Written Answers Nos. 1-116
98. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the projected cost of providing funding for window and door insulation as part of the better energy warmer homes scheme. [31750/15]
View answerThe Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department as part of the Better Energy Programme. Since 2009, the scheme has supported the renovation of almost 97,000 homes in Ireland.
Under the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme, energy efficiency upgrades are provided free of charge to those households who meet the application criteria. Measures are provided under the scheme on an "as needed" basis and include draught proofing, attic insulation, lagging jackets for hot water tanks, low energy light bulbs and cavity wall insulation.
Window and door insulation are not currently supported under the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme due to the need to balance the limited resources available with the demands for this scheme. Therefore, the measures currently supported are those that can deliver the most energy savings at the lowest cost. While both window and door insulation do improve the energy efficiency of a home, the cost of such measures is high in relation to the energy efficiency gains made.
99. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his Department will provide resourcing to Inland Fisheries Ireland to ensure that it is able to meet its statutory obligations, as legislated under the Fisheries Acts. [31749/15]
View answerInland Fisheries Ireland was established in 2010. In the five year period 2010-2014 substantial Exchequer support, amounting to almost €130 million, has been provided for IFI. Almost €24 million has been provided for IFI in my Department's Vote this year.
The establishment of IFI has provided for an improved national perspective in the formulation of inland fisheries policy which is more streamlined, coherent and integrated. It also facilitates the achievement of efficiencies in the effective management of the inland fisheries resource.
The Deputy will also appreciate that the Board and Senior Management of IFI have a key role in ensuring that the Agency continues to meet its objectives towards the conservation, protection, promotion and development of the inland fisheries resource. In achieving its objectives, IFI is delivering on the imperative, common to all Public Bodies, to achieve efficiencies and to maintain a high level of service.
100. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will report on the roll out of the recently introduced Eircode; if his Department is monitoring the usage of Eircode; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31688/15]
View answerEircode, the National Postcode System for Ireland was officially launched by the Minister on 13 July 2015 together with the new online ‘Eircode finder tool’ on the website www.eircode.ie. The Eircode Finder, is an eircode look up application that helps citizens and business to fully utilise the new postcode system. There was significant interest in the ‘Eircode finder tool’ on launch day with over 800,000 look ups when it went live. During the three weeks following the launch, the 2.2 million residential and business address in Ireland received a letter in the post informing them of the new eircode for that address.
A successful national information campaign was completed over the summer to inform the public about eircodes and promote their usage. The campaign included advertisements in the national media, including TV, radio and newspapers. The media campaign ran until 30 August 2015.
An integral element of the communications strategy was the Community Outreach Programme for eircodes using networks of community and voluntary organisations, in conjunction with the Wheel and Irish Rural Link. The aim of this programme was to provide information on eircodes and their benefits to people and groups that mainstream communications may not have reached. This approach allowed any concerns to be addressed locally in a timely manner. Over the course of the Community Outreach Programme 15,377 organisations received information about Eircode with 10,620 volunteers recruited to assist. During this phase 4,722 local organisations were mobilised and 1,235 events were held involving the target group.
During the dissemination phase of eircodes, Amárach, an independent body, conducted two parallel surveys, a face-to-face survey of 1,200 households and 200 business premises. The results of the surveys showed that 89% of the public knew the eircode for their address.
Public Sector bodies, particularly those with large customer facing operations, have started using eircodes in customer engagement and this process will continue over the coming months.
Since launch the Eircode contractor has been engaging with commercial organisations and, to date, has signed up a total of eighteen Value Added Resellers who provide a broad spectrum of eircode specialist services to businesses including Database cleansing, Address lookup and GeoCoding. In accordance with the contract for the development and maintenance of eircodes, my Department has put in place reporting structures with the contractor which will, inter alia, include information on the commercial use of the Eircode system.
101. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the broadband technology that the planned State intervention under the national broadband plan will use; his views on the timeframe to connect all premises to high speed broadband Internet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31786/15]
View answerThe National Broadband Plan proposed Intervention Strategy document, which was published on 15 July last, sets out a series of detailed proposals by Government in respect of the proposed State intervention. It sets out the key elements of the intervention - what services are proposed and how they will be delivered. It outlines various aspects of the proposed intervention including the type of network envisaged, the minimum speeds being demanded, the length of the contract for services, and whether the network should be public or privately owned. The draft Intervention Strategy has been developed following intensive engagement with industry and wider stakeholders.
