Results 9,821-9,840 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

Other Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (14 Jul 2016)

Denis Naughten: Achieving our climate and energy objectives requires a whole-of-government approach and I am working closely with relevant colleagues in this regard. The White Paper on Energy Policy in Ireland sets out a vision of a low-carbon energy system in which greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector will be reduced by between 80% and 95% of 1990 levels by 2050, 400 months from now, and...

Other Questions: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (14 Jul 2016)

Denis Naughten: The programme for Government contains a commitment to facilitate the development of solar energy projects. This commitment builds on the energy White Paper published in December 2015 and recognises that solar photo voltaic also has the potential to provide a community dividend thereby enhancing citizen participation in Ireland's energy future. It is widely...

Other Questions: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (14 Jul 2016)

Denis Naughten: I am actively looking at that at the moment. I am concerned that Electric Ireland has withdrawn the scheme for new customers. I am surprised the other operators never offered it. Electric Ireland was the only company that offered access to the grid for microgeneration. Deputy Eamon Ryan noted during the debate on the Energy Bill 2016 that there are issues in regard to microgeneration...

Other Questions: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (14 Jul 2016)

Denis Naughten: During the debate on the Energy Bill 2016, a number of the Deputy's colleagues mentioned concerns at community level in regard to solar. Deputy Thomas Byrne mentioned it and I asked him to come back to me in regard to these issues because we need to ensure that if guidelines need to be put in place, they are put in place at the start and are practical, possible to implement, reasonable and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Telecommunications Infrastructure (14 Jul 2016)

Denis Naughten: The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, is establishing two regional action groups. These new structures at both national and local levels are designed to address, as far as possible, immediate frustrations about the quality of mobile phone and broadband coverage as well as the roll out of the national broadband plan over the next 12 months. My Department is liaising closely with the industry and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Telecommunications Infrastructure (14 Jul 2016)

Denis Naughten: The Deputy is right. It is my intention to deal with the mobile phone, wireless and broadband issues in the short term. As soon as we get recommendations from this group, I intend to start acting on them. It will not be a case of waiting until December to do it. However, an issue that cannot be ignored is that some local authorities take a very different approach to the issue of antennae...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (14 Jul 2016)

Denis Naughten: I do not disagree with the Deputy. I am glad to note that Sinn Féin is now using examples in London. He is right in saying there are good examples from elsewhere.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (14 Jul 2016)

Denis Naughten: The difficulty with the UK model is that the level of subsidy involved has been significant. As a result the UK has dramatically reduced the level of subsidy for renewable energy so it is not actually a good model. I think there are good models abroad and we need to be open to those. I am open-minded to all of the technologies. The Deputy is correct when he says there will be a range...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Media Mergers (14 Jul 2016)

Denis Naughten: Under the amended Competition Act 2002, proposed mergers or acquisitions meeting certain criteria must be notified to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, CCPC. The CCPC must then examine the notification and decide if the merger may proceed on competition grounds. Media mergers which have received the CCPC's determination to proceed must also be notified to me...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Telecommunications Infrastructure (14 Jul 2016)

Denis Naughten: Telecommunications service providers operate in a fully liberalised market under licences provided by ComReg. The management of the radio spectrum is a statutory function of ComReg. Notwithstanding the independence of ComReg, I am critically aware of the frustration currently being experienced across Ireland, where mobile networks are not always delivering the services people...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (14 Jul 2016)

Denis Naughten: I thank Deputy Stanley for the question. The programme for Government contains a specific commitment to facilitate the development of solar energy projects. The White Paper on energy policy published in December 2015 also includes a commitment to introduce a new renewable electricity support scheme designed to encourage the development of Ireland's abundant, diverse and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (14 Jul 2016)

Denis Naughten: I understand the point being made by Deputy Stanley. As he is aware, a large part of the fossil fuel PSO is close to my heart, namely, peat fired energy generation in our three midland power stations. In fairness, I believe it is only because a predecessor of mine, Mary O'Rourke, happened to be in this job, we would not have those three peat fired power stations in the State. The intention...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (14 Jul 2016)

Denis Naughten: I congratulate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle on his election and look forward to working with him over this Dáil term. The national broadband plan is a priority for the Government. The plan is being delivered through a combination of investment by telecommunications operators and a State intervention in areas where commercial investment is not forthcoming. This is reflected...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (14 Jul 2016)

Denis Naughten: The Deputy's initial question relates to the amending of the blue areas on the map. We announced last week that we would include another 170,000 homes and premises in this. We were given a commitment by the commercial operators which, in fairness, have put a significant amount of money - approximately €2 billion over the past four years - into rolling out the network. Nevertheless,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (14 Jul 2016)

Denis Naughten: The European Commission target of delivering 30 Mbps by 2020 is non-binding. Nevertheless, I hear what the Deputy is saying and he is making a strong point. In fairness, there is unanimity in this House. We might disagree on some minor aspects regarding it but there is unanimity in the House that we need to get this rolled out quickly and that it is future-proofed in terms of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions (14 Jul 2016)

Denis Naughten: Very efficient.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Energy Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Jul 2016)

Denis Naughten: I thank the Chairman and committee members for facilitating this meeting. We are anxious to get the legislation through. I gave a commitment at the North-South Ministerial Council last Monday week that we would try to facilitate its passage. The objective behind it relates to having an integrated single electricity market on the island of Ireland. The integrated market was established in...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Energy Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Jul 2016)

Denis Naughten: I move amendment No. 1:In page 5, line 27, after "Act" to insert ", other than section 7,". This is a technical amendment that provides that section 7 in regard to the single electricity market will be commenced on the enactment of this Bill.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Energy Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Jul 2016)

Denis Naughten: I thank the Deputy for tabling this amendment. We have had quite a degree of discussion on this particular amendment. As the Deputy is aware, the primary focus in the legislation is to provide the commission with the power to impose financial sanctions for improper conduct. Improper conduct will be the failure of a licenceholder to comply with such standards of performance to be developed...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Energy Bill 2016: Committee Stage (14 Jul 2016)

Denis Naughten: Keeping work away from the courts is the objective of this legislation. That is what we are trying to do. We are trying not to go down the criminal sanction route. This has nothing to do with the EU. In respect of legislation for civil sanctions, the threshold across the regulators has been up to a maximum of 10%. If we go over that threshold, we are very likely to find ourselves in a...