Results 9,001-9,020 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: I thank Deputy Sherlock for his good wishes. The national broadband plan aims to deliver high-speed broadband services to every household, school and business in Ireland. This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment by the telecommunications sector, and for those areas that will not be covered by commercial operators, the State has committed to intervene...

Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: I thank Deputies Stanley and Lawless for their kind comments. The programme for Government includes a commitment to establish a national dialogue on climate change. This builds on the commitment in the energy White Paper to establish a national energy forum to maximise and maintain consensus on the broad policy measures set out in the White Paper required to ensure the transition to a...

Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: The fact the dialogue has not commenced is not a block to action. We have published the final consultation on the renewable heat incentive scheme. It will be up and running this year. We have published a discussion document on the mitigation plan. The formal consultation on that will begin in March. We are now working on the adaptation plan. We will also consider the replacement for the...

Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: First, €350,000 is allocated for this year in that regard. If the Deputy has any suggestions or thoughts as to how we can engage with communities throughout the country, I am quite happy to hear them. Suggestions have been put to me about the public participation networks and how they could be involved in the national dialogue. I also want to see schoolchildren involved in it...

Priority Questions: Waste Disposal Charges (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: The charges applied by waste management companies are a matter for those companies and their customers, subject to compliance with the applicable contract, consumer and environmental legislation. Matters relating to consumer legislation fall under the remit of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. My Department is undertaking a review of pricing structures for household...

Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan Implementation (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: Grand. The national broadband plan aims to deliver high-speed broadband services to households, schools and businesses throughout Ireland. The programme for Government commits to the delivery of the national broadband plan as a priority. This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment by the telecommunications sector and by State...

Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan Implementation (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: The roll-out of the national broadband plan will happen in every county together.

Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan Implementation (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: This is a very complex contract. The contract paperwork runs to approximately 2,000 pages. I am in regular contact with the team that is managing this to make sure there is no delay within the competency of the Department, but the three bidders have sought additional time for this process. The last thing I want to see happen is that we would award a contract and spend the next five years...

Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan Implementation (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: On the concerns the Deputy has raised regarding the potential for cherry-picking and the "doughnutting" effect he spoke about-----

Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan Implementation (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: I live in rural Ireland. My constituency and native county have the worse broadband coverage in the country. I am very conscious of all of these issues. My Department is conscious of all of these issues. This is a matter on which we are actively engaged on an ongoing basis. On the issue of quality, the Deputy made the point that families need fibre-to-the-home now. Anecdotal evidence...

Priority Questions: Mobile Telephony Services (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: The programme for Government included a commitment to establish a mobile phone and broadband task force to identify immediate solutions to broadband and mobile phone coverage deficits and to investigate how better services could be provided to consumers prior to the full build and roll out of the network planned under the national broadband plan State intervention. The task force, which I...

Priority Questions: Mobile Telephony Services (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: The task force is implementing the recommendations. It is proceeding with them now; it is not waiting until 2018. We have started to implement a number of those recommendations even in advance of the publication of the task force report. We have appointed liaison officers in each local authority across the country to work with the telecoms industry to assist it in the roll out of...

Priority Questions: Mobile Telephony Services (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: Deputy Lawless and I are singing from the same hymn sheet. The reason for the establishment of the mobile phone and broadband task force was that I was deeply frustrated by the announcement by my Department, before I became Minister, that there was further delay in the roll out of the national broadband plan. I looked at it and asked what we could do in practical terms. I had it included...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Ministerial Meetings (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: The Minister for Finance has policy responsibility for the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund. The investment strategies and decisions made by the fund are therefore not within my remit and not a subject on which I have engaged with the fund.   As Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, I have policy responsibility for many of the sectors in which the fund may...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: The Government's National Broadband Plan (NBP) was published in August 2012. I provided a comprehensive update on the progress of the plan to the Deputy in my response to Question No 72 on 6 December 2016. Progress continues to be made in delivering on this Government’s commitment to ensure every household and business in Ireland has access to high speed broadband,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: National Broadband Plan Implementation (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 48, 49, 54, 57, 73, 79, 81, 560, 566, 576 and 587 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 through a combination of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electric Vehicles (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: The EU Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28/EC set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy demand from renewable sources by 2020, including 10% of transport with this target also being legally binding. In the transport sector, Ireland aims to meet its renewable target mainly through the increased use of sustainable biofuels, with electric vehicles also...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy Projects (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to facilitate the development of solar energy projects in Ireland. This builds on the Energy White Paper published in December 2015 and recognises that solar also has the potential to provide a community dividend, thereby also enhancing citizen participation in Ireland's energy future. With this in mind, Solar...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Metropolitan Area Networks Programme (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: My Department concluded an internal review of the Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) Programme in autumn last year.  This review involved a detailed retrospective review of the performance of the MANs in terms of the delivery of their policy objectives, an identification of the challenges facing the MANs, and an assessment of their ongoing relevance in the current telecommunications...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Irish Water (7 Feb 2017)

Denis Naughten: My Department does not have policy responsibility for water issues, which rest with the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government. I am advised that, since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. I am further advised that Irish Water...