Results 9,501-9,520 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: The Deputy will have me battered and bruised.

Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: The Deputy might come back in on the contradiction as well. I am not exactly sure what she is talking about there-----

Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: One of the big challenges we have is to try to improve the energy efficiency of the built environment. That includes public and private buildings. We will be putting people in new houses that are far more energy-efficient under the current building regulations than the building regulations that would have applied heretofore. The energy efficiency of those buildings is far greater. The...

Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: I will deal with the land use and the agricultural issues first. We have the best carbon footprint for milk production anywhere in the EU. There are less carbon emissions from dairy production in Ireland than in anywhere else in the EU. We are equal to one other member state. With regard to beef, we are the fifth-best in the EU and are working towards becoming not only EU leaders but...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Postal Services (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: -----and using its assets to ensure we can bring in additional income.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Postal Services (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: The Deputy is correct. This is why I was one of the few Members who bothered to make a submission to the Kerr report. In my submission I highlighted that point and gave specific examples of State business that is not currently going through the post office network and that could be put through that network. While there is a lot of wringing of hands over the post office network, it was...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Postal Services (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: -----through our post office network.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Postal Services (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: I will, but I want to answer Deputy Bríd Smith because she has asked the question a few times. I apologise to her because I am trying to answer all the questions here. There has been a difficulty with instructions given to various Departments which has at least not helped the maintenance of the volume of transactions through the post office network. I spoke directly to the Minister...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Postal Services (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: I point out to Deputy Stanley that in my initial reply I laid out exactly the responsibility regarding my Department and my role as Minister as well as that of the Minister, Deputy Humphreys. That makes clear exactly who has responsibility for what. I have never been afraid to answer questions. I have tried to answer any question that was put to me today. I am quite willing to answer any...

Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 and 17 together. I suggest that the Deputy should do the lotto this evening. Questions Nos. 14 and 17 are being taken together, so she is doing quite well today. The Paris agreement aims to hold the increase in global average temperature to well below 2° C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Postal Services (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: Does Deputy Smith not introduce her question? I do not know what the procedure-----

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Postal Services (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 12 together. I thank both Deputies for tabling the questions. As Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, I have responsibility for the postal sector, including the governance of An Post, to ensure the company is fully compliant with the code of practice for the governance of State bodies and the governance functions included in...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Postal Services (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: At the end of September, there were 1,127 outlets, comprising 51 company and 1,076 contract-operated post offices, and 113 postal agencies throughout the country. The implementation of the recommendations of the Post Office Development Network Group falls under the remit of the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Humphreys. However, I am conscious of...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Postal Services (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: First, I will pick up on the final point Deputy Smith made. She is right in saying we need to look at new innovative products that can be developed and marketed by An Post. The two big strengths An Post has are its name recognition and the fact that the organisation is trusted by the public, particularly older people. It also has a strength not only in its brand, but also its nationwide...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan Implementation (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: On the weather report, the weather on Inis Oírr was fabulous when I was there. On the Deputy's point, let me make it crystal clear that the rolling out of the national broadband plan will take place in every single county at the same time. Just because County Roscommon has the worst broadband connection in the country and the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Media Pluralism (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: I understand the report referred to was published last Monday. I was not furnished with a copy in advance of its publication, which means that I am not in a position to respond comprehensively to its findings. As the Deputy is aware, the current media mergers regime was introduced by the 2014 revision of the Competition Act 2002 and is operated by my Department. This was...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Media Pluralism (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: I compliment the Deputy. He submitted the question last Wednesday and only received the report yesterday. Fair dues to him. He received the report yesterday and I am supposed to respond to it today. That is the difficulty and it is disappointing. I have tried to be as open as I can with Members of the House, with whom I have engaged, including the Deputy, on various issues and for whom I...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Media Pluralism (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: I am in no way using it as an excuse. When the issue was debated in the House in 2014, there was no significant Sinn Féin intervention on the issues highlighted in the report produced by Ms Lynn Boylan, MEP. Deputy Peadar Tóibín did make reference on Second Stage to the need for diversity and plurality, but there was no amendment tabled in that regard. Reference was made on...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan Implementation (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: Deputy Dooley has raised a number of questions. With regard to the speeds, to the best of my knowledge there is no commercial operator offering 1,000 Mbps at the moment. What I am telling the Deputy here and now is that, under the national broadband plan, the rural areas throughout this country will potentially be able to get up to 1,000 Mbps because the contractors are telling me they will...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan Implementation (26 Oct 2016)

Denis Naughten: The Minister of State, Deputy Seán Kyne, has argued with me that we should start with the islands and work back in regard to the rollout of broadband. I know he is discussing this with the Minister, Deputy Heather Humphreys. Let me make it crystal clear that every second level school in Ireland has a minimum of 100 Mbps broadband speed, whether it is on the mainland or on an island....