Results 6,741-6,760 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 47 and 202 together. I published Ireland's first statutory National Mitigation Plan in July 2017. This is a whole-of-Government Plan, reflecting in particular the central roles of the Ministers responsible for the sectors covered by the Plan (Electricity Generation, the Built Environment, Transport and Agriculture, Forestry and Land Use), and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Incentives (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 48 and 51 together. The Energy White Paper presents a long-term strategic vision that is intended to guide the direction of Irish energy policy from now until 2030. It identifies the long-term strategic importance of diversifying Ireland's energy generation portfolio and largely decarbonising the energy sector by 2050.  It does not set out...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Television Licence Fee Collection (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: The current level of TV licence evasion is estimated to be 14.6%. While the rate has fallen from 15.3% at the end of 2013, it is still very high and equates to a loss of €40m per annum to public service broadcasting. To address this issue, my Department has been working with An Post and RTÉ on an on-going basis to ensure that the TV licence collection...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Television Licence Fee Collection (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: Section 145 (1) of the Broadcasting Act 2009 defines 'issuing agent' as An Post "or another person designated by the Minister" under Section 145 (3) of the Act. The Act does not currently provide for the tendering of licence fee collection and I obtained Government approval in May 2017 for the drafting of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill which includes an amendment to allow for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Nuclear Safety (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: Ireland enjoys a close working relationship with the United Kingdom (UK) on radiological matters of mutual interest. This relationship is formalised through a UK-Ireland Contact Group which meets biannually.  The most recent meeting held in Dublin on April 18 was attended by officials from my Department, the Department of Housing Planning and Local Government, the Environmental...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Sustainable Development Goals (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: As Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, I have lead responsibility for promoting and overseeing the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on a whole-of-Government basis, and for the establishment of a robust SDG implementation and reporting framework. In line with this whole-of-Government approach, all Ministers retain...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Cyber Security Policy (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is located within my Department and serves to provide a range of cyber security services to owners of Government IT infrastructure and Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). The areas of online safety and cyber defence also fall under the remit of other Government Departments, including the Department of Defence and the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Fuel Sales (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: Enforcement action against breaches of the Air Pollution Act (Marketing, Sale, Distribution and Burning of Specified Fuels) Regulations 2012, as amended,is a matter for Local Authorities and my Department does not compile statistics in relation to prosecutions taken or fines imposed. These Regulations prohibit the placing on the market, sale or distribution of solid...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Clean Air Strategy (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: The National Clean Air Strategy will provide an overarching policy framework within which clean air policies can be formulated and given effect in a manner consistent with national, EU and international policy considerations and priorities. The Strategy will address priority air pollutants in Ireland in an integrated manner, and will complement the stated objectives of the National...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Generation (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: Public policy supports for peat-fired electricity generation promote energy security of supply, one of the three primary pillars of Irish energy policy.  The overarching objective of the 2015 Energy White Paper and of the 2017 National Mitigation Plan is to transition to a low carbon energy system which provides secure supplies of affordable energy to consumers. This involves...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Implementation (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: The Government's National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure high speed broadband access (minimum 30 megabits per second) to all premises in Ireland, regardless of location.  The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector. Today, almost 7 out of 10 of the 2.3 million premises in Ireland have access to high speed broadband. Since this Government came into...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: Discussions between my Department and the EU in relation to actions on plastics have been in the context of the European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy, which the Commission published on 16 January 2018. The strategy is built around 4 key actions: - Improving the economics and quality of plastics recycling - Curbing plastic waste and littering - Driving innovation and investment...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: eir is a private company operating in a liberalised market.  Accordingly, management decisions such as those relating to staffing levels is an operational matter for that company and not one in which I, as Minister, have a statutory function. As the Deputy is no doubt aware, in April 2017, I signed a Commitment Agreement with eir in relation to its plans to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Coastal Protection (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: I have no statutory function in relation to coastal erosion and flood relief. The lead responsibility for dealing with flood relief and flood risk management rests with the Office of Public Works (OPW), which is the responsibility of the Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. I understand that Drogheda Port Company also has a role in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Expenditure (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 196 and 197 together. My Department did not incur any expenditure on social media training or social media consultancy from 2011 to 2017. In 2018, €1,900 has been expended on consultancy on the preparation of a social media campaign as part of the on-going awareness and education campaign on waste and recycling.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Services Provision (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: I am not aware of any research undertaken into the possibility of supplying a panic alarm system through the mobile phone network. I am, however, familiar with the Seniors Alert Scheme (SAS), which is run by Pobal under the auspices of the Department of Rural and Community Development.  The objective of the scheme is to encourage community support for vulnerable older people in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Litter Pollution (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: The Litter Pollution Act 1997 provides the statutory framework to combat litter pollution. Under the Act, the primary management and enforcement responsibility rests with Local Authorities, who have a wide range of powers to tackle litter effectively, including "on-the-spot" fines of up to €150 or, on summary conviction, fines up to €4,000, for those who litter....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Nuclear Plants (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: Ireland enjoys a close working relationship with the United Kingdom on radiological matters through a UK-Ireland Contact Group which meets biannually. The most recent meeting, held in Dublin on April 18, was attended by officials from my Department, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the United Kingdom's Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Disposal Charges (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: In line with the commitments set out in A Resource Opportunity - Waste Management Policy in Ireland,published in 2012, and in the interest of encouraging further waste prevention and greater recycling, flat-rate fees for kerbside household waste collection are being phased out over the period autumn 2017 to autumn 2018, as customers contracts come up for renewal. The necessary regulatory...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (25 Apr 2018)

Denis Naughten: I refer to the reply to Question No. 67 of 14 February 2018 and to Question No. 24 on today’s Order Paper. The 2014 National Policy Position on Climate Action and Low Carbon Development sets out an ambitious long-term commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in Ireland by at least 80% (compared to 1990 levels) by 2050 across the electricity generation, built environment and...