Written Answers Nos. 713-730
713. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide, in tabular form, the annual saving to the Exchequer if all his special advisors' pay was capped at the first point of the principal officer grade; and if he will provide a list of all salaries, post-implementation of the Haddington Road Agreement paid to his special advisors. [34621/13]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the following table.
|
Post |
Salaries post Haddington Road Agreement |
Salaries if capped at 1st point of Principal Officer (standard) scale at appointment |
Annual Saving |
|
Special Advisers (2) |
€176,130 |
€163,352 |
€12,778 |
Post-implementation of the Haddington Road Agreement the salaries of my two Special Advisers have been revised with effect from 1 July to €84,706 and €91,424, respectively.
714. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans for the type of broadband required for the Ballinhassig and Ballygarvan areas, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34649/13]
View answer715. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans for the type of broadband required for the Cooley area, County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34650/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 714 and 715 together.
Considerable progress has been made in recent years in both the coverage and speeds of national broadband infrastructure, with a multiplicity of commercial operators, providing services over a diverse range of technology platforms. Details of broadband services available in each County, including counties Cork and Louth, can be found on ComReg’s website at www.callcosts.ie.
The Government has also undertaken a number of initiatives to bring broadband to those parts of the country where commercial operators have been unable to offer services. The combination of private investment and State interventions such as the National Broadband Scheme (NBS) and the Rural Broadband Scheme means that Ireland has met the EU Commission’s Digital Agenda for Europe target of having a basic broadband service available to all areas by 2013.
With basic broadband services widely available across Ireland, the focus is now on accelerating the roll out of high speed services. The Government’s National Broadband Plan, which I published in August last, aims to radically change the broadband landscape in Ireland by ensuring that high speed broadband is available to all of our citizens and businesses, in advance of the EU’s target date of 2020.
Since the publication of the Plan, investments by the commercial sector are underway in both fixed line and mobile high speed broadband services. In tandem with these commercial developments, intensive work is under way in my Department to progress a State-led investment to secure the countrywide introduction of next generation broadband access. The National Broadband Plan commits the Government to investing with the private sector to deliver high speed services to areas which are not commercially viable and will not be provided by the market alone.
In order to progress the State-led investment, a full procurement process must be designed and EU State Aids approval must be obtained. My officials have commenced a comprehensive mapping exercise of the current and anticipated investment by the commercial sector to identify where the market is expected to deliver high speed broadband services over the coming years.
The results of this mapping exercise will inform the level of Government intervention that may be required and the areas that need to be targeted in the State-led investment as envisaged in the National Broadband Plan.
Intensive technical, financial and legal preparations including stakeholder engagement will be ongoing throughout 2013 with a view to the launch of a procurement process in 2014.
Through the implementation of the National Broadband Plan, we are committed to increasing the availability of next generation speeds significantly, with a view to ensuring that all citizens and businesses can participate fully in a digitally enabled society.
716. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will outline, in tabular form, the commitments in the Programme for Government within his remit; if the commitment has been met or is in the process of being met; the estimated time for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34676/13]
View answerIn March this year the second Annual Report setting out progress being made on the commitments in the Programme for Government, was published. I have outlined in tabular format the commitments in the Programme for Government which relate to my Department along with the current status on each. The timeline for delivery of the commitments is over the lifetime of the Government.
