Written Answers Nos 142-149
142. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Arts; Heritage and the Gaeltacht his plans to preserve, protect and develop the historical 1916 site at Moore Street, Dublin 1; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39543/12]
View answerThe landowner’s application for consent under the National Monuments Acts to proposals for the provision of a commemorative centre to the 1916 Rising in the national monument buildings in Moore Street is being examined in my Department. As part of the consent process, in accordance with the European Union (Environmental Impact Assessment of Proposed Demolition of National Monuments) Regulations 2012, the applicant has been asked by my Department to submit an environmental impact statement in relation to any elements of the proposal that would involve demolition works. Following receipt of the environmental impact statement, and having completed the prescribed consultation procedures, I will undertake a formal environmental impact assessment before making a decision on the consent application.
143. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Arts; Heritage and the Gaeltacht the events planned to date to commemorate the 1913 lockout; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39610/12]
View answerIn the context of the Government's commemoration programme to mark significant centenaries during the decade 2012-2022, the programme for 2013 is currently under development. Arrangements in hand seek to address the organisation of the labour movement and the Lockout, as well as social history such as the suffrage movement and housing conditions. Initiatives under consideration include community and academic events. The Deputy will appreciate that the extent of public funding will, of course, be contingent on the outcome of the Estimates process.
144. Deputy Ray Butler asked the Minister for Arts; Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will outline in tabular format the annual salary costs for private and constituency offices of Ministers in his Department in each of the years 2009 and 2010; the same figures for any Ministers of State in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39637/12]
View answerThe details requested by the Deputy in respect of the annual salary costs relating to my own private and constituency offices, and those of Minister of State Dinny McGinley, T.D., are set out in the table below. The Deputy will note that the details provided relate to the period since my appointment as Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the appointment of Minister of State Dinny McGinley in March 2011. As the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht was established on 2 June 2011, there are no comparative figures available for 2009 and 2010.
|
Office |
Annual salary costs as at September 2011 |
Annual salary costs as at September 2012 |
|
Minister’s Private Office |
€211,727 |
€199,024 |
|
Minister’s Constituency Office |
€161,108 |
€141,296 |
|
Minister of State’s Private Office |
€112,688 |
€118,598 |
|
Minister of State’s Constituency Office |
€153,358 |
€134,939 |
145. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the situation facing residents in an estate (details supplied) in County Louth; if the development received funding from Sustainable Energy Ireland; the amount of funding that was provided; if he has taken any steps to re-coup any of this money; if he has been in contact with the local authority or other stakeholders in relation to the situation at this estate; if he will intervene in this situation on behalf of local residents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39515/12]
View answerI am advised by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) that Carlinn Hall development project originally received grant approval in 2007 for funding of up to €1.14 million under the House of Tomorrow Programme. The objective of the Programme was to realise higher energy efficiency standards in new housing, and underpin the move to a 40% mandatory standard, thus reducing energy usage and lowering CO2 emissions.
Funding was paid on the basis of certified and receipted eligible expenditure. Grant aid of €400,000 was paid to Carlinn Hall in 2008, in addition to €16,000 for a Feasibility Study earlier that year. Site visits were undertaken to visibly inspect and to ensure the specifications were being adhered to, and that all features were included as required under the terms of the contract. The SEAI paid out on eligible expenditure only and no further payments were issued as there was no further expenditure on energy related features on the site. The remaining grant offer (€741,200) was revoked in November 2009 as no further payment requested were lodged with the SEAI.
While it is regrettable that occupancy of the development is currently low, the fact that the remaining properties are back on the market will hopefully mean that families will ultimately benefit from the superior design and energy performance features.
146. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide an update on the establishment of BioEnergy Ireland; and its plans for an annual 14,700 hectare afforestation programme. [39377/12]
View answerIn the context of the NewERA plan within the Programme for Government, the Government commits to an ambitious strategy of accelerating the development of Ireland’s forestry and bioenergy resources, including the establishment of Bioenergy Ireland. The Government has established the NewERA shareholder executive as a business unit within the NTMA. Its functions include the corporate governance from a shareholder perspective of a number of commercial State companies including Bord na Móna and Coillte.
The Government is also progressing a programme of State asset disposals, including consideration of the sale of certain Coillte assets (excluding the sale of land), which is likely to include sale of harvesting rights to Coillte’s forests. Work is currently underway, with advice from NewERA, on considering how to structure such a sale transaction, which includes consideration of the implications of such a potential sale for the future role and structure of Coillte.
My Department, along with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland is currently finalising a Bioenergy Strategy, which will be published in the coming months. This will set out in detail the actions required to optimise the potential of Ireland’s bioenergy resources and how these resources can contribute to Ireland’s renewable energy targets for 2020. The establishment of Bioenergy Ireland will have regard to the outcome of these processes.
147. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources if he will upgrade the inferior broadband in Ballydesmond to uncongested high speed broadband (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39553/12]
View answerThe Government’s National Broadband Plan, which I published in August, aims to radically change the broadband landscape in Ireland by ensuring that high speed services of at least 30Mbps are available to all of our citizens and businesses, well in advance of the EU’s target date of 2020, and that significantly higher speeds are available to as many homes and businesses as possible. The National Broadband Plan for Ireland commits to high speed broadband availability across the country – specifically:
- 70Mbps – 100Mbps will be available from the commercial market operators to more than half of the population by 2015;
- At least 40Mbps, and in many cases faster speeds, to at least a further 20% (and potentially as much as 35%) of the population during the lifetime of the Government; and
-A minimum of 30Mbps for every remaining home and business in the country, also during the lifetime of the Government.
During the preparation of the National Broadband Plan, the commercial market operators indicated that they expect to provide 70Mbps to 100Mbps services to 50% of the population by 2015. The areas to be provided with those services will be determined by the commercial market operators. One of the first steps in delivering on the 30Mbps and 40Mbps commitments will be the completion of a formal national mapping exercise to determine the exact position in relation to commercial service providers’ existing and planned broadband services throughout the country. Preparatory work has commenced within my Department to expedite this mapping exercise.
The mapping exercise will identify the areas of the country where there is market failure in the provision of high speed broadband services. It will also identify where the market is expected to succeed and fail in the delivery of high speed broadband over the coming years. Until that process is complete, the precise areas of the country which will require State intervention will not be known. I would reiterate however, that the Government remains committed to the delivery of the speeds referred to above, to ensure that all parts of Ireland, including areas such as Ballydesmond, will have at least 30Mbps connectivity.
148. Deputy Ray Butler asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources if he will outline in tabular format the annual salary costs for private and constituency offices of Ministers in his Department in each of the years 2009 and 2010; the same figures for any Ministers of State in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39638/12]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the Tables below. The Amounts shown includes allowances, over-time and employers PRSI.
Minister’s Office
|
Year |
Private Office |
Constituency Office |
|
2009 |
€425,301 |
€110,451 |
|
2010 |
€498,386 |
€109,131 |
Minister of State’s Office
|
Year |
Private Office |
Constituency Office |
|
2009 |
€220,716 |
€13,253 |
|
2010 |
€189,245 |
- |
Ministers of State assigned to my Department during May 2009 to March 2011 did not operate a Constituency Office from my Department and therefore the costs are confined to the Private Office.
149. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if a local authority is permitted by law to take foster care allowance into account as means for rent calculation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39535/12]
View answerI refer to the reply to Questio n No. 1132 of 18 September 2012 which sets out the position in this matter.
