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Thursday, 17 Oct 2013

Written Answers Nos. 136-145

Disability Allowance Appeals

Questions (136)

Jack Wall

Question:

136. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a disability allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44054/13]

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Written answers

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 3rd October 2013, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.

Question No. 137 withdrawn.

Invalidity Pension Appeals

Questions (138)

Tom Fleming

Question:

138. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will examine an invalidity appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44075/13]

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Written answers

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 14th August 2013. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers have been received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office and the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.

Social Welfare Benefits

Questions (139)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

139. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding State payments (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44089/13]

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Written answers

My Department provides a range of supports to people as contingencies arise. When a death occurs, provision is made to continue the payment of the person’s benefit to the spouse, civil partner or cohabitant.

In the case of a separated person, and where there is no legal divorce in place, the person to whom the payment may be made is the spouse. There is no provision to make after death payments to children of the deceased. I have no plans to provide for changes to this practice.

Carer's Allowance Appeals

Questions (140)

John McGuinness

Question:

140. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application for carer's allowance now under appeal will be expedited and approved in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny. [44091/13]

View answer

Written answers

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned has been referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.

Land Ownership

Questions (141)

Luke 'Ming' Flanagan

Question:

141. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of hectares of raised bog owned by the State and semi-State bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44013/13]

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Written answers

The ownership of land in State or semi-State ownership is a matter for each public body concerned. In that regard, ownership details will not necessarily classify land in accordance with particular habitat types.

In the case of protected raised bogs my Department is currently working with the Property Registration Authority of Ireland to improve the level of information available on the ownership of lands generally within sites nominated for designation as raised bog Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and those designated as raised bog Natural Heritage Areas. This work is being carried out in the context of the National Raised Bog SAC Management Plan and the review of raised bog Natural Heritage Areas.

Hare Coursing

Questions (142)

Maureen O'Sullivan

Question:

142. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will consider removing the text which states that coursing leads to some mortality each year but management of coursing reserves has also been shown to be beneficial to hares leading to higher hare densities, as this text is misleading and inaccurate without substantial evidence to support the claim; the evidence used to support this claim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44076/13]

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Written answers

The text referred to in the NPWS Report 'Status of EU Protected Habitats and Species in Ireland ' is from a paper entitled ‘Integrating field sports, hare population management and conservation’ (Reid et al 2010). The paper in question examined hare densities within coursing preserves and compared them to the wider countryside. It concluded that the mean density of hares within these preserves was three times higher than mean densities throughout the wider countryside, even allowing for variations in density in different habitats.

Overall, the evidence suggests that that the impact of coursing on the conservation status of hares nationally is negligible and there may in fact be direct and indirect benefits for hare populations, such as in the control of foxes.

The background paper referenced in the NPWS report provides a reasoned analysis of the matter and the text referred to by the Deputy is considered to be valid.

Sale of State Assets

Questions (143)

Clare Daly

Question:

143. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the percentage of wind farms and wind farm assets of Bord Gáis it is envisaged they will sell; the number of wind farms this amounts to; and if he will supply a list of locations. [43918/13]

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Written answers

In February 2012 the Government agreed to sell the competitive energy business of Bord Gáis Éireann (BGE), namely Bord Gáis Energy. Bord Gáis Energy comprises the following businesses:

- A leading energy supply business in Ireland, servicing over 700,000 customers in the gas and electricity markets,

- A 445 MW gas fired power station at Whitegate in Co. Cork,

- A large scale portfolio of onshore wind assets, and

- Firmus energy, a growing energy supply and distribution business in Northern Ireland.

The sale of Bord Gáis Energy comprises the entire portfolio of BGÉ onshore wind assets.

In December 2009, BGÉ completed the acquisition of SWS Natural Resources Holdings Limited, together with its subsidiaries and joint ventures. SWS had a total installed capacity of 178 MW, of which 5MW was in Northern Ireland. At the time, SWS had wind generation assets in development with a projected additional capacity of 460 MW (311 MW in Ireland and 149 MW in Northern Ireland). Since the acquisition of SWS, Bord Gáis Energy has made considerable investment in the development of its windfarm portfolio with the development of a number of significant projects.

Bord Gáis Energy is a key player within the Irish wind energy market with 15% of the installed wind capacity in Ireland at present and an operational capacity of 234MW. It owns and operates 135 turbines on 13 wind farms in eight counties - Kerry, Cork, Limerick, Clare, Tipperary, Kilkenny, Donegal and Tyrone. The Bord Gáis Energy website includes an interactive map with information about the individual wind farms.

Broadband Services Provision

Questions (144, 146)

Jack Wall

Question:

144. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to upgrade the broadband capability of an area (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43924/13]

View answer

Jack Wall

Question:

146. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding the provision on broadband in an area (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43986/13]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 144 and 146 together.

