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Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy probably knows, there is a whole-of-Government initiative on Internet safety. It was being led by the Department of the Taoiseach. It involves strengthening criminal law, actions to improve the education supports for young people through schools and Webwise, and making online supports available for people with mental health difficulties, an area that the Minister of State,...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: The implementation of this measure has run into significant administrative difficulties, including data protection issues. Discussions are going on between my Department and the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection with a view to finding a way of paying it. We hope to be in a position to make an announcement on it shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Staff Data (5 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: My Department does not currently have any staff seconded to work in the public administrations of other EU Member States.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (5 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: As outlined in my response to Parliamentary Question Nos. 2074 and 2082 of 24 July 2018, this premises is in an AMBER area according to the High Speed Broadband Map, which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie. High speed broadband will therefore be delivered through the proposed State led Intervention under the NBP, which is the subject of an...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Fuel Prices (5 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Irish retail oil sector, including the supply of home heating oil, is an open and competitive market. The retail price of home heating oil is determined by a number of factors, including the price of crude oil and refined product on the international markets, market supply and demand levels, and as oil is traded almost exclusively in US Dollars, the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (5 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: The high level design of the new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) was approved by Government in July 2018.  The RESS has been designed to deliver Ireland’s contribution towards an EU-wide renewable energy target of 32% out to 2030, within a competitive auction-based, cost effective framework. The RESS will deliver a broad range of policy objectives including: the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (5 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: In April 2017 my Department published an updated High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. This 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 searchable by address/Eircode: -The AMBER areas...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (5 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: Energy efficiency and climate action are inextricably linked.  Using less energy, and using it more efficiently, is the most cost effective and accessible way to take action on climate change. My Department has already achieved the target of 33% energy efficient improvement to be achieved by all public bodies by 2020.  The most recently available data is provided in the Annual...

Report on Procurement Process Audit of National Broadband Plan: Statements (4 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: I will not need five minutes. I thank the Deputies for their contributions. I think everyone acknowledges how hugely important this project is. Internet access is probably more important to rural Ireland than anything else if we want strong rural and regional development. This is the infrastructure of the future, and the ambition we have for it is right. I acknowledge the very...

Report on Procurement Process Audit of National Broadband Plan: Statements (4 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: I acknowledge what the two Deputies are saying about the importance of hacking on. It has to be said, however, that the auditor process is important. Many acknowledged it was open to interpretation that there might have been a conflict of interest. In practice it has been found that having examined all the evidence, the auditor has concluded what he has. That is the reassuring thing. I...

Report on Procurement Process Audit of National Broadband Plan: Statements (4 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: Affordability has always been a test, in the commercial area and in any other. The proposal is that, in the vast majority of cases, the service must be available at the same price as in any other area. Obviously, when there is only one bidder left, one has to take far greater care in overseeing the process. That is why it is going on the way it is going on. There is a lot of work being...

Report on Procurement Process Audit of National Broadband Plan: Statements (4 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: The report has set out the evaluation against the four crucial tests to determine whether any of the meetings that took place could in any way have undermined the fair delivery of the tender. It was concluded that they could not.

Report on Procurement Process Audit of National Broadband Plan: Statements (4 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: The tenderer will obviously use whatever is available to deliver the service. In the vast majority of cases, it will be existing poles, not new poles. They will be existing poles on the existing networks of others or State networks.

Report on Procurement Process Audit of National Broadband Plan: Statements (4 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: It is my understanding that the request - this applies to all the tenderers - was such that 2% could be other than fibre to the home, but that was expandable to 5% in certain conditions. That was a specification. As it evolves, the vast majority of homes will have fibre to the home.

Report on Procurement Process Audit of National Broadband Plan: Statements (4 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: These are the sorts of issues in respect of which this State needs to ensure the assumptions being made are reasonable in the first place and determine what would be a fair allocation of risk in the event that the conditions are not fulfilled. That is the sort of issue being dealt with in the detailed evaluation process that has been taking place.

Report on Procurement Process Audit of National Broadband Plan: Statements (4 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: It is my understanding that much of the evaluation material will be published so Deputies will be able to see it. There may be elements that cannot be published.

Report on Procurement Process Audit of National Broadband Plan: Statements (4 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: It is the same with any selection of a tender. Deputy Bríd Smith did not like me drawing a parallel with another sector about which I have some familiarity. We do not lay out before the Dáil the different people competing for a tender and ask 158 Members to make a decision. That is not the way tenders were decided in the Deputy's time, no more than in my time.

Report on Procurement Process Audit of National Broadband Plan: Statements (4 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: That information was provided by the former Minister at a formal meeting that was fully minuted. He was part of the team and was in a position to indicate that the bid was, in the view of the State, far too expensive. He expressed that opinion, which was absolutely correct. There was nothing wrong with that. He was telling the bidder that the price was too high, as one would expect him to...

Report on Procurement Process Audit of National Broadband Plan: Statements (4 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: Obviously, I cannot give a date for the roll out because a final tender has been submitted and unless or until that is accepted by the Government there will be no announcement in that regard. If the proposal is accepted, the Government and the contractor will be in a position to announce a date for roll out and so on. I cannot comment on the issue of the availability of staff. Clearly,...

Report on Procurement Process Audit of National Broadband Plan: Statements (4 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: The evaluation process is nearly complete. It will be completed within weeks and I will be in a position-----