Results 8,501-8,520 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (10 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: On the 4 April, I signed a commitment agreement with eir in relation to its plans to provide broadband to an additional 300,000 premises in rural areas on a commercial basis.  Eir has committed to concluding this work over a 90 week period, an average of nearly 500 premises per day.  My Department will be monitoring this rollout to ensure that...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Building Energy Rating Administration (10 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: A Building Energy Rating (BER) is an indication of the energy performance of a dwelling (represented in terms of the number of kilowatt hours (kWh) used per square metre per year). The actual energy performance of dwelling will vary depending on occupancy and how the dwelling is used. A BER is based on the characteristics of major components of the dwelling including: wall, roof and...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Illegal Dumping (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: First, to correct the record, the annual grant paid for enforcement to local authorities is €7.2 million. There are 120 enforcement officers across the country-----

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Illegal Dumping (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: Specifically dealing with the issue Deputy Niamh Smyth raised regarding the 120 truck tyres that were dumped on the N2 in Monaghan, the estimated cost of removing those was €1,400. I hope to be in a position within the next couple of weeks to make a specific announcement on the tyre sector and to have it robustly regulated. In fairness, the sector is working quite closely with me in...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Brexit Issues (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: Ireland holds 90 days of emergency oil stocks, in accordance with International Energy Agency, IEA, rules and EU legislation, to be used in the event of a supply disruption. The majority of these stocks are held in Ireland and some stocks are held in other EU member states, including the United Kingdom. Ireland has entered into bilateral agreements with those member states, including the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Brexit Issues (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: For EU rules it would not be counted, but for the International Energy Agency rules, it would.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Brexit Issues (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: To maintain those reserves in the UK.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Brexit Issues (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: I agree wholeheartedly with Deputy Stanley. To give the Deputy the figures, approximately 57% of Ireland's strategic oil reserve is held in Ireland, 20% is held in the UK, 9% in Northern Ireland and 11% in Scotland. The remaining 23% is held in the other EU countries, Denmark, Sweden and Spain. The reserve held in Northern Ireland is held in Derry and in Cloghan Point - those are the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Brexit Issues (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: My long-term objective is not to increase capacity. My long-term objective is to drive down the need for fossil fuels in the first place. To answer the Deputy's specific question in the short term, NORA funds the purchasing, financing and holding of strategic oil stocks by way of a 0.02 cent levy per litre on certain petroleum products in the State. NORA has reached an agreement with...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Broadband Service Provision (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: There are two issues. First, I am committed to making sure the national broadband plan rolls out a long-term solution to those homes and businesses as soon as possible. With regard to the Deputy's specific point on businesses, I was with a business last month in my constituency outside the town of Ballinasloe and its representatives made the same complaint to me, in that they are just...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Illegal Dumping (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: The programme for Government contains a specific commitment to work with local authorities to tackle the problem of illegal dumping and to develop effective deterrents to discourage people from engaging in this anti-social behaviour. In accordance with this commitment, my Department developed an anti-dumping initiative to work in partnership with local authorities and community organisations...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Illegal Dumping (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: An increased sum of approximately €9 million has been provided to resource local authorities on the enforcement side. The most effective tool in that regard is probably on-the-spot fines and I accept we need to improve surveillance. As I said, 111 projects have been submitted. The total cost of the projects submitted is some €1.2 million whereas I had an initial allocation of...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: National Mitigation Plan (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: We are speaking from the same hymn sheet. The Deputy is right, in that a great deal of expert advice is available to us. We must utilise it to make the economic arguments. As I told Deputy Smyth, this is not just a question of considering the long term, given that there are short-term wins for everyone in respect of air quality, which has a direct impact on our health services. A...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: National Mitigation Plan (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: No, my criticism related to the 2020 targets to which we signed up, in that we did not have the economic analysis that should have been available to us. The Commission has since held up its hands and said that the realistic cost-effective target that should have been set for us was 7%, not 20%, but that is irrelevant at this stage. It is in the past, and we have those targets now. We must...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Broadband Service Provision (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: I thank the Deputy for his question. The Government's national broadband plan will provide high speed broadband access of a minimum of 30 Mbps to all premises in Ireland regardless of location. The plan has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector of €1.7 million per day for the past four years in order to bring broadband of at least 30 Mbps to 1.4 million, or...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Broadband Service Provision (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: Twelve months ago when I took over as Minister, 52% of premises had access to high speed broadband. Within the next 85 weeks, 77% of premises will have access to high speed broadband. During my period as Minister, one in four premises in this country, the vast majority of them rural premises, will have access to high speed broadband, many of them receiving up to 1,000 Mbps, which is the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Renewable Energy Projects (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: I apologise to the Deputy as I thought I had figures on the PSO with me but I do not have them to hand. I will have my officials revert to her later with them.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Renewable Energy Projects (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: No.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Renewable Energy Projects (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: The PSO subsidy for fossil fuels, which is for peat, is declining. There is no subsidy in place for Edenderry and the two remaining subsidies, for Lanesboro and Shannonbridge, will expire in 2019. The PSO for renewable energies has been ramping up and accounts for the largest share. The proportion provided to renewables will reach between 80% and 90% by 2019. I will get the figures for...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions: Renewable Energy Projects (9 May 2017)

Denis Naughten: I am not questioning what the Deputy said. However, an agenda is being spun on this issue. I stated that the applications submitted to provide solar power would provide power far in excess of the country's energy needs. Farmers are signing contracts with solar power companies and there is panic among members of the farming community about the scale involved. Farmers are concerned that it...