|
Commitments under the Programme for Government |
Status |
|
Secure additional resources for the national housing energy retrofitting plan, as part of plans to phase out subsidies in this area by 2014 |
In progress |
|
We will double funding for home energy efficiency and renewable energy programmes until the end of 2013, after which time these schemes will be ended. After 2013, we will roll out a "pay as you save" scheme to continue home energy efficiency retrofitting work without recourse to public funding. We will explore the use of funding options such as an Energy Efficiency Obligation on energy suppliers |
In progress |
|
We will tender for a "pay as you save" contract to insulate all public buildings in the state, where the contractor provides the capital |
In progress |
|
We will facilitate the development of energy co-operatives to make it easier for small-scale renewable energy providers to contribute to our renewables target |
In progress |
|
A Next General Telecoms Network: NewERA will co-invest with the private sector and commercial semi state sector to provide next generation broadband to every home and business in the state. This will be achieved by delivering fibre to the home or kerb for 90% of homes and businesses in Ireland with the remaining 10% provided with high speed mobile or satellite broadband |
The National Broadband Plan, published in August 2012, aims to bring high speed broadband to all parts of Ireland through a combination of public and private sector investment. Implementation of the plan is in progress. |
|
A 21st century "Smart Grid": Beginning with the hand-over of ESB's transmission assets to Eirgrid, we will create a new "Smart Grid" company with ultimate full ownership and responsibility for the development of Ireland's electricity and gas networks |
Government has decided that ownership of transmission assets should remain with ESB and EirGrid will continue as transmission system operator. Progress being made in Smart Grid development. |
|
Bio-Energy and Forestry: To accelerate the development of Ireland's forestry and bio-energies, NewERA will merge together Bord na Móna and Coillte to create a new State company called BioEnergy Ireland to become a global leader in the commercialisation of next generation bio-energy technologies, including an annual 14,700 afforestation programme |
Under review: Development of plans for a merger between Coillte and Bord na Móna are under consideration and will have regard to the outcome of the Bioenergy Strategy process. |
|
Complete and publish a strategy to tackle fuel poverty |
Completed |
|
We will legislate to support the geothermal sector |
In progress |
|
We will ensure that future wind farms are built in locations where wind regime is best and that they are built in large numbers or in clusters to reduce cost of connection to grid under new "planned" Gate 4 process, as opposed to existing "developer led" system |
In progress: Whilst taking full account of need to build out wind energy capacity in line with Ireland’s ambitious targets in this case |
|
We will incentivise and promote off-shore drilling and streamline planning and regulatory process for bringing ashore these reserves and seek to maximise the return to the Irish people |
In progress |
|
We will review and reform the PSO levy to ensure that only most cost-effective projects are supported by ReFIT tariff and that consumer can benefit from claw-back when market prices exceed tariff or where appropriate, share of profits or royalty. |
In progress: Revised ‘REFIT’ tariff commenced and REFIT for biomass also commenced |
|
We will appoint an independent international expert commission to review and report, within six months, on a case for, and cost of, undergrounding (all or part of) Meath-Tyrone 400KV power lines. |
Completed |
|
We will provide ReFIT for micro-generators wishing to produce electricity for their own homes, farms and businesses and facilitate them to sell surplus electricity to the grid. The tariff will not be significantly above single energy market price for electricity. |
In progress |
|
We will mandate the regulator to require all broadband providers to publish average speeds for each package. |
In progress |
|
We will restrict misleading advertisements relating to monthly caps. |
In progress |
|
We will introduce a new government rating system so that home owners and tenants can assess broadband facilities easily. |
In progress. |
|
We will examine the role, and collection of, the TV licence fee in light of existing and projected convergence of broadcasting technologies, transform the TV licence into a household-based Public Broadcasting Charge applied to all households and applicable businesses, regardless of the device they use to access content and review new ways of TV licence collection, including the possibility of paying in instalments through another utility bill (electricity or telecom), collection by local authorities, Revenue or new contract with An Post. |
In progress. Earliest timeline envisaged for implementation of any new charge is 2015, with 2014 as the transitional year. |
|
We will review the funding of public and independent broadcasters to ensure a healthy broadcasting environment in Ireland. |
In progress |
|
We will maintain the current regime with regard to the Heineken Cup. |
Completed |
|
A universal postal service is an essential public service, in particular for rural communities and those disadvantaged communities affected by digital divide. A publicly owned, commercially viable, profitable and efficient An Post is critical to the long-term viability of the postal market. We will enact into law the Postal Services Bill which opens postal market to competition. Will protect universal service obligation by assigning it to An Post for at least 20 years, make provision for state subvention and require that any decision by ComReg to reassign or scrap USO is subject to ministerial approval. |
Completed (universal service obligation has been assigned to An Post for 12 years) |
|
We will ensure that the network of post offices around the country is maintained and that communities have access to adequate postal services in their locality. |
In progress |
717. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will detail, in tabular form, the names of all external public relations, communications consultants and organisations used by organisations or agencies within the remit of his Department since 9 March 2011; the details of the services supplied by each; the expenditure on each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34692/13]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the information he has sought regarding the agencies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for each Agency. I have notified the agencies under the aegis of the Department, of the question, and have requested them to respond directly to the Deputy with their replies.
718. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the person who owns the fishing rights on the River Barrow, Carlow side, from Borris to St. Mullins and the restrictions the owner may place on a person or angling club that wishes to fish there. [34927/13]
View answerI have been informed by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) that the stretch of the River Barrow between Borris and St. Mullins is approximately 15 kms in length. Over a stretch of river this long it is likely there will be multiple owners including private owners.
IFI does not have ready access to details of fishing rights held by the private owners on the stretch of river in question. Details of ownership and fishery rights would be set out in relevant title documents, including those held by the Property Registration Authority of Ireland. My Department has no role in the allocation of privately owned fishing rights, or in investigating fishery right title. A fishery owner can impose conditions, including charges for fishing, on their own private property.
720. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he has sought and received legal advice outside the Office of the Attorney General; the number of times advice was sought per year in 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; the costs of outside legal advice per year in 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34978/13]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that on eight occasions in total in 2011 and 2012 my Department sought legal services outside the Office of the Attorney General. The following table outlines details of the costs incurred. There has been no expenditure on legal services by my Department to date in 2013.
My Department administers a very diverse and complex brief. Its remit includes oversight of very complex policy areas and direct procurement of major services where protection of the State’s interest must be paramount. This situation necessarily requires my Department to procure specialist external professional advice in legal areas to enable it to discharge its responsibility to deliver quality services and protect the interests of the State and the taxpayer.
In procuring specialised legal services, my Department always seeks to ensure value for money and the keeping of expenditure to the minimum necessary.
|
Year |
Cost |
|
2011 |
€335,335.74 |
|
2012 |
€102,222.88 |
721. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on the operation to date of the Business Online voucher scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33584/13]
View answerThe National Digital Strategy commits to supporting 2,000 small businesses to trade online. A pilot in Dublin later this year end will target 50 companies with a view to a full scale national rollout in 2014. In developing the voucher scheme, my Department is working closely with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, and a number of key industry partners.
Further details of the context and objective of the scheme have been published in the National Digital Strategy (NDS), which I launched last week. The strategy can be accessed online at www.dcenr.gov.ie/nds. Our NDS website also features a number of audio visual case studies focusing on the relevance and importance of businesses progressing to trade online. It is important to convey the message widely to business – in particular traditional businesses - that there are important opportunities available to them online, that developing an online presence need not be difficult and that there is assistance available.
722. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the all-island energy initiative is a priority for him; and if it will be discussed at the next North-South ministerial meeting. [30034/13]
View answerThe ongoing development of the All Island Energy Market is a major priority for my Department and for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER). For some time now the administrations in Northern Ireland and Ireland have cooperated actively on energy policy. There is top level political commitment in both jurisdictions to the development of competition in the energy sectors in the interests of delivering improved services and economic benefits to all customers on the island.
Cooperation between Northern Ireland and Ireland on energy matters takes place under the auspices of a Joint Steering Group (JSG) established in July 2003. The group comprises senior officials from the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (DCENR) and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) and the offices of the two Regulatory Authorities, the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) and the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation (NIAUR).
The all island electricity market or Single Electricity Market (SEM) has developed from the all island energy project. The aim of the project is to create a single market for natural gas and electricity on the island of Ireland. The project was started following a joint policy decision by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland and the then Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to create the all-island energy market. The Development Framework for the All Island Energy Market was published jointly by the Departments and Regulators in November 2004.
The Governments of the United Kingdom and Ireland signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Single Electricity Market (SEM) in December 2006. The document describes the arrangements in relation to the establishment and operation of a single wholesale electricity market in Northern Ireland and Ireland.
Subsequent legislation in Northern Ireland and Ireland was put in place to underpin the SEM, including the establishment of the SEM Committee, a committee of CER, NIAUR and an Independent Member. This enables effective decision-making on single electricity market matters and makes provision for the objectives of Ministers and Regulators with regard to matters which affect, or are likely to affect the SEM. The SEM has operated successfully since it launched in November 2007.
My Department, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Northern Ireland, the CER and NIAUR are working together on the development of the All-Island Common Arrangements for Gas whereby all stakeholders can buy, sell, transport, operate, develop and plan the natural gas market north and south of the border effectively on an all-island basis. The CER and NIAUR signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2008, outlining the high level principles of the CAG project. I note that the regulators have made considerable progress to date, and that the current state of play on CAG is that their work is continuing, in particular on the studies commissioned by the Regulators.
