Results 6,061-6,080 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

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)

Denis Naughten: I will deal with the deep retrofit first. The big challenge for me at the moment is not actually more money. It is to actively encourage people to carry out these upgrades now. The other challenge is to get contractors to do it because many of the contractors are not prepared to get into this sector. We are going to see a significant ramp-up in the next few years in the funding that is...

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)

Denis Naughten: I have not seen the paper; it has not come to me yet. The Deputy is right about a deep retrofit. What we are trying to do now is move away from carrying out small works on homes to ramping up the warmer homes scheme. We have also launched a pilot deep retrofit scheme for people who are not fuel poor to look at the type and scale of work that needs to be done on individual houses so that we...

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)

Denis Naughten: I have had engagement with the Minister for Education and Skills as recently as the past ten days. It is something we want to see and schools are a good example of that. Through the SEAI, the Government is carrying retrofits of schools and the intention is that every public building will be retrofitted over the next decade as part of the NDP. It makes far more sense that as new public...

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)

Denis Naughten: Absolutely.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Postal Services (2 Oct 2018)

Denis Naughten: As Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, I am responsible for the postal sector including the governance of An Post.  Operational matters relating to the company’s retail business, the post office network, including investment in the post office network, are matters for the Board and management of An Post. Reflecting its commitment to sustaining a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Recycling Policy (2 Oct 2018)

Denis Naughten: The introduction of a levy on non-recyclable single use coffee cups as a measure to improve environmental behaviour is something that I am considering as well as other economic measures in the context of an overall review of the Environment Fund. This review is very close to finalisation and will be submitted to me shortly. Ireland's approach will also have...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Public Relations Contracts Expenditure (2 Oct 2018)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 501 and 510 together. My Department's remit includes complex policy areas, oversight of State regulation and service provision across key strategic services such as energy, environment, climate change and public broadcasting, as well as regulation of sectors such as mining and hydrocarbon exploration. Given the technical complexity, economic significance...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (2 Oct 2018)

Denis Naughten: I have been advised by my Department that the bidder in the National Broadband procurement process is led by Granahan McCourt and that the bidder has nominated a number of key subcontractors including enet, Nokia, Actavo, the Kelly Group and KN Group to assist in the delivery of the National Broadband Plan Contract. Bidders wishing to participate in the ongoing NBP procurement...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (2 Oct 2018)

Denis Naughten: As I informed the House on 18 September my Department received the Final Tender submission from the bidder in the National Broadband Plan State led intervention procurement process on that date. Since receipt of that Final Tender on September 18 no further bids or expressions of interest have been received and I have had no engagement with the bidder.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (2 Oct 2018)

Denis Naughten: Following eir's withdrawal from the NBP procurement process earlier this year, leaving a single remaining bidder, I understand my Department's procurement team conducted a project re-appraisal exercise in line with the Public Spending Code. The re-appraisal exercise identified the preferred option as continuing with the procurement process. My Department is currently evaluating the Final...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (2 Oct 2018)

Denis Naughten: The premises referred to by the Deputy is in a LIGHT BLUE area according to my Department’s High Speed Broadband Map, available at www.broadband.gov.ie. Under a Commitment Agreement signed with me in April 2017, eir is in the process of passing 300,000 predominantly rural homes with high speed broadband in the LIGHT BLUE area of the map and had passed approximately 175,000 of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Biofuel Obligation Scheme (2 Oct 2018)

Denis Naughten: The Biofuels Obligation Scheme, administered by the National Oil Reserves Agency, is the principal support for the uptake of biofuels in Ireland. The scheme was introduced in 2010 and requires suppliers of road transport fuel to ensure that biofuels make up a certain percentage of annual fuel sales. It is a certificate based scheme with two certificates awarded per litre of sustainable...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Project Ireland 2040 Expenditure (2 Oct 2018)

Denis Naughten: Project Ireland 2040 sets out the Government’s overarching policy for infrastructural and economic growth, incorporating themes of wellbeing, equality and opportunity. Combining the National Planning Framework to 2040 and the National Development Plan to 2027, the initiative contains 10 ambitious targets to address sustainable national development. My Department held an event on...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Gas Networks Ireland (2 Oct 2018)

Denis Naughten: The delivery of 14 Compressed Natural Gas filling stations, as part of the Causeway Project, is an operational matter for Gas Networks Ireland. I have been provided with an update on the current status these stations by Gas Networks Ireland which is set out in the table below. Location Status Station 1 Dublin Port The station is constructed and has been commissioned. Gas has been...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Disposal Charges (2 Oct 2018)

Denis Naughten: My Department is continuing the work of developing a mechanism to provide a €75 support for persons with lifelong or long-term medical incontinence to help meet the average annual cost of disposing of medical incontinence products. This process has unfortunately taken longer than envisaged, due to data protection issues that have arisen since the introduction of GDPR. However, I can...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: North-South Interconnector (2 Oct 2018)

Denis Naughten: Eirgrid is a commercial State company which holds the licence, from the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities, as transmission system operator (TSO) in Ireland, in accordance with EU and Irish law. CRU issued the licence to Eirgrid under S.14(1)(e) of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 on 20th June 2001. In this role as transmission system operator, EirGrid, as the national authority,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Implementation (2 Oct 2018)

Denis Naughten: My Department is in a formal procurement process to select a company who will roll out a new high speed broadband network in the State intervention area, and is now evaluating the Final Tender submission received from the bidding consortium on 18 September 2018. This is a significant milestone as the NBP procurement process enters its final stage. For those premises currently awaiting access...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: North-South Interconnector (2 Oct 2018)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 517 and 518 together. In July this year I sought reports from the Energy Regulator, and electricity and gas transmission system operators (Commission for the Regulation of Utilities, Eirgrid, Gas Networks Ireland) on the implications for the electricity market in Ireland in the event of a hard Brexit, including for the Single Electricity Market (SEM), for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Expenditure (2 Oct 2018)

Denis Naughten: The Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment - along with a number of other government departments - has a strong annual presence at the National Ploughing Championships. 2018 was the second year the Department had its own marquee at the event, and the exhibition space housed stands from a number of the Department’s divisions and agencies and initiatives being...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Transmission Network (27 Sep 2018)

Denis Naughten: The priority for the restoration of outages caused by severe weather is an operational matter for ESB Networks, but my Department has raised this matter with the ESBN, which has  provided the following information: - Prioritised power restoration proceeds when conditions allow for this to be undertaken safely. Power restoration takes place in an organised way with the...