Results 4,681-4,700 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: Since July 2013, my Department has engaged in an ongoing and extensive process of mapping and monitoring of broadband availability in Ireland. This has been supported by a number of public consultations from 2014 to date. My Department is now conducting a consultation (see link here ) which provides an opportunity for broadband infrastructure operators to review the NBP Map to ensure that it...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Fuel Poverty (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 531 and 532 together. The Government published the first Climate Action Plan on 17 June. The plan sets out, for the first time, the actions Ireland needs to take to reach our 2030 targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and also puts Ireland on the right trajectory towards net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. I welcomed the report of the Joint Oireachtas...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Landfill Sites (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 533 and 541 together. In December 2018, Kildare County Council, the contracting authority, invited tenders for the remediation of Kerdiffstown landfill. The closing date for submissions was extended until 14 February 2019 on foot of requests for more time made on the eTenders procurement website. This process of evaluation is still underway and Kildare County...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: Every home, farm, school and business in Ireland will have access to high speed broadband – no matter where they are located – following the Government’s decision to approve the appointment of a preferred bidder to the National Broadband Plan. Under this plan, Ireland will become one of the first countries in the world to ensure that those in rural areas have the same...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Salmon Management Report (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: The media report referred to by the Deputy does not in any way reflect the context or content of the conversation which took place at a meeting at which I was present on 23 July last. My Department is fully committed to fisheries conservation and protection. Salmon in all waters in Ireland are afforded specific protection via established fisheries policy, licensing, tagging, the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Medical Waste Disposal (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: Since mid-2017, a range of charging options have operated, which encourage householders to reduce and separate their waste. This provides flexibility to waste collectors to develop various service-price offerings that suit different household circumstances. Mandatory per kilogramme 'pay by weight' charging was not introduced. ​A Price Monitoring Group (PMG) was established in mid-2017...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 539 and 540 together. Every home, farm, school and business in Ireland will have access to high speed broadband – no matter where they are located – following the Government’s decision to approve the appointment of a preferred bidder to the National Broadband Plan. Under this plan, Ireland will become one of the first countries in the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 542 to 544, inclusive, together. Every home, farm, school and business in Ireland will have access to high speed broadband – no matter where they are located – following the Government’s decision to approve the appointment of a preferred bidder to the National Broadband Plan. Under this plan, Ireland will become one of the first...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Efficiency (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Government’s Climate Action Plan sets an ambitious target of 500,000 energy efficiency retrofits by 2030. Achievement of this target will be supported by the Project Ireland 2040 allocation of €3.7 billion as well as the range of measures identified in the Plan. I recently announced the establishment of a Taskforce that will drive the achievement of this target. The...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: The 2020 pre-budget capital ceiling for my Department is €297m, an increase of €24m or nearly 9% on this year's capital allocation of €273m. Final capital provisions for 2020 will be agreed in the context of the Estimates process and will be made public on Budget Day, while detailed allocations by Programme area will be published in the Revised Estimates Volume in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Advisory Council (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I welcome the detailed review and assessment of the Agriculture and Land undertaken by the Climate Change Advisory Council in its 2019 Annual Review, published on 17 July. The Council notes that emissions from agriculture represent approximately one third of total emissions and that emissions increased by 2.9% in 2017 compared to 2016, and by 6.9% relative to 2014. The Council's Annual Review...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Climate Action Plan acknowledges that how we manage our land affects how much carbon is emitted to, or removed from, the atmosphere and that switching from one use to another can fundamentally change an area’s capacity to store carbon. The Plan, therefore, includes a range of actions aimed at reducing emissions from agricultural land use, promoting increased rates of afforestation...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Metropolitan Area Networks Programme (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Analysys Mason Review of Pricing and Access Arrangements for the MANs noted that enet was not in compliance with the agreed Code of Practice in relation to its approach to intercompany transfer pricing. In that regard I referred the report in February to the Commission for Communications Regulation, in view of its acknowledged expertise in the area, to undertake a review to: ·...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: Under Article 15 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action, Member States are required to prepare, by 1 January 2020, a Long-Term Climate Strategy. This strategy is to have a perspective of at least 30 years and shall include emission reduction pathways in individual sectors.Action 1 under the Climate Action Plan, which I published in June of this...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: The bidder in the NBP was required to demonstrate its capacity to meet the economic, technical and financial pre-qualification criteria as set out in the Project Information Memorandum. In addition, as with other procurement processes, the bidder was required to confirm it has the legal capacity and is not otherwise constrained (including constraints imposed by funders and/or other...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: National Broadband Ireland (NBI) has indicated that the NBP State intervention will take an estimated 7 years from the beginning of deployment. A deployment plan can only be made available by NBI once a contract is signed. As outlined in the Deputy's question NBI is aiming to pass 133,000 premises at the end of the second year, with 70-100,000 passed each year thereafter until roll out is...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 553 to 556, inclusive, together. Successive Governments have underlined the commitment to move from a fossil fuel-based electricity system to a low-carbon power system. Almost two thirds of renewable energy used in Ireland comes from renewable electricity. The Government has published and started implementing the Climate Action Plan, which sets out...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Oireachtas Joint Committee Recommendations (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: Better management of peatlands and soils under Actions 131 to 134 in the Plan will support the protection and enhancement of the carbon sink function of peatland landscapes, including through assessment and implementation of mitigation options on post-production, peat extraction sites, and the implementation of measures for peatlands conservation. The Plan recognises the current position that...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Commission for Regulation of Utilities Remit (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 558 and 559 together. Responsibility for the regulation of the gas and electricity markets is a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU). It is an independent statutory body, solely accountable to a committee of the Oireachtas for the performance of its functions. The Electricity Regulation Act (ERA), 1999, as amended, sets out the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Postal Codes (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: Eircodes are assigned to new property addresses using a valid postal address and verified geo-locations. An Post collects information on new and existing buildings, as well as changes to existing addresses and Ordnance Survey Ireland provides the geo-locations for these buildings. An Post GeoDirectory issues a new release of the GeoDirectory database file on a quarterly basis to Capita...