Energy matters are not one of the six areas of cooperation that fall within the remit of the North South Ministerial Council. These are agriculture, education, environment, health, tourism and transport. The Joint Secretariat of the North South Ministerial Council has, among other functions, the tasks of arranging the schedule of Council meetings and securing prior political agreement to agendas for meetings of the Council.
724. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position on the roll-out of high speed broadband in County Tipperary; the way it has improved since 2011; when it is envisioned landline broadband will be provided at two locations in County Tipperary. [35148/13]
View answerConsiderable progress has been made in recent years in both the coverage and speeds of national broadband infrastructure, with a multiplicity of commercial operators, providing services over a diverse range of technology platforms. Details of broadband services available in each County, including County Tipperary, can be found on ComReg’s website at www.callcosts.ie.
The Government has also undertaken a number of initiatives to bring broadband to those parts of the country where commercial operators have been unable to offer services. The combination of private investment and State interventions such as the National Broadband Scheme (NBS) and the Rural Broadband Scheme means that Ireland has met the EU Commission’s Digital Agenda for Europe target of having a basic broadband service available to all areas by 2013.
With basic broadband services widely available across Ireland, the focus is now on accelerating the roll out of high speed services. The Government’s National Broadband Plan, which I published in August last, aims to radically change the broadband landscape in Ireland by ensuring that high speed broadband is available to all of our citizens and businesses, in advance of the EU’s target date of 2020.
Since the publication of the Plan, investments by the commercial sector are under way in both fixed line and mobile high speed broadband services. In tandem with these commercial developments, intensive work is underway in my Department to progress a State-led investment to secure the countrywide introduction of next generation broadband access. The National Broadband Plan commits the Government to investing with the private sector to deliver high speed services to areas which are not commercially viable and will not be provided by the market alone.
In order to progress the State-led investment, a full procurement process must be designed and EU State Aids approval must be obtained. My officials have commenced a comprehensive mapping exercise of the current and anticipated investment by the commercial sector to identify where the market is expected to deliver high speed broadband services over the coming years.
The results of this mapping exercise will inform the level of Government intervention that may be required and the areas that need to be targeted in the State-led investment as envisaged in the National Broadband Plan.
Intensive technical, financial and legal preparations including stakeholder engagement will be ongoing throughout 2013 with a view to the launch of a procurement process in 2014.
Through the implementation of the National Broadband Plan, we are committed to increasing the availability of next generation speeds significantly, with a view to ensuring that all citizens and businesses can participate fully in a digitally enabled society.
725. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will arrange and provide a date for a meeting with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland official in west Cork with a business person who has developed a new type of energy turbine which may be beneficial to the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35301/13]
View answerThe head office of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is in Dublin. The statistics office of the SEAI is in Cork city. I am advised by the SEAI that there is no SEAI official based in west Cork. Any individual with a proposal for the development of new energy technologies, such as a new type of energy turbine, can contact SEAI directly (Address: Wilton Park House, Wilton Place, Dublin 2 / Tel. No. 01 8082100), submit the technical information relating to their device, and arrange to have a meeting.
726. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if there has been an analysis of the greenhouse gas emissions from Ireland's three peat burning power stations and the way this contributes to our carbon emissions; what those emissions are on an annual basis from 2007 to date in 2013 per station; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35390/13]
View answerThe monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions and their impact is a matter for the Environmental Protection Agency, a body under the aegis of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. My Department does not engage in such monitoring activities.
727. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the amount on an annual basis from 2007 to date in 2013 provided as a subsidy for Ireland's three peat burning power stations; if all of this subsidy came from the PSO levy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35391/13]
View answerThe Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy has been in place since 2001 and is the overall support mechanism for peat generation, for certain conventional generation constructed for security of supply purposes, and for the development of renewable electricity. The levy is designed to compensate electricity suppliers for the additional costs they incur by purchasing electricity generated by these producers, including the three peat stations. Peat-fired electricity plants are supported by the PSO levy as they contribute to security of supply through the use of indigenous fuels. The levy is paid by electricity customers on their bills. It acts as a price support to peat, renewable and security of supply electricity generation and is therefore not a subsidy paid from public funds.
