Results 5,741-5,760 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (2 Apr 2019)

Richard Bruton: The NBP aims to ensure high speed broadband access to all premises in Ireland, regardless of location. This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment and a State led intervention. The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector. In 2012, less than 700,000, or 30% of all 2.3 million Irish premises had access to high speed broadband. When...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Schemes (2 Apr 2019)

Richard Bruton: My Department funds a range of support programmes and schemes to encourage homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient. Funding for these schemes, which are administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), will total €85m in 2018. Information and data on the operation of the schemes, including the Deep Retrofit Programme, is routinely gathered by the SEAI....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Schemes (2 Apr 2019)

Richard Bruton: The National Development Plan has identified a significant level of investment to fund home energy efficiency retrofit. However, it is clear that the Exchequer alone will not be able to fully fund the scale of retrofits that need to happen for Ireland to meet its national and EU climate targets. In order to address this, my Department is currently working with a number of key stakeholders to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Schemes (2 Apr 2019)

Richard Bruton: My Department funds a number of energy efficiency schemes for homeowners that are administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). The SEAI works on an ongoing basis to identify opportunities to reduce application abandonment and increase the number of successful applications made to the schemes they administer. This focus includes significant insights from SEAI’s...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Bituminous Fuel Ban (2 Apr 2019)

Richard Bruton: The ban on the marketing, sale and distribution of bituminous coal, or ‘the smoky coal ban’ as it is commonly known, was first introduced in Dublin in 1990, and subsequently extended to our major cities. Following a public consultation process, it was further extended in 2012, and now applies in 26 urban areas nationwide. The ban has proved very effective in reducing particulate...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Television Licences Data (2 Apr 2019)

Richard Bruton: Under the Broadcasting Act, 2009, An Post is the designated agent, acting on my behalf, for the collection of the Television Licence fee. In line with the Act, An Post deals with all day to day operational matters of the current licence fee regime.An Post makes every effort to bring evaders into the licensed pool and a considerable amount of time and resources are spent in dealing...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Fines Data (2 Apr 2019)

Richard Bruton: The initiation of legal proceedings is an operational matter for the Board and management of ESB Networks and is not one in which I, as Minister, have any statutory function.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Communications (2 Apr 2019)

Richard Bruton: My Department incurred costs of €69,497 on social media services since May 2016 to date, as set out in the following table. Strategy/Policy Expenditure National Waste Awareness Campaign €45,250 Trading Online Voucher Scheme Promotion €24,247 €69,497 The above services were procured in accordance with the relevant procurement procedures.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Communications (2 Apr 2019)

Richard Bruton: My Department is active across a range of social media channels including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. My Department uses these channels to communicate ministerial news, Departmental updates, consultations, publications, events, and news about bodies under the aegis of the Department. In addition, these channels will communicate and share news from other Departments where...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Irish Language (2 Apr 2019)

Richard Bruton: In May 2018, my Department submitted its third language scheme for approval by the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. It was duly approved, coming into force on 28 May 2018. A copy of the scheme was at that time provided to the Office of An Coimisinéir Teanga. The scheme will, in accordance with section 14(3) of the Official Language Act, remain in force for a period of...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Further Revised) (2 Apr 2019)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Acting Chairman. Before I say anything I thank the committee for the huge amount of work it has put into the Citizens' Assembly and the report it recently published on climate action. I know it took a lot of work and I believe it is the most important issue facing our generation. I express appreciation for the work and I hope I will be able to do justice to it in our action...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Further Revised) (2 Apr 2019)

Richard Bruton: The gap-funding model was chosen for good reason. The idea was that the State did not have a preconceived notion of how this ambition would best be served. It wanted to test the market. It also wanted to ensure that irrespective of the technology that was developed and put in place, there would be an incentive for whoever was operating it to keep it future-proofed throughout its life. ...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Further Revised) (2 Apr 2019)

Richard Bruton: I do not accept that mistakes have been made in the way this has been conducted. To put this in context, over €3 billion has been invested in providing high-speed broadband to urban communities. All the contractors are committing to have fibre to the home in urban areas. The decision in the programme for Government to adopt an ambition of having high-speed broadband available to...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Further Revised) (2 Apr 2019)

Richard Bruton: I assure Deputy Dooley that there is no foundation to the concept that those who were in the competition felt that a cap of €500 million had been imposed. As I have indicated, at the penultimate stage, before the receipt of final bids, two bidders were submitting proposals, which included their assessment of the subsidy required, and that allowed comparisons to be made. Both Granahan...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Further Revised) (2 Apr 2019)

Richard Bruton: No, we have increased our budget for cybersecurity each year. In 2016, only seven or eight people were employed in cybersecurity but there are now 30 people. The budget for cybersecurity has been significantly increased in recent years and the provision for it is continually expanding, depending on need. The new responsibilities being taken on by the 67 essential services that will report...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Further Revised) (2 Apr 2019)

Richard Bruton: Programme B covers broadcasting. In summary, there is significant support for public service broadcasting and there is a broadcasting licence fee, receipts from which in 2019 will amount to €227 million. RTÉ will receive €199 million of that to meet its public service broadcasting obligations, while TG4 will receive €36.2 million in separate grant payments as it is...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Further Revised) (2 Apr 2019)

Richard Bruton: The default rate for television licences is recorded at 14.1%. It has declined from 15.3% at the end of 2013, so that represents an increase of 35,000 people from whom it has been collected. Progress is being made and there is a good deal of effort to try to improve that rate further. The working group is due to report imminently and it is not going to be far behind schedule. It was due...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Further Revised) (2 Apr 2019)

Richard Bruton: Maybe it is. The Oireachtas will have to consider whether we want to change that. I fully understand the argument Deputy Dooley is making concerning the importance of local radio. From my experience, it is an important forum where it is possible to get the time and space to discuss issues and make a case in an environment less prone to fake news. State aid rules do, however, constrain...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Further Revised) (2 Apr 2019)

Richard Bruton: I should have mentioned that the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Canney, will be taking the two programmes that follow. The key element in programme C is support for the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI. Much work regarding energy does not appear in the Estimates, however. Examples include work done in setting a new goal for renewable energy on our grid or supporting the...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Further Revised) (2 Apr 2019)

Richard Bruton: Programme F deals with resource management, waste management and the circular economy. The big item here involves funding of €36.9 million for the Environmental Protection Agency. There is also a significant allocation for the remediation of landfill sites. The other major item is the climate action fund. Members will see that €15 million is scheduled to be drawn down from...