Results 6,581-6,600 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Postal Services (29 Nov 2018)

Richard Bruton: Back in September 2017 this was made clear at the Labour Court and it was part of the negotiations at that stage. This is not something that has been sprung. I am assured that An Post will not take this decision on political grounds. This will be a decision taken in the best interests of An Post. It is trying to rebuild for the future against a backdrop where the volume of standard...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Postal Services (29 Nov 2018)

Richard Bruton: To a degree, the Deputy has answered his own question in that he indicated that decisions in this area are not ones for the Minister to make.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Postal Services (29 Nov 2018)

Richard Bruton: He has recognised the reality that An Post is a commercial State body. He also knows that An Post has been through an extremely difficult period in the last couple of years. It suffered a 40% loss in mail volumes which brought it to a really precarious point last year when the outlook was very bleak for the 9,000 employed in it. The company has had to take some difficult decisions,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: European Globalisation Fund (29 Nov 2018)

Richard Bruton: In relation to the European Globalisation Fund, I understand that Bord na Móna is currently assessing its eligibility in relation to an application to the European Globalisation Fund for assistance.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Inland Fisheries Ireland (29 Nov 2018)

Richard Bruton: Storm Callum recently felled 2 trees sited on IFI’s Fish farm at Cullion, Mullingar which unfortunately entered onto the site of St. Bridget’s Well.  Following consultation with Local Authorities and other relevant stakeholders IFI established St. Bridget’s Well site ownership and was granted permission to access the property in order to safely remove the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (29 Nov 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 183 and 184 together. The formal procurement for the State intervention was launched on 22 December 2015 with the publication of the Pre-qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) and Project Information Memorandum (PIM) in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). The PQQ was issued to Bidders intending to submit a pre-qualification response before...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Resources (29 Nov 2018)

Richard Bruton: I refer to the reply to Question Nos. 534 and 549 of 20 November 2018.  The position remains unchanged.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (29 Nov 2018)

Richard Bruton: Ireland’s energy policy is fully aligned with the EU’s climate and energy objectives on the transition to decarbonisation, which includes continuous and on-going review of policies to reduce harmful emissions, improve energy efficiency, incentivise efficient and sustainable infrastructure investment, integrate markets, and promote research and innovation while ensuring our...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Speeds (29 Nov 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Protection Agency Licences (29 Nov 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established by the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 as an independent body whose primary function is to monitor the quality of our environment and to ensure compliance with environmental protection legislation. This includes issuing specified licences under the principal Act and also under the Waste Management Act 1996,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Foreshore Licence Applications (29 Nov 2018)

Richard Bruton: I am advised by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) that costs incurred in the preparation of the environmental impact study and foreshore lease application for the Atlantic Marine Energy Test Site (AMETS) were €818,871. This covers costs for all studies conducted between 2010 and 2011 in preparation for the Foreshore application.  Costs relating to one study...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Medical Waste Disposal (29 Nov 2018)

Richard Bruton: My Department is continuing the work of developing a mechanism to provide a €75 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 number of issues, including data protection issues...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Postal Codes (29 Nov 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 191 and 193 together.  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, issue a new release of the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate (28 Nov 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy probably needs to consider the connection policy because it sets out the framework that needs to be fulfilled. This includes identifying the businesses that will potentially use gas and their scale - there are concessionary rates for connection charges where there are small and medium sized enterprises, SMEs; and identifying the new estates that might come on stream that would use...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate (28 Nov 2018)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am sure he knows the way this works. Gas Networks Ireland is a commercial State-sponsored body and is regulated by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU. The CRU has developed a network connections policy, under which industrial users, towns or groups of towns within a region can make an application to be considered for a connection....

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Nov 2018)

Richard Bruton: The position is that the final tender, which was at the end of a competitive dialogue, was lodged with my Department on 18 September. That tender is now being evaluated by the Department to examine issues such as the robustness of the technology, the governance of the project, and value for money. I hope to be in a position to bring that to Government for a decision in the near future. It...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (28 Nov 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 223 and 224 together. The question of regulation of domestic solid fuel use will be addressed in the context of the Clean Air Strategy,which will provide the framework for a set of cross-Government policies and actions to reduce harmful emissions and improve air quality and public health to meet current and future EU and international obligations....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Metropolitan Area Networks Programme (28 Nov 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 225 and 226 together. The Department has been engaging with the Management Services Entity (e-net) in relation to the implementation of the recommendations of the Report on Pricing and Access Arrangements for the MANs. It is intended to publish the report shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Mobile Telephony Services (28 Nov 2018)

Richard Bruton: Providing telecommunications services, including mobile phone services, is a matter for the relevant service providers operating in a fully liberalised market regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), as independent Regulator. I do not have statutory authority to require commercial companies to rollout services and make specific investments in particular locations....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electric Vehicles (28 Nov 2018)

Richard Bruton: The majority of the existing network of publicly accessible charge points was rolled out by the ESB through its eCars programme. An interactive map showing the locations of charging points throughout Ireland is available at www.esb.ie/our-businesses/ecars/charge-point-map.There are currently public chargers available at 7 locations in Dublin Bay North. This includes a fast...