2 Oct 2018)

Seán Kyne: It has not been brought to my attention that there are plans for a further round. We are currently dealing with the 2015 round. On the issue of investment in other areas of offshore energy, the SEAI and the Marine Institute are investing in research on offshore wave and tidal potential. There are three test sites, one of which is in Galway Bay. The planning process for it was...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2018: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (2 Oct 2018)

Seán Kyne: Funding is provided through the SEAI and the Marine Institute for projects on test sites, including testing of new technologies and floating pontoons such that turbines will not have to be embedded in the sea floor. The potential for the west coast is huge. There are also pitfalls in terms of the weather extremes in that area. This issue is being examined in the context of scaling up the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2018: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (2 Oct 2018)

Seán Kyne: No new rounds of licences will issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2018: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (2 Oct 2018)

Seán Kyne: Two applications for licensing options in the Celtic Sea are currently under consideration. There are also applications to convert existing licence options awarded under the 2015 Atlantic margin round. We are still dealing with 2015 Atlantic margin round. There is no plan for a new round.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2018: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (2 Oct 2018)

Seán Kyne: All the work relates to licences moving to a new stage rather than to a new round.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2018: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (2 Oct 2018)

Seán Kyne: I welcome the debate within the committee. No decision has been made on whether the Bill proposed by Solidarity will progress to the next Stage. I read the transcript of the hearings held by the committee a number of months ago. Has the next Stage of that been decided? Will the Bill be allowed to proceed to Committee Stage? I am operating under the law-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2018: Vote 29 - Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (2 Oct 2018)

Seán Kyne: That would be subject to a decision of the Dáil as this is a minority Government. It is subject to all parties and what the views opposite will be we do not know. I am operating under the existing law but there is no discussion on a new licence round. The last round was 2015. Anything else that comes before me relates to the different stages of the licensing process and moving from there.