Written Answers Nos 137-141
137. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the reason for the recent delay in administering tenders for the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9203/16]
View answerOn 22 December 2015, I formally launched the procurement process for the State intervention to provide high quality, high speed broadband to all premises in Ireland that may not be served through commercial investment. The formal procurement process commenced with the publication of the Pre-qualification Questionnaire and Project Information Memorandum. Five responses were received from prospective bidders to this stage of the competitive procurement process by the deadline of 31 March. That deadline was extended by one month, from 29 February to 31 March at the request of bidders. The responses are now being assessed in line with criteria set down by the Department with a view to selecting qualified provider(s) to proceed to the next stage of the procurement.
This second stage in the process will be formal Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD) to short-listed bidders and is scheduled to commence in June and will take place over the Summer.
The timing of each stage of the procurement is dependent on a number of factors including the number of bidders short-listed and the complexities that may be encountered during the dialogue process.
The number of responses received on 31 March, the complexity of the process, and an earlier extension to the PQQ submission deadline which was requested by respondents, will necessitate an adjustment of a number of months to the anticipated timeframe for tender negotiation and contract award.
I am conscious of the need to deliver the State intervention as a matter of priority and the intention is to build out the network in the AMBER area as quickly as possible. The Department will engage with the winning bidder(s) on the optimum roll-out strategy, and on the sequencing of the network deployment to maximise efficiencies during network build, having regard to business and consumer needs, and to areas of particularly poor service and areas of strong demand. All these factors will need to be balanced against the most efficient network roll-out and will be agreed during the procurement process.
Engagement with industry stakeholders as part of the pre-procurement consultations has indicated that the network in the Amber area could be achieved within 3-5 years, after contract(s) is awarded.
138. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he is satisfied with the level of competitiveness in the provision of broadband services, and if he is concerned that any one company has a dominant position, which allows it to charge fees to other broadband service providers (details supplied) for carrying out necessary services and that this can push up the cost for customers of these other providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9223/16]
View answerThe provision of electronic communications networks and services occurs within a fully liberalised market.
The regulation of electronic communications networks providers, including the regulation of wholesale charges imposed by networks operators on other services providers competing in the retail broadband services market, is a statutory function of the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg).
ComReg is independent in the exercise of its functions and directly accountable to Committees of the Oireachtas for the performance of its functions.
I have no statutory authority to regulate fees imposed by Eir or any other operator in the electronic communications market.
139. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the projected timetable for connecting all premises as planned under the national broadband plan; when he will award the procurement contracts; the time it will take to carry out the physical build of the network under State intervention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9294/16]
View answerOn 22 December 2015, I formally launched the procurement process for the State intervention to provide high quality, high speed broadband to all premises in Ireland that may not be served through commercial investment. The formal procurement process commenced with the publication of the Pre-qualification Questionnaire and Project Information Memorandum. Five responses were received from prospective bidders to this stage of the competitive procurement process by the deadline of 31 March. That deadline was extended by one month, from 29 February to 31 March at the request of bidders. The responses are now being assessed in line with criteria set down by the Department with a view to selecting qualified provider(s) to proceed to the next stage of the procurement.
This second stage in the process will be formal Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD) to short-listed bidders and is scheduled to commence in June and will take place over the Summer.
The timing of each stage of the procurement is dependent on a number of factors including the number of bidders short-listed and the complexities that may be encountered during the dialogue process.
The number of responses received on 31 March, the complexity of the process, and an earlier extension to the PQQ submission deadline which was requested by respondents, will necessitate an adjustment of a number of months to the anticipated timeframe for tender negotiation and contract award.
I am conscious of the need to deliver the State intervention as a matter of priority and the intention is to build out the network in the AMBER area as quickly as possible. The Department will engage with the winning bidder(s) on the optimum roll-out strategy, and on the sequencing of the network deployment to maximise efficiencies during network build, having regard to business and consumer needs, and to areas of particularly poor service and areas of strong demand. All these factors will need to be balanced against the most efficient network roll-out and will be agreed during the procurement process.
Engagement with industry stakeholders as part of the pre-procurement consultations has indicated that the network in the Amber area could be achieved within 3-5 years, after contract(s) is awarded.
140. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the figures on Ireland’s energy targets for 2020, including renewable energy targets, by overall percentage consumption from renewable energy sources; percentage of electricity demand from renewable energy generation, share of energy from renewable sources in the heating and transport sectors, energy consumption efficient targets, and non-emissions trading system greenhouse gas emissions reductions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9295/16]
View answerThe 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive sets Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020. Ireland is committed to achieving this target through meeting 40% of electricity demand, 12% of heat and 10% of transport from renewable sources of energy, with the latter transport target also being legally binding. Figures provided by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) show that, in 2014, 8.6% of Ireland’s overall energy requirements were met from renewable sources. More specifically, the SEAI has calculated that 22.7% of electricity, 6.6% of heat and 5.2% of transport energy requirements were from renewable sources in 2014.
Ireland has committed to improving energy efficiency by 20% by 2020 as part of our EU climate change obligations. This is a non-binding target. In 2014, Ireland was almost half way to achieving its 2020 target.
Green House Gas emissions are a matter for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.
141. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his Department or the Commission for Energy Regulation have conducted an analysis of the price gap between the wholesale and consumer price of energy; the results of this analysis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9335/16]
View answerThe electricity and gas markets are commercial, liberalised, competitive and operate within national and European regulatory and legislative regimes. Responsibility for the regulation of Ireland's electricity and gas markets is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), which is an independent statutory body. I have no statutory function in the setting or review of electricity or gas prices. It is Government policy to encourage competition in the electricity and gas markets.
The Irish oil industry is fully privatised, liberalised and deregulated and there is free entry to the market. There is no price control in the oil sector. I have no statutory function in the setting or review of oil, petrol or diesel prices.
In Statutory Instrument 630 of 2011 the CER was assigned, inter alia, market monitoring functions in relation to the supply of electricity and gas. These functions included monitoring the development of competition in the supply of electricity and gas to final customers and taking action to ensure that final customers are benefitting from competition. In this regard, CER publishes quarterly market monitoring reports.
The Electricity Regulation Act, 1999 provides for CER’s regulatory independence and its accountability to a Committee of the Oireachtas for the performance of its functions. I note that at its most recent appearance in front of the Oireachtas Committee when prices formed part of the agenda, CER representatives described for members the relationship between wholesale and retail prices at that time and their view that retail competition is working in Ireland as evidenced by switching rates.
The CER also briefs me periodically on broad electricity and gas market developments including on its market monitoring reports. I am confident that the regulator is carrying out its functions effectively and that it will continue to ensure that competitive markets are delivering for all consumers.
