Written Answers Nos. 192-198
192. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further to Parliamentary Question No. 196 of 16 April 2015, the responsibilities of tourists who reside in mobile homes for their holidays, in terms of having a television licence, as outlined in that reply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16018/15]
View answerIn accordance with Section 142 of the Broadcasting Act 2009, any premises at which a television is located requires a TV Licence regardless of its use. Therefore, owners and controlling management companies of all holiday home accommodation premises, which include a television set, are required to purchase a separate TV Licence for each accommodation unit.
193. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to address the situation where persons who own a caravan or mobile home for holidays require a separate television licence for same, even when they take a television from their own home to use during holidays; if this rule applies to tourists who use caravans or camper vans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16034/15]
View answerI refer to the reply to Question No. 196 of 16 April 2015. The position is unchanged.
194. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the options available to communities considering putting in place alternative community broadband solutions, where there are no, or only poor, current options; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16175/15]
View answerThrough the National Broadband Plan, the Government aims to ensure that every citizen and business, regardless of location, has access to a high quality, high speed broadband service. This will be achieved through a combination of commercial investments and a State led intervention in areas where commercial services will not be provided. The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately €2.5 billion in network upgrades and enhanced services with approximately 1.6 million of the 2.3 million premises in Ireland expected to have access to commercial high speed broadband services over the next two years. These very significant investments represent a step-change in the quality of broadband services available.
Last November I published a national high speed coverage map for 2016. This map is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The areas marked BLUE represent those areas that will have access to commercial high speed broadband services by the end of 2016. The Amber areas on the map show the target areas for the State intervention.
The map can be checked to establish the precise location of individual premises or residences. All premises within the Amber area will be included in the State's intervention.
While there are no current financial schemes for communities to put in place alternative broadband solutions, there is a potential role for communities to aggregate demand for services in their areas and in so doing accelerate the deployment of such services. At least one operator has succesfully piloted this model with businesses in rural towns.
Through the National Broadband Plan the Government is 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.
195. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will, in conjunction with Fáilte Ireland, review the omission of Cromane Peninsula from the Wild Atlantic Way, in view of the fact that this area is a unique heritage fishing village and picturesque environment, and the inclusion in the Wild Atlantic Way route is logical and necessary for the development of the local tourism resource, and the only financial cost is signage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16072/15]
View answerWhile my Department provides the capital funding for investment in tourism offerings such as the Wild Atlantic Way, it is not directly involved in developing or managing these. The development of the Wild Atlantic Way is an operational matter for Fáilte Ireland. Accordingly I have referred the question to the agency for direct reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days.
The Deputy should be aware that the route of the Wild Atlantic Way was developed using a collaborative approach; regional steering groups were convened to inform route development. The steering groups comprised Fáilte Ireland, Local Authorities, local LEADER and Development companies and other key agencies such as Udarás na Gaeltachta, the Western Development Commission and others as relevant to each particular region.
For those communities that are not on the route it is important to note that the actual route is not simply a touring route but is rather a means to guide and attract visitors, and that all villages, businesses and geographic areas within close proximity of the route are in essence part of the geography of the Wild Atlantic Way. The purpose of the Wild Atlantic Way is to give guidance to visitors as to what there is to see on our western coast, and provide easy access to a range of experiences along the route and so enable local businesses to take advantage of the benefits of the Wild Atlantic Way. My advice to communities on and near to the Wild Atlantic Way is to focus on how to use the route to generate more tourism revenue and not to focus on specific details of the route.
196. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide a breakdown, in tabular form, indicating the amounts spent in each of the past seven years on road, street and related signage and signposts by the National Roads Authority; the amounts received by each company contracted by the State in that period to make said signage; the amounts spent contracting third parties to install said signage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16178/15]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The construction, improvement and maintenance of individual national roads (including signage), is a matter for the National Roads Authority under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.
Noting this I have referred the Deputy's question to the NRA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you don't receive a reply within 10 working days.
197. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the National Parks and Wildlife Service will erect signs in the vicinity of nesting white tailed eagles to warn fishermen, other lake users and members of the public not to inadvertently disturb them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16108/15]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that all wild birds, including white tailed sea eagles, are protected under the Wildlife Acts and the EU Birds Directive, and should not be disturbed during the breeding season.
My Department is working with its partners on the white tailed sea eagle reintroduction project, the Golden Eagle Trust, with a view to ensuring the conservation needs of our population of these birds are met. Measures to protect individual sites are considered on a case by case basis and, in this regard, it is understood that signage is being provided at a particular site in Lough Derg where there have been reports of disturbance recently.
198. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if funding will be provided in respect of a theatre company (details supplied), in view of the extremely valuable work carried out by this company, and its importance to a wide area in the midlands and north-east region; if she will ensure that there is a proper geographic spread in the allocation of resources for different arts programmes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16121/15]
View answerMy Department does not provide funding for the day-to-day operation of theatre companies. Primary responsibility for the promotion and financial support of the arts at all levels, including theatrical organisations, is devolved to the Arts Council. A grant of over €58 million has been provided to the Council in 2015 for this purpose. The Arts Council operates under the provisions of the Arts Act 2003, which provides, inter alia, that the Council is independent in the performance of its functions in funding the arts. Details of funding provided by the Council are available on its website at www.artscouncil.ie.
With regard to the issue of geographic spread, I would like to draw the Deputy’s attention to a new development on the Council’s website of a funding map. It is an interactive map of Ireland showing the funding which has been awarded to arts organisations all around the country. It allows users to hover over the grant of any organisation in any county and the amount of funding and the reasons for funding will be shown. This new feature not only allows users to see at a glance the geographic spread of the Arts Councils funding, but also gives a flavour of the excellence of the organisations which achieve funding from the Arts Council. The funding map is available at the following link:
http://www.artscouncil.ie/map-of-funding-decisions/.
