Written Answers Nos. 570-9
570. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the extent to which any initiatives are afoot to address deficiencies in the telecommunications sector with a view to ensuring that all segments of the sector are up to international standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39591/15]
View answer571. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the capacity of the telecommunications sector is adequate to meet requirements, including demand arising from economic growth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39592/15]
View answer572. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if there has been any assessment of the efficacy of the telecommunications sector; the nature of any weaknesses identified; any proposed remedial action; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39593/15]
View answer573. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources who has responsibility for and control of ensuring the provision of an adequate telecommunications infrastructure; the steps taken or intended in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39594/15]
View answer575. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the extent to which he expects broadband quality and service to improve on an annual basis over the next four years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39596/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 570 to 573, inclusive, and 575 together.
Government policy in the area of telecommunications and broadband is aimed at delivering high speed broadband and general telecommunications access across the country by creating an environment conducive to commercial investment and by using State assets where appropriate. The State itself is not a player in this market and will only intervene in the broadband market in cases of clear market failure - the recent National Broadband Scheme and the proposed intervention under the National Broadband Plan are examples of such interventions.
The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately €2.5 bn in upgrading and modernising both fixed and mobile networks. This includes some €850 m 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.
In 2012 when the National Broadband Plan was first published, industry committed to providing high speed broadband to 1 million addresses in Ireland by 2015, with top speeds ranging from 100 Mbps for cable and 70 Mbps for eFibre services.
Today, cable is delivering speeds of up to 240 Mbps to over 700,000 addresses and fibre-to-the-cabinet services of up to 100 Mbps are available to approximately 1.3 million addresses. By the end of 2016, it is envisaged that high speed broadband will be available to 1.6 million addresses in Ireland. That compares to only 300,000 addresses five years ago.
However, as the National Broadband Plan acknowledges, much of this investment is focussed on urban centres and towns and many rural areas are not likely to benefit in any meaningful way. Consequently, the Government has made significant commitments under the National Broadband Plan to ensure that all premises, irrespective of location, will have access to high-speed, high-quality future proofed broadband services by 2020.
The combination of significant commercial investment plus the strong commitments for public funding for non-commercial areas will mean that Ireland's telecommunications and broadband networks will be among the best and most modern in the EU and beyond, capable of meeting both current and anticipated future growth in bandwidth demand.
574. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when gas from the Corrib gas field will become available to the national grid; the economic benefit that will accrue in the short and medium terms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39595/15]
View answerFollowing completion of the construction of the Corrib gas pipeline, Shell E&P Ireland Limited, on behalf of the Corrib Gas partners, submitted an application on 18 August, 2015, under Section 40 of the Gas Act 1976, as amended, for consent to operate the pipeline. This consent is required by the developer before production of gas can commence.
A public consultation process in relation to the application was initiated on 25 August and closed on 25 September. 11 submissions were received and these are currently being considered as part of the application which will inform the evaluation and decision process.
As previously advised, I understand that the bulk of the gas produced from the Corrib field will be supplied to the national grid via the 149 km pipeline constructed by Bord Gáis Networks, which runs from the gas terminal in Bellanaboy, Co. Mayo to Ballymoneen outside of Galway. The economic benefits of the Corrib gas field include the direct return to the Exchequer, the significant economic activity generated from the development stage of the project together with a strengthening of Ireland’s security of energy supply. It is estimated that Corrib will have an operating life span of between 15 to 20 years and gas production will on average meet 42% of all island gas demand over the first two years of operation, declining thereafter.
576. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the full extent to which the post office system will be adapted using modern technology to provide a complimentary range of services to those already provided through An Post; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39597/15]
View answerIt is Government policy that An Post remains a strong and viable company, in a position to provide a high quality postal service and maintain a nationwide network of customer focused post offices in the community.
The post office network faces significant challenges given the impact of the economic downturn over the last few years, changes in technology and customer retail preferences. However, post offices, having being fully computerised some years ago, also stand well positioned to become the front office provider of choice for Government and the financial services sector for both electronic transactions as well as the more traditional over the counter transactions.
