Results 8,281-8,300 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Post Office Network (27 Jun 2017)

Denis Naughten: When I was an Opposition Deputy, I questioned the commitment of many previous Ministers to the post office network.  However, that is neither here nor there. I was equally frustrated that there was no movement in this regard. I see digital not as a threat to the post office network, but as an enabler with considerable potential. The difficulty to date has been that digital is seen as...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (27 Jun 2017)

Denis Naughten: The Government's national broadband plan will provide high-speed broadband access to all premises in Ireland through commercial networks or by State intervention. The plan has catalysed investment so that to date approximately 1.4 million or 61% of the 2.3 million premises in Ireland can get commercial high-speed broadband of a minimum of 30 Mbps. In April, I signed...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (27 Jun 2017)

Denis Naughten: Twelve months ago, 52% of premises had access to high-speed broadband. My focus is on delivery and not dates. In 77 weeks' time, 77% of premises will have access to high-speed broadband. During my short period in office, I have ensured that one in every four premises in Ireland, the vast majority of which are in rural Ireland, will have access to high-speed broadband. Many of those...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (27 Jun 2017)

Denis Naughten: I will stand over the investment that is taking place. It is taking place because of the work that is going on in the Department and because of the national broadband plan. Deputy Dooley is trying to twist-----

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (27 Jun 2017)

Denis Naughten: I did not interrupt the Deputy.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (27 Jun 2017)

Denis Naughten: Deputy Dooley is trying to twist what the national broadband plan is about. The national broadband plan will deliver high-speed broadband to 2.3 million premises across Ireland on both a commercial and State intervention basis. In response to the Deputy's specific question, the three tenderers are still interested and are still involved in the bidding process. This is a 25-year contract...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (27 Jun 2017)

Denis Naughten: I am not going to stand over a situation where we have signed a contract, like previous Governments have done in the past-----

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (27 Jun 2017)

Denis Naughten: -----with contractors where the infrastructure, when it was rolled out, was actually obsolete the day it was turned on. We are going to have infrastructure in place right across rural Ireland that will be the most modern in the world. It will be responsive to the needs of rural Ireland over the next 25 years and will put rural Ireland at the fore, not at the tail end of things.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (27 Jun 2017)

Denis Naughten: The National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to deliver high speed broadband services to all premises in Ireland. The Programme for Government commits to the delivery of the NBP as a priority.  This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment by the telecommunications sector and a State intervention in those areas where commercial investment has not been fully...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Resources (27 Jun 2017)

Denis Naughten: The Energy White Paper sets out a vision and a framework to guide Irish energy policy up to 2030. It is a complete energy policy update and its actions have been informed by a vision to transform Ireland into a low carbon society and economy by 2050. This vision is further reinforced by the Programme for Government. In March, I published a draft of Ireland's first National Mitigation...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Ministerial Meetings (27 Jun 2017)

Denis Naughten: Given that the UK general election only took place on June 8th last, the opportunities for engagement have been relatively limited in that very short timeframe.  The responsibilities of my Department align with responsibilities across three separate ministries in the UK. Mr. Greg Clarke was reappointed as Secretary for Sate for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wild Fires (27 Jun 2017)

Denis Naughten: My Department has no statutory function for any follow-up actions in relation to the recent fires in Connemara, though as Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, I am of course concerned about the potential impacts of these events on the environment and, of course, the communities, farms and businesses in the areas affected. The statutory responsibility...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Better Energy Homes Scheme Data (27 Jun 2017)

Denis Naughten: The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland  (SEAI) administers the Better Energy Programme on behalf of my Department. The Better Energy Homes scheme provides fixed grants towards a range of energy efficiency interventions including roof insulation, wall insulation, heating controls, boiler upgrades, solar heating systems and the cost of Building Energy Rating...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (27 Jun 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 67 and 75 together. I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 58, 67, 82 and 585 of 9 May 2017 and to the reply to Question No. 56 on today's Order Paper. As I indicated in my previous responses to these questions, the release of the latest projections of greenhouse gas emissions by the Environmental Protection Agency on 13 April last clearly indicated...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Generation (27 Jun 2017)

Denis Naughten: The 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive sets Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020. Ireland is committed to achieving this target through meeting 40% of electricity demand, 12% of heat and 10% of transport from renewable energy sources. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has calculated that 25.3% of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Climate Change Policy (27 Jun 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 72 and 473 together. I was pleased to announce earlier this year that the Government was moving to establish, on a two-year pilot basis, a National Dialogue on Climate Action. This is in line with the commitment set out in the Programme for Government. The primary objective of the National Dialogue will be to ensure an inclusive process of engagement...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (27 Jun 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to answer Questions Nos 73, 74, 78, 83, 91, 95, 98, 101, 102, 106 and 108 to 110, inclusive, together.  The National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to deliver high speed broadband services to every city, town, village and individual premises in Ireland. The Programme for Government commits to the delivery of the NBP as a matter of priority.  This is being achieved...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Transmission Network (27 Jun 2017)

Denis Naughten: Under the Electricity Act 1927 (as amended), landowners are entitled to compensation for any electricity lines placed across their lands.  The ESB/IFA Code of Practice (1985) sets out the basis on which landowners are compensated for any loss taking account of crop loss, land damage, loss of development rights and disturbance. The agreement between EirGrid/ESB...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: International Agreements (27 Jun 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 79, 90, 92 and 472 together. I refer to the reply to Question No. 458 on today's Order Paper. The Irish Government strongly supports concerted international action to address the global challenge of climate change and, together with our EU colleagues, helped to bring about the entry into force of the Paris Agreement last November. Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Climate Change Negotiations (27 Jun 2017)

Denis Naughten: The Paris Agreement, which entered into force in November 2016, aims to limit global average temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with an ambition of 1.5 degrees Celsius. The Agreement is designed to meet this objective through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted by all parties to the agreement. In this regard, the European Union...