Ireland’s telecommunications market has been fully liberalised since 1999 in accordance with the requirements of binding EU Directives. The market has since developed into a well-regulated market, supporting a multiplicity of commercial operators, providing services over a diverse range of technology platforms. Details of broadband services available in each County, including County Kildare, can be found on ComReg’s website at www.callcosts.ie.

The State can only intervene to ensure access to broadband services in areas where the competitive market fails to deliver such services, as in the case of the National Broadband Scheme (NBS). The Scheme offers a basic broadband service, in line with EU State aid clearance, to fixed residences and fixed businesses in the designated NBS Electoral Divisions. The areas of Mullaghmast, Ballitore, Narraghmore, Calverstown and Kilmeade, referred to in the Deputy's questions, are serviced under the NBS.

The combination of private investment and State interventions 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.

The Government’s National Broadband Plan, which I published in August 2012, aims to radically change the broadband landscape in Ireland by ensuring that high speed broadband is available to all citizens and businesses, including those in County Kildare. This will be achieved by providing:

- a policy and regulatory framework that assists in accelerating and incentivising commercial investment, and

- a State-led investment for areas where it is not commercial for the market to invest.

Since the publication of the Plan, investments by the commercial sector are underway in both fixed line and wireless high speed broadband services. In order to progress the State-led investment for areas where it is not commercial for the market to invest, a full procurement process must be designed and EU State Aids approval must be obtained.

My Department is engaged in 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 precise 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, are ongoing. The procurement process for the approved intervention will be carried out in accordance with EU and Irish procurement rules and it is expected that it will be launched in 2014.

Through the implementation of the National Broadband Plan, I am committed to ensuring that all parts of Ireland have access to high speed broadband, with a view to ensuring that all citizens and businesses can participate fully in, and maximise the benefits of, a digitally enabled economy and society.

Alternative Energy Projects

Questions (145)

Mattie McGrath

Question:

145. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of wind turbines it will take to fulill his Memorandum of Understanding in view of the fact that a newspaper (details supplied) reported that the UK will save seven billion sterling by not having to build offshore wind farms and that Ireland is planning to export approximately €2.5 billion worth of electricity annually; if he has carried out a cost benefit analysis and if that analysis has taken into account the well being of the persons here who are to be forced to live with the pylons and turbines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43930/13]

View answer

Written answers

In January of this year the UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Mr. Ed Davey MP and I signed a Memorandum of Understanding on energy cooperation. That Memorandum sent a strong signal of our shared interest in developing the opportunity to export green electricity from Ireland to Britain and will result in completion of consideration of how Irish renewable energy resources, onshore and offshore, might be developed to the mutual benefit of both countries. An agreed programme of work to this end is underway with the ambition to settle on an Inter-Governmental Agreement in early 2014. A key objective, from an Irish Government perspective, is to realise the potential for investment, jobs and growth. The amount of energy to be procured by the UK and the mechanisms for sharing the resultant economic benefits, including an appropriate return to the Exchequer, are among the matters to be addressed ahead of signing any Inter-Governmental Agreement.

One of the key requirements for proposals of a significant scale for wind energy export will be the achievement of the necessary planning consents in Ireland. Planning permission for major renewable energy projects of significant scale are determined by An Bord Pleanála (ABP). In order to facilitate decisions by ABP on projects specifically for export, a clear national planning policy framework is essential and I have asked my Department to prepare such a framework. The policy framework will provide the opportunity to integrate relevant EU Directive requirements (including Strategic Environmental Assessment and Appropriate Assessment), trans-boundary dimensions and stakeholder participation within the context of a national framework.

The outcome will be a high level development framework taking its lead from the Inter-Governmental Agreement, EU Directive requirements and relevant national, regional and local planning policy considerations in conjunction with wider policies, objectives and requirements. It will incorporate a vision and strategy coupled with technical parameters and a spatial element.

The development of the framework will be progressed by my Department over the next year or so and will provide confidence and certainty for all stakeholders through an open, fair, balanced and consultative process. It is intended to commence public consultation in the coming weeks by formally inviting all interested parties and members of the public to make written submissions on the export project which will be taken into consideration in preparing the framework. Details on this will be provided through a new dedicated section on my Department’s website, exclusive to the project, and which will be updated as the project progresses.

In addition, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, in conjunction with my Department and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, is undertaking a review of the Wind Energy Guidelines which will address the key issues of noise (including separation distance) and shadow flicker. Draft guidelines will be published for public consultation by end-November 2013 with a view to finalising guidelines by mid–2014. The revised guidelines will apply to all wind farm development in Ireland.

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