The Post Office Network Business Development Group, whose remit is to examine the potential from existing and new Government and commercial business that could be transacted through the post office network, presented its initial report to me in May 2015. In summary, the initial report outlined that the future of the post office network would be best secured by seeking out opportunities in the following areas: financial services, including services delivered by the Department of Social Protection, and basic banking for the unbanked, Government services, social capital and enterprise, and white labelling of financial and other products.
In advance of receiving the final report, it is premature to speculate on future products or services and how they will integrate into the existing An Post technology infrastructure.
577. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the extent to which oil, gas, and other exploration licences have been activated on a monthly basis over the past six years; the degree to which viable or commercial results have been identified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39598/15]
View answerThe following table outlines the exploration licences issued by my Department over the past six years. Details of all authorisations granted by my Department are published on my Department's website on a quarterly basis and can also be found in the six monthly reports to the Oireachtas, which I am obliged to lay before the Houses under the Minerals Development Acts, 1940 to 1999 and the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development Act, 1960, respectively. The last such reports were in respect of the six-month period ending 30 June 2015. These reports are also available on my Department's website at www.dcenr.gov.ie.
|
Year |
Petroleum Exploration Licences Issued |
Prospecting Licences (Minerals) Issued |
|
2010 |
0 |
93 |
|
2011 |
2 |
98 |
|
2012 |
0 |
102 |
|
2013 |
5 |
142 |
|
2014 |
6 |
71 |
|
2015 (to 31 October) |
0 |
60 |
|
Total |
13 |
566 |
There have been no commercial discoveries of oil or gas within the territory of the State in the last six years. Ireland, however, has witnessed a positive upswing in the level of petroleum exploration activity in recent years, in particular acquisition of new seismic data and the record number of applications received in the 2015 Atlantic Margin Licensing Round. We need to see this translate into an increased level of exploration drilling in the coming years, if Ireland’s true petroleum potential is to be realised.
In a similar manner, while the number of active mineral prospecting licences, currently in excess of 550 licences, indicates the positive prevailing state of mineral exploration in Ireland, no new commercially viable deposits of minerals have been discovered during this period. While there have been some encouraging results, particularly in Counties Limerick and Clare, it is too early to determine whether these results will lead to identification of commercially viable deposits.
578. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the extent to which improvements in quality and speed of broadband are envisaged over the next two years, with particular reference to County Kildare, and the need to meet the requirements of customers therein as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39599/15]
View answerThe National Broadband Plan 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. 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.
The AMBER areas show the target areas for the State intervention. All premises within the AMBER areas will be included in the State's intervention.
The map allows all members of the public, be they business or residential, to see whether their premises / home will have access to commercial high speed broadband services by end 2016 or whether they will be included in the Government's proposed intervention.
It is anticipated that speeds of at least 30 Mbps will be also delivered through the Government's intervention and the network will be designed to cater for future increased demand from consumers and business.
I would encourage consumers to consult the websites of the various commercial operators to ascertain details of current and planned future deployment plans.
I can confirm that next generation broadband services have been rolled out to over 55,000 premises to date in Co Kildare with over 12,500 more expected to be served by commercial investment. Approximately 20,500 remaining premises in Kildare will be covered either by further commercial investment or the proposed State intervention.
40 responses were received following the publication of the NBP proposed Intervention Strategy in July last. Non-confidential versions of these submissions are being published and can be accessed at www.Broadband.gov.ie.
Meanwhile, my Department continues to review the technical and financial detail relating to potential new commercial investment proposals with a view to updating the intervention area Map. I expect to publish an updated version of the Map and to proceed to formal procurement before the end of the year.
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 100% coverage by 2020.
579. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the degree to which the electricity requirement of the national grid has been determined over the next eight years, given the projected economic growth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39601/15]
View answerEirGrid and SONI periodically publish an All Island Generation Capacity Statement. In February of this year, the All Island Generation Capacity Statement 2015-2024 was published. The report examines the generation adequacy over a number of economic scenarios. These projections are based on economic forecasts published by the ESRI, namely the Quarterly Economic Commentary, published in October 2014 and the Medium Term Review, published in July 2013. The All Island Generation Capacity Statement is published on the EirGrid website.
