Results 7,441-7,460 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: RTÉ Expenditure (16 Jan 2018)

Denis Naughten: Under Section 114 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, RTÉ is obliged to establish and maintain orchestras, choirs and other cultural performing groups. It is a matter for the board of RTÉ to decide the manner in which it ensures its statutory obligations are met and performed efficiently and effectively.  The BAI undertakes an annual assessment of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Transmission Network (16 Jan 2018)

Denis Naughten: The Celtic Interconnector is an estimated €1 billion electricity interconnector jointly proposed by EirGrid and their French counterparts, the French transmission system operator, RTÉ (Reseau de Transporte d’Électricite). It is proposed as a 500km long (subsea), 700MW high voltage direct current line that would run from the north-west coast of France to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Transmission Network (16 Jan 2018)

Denis Naughten: In 2017 I met with colleagues from across the political spectrum on two occasions on this project - 8th February and 16th May. These engagements were important in my decision to commission two independent studies into the project. The first is examining the technical feasibility and cost of undergrounding the interconnector and the second is focused on the compensation provided to land...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Properties (16 Jan 2018)

Denis Naughten: All property occupied by my Department is either leased or owned by the Office of Public Works and my Department has no vacant property or land holdings. The information sought by the Deputy regarding the bodies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for each organisation.  I will request the relevant bodies to reply directly to the Deputy in the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (16 Jan 2018)

Denis Naughten: In April I published an updated High Speed Broadband Map which is available atwww.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 (NBP). The Map is colour coded and searchable by address/eircode: - The  AMBER...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Prices (16 Jan 2018)

Denis Naughten: The Government’s first energy poverty strategy -the Affordable Energy Strategy used the expenditure method of calculating energy poverty. This looks at the proportion of household income (net of housing costs) that is devoted to meeting energy needs. If a household needs to spend more than 10% of their income on energy they are considered to be in energy poverty, with the severity of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Recycling Policy (16 Jan 2018)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1282 and 1283 together. Under the EU Packaging Directive, at least 60% of Ireland’s packaging waste must be recovered and 55% must be recycled. Ireland has met and exceeded the overall packaging waste recovery rate and the recycling rate targets since they came into force. The most recent Waste Packaging Statistics for Ireland, published by the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Incentives (16 Jan 2018)

Denis Naughten: There are a number of grants and support schemes which enable companies to choose renewable energy options.  In addition to benefiting the companies availing of these programmes and schemes, the resulting increased demand for renewable energy and energy efficient technologies also benefits the companies which supply these products and services. The Accelerated Capacity...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (16 Jan 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 so that today over 67% of the 2.3m premises in Ireland have access to high speed broadband and this is set to increase to 77% (1.8m...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electric Vehicle Grants (16 Jan 2018)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1286, 1287, 1306 to 1310, inclusive, 1337 and 1338 together. The Electric Vehicle Purchase Grant, introduced in April 2011, provides grant aid of up to €5,000 towards the purchase of a new Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) or new Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV).  From the introduction of the scheme to the end of 2017, grant support has been...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (16 Jan 2018)

Denis Naughten: I refer to the replies to Questions Nos. 397 of 29 November 2017 and 595 of 14 December 2017. As set out in reply to these questions, Ireland made a commitment at the Paris Climate Change Conference in November 2015 to provide at least €175 million in public funding in support of climate action in developing countries between 2016 and 2020. This support will be provided...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (16 Jan 2018)

Denis Naughten: The “International Review of Waste Management Policy”, published in 2009, was a major review of waste management policy in Ireland. This report was commissioned by the then Minister for the Environment John Gormley. It reported on a deposit and refund scheme stating “the evidence is not sufficiently strong to support a recommendation of this nature, principally because...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Mobile Telephony Services (16 Jan 2018)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1290 and 1291 together. My Department's role in relation to the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce is principally focussed on working with the stakeholders to progress the actions in the Taskforce's report. This work is carried out in the general course of duties by officials in my Department. As such, the amount required by my Department to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Information and Communications Technology (16 Jan 2018)

Denis Naughten: My Department provides funding to the Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA) which was established under the Digital Hub Development Agency Act 2003 to support digital entrepreneurship through the creation of a cluster of enterprises focussed on digital content and technology. The Agency is funded through a combination of Exchequer funding and commercial income and the DHDA...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadcasting Sector (16 Jan 2018)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1293 to 1296, inclusive, together. As the Deputy will be aware, I obtained Government approval to proceed with the drafting of a number of legislative amendments to the Broadcasting Act, 2009 including amendment of the provisions of the Act relating to the broadcasting levy to alleviate the burden on broadcasters. The proposals provide that a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Grid (16 Jan 2018)

Denis Naughten: My  Department is developing a new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) which will be designed to assist Ireland in meeting its renewable energy contribution to EU-wide targets out to 2030. The design of the new scheme has included an extensive independent economic appraisal which compared the cost of supporting a range of commercial renewable technologies at various scales...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Implementation (16 Jan 2018)

Denis Naughten: The 2018 estimates include a provision of €15 million for my Department's work on the State led Intervention under the National Broadband Plan, including costs associated with the procurement process. Progress of the NBP procurement process will be the principal factor influencing the actual spend incurred.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Mobile Telephony Services (16 Jan 2018)

Denis Naughten: 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (16 Jan 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 so that today over 67% of the 2.3 million premises in Ireland have access to high speed broadband and this is set to increase to 77% (1.8...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (16 Jan 2018)

Denis Naughten: The European Union commitment under the Paris Agreement to a reduction of at least 40% in EU-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared with 1990 levels will be met through reductions of 43% in the Emission Trading System (ETS) and 30% in the non-ETS sector compared with 2005 levels. The legislative proposals for an Effort Sharing Regulation and for a Regulation on Land Use, Land...