Results 9,981-10,000 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Denis Naughten: Eircode had particular challenges to deal with in Ireland, compared to anywhere else in Europe. We have 35% non-unique addresses in Ireland. The country nearest to us in this regard is Portugal, with 2%, so we had a very difficult problem. In the Dáil, I used the example of Milltown. There are probably about 30 Milltowns in my constituency. I think pretty much every other rural...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Denis Naughten: Since my appointment I have been speaking frequently, almost every second day, with some of the senior officials dealing with the national broadband plan. I am on top of the project. We have an external procurement evaluation committee of outside expertise that has an overall supervisory role in respect of the overall project and in respect of the requests for any contracts. All contracts...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Denis Naughten: The purpose of programme B is to promote a vibrant broadcasting sector by ensuring high quality output by the State broadcasting companies and promoting a strong high quality private broadcasting sector. Public service broadcasters such as RTE and TG4 are funded through a mix of commercial revenues obtained largely from advertising, Exchequer grant payments and licence fee revenues....

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Denis Naughten: We will facilitate that. I thank Deputy Dooley for bringing the matter to my attention.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Denis Naughten: First, to deal with the public service broadcasting charge, the previous Government committed to examining the role and collection of the TV licence fee in the light of the existing and projected convergence of technologies, as Deputy Dooley mentioned. This proposed public service broadcasting charge was designed to secure a more stable funding stream for broadcasting. The Department...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Denis Naughten: There may well be and I am open to suggestions in that regard. As Deputy Ryan knows, the solution to every problem is another Bill rather than using the existing structures far more efficiently to deliver. Deputy Ryan was at the national economic discussion on Monday at which the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform made the point that it is not just about spending new moneys but it...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Denis Naughten: First, the outturn for 2015 is €213.9 million, of which RTE received €178.8 million.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Denis Naughten: No, it is the 2015 outturn.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Denis Naughten: No. The total proceeds in 2014 was €213.2 million and the total proceeds in 2015 was €213.9 million, a difference of an extra €700,000. In 2015, the total income from licence sales was €1,018,444 and in 2014 it was €1,018,370, a marginal difference. That was the reason for the marginal difference in the proceeds. In respect of the comments I made on...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Denis Naughten: Is that Irish TV?

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Denis Naughten: I am not sure about the Irish film channel and I will have to come back to the Chairman about that. Irish TV has looked to broadcast on Saorview and we gave authorisation within the last month to Oireachtas TV to broadcast on Saorview. It is now doing so. I am sure they are admiring my highlights this morning. We have approved Irish TV for broadcast but there are some technical issues and...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Denis Naughten: A number of reviews have taken place and some elements, as the Deputy understands, are commercially sensitive. I will ask my officials to look into what has been done. There has been a NewERA efficiency review and the key findings were that RTE had demonstrated efficiency and now produces more at less cost than it did in 2003. In comparison with European peers, RTE experienced the largest...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Denis Naughten: I know it is an issue close to the Chairman's heart. The funding of TG4 was reduced by €500,000 in 2015 and this reduction, combined with an increased pressure on commercial income due to competition in the broadcasting market, made TG4's budget exceptionally challenging and impacted on the station's ability to deliver on its commitments for 2015. For example, TG4 was unable to...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Denis Naughten: In a competitive and challenging market, TG4 achieved a national audience share of 1.8% in 2014. In 2013, it was 1.7%. The national share should be viewed in the context of the decline in the viewing share of the major channels broadcasting in Ireland and increased competition arising from multiple channels offered on cable and satellite. I must say that I think TG4 has really tried to...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Denis Naughten: I thank Deputy Lawless for the suggestion. On RTE, perhaps we could bring it back to its home in Athlone, where it initially broadcast from.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Denis Naughten: I would be quite positively disposed to that suggestion. We still have the old Marconi transmitter in Athlone and are hoping to make a museum and visitor attraction out of it. I look forward to bringing the committee down to visit it when we get it up and running. At the moment the objective is to consolidate the Montrose site. We are examining the possibility of disposing of part of the...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Denis Naughten: The focus of programme C is on energy and the delivery of the key elements of the Government's energy policy to ensure a security of supply, competitive energy supply and environmental sustainability. The programme provides €7.3 million to cover the operational costs of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, and more than €61 million for the better energy grant...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Denis Naughten: Overall responsibility for issuing the new guidelines rests with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government but my Department has a significant role to play in that. When I was on the other side of the committee room, I grilled my predecessor and the previous Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government about why this was not happening. There is a...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Denis Naughten: Our objective is to try to achieve the 2020 targets. They are challenging but I am not taking my foot off the throttle on this, nor is the Department. I do not intend to throw in the towel on it. Based on the provisional outturn for 2015, with regard to electricity, for which the target is 40% by 2020, we are at 25.3%; heat, 6.8%, with a target of 12%; and transport, 5.7%, with an target...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 29 - Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources (Revised) (29 Jun 2016)

Denis Naughten: We have put a figure for potential risk in the stability programme. The Deputy would rightly criticise me if I did not acknowledge the potential risk if we do not reach our targets. As he will be aware, having sat on this side of the table, if I am going to leverage the investment I require, I need to have a carrot and a stick. If we meet bills like this in 2020 I will have far greater...