Results 7,901-7,920 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Mitigation Plan (4 Oct 2017)

Denis Naughten: The publication of Ireland’s first statutory National Mitigation Plan in July 2017 was an important initial step to enable the transition to a low carbon economy and society. The governance and reporting arrangements that underpin the National Mitigation Plan will be critical to successfully delivering on the full range of over 70  measures and 106 related actions in the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Disposal Charges (4 Oct 2017)

Denis Naughten: A Household Waste Collection Price Monitoring Group has been established and the first meeting of the Group was held on 13 September, 2017. A company has also begun the process of monitoring the rates charged by household waste collectors.  They will report back to the Group on a monthly basis and the results will be published. The results will be monitored and analysed,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Digital Strategy (4 Oct 2017)

Denis Naughten: The Trading Online Voucher Scheme, designed and funded by my Department, is delivered on a nationwide basis by the Local Enterprise Offices (LEO).  Applications are received directly by individual LEOs who award vouchers of up to €2,500 matched- funding to qualifying businesses on a competitive basis, following evaluation by an expert panel. Successful applicants are expected...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Heat Incentive (4 Oct 2017)

Denis Naughten: The proposed Renewable Heat Incentive will incentivise commercial opportunities for renewable heat technologies including biomass boiler installations. In addition, the scheme will open up new opportunities for biomass feedstock producers. There has been significant progress to date in the use of biomass which, in 2015, provided the vast majority of the 6.5% of energy consumption in the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Brexit Issues (4 Oct 2017)

Denis Naughten: North/South cooperation is a central part of the Good Friday Agreement. Under the Agreement, the North South Ministerial Council was established to develop consultation, cooperation and action on matters of mutual interest on an all-island and cross border basis. Protecting the gains of the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts have been identified by both the EU...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Post Office Network (4 Oct 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 81 together. As Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, I am responsible for the postal sector including the governance of An Post to ensure that the company is fully compliant with the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies and the governance functions included in the statutory framework underpinning An...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (4 Oct 2017)

Denis Naughten: I understand that the Citizens’ Assembly met on 30 September and 1 October and will meet again in November to consider the topic of how the State can make Ireland a leader in tackling climate change and that these sessions will be informed by a public consultation which took place in August. As part of this work, I understand that the Assembly has been asked to consider how the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (4 Oct 2017)

Denis Naughten: I refer the Deputy to my replies to Question Number 72 of 6 December 2016, Number  43 of 7 February 2017, Number 85 of 9 May 2017 and Number 88 of 27 June 2017. By way of additional information, we have now reached a significant milestone  in the  procurement process for the State led Intervention under the National Broadband Plan...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Prices (4 Oct 2017)

Denis Naughten: Responsibility for the regulation and monitoring of electricity markets is a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) which is the independent energy regulator. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), is the lead organisation for the submission of Irish data on electricity and gas prices to Eurostat, and also publishes reports and analysis of these...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Bord na Móna (4 Oct 2017)

Denis Naughten: Bord na Móna is a commercial State company operating under the Turf Development Acts, 1946 to 1998. The matter raised by the Deputy is operational in nature and not one in which I, as Minister, have any direct function. Nevertheless, as Minister with responsibility for Bord na Móna, I am aware of the proposed plans to construct a biomass facility in the United States. I wish to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (4 Oct 2017)

Denis Naughten: A Household Waste Collection Rate Monitoring Group has been established and the first meeting of the Group was held on 13 September, 2017 and attended by representatives from my Department, the Central Statistics Office, St. Vincent de Paul and a market expertise company. The company has also been appointed to begin the process of monitoring the rates charged by household waste...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Heat Incentive (4 Oct 2017)

Denis Naughten: As the Deputy has indicated, there are a wide range of Government departments, agencies and State bodies that are critical enablers for biomass development by virtue of their responsibility for areas such as energy, forestry, agriculture, waste, research funding and business development. The interdepartmental Bioenergy Steering Group, chaired by my Department, is in the process of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (4 Oct 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 80 together. I have given a detailed outline on the current status of the procurement process in my responses to the priority questions on today's order paper.  The Deputies will be aware that this procurement process will select a bidder, or bidders, who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network to remote...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (4 Oct 2017)

Denis Naughten: There have been no meetings between officials from my Department and our Northern Ireland counterparts in relation to an all island broadband network. Achieving universal access to high speed broadband is a key target under the EU Digital Agenda for Europe which requires, inter alia, all Members States to publish National Broadband Plans to facilitate the achievement of high speed broadband...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Gender Equality (4 Oct 2017)

Denis Naughten: RTÉ is established under the Broadcasting Act 2009 as the national public service broadcaster. Section 114 (1) of the Act states the principal objects and associated powers of RTÉ and section 98 provides that it shall be independent in the pursuance of these objects, subject to the requirements of the Act. As such I, as Minister, have no function in RTÉ’s day to day...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: EU Conventions (4 Oct 2017)

Denis Naughten: I refer the reply to Question No 1468 of 11 September 2017 on the issue of the Aarhus Convention.   In relation to the development of the Hinkley Point C new nuclear power plant, I can advise the Deputy that my Department has taken a keen interest in the project since it was initially proposed. It formed part of a study by the Radiological Protection Institute...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electric Vehicles (4 Oct 2017)

Denis Naughten: The ESB, through its eCars programme, has rolled out an extensive public network of charging points across Ireland.  With approximately 900 electric vehicle charge points, for a country of our size, we have one of the more comprehensive charge point networks in Europe.As battery technology develops, the range of electric cars will grow and higher capacity charging will be needed to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (4 Oct 2017)

Denis Naughten: As I have already indicated to the House, last week my Department received "Detailed Solutions" from two bidders as part of the ongoing procurement process to select a bidder, or bidders, who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network for those areas that will not be served by commercial operators acting alone. These bidders were Eircom Limited and the Granahan McCourt,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (4 Oct 2017)

Denis Naughten: 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 objective to reduce its emissions by the order of 20% by 2020...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (4 Oct 2017)

Denis Naughten: The Deputy may be aware that all premises, regardless of location, are targeted to receive broadband under the National Broadband Plan. The high speed broadband Map, which can be accessed on my Department's at www.broadband.gov.ie, shows all premises to be covered under the Plan, which include State Intervention and commercial investment. The Map is colour coded Amber for areas to be...