The particular PSO scheme for peat generation was approved by the European Commission in 2001 and was designed to enable the accelerated closing down by ESB of the then existing six old peat fired plants and the building of two new more environmentally friendly and efficient plants with a 15-year operational lifetime. The PSO also applied to the peat fired plant in Edenderry which is now owned by Bord na Móna. The peat PSO for Edenderry expires in 2015 and Bord na Móna is incrementally increasing the co-firing of biomass with peat. The PSO for the two ESB peat stations expires in 2019.
The specific information requested by the Deputy, including the various breakdowns and historical data, is publically available on the Commission for Energy Regulation’s website at the following link:
http://www.cer.ie/en/renewables-decision-documents.aspx .
728. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the length of time for which the PSO levy to subsidise peat burning power stations will continue; his views on whether it is the most efficient use of public subsidies which could be allocated to renewable energy sources which would also contribute to reducing our carbon emissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35392/13]
View answerThe Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy has been in place since 2001 and is the overall support mechanism for peat generation, for certain conventional generation constructed for security of supply purposes, and for the development of renewable electricity. The levy is designed to compensate electricity suppliers for the additional costs they incur by purchasing electricity generated by these producers, including the three peat stations. Peat-fired electricity plants are supported as they contribute to security of supply through the use of indigenous fuels. The levy is paid by electricity customers on their bills. It acts as a price support to peat, renewable and security of supply electricity generation and is therefore not a subsidy paid from public funds.
The particular PSO scheme for peat generation was approved by the European Commission in 2001 and was designed to enable the accelerated closing down by ESB of the then existing six old peat fired plants and the building of two new more environmentally friendly and efficient plants with a 15-year operational lifetime. The PSO also applied to the peat fired plan in Edenderry, which is now owned by Bord na Móna. The PSO for Edenderry Power expires in 2015 and Bord na Móna is incrementally increasing the co-firing of biomass with peat. REFIT 3, which opened last year, aims to support co-firing of biomass at all three peat stations. The PSO for the two ESB peat stations expires in 2019.
The PSO levy also supports renewable energy technologies used to generate electricity under the Alternative Energy Requirement (AER) scheme, launched in 1995 and under the Renewable-Energy-Feed-in-Tariff (REFIT) scheme. The first phase of REFIT was launched in 2006 with subsequent schemes opening in 2012.
I have no plans to end the PSO for peat in advance of the dates for their expiry under the European Commission approvals.
729. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide an annual breakdown from 2007 to date in 2013 of the amount raised in the electricity PSO levy; the rate of levy for each of those years; the amount of the levy that came from commercial or residential/personal electricity consumption; if he will provide an annual breakdown of the amount of the levy distributed to power generators and specifically for power stations or wind farms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35393/13]
View answerResponsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets, including the operation of the Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy, is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), which is an independent statutory body.
The Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy is charged to all electricity customers. It is designed to support the national policy objectives of security of energy supply, the use of indigenous fuels (i.e. peat) and the use of renewable energy sources in electricity generation, as set out in legislation. The proceeds of the levy are used to recoup, inter alia, the additional costs incurred by electricity suppliers in sourcing, and ESB Power Generation producing, a proportion of their electricity from such generators.
Section 39 of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 sets out the legal basis for the PSO levy in Ireland. Statutory Instrument No. 217 of 2002 made under Section 39 of the Electricity Regulation Act requires that the CER calculates and certifies the costs associated with the PSO and sets the associated levy for the required period. The PSO levy takes into account the estimated and actual costs incurred in undertaking generation activities which are covered in the relevant PSO legislation. Articles 8 and 9 of Statutory Instrument 217 of 2002 set out the methodology of the calculation of the components of the PSO levy and the estimation of the amount of the PSO levy by the CER.
The specific information requested by the Deputy (including the various breakdowns and historical data) is publicly available on the CER website at the following link:
http://www.cer.ie/en/renewables-decision-documents.aspx.
730. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if a new postcode system should be based on numbers and two letters representing Ireland, as is the norm in other bilingual countries; his views on whether the letters used should be IE, for example, Ireland/Éire, as this abbreviation is already in widespread use especially in the world of computing and marketing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35509/13]
View answerThe final tender for a National Postcode System issued recently. Subject to satisfactory conclusion of the procurement process it is intended to award a contract for a National Postcode System in the autumn of this year. The structure of the postcode will depend on the outcome of the procurement.
