Results 7,621-7,640 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Transmission Network (21 Nov 2017)

Denis Naughten: On 19 December 2016 An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission for the North-South Interconnector project in Ireland. The decision concluded a lengthy planning process which included an Oral Hearing completed over eleven weeks from March to May last year. The planning process for the section of the project in Northern Ireland is on-going following the conclusion of an oral...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (21 Nov 2017)

Denis Naughten: The  contributions by the members of the Citizens’ Assembly to this critical and urgent issue, which included consideration of a range of detailed presentations by technical experts in meetings over the course of two full weekends, have been welcomed by me and by the Government as a whole. I understand that the Citizens' Assembly must now communicate its report and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (21 Nov 2017)

Denis Naughten: The 2014 National Policy Position on Climate Change and 2015 Energy White Paper include ambitious long-term commitments, respectively, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 80% compared to 1990 levels and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the sector by between 80% and 95%  by 2050. As energy use and greenhouse gas emissions are inextricably linked, meeting this objective will...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Implementation (21 Nov 2017)

Denis Naughten: I provided an outline on the current status of the National Broadband Plan in my response to earlier questions on today's order paper.  The Deputy will be aware the aim of the NBP is to ensure high speed broadband access to all premises in Ireland, regardless of location.  The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector so...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (21 Nov 2017)

Denis Naughten: As I have outlined to the Deputy in previous questions on this topic, since the publication of the National Broadband Plan in 2012 by former Minister Pat Rabbitte, there have been a number of updates provided in respect of its progress. In April 2014, the Government decided that it needed to scale up the ambition of the plan and allocated significant resources to it. The...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Services Provision (21 Nov 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 53 and 61 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electric Vehicles (21 Nov 2017)

Denis Naughten: Following a public consultation, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities last month published its decision on the future ownership of the electric vehicle charging network.  A key outcome of the decision is that the charging network should not form part of the regulated asset base and therefore expansions of the network should not be funded from network charges.  This is in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: RTÉ Staff (21 Nov 2017)

Denis Naughten: RTÉ is an independent national public service broadcaster established under the Broadcasting Act 2009. Section 114 of the Act sets out the objects of RTÉ, including the objective 'to establish and maintain orchestras, choirs and other cultural performing groups'. Section 98 of the Act establishes the independence of RTÉ in pursuance of its objects. As a matter of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (21 Nov 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56, 58, 64 and 78 together. 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. This appraisal compared the cost of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (21 Nov 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 57, 88 and 89 together. I understand that the research studies referred to are 'Natural Gas and Climate Change,' published by Manchester, Uppsala and Teesside Universities and the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research; and a report by the Global Carbon Project with input from the Norwegian Centre for International Climate Research...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Wind Energy Generation (21 Nov 2017)

Denis Naughten: The Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan 2014 (OREDP) sets out the Government’s plan for the sustainable development of our abundant offshore renewable energy resources.  The Strategic Environmental Assessment carried out for the OREDP found that it would be environmentally sustainable for 4,500 MW of offshore wind and 1,500MW of wave and tidal devices to be developed...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (21 Nov 2017)

Denis Naughten: The Government's National Broadband Plan (NBP) will 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 to date approximately 1.5m or 65% of the 2.3m premises in Ireland can get access to high speed broadband and this footprint is...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Mitigation Plan Implementation (21 Nov 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 63, 65, 81 and 84 together.   I refer to the reply to Question No. 49 on today's Order Paper. The  contributions by the members of the Citizens’ Assembly to this critical and urgent issue, which included consideration of a range of detailed presentations by technical experts in meetings over the course of two full...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Bord na Móna (21 Nov 2017)

Denis Naughten: Pursuant to section 2 of the Turf Development Act 1983, my approval as Minister, given with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, is required for Bord na Móna to enter into capital commitments such as the proposed purchase referenced by the Deputy. At this juncture, there has been no formal request for Ministerial consent in respect of this project.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Mitigation Plan (21 Nov 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 67 and 468 together. The publication of Ireland’s first statutory National Mitigation Plan in July 2017 was an important initial step to enable Ireland’s transition to a low carbon economy and society. The Plan provides a framework to guide investment decisions by Government in domestic measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sets...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Heat Incentive (21 Nov 2017)

Denis Naughten: The proposed Renewable Heat Incentive addresses key objectives set out in the National Mitigation Plan, the Energy White Paper and the Programme for Government.  The scheme has a significant role to play in contributing to meeting our renewable energy and emission reduction targets for 2020 and beyond. In addition, the scheme will open up new opportunities for the domestic bioenergy...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (21 Nov 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 71, 77 and 90 together. The 2009 Effort Sharing Decision 406/2009/EC established binding annual greenhouse gas emissions targets for EU Member States for the period 2013 to 2020. For the year 2020 itself, the target set for Ireland is that emissions should be 20% below their level in 2005. This will be Ireland’s contribution to the overall EU...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Implementation (21 Nov 2017)

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 searchable by Eircode/address and is colour coded: - The  AMBER...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Prices (21 Nov 2017)

Denis Naughten: Section 10A of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999, as amended, sets out the procedure under which the Minister may give “general policy directions”. The legislation sets out details on the tasks and inter-alia timelines, consultation requirements with the independent regulator and Oireachtas, and identifies restrictions on the areas where such directions may not be given. The...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management Regulations (21 Nov 2017)

Denis Naughten: Under waste management legislation, collectors of household waste are required to provide receptacles for the collection of residual, recyclable and food waste, in line with the requirements of their waste collection permit issued under the Waste Management Act 1996 (No. 10 of 1996), the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007, (S.I. 820 of 2007) as amended, and the...