In addition, the European Commission has set out detailed guidelines on what is required to obtain State Aid approval for Government interventions in the broadband sector. The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has followed these guidelines when formulating the proposed intervention strategy. Key among those guidelines is the requirement to observe a strict policy of technology neutrality in designing an intervention programme and in running a procurement process.
Therefore, the Department cannot and will not specify any particular technology platform when going to the market to secure a potential bidder or bidders for the NBP contract. It will be up to bidders to set out clearly in their bid how they propose to meet the standard of services being sought by the Government. However, it is anticipated that any proposals from bidders will have fibre technology as a key element within their solution. It is recognised within industry that fibre is the technology of choice for at least the backhaul part of the network.
The Strategy demonstrates clearly the Government’s commitment to honouring its pledge to deal definitively with the challenge of providing resilient and high-quality broadband connectivity to every premises in the country, irrespective of location.
102. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the status of the national broadband plan; the level of engagement between his Department and private telecommunications operators with regard to those companies' plans for broadband, particularly in rural locations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31757/15]
View answerThe Minister published the draft Intervention Strategy for public consultation on 15 July 2015 and the draft strategy and relevant expert reports are available on the NBP website www.broadband.gov.ie. This public consultation closes on the 25th of this month. Following the consultation process, the Minister plans to move to formal procurement phase towards the end of this year in order to select a preferred bidder or bidders. The physical build of the network is expected to begin in late 2016, and it will take 3-5 years to fully complete – depending on the details of the bid or bids selected.
This complex national infrastructure project will definitively address the long-standing challenge of deploying a resilient and high-quality broadband network, particularly in rural parts of Ireland.
An intrinsic part of the Department's approach to planning and developing the NBP strategy has been to engage with all stakeholders and, in particular, with industry. This engagement has enabled the production of the national high speed broadband coverage map in November last which is currently being updated, again in close collaboration with industry.
Details of meetings with industry and of site visits to particular trials or projects being run by individual operators are provided in the Department's monthly NBP update which is available on the Department's website and which is emailed to all Oireachtas members.
Departmental officials will continue to liaise closely with the commercial operators until such time as the project moves to formal procurement phase.
103. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on the investment State dispute settlement as part of the Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership, and its ability to challenge indirect expropriation, when the potential profits of an investment may be reduced because of a regulatory change or other decisions by a public authority which includes bans on energy extraction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31760/15]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, in June 2013, EU Member States authorised the European Commission to commence trade and investment negotiations with the US and those negotiations are ongoing. The purpose of the trade negotiations is to reduce barriers to trade and investment in order to generate jobs and growth. Ireland stands to gain significantly from this because of the existing significant flows of trade and investment between Ireland and the US and briefing and update material on these negotiations can be found on the website of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation https://www.djei.ie/en/. I can assure the Deputy that conclusion of an agreement will have no impact on the public policy approach adopted by Ireland in the area of exploration for hydrocarbon resources.
The scope of the EU Commission’s mandate to negotiate with the United States includes investment protection and investor state dispute settlement. Countries sign such agreements in order to set out certain ground rules when foreign companies invest on their territory. The EU Commission’s mandate to negotiate clearly provides that the objectives of any investment protection provisions would be without prejudice to the right of the EU and Member States to adopt and enforce measures necessary to pursue legitimate public policy objectives such as social, environmental, security, stability of the financial system, public health and safety, in a non-discriminatory manner.
104. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the measures his Department is considering in order to facilitate community renewable energy generation projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31791/15]
View answerOne of the central themes in the Green Paper on Energy Policy, published in May 2014, is citizen empowerment. Since its publication the Department undertook a public consultation process which included analysis of over 1200 written submissions and thirteen stakeholder seminars, held in Dublin, Westmeath, Sligo, Cork and Wexford, on the various priority areas highlighted in the Green Paper. A recurring message coming from both the written submissions and the seminars was the role that community energy could play in our future energy systems. The views submitted are being considered in the formation of the Energy White Paper, which will be published before the end of the year, and which will, inter alia, address community energy projects and how best to facilitate communities in playing their part.
