Results 6,701-6,720 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

Other Questions: Waste Disposal (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: I am absolutely quite happy to report either through the committee or in another way about the group. There is no problem in doing that. There are three types of construction waste and I need to get my own head around this. There is "clean" or greenfield construction waste, which is topsoil and stone on a greenfield site. There is brownfield construction waste, which could include the...

Other Questions: Broadband Service Provision (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: I welcome the opportunity to provide the house with an update on the Government's national broadband plan. The plan aims to ensure that every citizen and business has access to a high-quality, high-speed broadband service. This will be achieved through a combination of commercial investments and a State-led intervention in areas where commercial services will not be provided. The...

Other Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: I need more than a minute to answer that question.

Other Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: With regard to biomass, in the long term, biomass is an effective feedstock for heat. In the short term, we are looking at it with regard to power generation but it is far more effective for heat. As we start harvesting our forestry crops, the leftover residues will be the main bulk to provide that feedstock. Biomass crops can complement that to ensure that we are not importing biomass...

Other Questions: Recycling Policy (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 30 together. Tackling the negative impact of plastic on our environment is a national and global challenge. I am working with my colleagues in Government and internationally to ensure that Ireland acts to protect our environment and at the same time provides new opportunities in a circular economy. I recently wrote to EU Commissioner Vella, who...

Other Questions: Recycling Policy (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: We will ban microbeads. It would have been more helpful if this could have been done at a co-ordinated European level rather than a domestic level but we are determined to bring forward legislation in this area to ban microbeads. With regard to China, a reason that the Chinese closed the market was the scale of contamination. We are trying to reduce the contamination and that is why we...

Other Questions: Bioenergy Strategy (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: First, 80% of the biomass used in Edenderry in 2017 was from indigenous sources. The objective is that the biomass in Edenderry, Lanesborough and Shannonbridge will be from indigenous sources. The supplier of the biomass to those three plants, and one of the major suppliers in the country in relation to the support scheme for renewable heat, will be Bord na Móna BioEnergy, which is a...

Other Questions: Bioenergy Strategy (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: I know.

Other Questions: Bioenergy Strategy (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: I agree wholeheartedly with everything Deputy Stanley said. All of those engagements are taking place right across the board. Specifically on farm waste, Deputy Stanley is correct. Within the national development plan, there is a specific provision to look at utilising farm waste and the brown bin waste for use in biogas or biomethane plants that would supply district heating systems to...

Other Questions: Bioenergy Strategy (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: It is on my desk.

Other Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: Meeting Ireland's EU targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and 2030 will be extremely challenging. The latest projections of greenhouse gas emissions, published by the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, in April 2017, indicate that emissions from those sectors of the economy covered by Ireland's 2020 targets could be between 4% and 6% below 2005 levels by 2020 in the context...

Other Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: Exactly - where to begin? Biodiversity is also an issue to be considered in this regard. Right across my own part of the country there is effectively a monoculture in relation to forestry. The investment that we make today in terms of forestry will really only have an impact on our climate targets post 2030. The investment that we made 15 or 20 years ago is having an impact today and for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: Some supports are available for SMEs through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. Once we get microgeneration off the ground, I intend to see those supports expanded. The experience across Europe is that there are technical challenges with microgeneration. Strengthening the grid to deal with microgeneration output would require a significant amount of investment. In light of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: Yes. Microgeneration, rooftop, SME and ground-mounted solar power will form part of the energy mix over the next decade. To be honest, though, I suspect that the heavy lifting will be done offshore. This country's potential, in particular off the coast of Deputy Dooley's constituency, is significant. We need to develop that resource. We are on the cutting edge of research in that regard...

Other Questions: Bioenergy Strategy (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: No more than is the case with Deputy Stanley, this issue is very close to my heart. I have a large personal interest in it. I should also declare two vested interests, those being, Lanesborough and Shannonbridge. There has been significant progress to date in the use of biomass in Ireland. In 2016, 6.8% of energy consumption in the heat sector came from renewable sources. Of this, three...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: I will deal with the Deputy's final question first. On foot of the Celtic Media-Independent News and Media phase 2 assessment, I asked my officials to review the process to see if there were weaknesses in it and if it could be streamlined to operate in a better way. One of the criticisms of it and potentially other ones that would come forward is the time lag involved in turning around the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: They are very serious allegations. The Data Protection Commissioner, Helen Dixon, is looking into these matters and I have every confidence in her carrying out her inquiry into very serious allegations. There are two processes. One is about to commence and the other, which relates to ownership and control policy, is ongoing. It has implications, as has the ownership and control report....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: I will read the reply and then try to address the Deputy's questions. The 2016 programme for Government and 2015 White Paper on energy recognise that solar PV has the potential to provide a community dividend, thereby enhancing citizen participation in Ireland’s energy future, and that it has the potential to contribute to meeting Ireland’s renewable energy and climate...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Departmental Protocols (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: We do comply with all the standards and the legislation as set out. As I said, I have discussed this with my Secretary General and he is reviewing the position to consider if any further changes are necessary. I can tell the Deputy that I will not be taking any phone calls from lobbyists in the future. The reality is that we do comply with it. If the Deputy looks at the register he will...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Departmental Protocols (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: No. I did not give confidential information, and I am categorical about that. I sincerely regret that conversation and acknowledge that it was a political mistake to have had it. I have learned from my experience and I sincerely apologise for that, but I did not give confidential information because I did not have any information available to me at that stage. The information I had was...