Results 5,861-5,880 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (26 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: My Department's remit covers climate action, including efforts to reduce emissions in the energy sector. Given the importance of sustained action to address climate change, my Department and agencies under its aegis invest in awareness-raising campaigns to promote environmentally friendly practices. These support individual citizens, businesses, and the public and private sectors in reducing...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Disposal Charges (26 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1024, 1044 and 1053 together. My Department is continuing the work of developing a mechanism to provide a support for vulnerable persons with a condition such as lifelong or long-term medical incontinence to help meet the average annual cost of disposing of their domestic waste. I am informed that this process has taken longer than envisaged, due to a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff Scheme Applications (26 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: The REFIT 2 and REFIT 3 schemes closed to new applications in 2015 in line with the relevant EU state aid notifications and any new aid granted must comply with the EU State Aid Guidelines for Environment and Energy 2014-2020. A number of extensions to both the REFIT 2 and REFIT 3 deadlines were granted in recent years. Following examination of relevant evidence including consumer...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Implementation (26 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: In April 2017 my Department published an updated version of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map. This is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The map shows the areas targeted by commercial operators to provide high speed broadband services and the areas that will be included in the State Intervention Area under the National Broadband Plan. The Map is colour coded and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Mobile Telephony Services (26 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: As Minister for Communications, I meet with my EU colleagues on a variety of issues and in a variety of fora, as appropriate. While I have not been contacted by those colleagues regarding the matter to which the Deputy refers, I am cognisant of media coverage and developments in recent months in relation to security concerns and non-European suppliers of telecommunications equipment. At a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Implementation (26 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: The National Broadband Plan aims to ensure that every home, school and business in Ireland has access to high speed broadband. This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment across the country, and a State intervention in those areas where commercial operators acting alone are unlikely to invest. Since December 2015, the number of premises with access to high speed...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Implementation (26 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: In April 2017 my Department published an updated version of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map. This is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The Map shows the areas targeted by commercial operators to provide high speed broadband services and the areas that will be included in the State Intervention Area under the National Broadband Plan. The Map is colour coded and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Implementation (26 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: In April 2017 my Department published an updated version of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map. This is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The Map shows the areas targeted by commercial operators to provide high speed broadband services and the areas that will be included in the State Intervention Area under the National Broadband Plan. The Map is colour coded and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Air Quality (26 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1031 and 1032 together. Recent scientific evidence indicates that air pollution is more damaging at lower concentrations than was previously understood. With this in mind, I am advised that in January 2017 Limerick City and County Council installed three air quality monitors to measure dust levels at three sites in the city of Limerick. These were upgraded...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadcasting Legislation (26 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill contains a provision to allocate funding to the BAI from TV Licence receipts. This would provide up to a maximum of 50% of the annual cost of the BAI levy, in turn reducing the levy on broadcasters by up to 50%. The proposed amendment is currently at an advanced drafting stage. My Department continues to work closely with the Office of the Parliamentary...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Contracts Data (26 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: Details of expenditure for consultancy services provided to my Department by the company in question in each year from 2015 to date in 2019 are set out in the following table, which has been updated to include the additional information requested. Year Services (ex VAT) Expenses (ex VAT) VAT on Services and Expenses Total (incl VAT) 2015 €839,225 €6,661 €194,553...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Bodies Data (26 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. Working Group (s) currently established Focus of work Membership/Composition Working Group on Future Funding of Public Service Broadcasting TV Licence Collection Chaired by Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, comprising representatives Departments of Public Expenditure and Reform;...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Television Licence Fee (26 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: In accordance with Section 142 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, any premises at which a television is located requires a TV Licence regardless of its use. Therefore, owners and controlling management companies of all holiday home accommodation premises which include a television set, are required to purchase a separate TV Licence for each accommodation unit. There are no plans to change the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Air Quality (26 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: Ambient air quality monitoring in Ireland is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the 2008 Clean Air for Europe (CAFE) Directive (Directive 2008/50/EC) and the Fourth Daughter Directive (Directive 2004/107/EC of 15 December 2004). These Directives also include rules on how Member States should monitor, assess and manage ambient air quality. Under the Directives, EU Member States...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Grant Aid (26 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1039 and 1046 together. The SEAI operates a number of energy efficiency upgrade schemes on behalf of my Department. These schemes range from partial grants for individuals that can afford to contribute to the cost of upgrades to free energy efficiency improvements for people who are in receipt of certain welfare payments; grants are, however, no longer paid...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (26 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: I welcome recent announcements of further commercial investment in high speed broadband infrastructure by telecommunications operators. While I have not had direct engagement with either company, officials from my Department have met with representatives of these operators and have received high level presentations from both with regard to their commercial deployment plans. The National...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (26 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: The rollout of 5G services across Ireland is a key ingredient in meeting the country’s future connectivity needs; 5G will offer improvements in services and unlock new opportunities to businesses, communities and citizens across the State. Ireland is a front runner in supporting the adoption of 5G services and exploring its potential capabilities. The State’s early allocation of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Data (26 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: The AMBER areas on the National Broadband Plan High Speed Broadband Map represents the parts of the country that are the focus of the NBP State Intervention. The following is a document which details the number of premises in each category of the NBP High Speed Broadband Map by county for Q4 2018, which shows a total of 543,281 premises in the Amber areas. High Speed Broadband Map County...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadcasting Service Provision (26 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: In light of the recommendations in the Report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action & Environment on the Future Funding of Public Service Broadcasting, a Working Group was set up by Government decision in July 2018 to examine options for the reform of TV licence collection. The Group's work is ongoing and it is scheduled to report to me shortly. ...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Data (26 Mar 2019)

Richard Bruton: There were fifteen customer complaints received by my Department in 2017; thirteen in 2018; and three to date in 2019. No appeals have been made and none of the complaints were referred to the Ombudsman.