I should also highlight the various community level initiatives administered on behalf of the Department by the SEAI. These include the development of community energy projects through the Better Energy Areas and Communities Programme which allows community and locally based organisations to apply for funding on a competitive basis to support sustainable energy upgrades to existing buildings and facilities. It also promotes the creation and development of locally based entities that can engage and mobilise community resources to lower energy bills and boost local employment.
105. Deputy Anthony Lawlor asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views that the current tariffs imposed on biodigesters are uncompetitive; his plans to raise these tariffs in order to encourage all sources of renewable energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31691/15]
View answerElectricity and heat produced from anaerobic digestion (AD) are supported under the REFIT 3 scheme. The rates of tariff for AD technologies available under the scheme were calculated following analysis by the Department along with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, and Teagasc. Since the introduction of the scheme in 2012, the Department has received a number of applications from AD plants for support.
The cost effectiveness of support for renewables is a key consideration in the work now underway in the Department to consider the appropriateness and design of new support schemes for renewable electricity and renewable heat. The initial public consultations on the two proposed new schemes for heat and electricity respectively closed on Friday, 18 September 2015. There will be a further two opportunities for the public to contribute to the development of the schemes. A key consideration in the design of the schemes will be the available technologies, their cost effectiveness and the level of any support required. Both schemes are expected to be available in 2016 subject to EU state aid clearance and Government approval.
It is also worth noting that academic and industry research suggests that there is the potential for a significant role in the heat and transport sectors for biogas, which is produced by anaerobic digestion. The draft Bioenergy Plan, published by the Minister last year, recommended that a detailed economic assessment of the costs and benefits of biogas would be conducted.
The Bioenergy Steering Group, which has been established to coordinate the implementation of the draft Plan, is currently finalising the request for tender document and the Department expects to be inviting tenders for this work shortly.
106. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the action being taken by his Department to encourage development of new wave technology, which provides a sustainable way to harness the natural resources available on the coast here by the use of tidal turbines; and his views that given the extensive coastline here, this form of renewable energy has significant potential to allow a move away from fossil fuels. [31761/15]
View answerThe development of Ireland's abundant offshore renewable energy resource will be an increasingly important element of Ireland's future energy policies. Offshore renewable energy has the potential to: generate carbon free renewable electricity; reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels; enhance our security of energy supply; and deliver green growth and jobs to the economy.
Policy action across a range of areas is required to support developers in bringing ocean energy devices, including wave and tidal, from prototype to full scale commerciality. Such action is being taken in the context of the implementation of the 2014 Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP), which sets out Government policy in relation to the sustainable development of Ireland's abundant offshore renewable energy resources. A Steering Group, chaired by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (DCENR), has been established which includes representatives from other relevant government departments and agencies. The Steering Group is overseeing the implementation of the Plan.
Exchequer support for ocean research, development and demonstration has been provided to the sector in recent years and is being increased under the OREDP. In total, my Department has allocated €26.3 million for ocean energy for the period 2013 to 2016. This supports the development of the test sites in counties Mayo, Galway and Cork, the Integrated Maritime Energy Resource Cluster (IMERC) at Ringaskiddy, and the Prototype Development Fund operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), which provides grant aid for the development of prototype ocean energy devices.
Further funding options are being discussed cross-departmentally and the OREDP also proposes, subject to further Government approval, an initial market support scheme for wave and tidal energy from 2016 onwards.
107. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he has considered and is concerned by a British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission report that notes that 231 earthquakes triggered by hydraulic fracturing were recorded in the Montney region of British Columbia in 2014; if he has considered and is concerned by recent reports that a hydraulic fracturing company (details supplied) was responsible for triggering an earthquake in August 2015 that measured 4.6 on the Richter scale; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31714/15]
View answerThe research programme directed at examining the potential environmental and human health impacts of hydraulic fracturing commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency is ongoing. That research programme will have regard to experiences in other countries and draw on published reports and other sources. While the research programme is ongoing, it would not be useful for me as Minister to comment on individual reports.
I can once again reiterate that no decision will be made on any proposal for the use of hydraulic fracturing in exploration drilling in Ireland as part of an unconventional gas exploration programme until there has been time to consider the outcome of the research programme commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency.
108. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he has read the recent study on water quality across the Barnett Shale in Texas in the United States of America, which appeared in the peer-reviewed Environmental Science and Technology, and which found that, near to hydraulic fracturing centres, drinking water has more chemicals and carcinogens; in view of this study, and the extensive scientific research that has found hydraulic fracturing to have substantial risks and negative consequences for public health, the environment, and the climate, if he is satisfied with the fact that Ireland is currently considering the viability of this practice through the Environmental Protection Agency study; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31792/15]
View answerThe research programme directed at examining the potential environmental and human health impacts of hydraulic fracturing commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency is ongoing. That research programme will have regard to experiences in other countries and draw on published reports and other sources. While the research programme is ongoing, it would not be useful for me as Minister to comment on individual reports.
I can once again reiterate that no decision will be made on any proposal for the use of hydraulic fracturing in exploration drilling in Ireland as part of an unconventional gas exploration programme, until there has been time to consider the outcome of the research programme commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency.
109. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his recent discussions with Bord na Móna on planned redundancies at Bord na Móna and its subsidiaries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31789/15]
View answerWhile the matter raised by the Deputy is an operational one for the management team at Bord na Móna, and not one in which the Minister has any function, it is a matter of concern to him. Accordingly, he has been closely monitoring developments in relation to this issue.
I am advised that the matter of compulsory redundancies at a Bord na Móna subsidiary, Anua, has recently been the subject of discussions at the Labour Relations Commission. Management and union representatives have agreed to refer the matter to the Labour Court. I am further advised by Bord na Móna that no action will be taken in relation to these proposed redundancies in advance of the Labour Court’s consideration and decision on the matter.
In relation to the wider Bord na Móna group, I understand that management and union representatives have engaged under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission since February 2015 on a range of issues, including possible redundancies, relating to the business transformation agenda within the company. I am advised that management and union representatives have subsequently agreed to refer these issues to the Labour Court.
It would not be appropriate for me to comment further on these matters while these processes are ongoing.
110. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the measures he has taken at a European level to tackle fuel poverty. [31751/15]
View answerThe protection of consumers vulnerable to energy poverty is a critical element of both EU and national energy policy. As the Deputy may be aware, the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources is preparing a new Affordable Energy Strategy following a public consultation held earlier this year. As part of this work, officials are participating in the European Commission's Vulnerable Consumers Working Group having participated in the Energy Citizens Forum held in London in March of this year. I welcome this European Commission initiative along with the publication by the Commission in July of this year of their Communication "Delivering a New Deal for Energy Consumers".
That Commission Communication is a supporting policy document to the Energy Union Framework Strategy which sets out the vision of an Energy Union "with citizens at its core, where citizens take ownership of the energy transition, benefit from new technologies to reduce their bills, participate actively in the market, and where vulnerable consumers are protected ".
"Delivering a New Deal for Energy Consumers" identified energy poverty as an important issue requiring Member State action. The Communication also identified energy efficiency as the best way to address energy poverty in the long term, while recognising that this must take place in the wider context of action on poverty. It is the stated position of the Commission that the citizen must be at the heart of the new Energy Union. This means that both the EU, and Member States, must find more effective ways to address energy poverty as part of the action also needed to support and empower energy consumers. The Minister will continue to push for energy poverty to be kept high on the EU energy agenda, and ensure that improving the energy efficiency of homes of those vulnerable to energy poverty remains central to Ireland’s Better Energy Programme.
The Minister expects to publish the new Affordable Energy Strategy around the end of this year.
111. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on changes in terms and conditions for Bord na Móna employees, which will amount to substantial reductions in pay; and on serious allegations of consistent bullying and harassment taking place in the company; his level of awareness of these issues; the action he has taken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31713/15]
View answerWhile the matter raised by the Deputy is an operational one for the management team at Bord na Móna, and not one in which I, as Minister, have any function, it is a matter of concern to me. Bord na Móna is facing significant business challenges in the context of the deregulation of the electricity market and increasingly competitive and challenging environments across all its business areas. In order to ensure its continued profitability, the company is implementing a programme to transform all areas of its operations and structure, the key objective of which is to improve business effectiveness and efficiency.
I am aware that management and union representatives have engaged under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission since February 2015 on a range of issues relating to the business transformation agenda within the company. These discussions include areas related to the terms and conditions of employees. I am advised that management and union representatives have agreed to refer these issues to the Labour Court. I hope you will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on this matter while this process is ongoing. In relation to alleged instances of bullying within the company, I am assured by the Board of Bord na Móna that there are appropriate systems in place to deal with any allegations of bullying. Any employee who has concerns in this regard should bring it to the attention of the appropriate authorities in Bord na Móna.
112. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the steps taken to identify those parts of the country most seriously affected by a lack of a telecommunications service or by a deficient telecommunications service in respect of all forms of all electronic communication, wireless and otherwise; the extent to which adequate infrastructure and investment has been made to address such deficiencies which have shown that in some cases, access to broadband and mobile telephony is non-existent; if the various agencies, bodies, statutory or otherwise, responsible have set out fully their proposals to address the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31753/15]
View answerThe provision of mobile telephony services is subject to a requirement to secure access to the required radio spectrum by way of licence. The management of the radio spectrum is a statutory function of the Commission for Communications Regulation under the Communications Regulation Act, 2002 as amended. Licences issued by ComReg apply terms and conditions on Mobile Network Operators, such as quality of service and minimum population coverage obligations.
However, given that mobile services are a radio based technology, services can be affected by several factors. These include topography, the capacity of the network and more generally the level and quality of access customers have to mobile phone antennas. Difficulties for service providers in erecting masts and antennas due to planning issues can also impact negatively on the quality of coverage experienced by consumers.
In terms of improving the quality and coverage of mobile services in all areas throughout the country, there are various initiatives underway to achieve this aim.
The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately €2.5bn in upgrading and modernising both fixed and mobile networks. This includes some €850m invested in acquiring spectrum under the 2012 Multi-Band Spectrum Auction run by ComReg. Since then, the mobile operators have all continued to invest in rolling out 4G and enhanced 3G services nationwide. These investments are improving both the coverage and quality of voice and data services throughout the country, although I understand that some temporary disruptions to service have been encountered when upgrades are taking place.
While investment in communications infrastructure and services is primarily a matter for the private sector, the National Broadband Plan (NBP) commits to a range of actions that will facilitate the more efficient commercial investment in the rollout of communications infrastructure.
The NBP is a Government policy initiative which aims to deliver high speed broadband to every citizen and business in Ireland. This is being achieved through a combination of accelerated commercial investment by telecoms operators, and a proposed State intervention to provide high speed broadband to those parts of the country where the commercial sector will not invest.
The NBP proposed Intervention Strategy document, which was published on 15 July last, sets out a series of detailed proposals by Government in respect of the proposed State intervention. It sets out the key elements of the intervention - what services are proposed and how they will be delivered. It outlines various aspects of the proposed intervention including the type of network envisaged, the minimum speeds being demanded, the length of the contract for services, and whether the network should be public or privately owned.
Since publication of the Plan in 2012, a working group has been established to address infrastructure issues which were identified by industry as creating barriers to deployment of services. The group is chaired by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and includes representatives from my Department, the Local Government Management Agency, the National Roads Authority (NRA) and Local Authorities. The Group is currently consulting with industry on a range of issues relating to the siting of telecommunications infrastructure. My Department will continue to actively engage on this issue with a view to facilitating the removal of barriers and the improvement of mobile service nationwide.
Local Authorities also have an important role to play in terms of facilitating the siting of necessary infrastructure such as masts and antennae etc. The Telecommunications and Internet Federation (TIF, which is part of IBEC) has been proactive in seeking to meet with Local Authorities and public representatives to fully discuss the various issues around mobile coverage and the factors that can impact on the quality of service consumers experience.
I would encourage all Local Authorities and public representatives to engage with the TIF on these important issues.
113. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the action being taken to explore the possibilities of treatment and extraction from wastewater, which has great potential as a sustainable resource. [31762/15]
View answerIreland’s energy policies recognise the importance of waste material as an energy resource. Both the Alternative Energy Requirement and Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff schemes support electricity generated from landfill gas and the biodegradable element of municipal solid waste as well as energy from anaerobic digestion (AD). Anaerobic digestion is a technology that can be used to produce energy from organic material including byproducts of wastewater treatment such as sewage sludge. These are now established technologies and are making a contribution to Ireland’s renewable energy targets.
In terms of further developing waste as an energy resource, the draft Bioenergy Plan, published by the Minister last year, recommends that the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government would endeavour to optimise the availability of waste for energy production.
The forthcoming Energy Policy White Paper, which will be published before the end of the year, will provide a solid policy foundation to encourage more energy innovation, research, development and deployment in Ireland.
114. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in view of the high percentage of premises without access to broadband in County Donegal, if he will consider an expediency plan for the most rural counties like County Donegal, as the timeline for formal procurement for State intervention is already running into the end of this year with no delays expected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31794/15]
View answerThe National Broadband Plan (NBP) is a Government policy initiative which aims to deliver high speed broadband to every citizen and business in Ireland. This is being achieved through a combination of accelerated commercial investment by telecoms operators, and a proposed State intervention to provide high speed broadband to those parts of the country where the commercial sector will not invest.
The NBP proposed Intervention Strategy document, which was published on 15 July last, sets out a series of detailed proposals by Government in respect of the proposed State intervention. It sets out the key elements of the intervention - what services are proposed and how they will be delivered. It outlines various aspects of the proposed intervention including the type of network envisaged, the minimum speeds being demanded, the length of the contact for services, and whether the network should be public or privately owned.
The Government is determined to ensure that the network is built out as quickly as possible and engagement with industry stakeholders has indicated that this could be achieved within 3-5 years of the contract award.
In this context, the NBP proposes that through the combination of commercial investment and State intervention, 85% of addresses in Ireland will have access to high speed services by 2018 with all addresses passed by 2020.
The prospective bidder(s) are experts in network roll-out and each will offer different network architectures and technologies to deliver the network. Industry is best placed to determine the sequencing of the network deployment to maximise efficiencies during network build.
It is proposed however to engage with the winning bidder(s) on the optimum rollout strategy, having regard to business and consumer needs, areas of particularly poor service and areas of strong demand. All these factors will need to be balanced against the most efficient network rollout and will be agreed during the procurement process.
115. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if there is a proposed legislative framework to provide for developing renewable energy co-operatives. [31752/15]
View answerVarious community level energy initiatives are supported by the Government through the Better Energy Areas and Communities Programme which is administered on behalf of the Department by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). That programme allows community and locally based organisations to apply for funding on a competitive basis to support sustainable energy upgrades to existing buildings and facilities. It also promotes the creation and development of locally based entities that can engage and mobilise community resources to lower energy bills and boost local employment.
One of the central themes in the Green Paper on Energy Policy, published in May 2014, is citizen empowerment. Since its publication the Department undertook a public consultation process which included analysis of over 1200 written submissions and thirteen stakeholder seminars, held in Dublin, Westmeath, Sligo, Cork and Wexford, on the various priority areas highlighted in the Green Paper. A recurring message coming from both the written submissions and the seminars was the role that community energy could play in our future energy systems. The views submitted are being considered in the formation of the Energy White Paper, which will be published before the end of the year.
While I do not intend to introduce any legislative proposals that would be specific to the development of renewable energy cooperatives, it is my intention that the forthcoming White Paper would address community energy projects and how best to facilitate communities in playing their part in the transition to a low carbon future.
116. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the current status of the decision with regard to the ownership of the new network to be created under the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31758/15]
View answerBoth the draft Intervention Strategy and accompanying expert reports which I published for public consultation in July last deal in some considerable detail with the various ownership options and models available to Government.
I am interested in the views of industry and wider stakeholders on this subject and will make a final decision on this aspect of the Intervention Strategy after the public consultation has been concluded.
