Written Answers Nos. 560-580
560. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated amount of food waste generated here, with a breakdown by sector; the steps he is taking to promote the reduction of such waste; and the targets and timelines he is working to. [2876/17]
View answerIn terms of available data, Ireland generates approximately 1.1 million tonnes of food waste per year. Around 40% of this, or 450,000 tonnes, comes from food production; 34%, which equates to 380,000 tonnes, comes from the commercial sector; and, 26%, or 300,000 tonnes, comes from households. The European Union (Household Food Waste and Bio-waste) Regulations 2015 and the commercial Waste Management (Food Waste) Regulations 2009 both aim to maximise the resource potential and minimise the disposal of food waste. These two sets of regulations place clear obligations on waste collectors, businesses and households to promote the segregation and recovery of food waste for the purposes of producing energy, compost and digestate, thereby supporting job creation in the waste and bio-energy sectors.
Through preventing food waste, and becoming more efficient in using what we have, Ireland can reduce the environmental impacts associated with food waste, improve the financial performance of businesses and householders alike, and help those who struggle to put food on the table. Reuse is the next favourable waste management option of the waste hierarchy and donation of surplus food has a role to play in the reduction of food waste. It is also important to communicate a clear and consistent message, promoting the food waste management hierarchy as an integrated solution rather than promoting a single option over another. Ireland is already making significant strides in this area and through the EPA-led National Waste Prevention Programme (NWPP), has been working on food waste prevention in partnership with many stakeholders since 2009. A national Forum on Food Waste is scheduled for March, 2017 to bring together stakeholders from across the food cycle with the specific focus of exploring a collaborative approach to reducing waste food.
"Stop Food Waste" is a national food waste prevention programme, whose aim is to raise awareness and enable initiatives to promote changes in behaviour, through a combination of education, training, local champions, peer example and easy to use information. The programme is aimed at householders and individuals, and small businesses such as cafés, pubs serving food and small local supermarkets.
561. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to reopen the trout hatchery at Mallow, County Cork. [3128/17]
View answerThe former South Western Regional Fisheries Board, a predecessor of Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), operated a very small-scale enhancement hatchery in Mallow which ceased operation some 20 years ago. Similar small-scale hatcheries in other parts of the country also ceased operation.
These small-scale hatcheries would not meet current environmental standards and it is not intended to reinstate any of these facilities including the former limited hatchery operation at Mallow.
Existing hatchery operations are being reviewed by IFI.
IFI generally follows best international practice in maximising the protection and improvement of habitats to enhance the natural reproductive cycle of wild fish and in minimising other interventions.
562. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if the European Commission has commenced enforcement proceedings against Ireland for not implementing Directive 2014/53/EU on the harmonisation of the laws of the member states relating to the making available on the market of radio equipment and repealing Directive 1999/5/EC; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the failure to implement the directive is placing Irish industry at a disadvantage; when it will be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2596/17]
View answerThe European Commission has not commenced enforcement proceedings against Ireland in respect of the Directive referred to in the Question. Regulations to transpose the Directive are currently under preparation and discussions are on-going between my Department and the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel (OPC) with a view to finalising these regulations as soon as possible.
I am aware that the non-transposition of the Directive is impacting bodies to be notified for the purpose of carrying out conformity assessment tasks under the Directive and I have directed my officials to finalise the transposing regulations, in consultation with the OPC, as quickly as possible.
563. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the date on and year in which the national broadband plan will begin. [2665/17]
View answerThe Government considers the NBP to be one of the most significant investments in rural Ireland for decades, and one which will transform society, akin to rural electrification in the last century. The strategy for broadband rollout, the National Broadband Plan (NBP), aims to deliver high speed broadband services to every city, town, village and individual premises in Ireland. This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment by the telecommunications sector and a State Intervention in those areas where commercial investment has not been fully demonstrated.
A key principle of the NBP is to support and stimulate commercial investment through policy and regulatory measures. Commercial investment since the publication of the NBP has considerably exceeded expectations. To date, the commercial telecommunications sector has invested over €2.5bn in upgrading and modernising networks which support the provision of high speed broadband and mobile telecoms services.
Currently, approximately 1.4m premises in Ireland can get high speed broadband from commercial service providers and investment by the telecoms sector is continuing to expand this footprint.
The High Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie, shows the current extent of the State Intervention area:
- The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial telecommunications providers are either currently delivering or have previously indicated plans to deliver high speed broadband services;
- The areas marked AMBER on the High Speed Broadband Map represent the target areas for the State Intervention, which are the subject of the current procurement process. It is intended that premises within this area will have access to services of at least 30 megabits per second when the procurement process is completed and the network rolled out.
The Department is actively monitoring the commercial deployment plans in the BLUE areas to ensure that all premises can get access to services. In this regard, direct feedback from consumers is important and if customers in these areas cannot access high speed broadband services, I would encourage them to contact my Department directly at broadband@dccae.gov.ie , quoting their address and Eircode and giving details of providers they have contacted with a view to obtaining services.
A formal procurement process is now in train to select a company or companies who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network within the State Intervention Area. The Department will also shortly update the High Speed Broadband map and finalise this Intervention Area for bidders, taking into account any industry investments that have not materialised and potential other new investments.
The procurement process is being intensively managed, to ensure an outcome that delivers a future-proofed network that serves homes and businesses across Ireland, for at least 25 years. Intensive dialogue with bidders is continuing and the three bidders have indicated that they are proposing a predominantly fibre-to-the-home solution. This provides for a future proofed solution for the 25 years of the contract and beyond. A fibre-to-the-home solution means that householders and businesses may get speeds not just of 30 Megabits per second but much higher, potentially up to 1000 Megabits per second.
The timeframe for the procurement continues to be dependent on a range of factors including the complexities that may be encountered by the procurement team and bidders, during the procurement process. During the Department's extensive stakeholder consultations in 2015, telecommunications service providers indicated a 3-5 year timeline to rollout a network of the scale envisaged under the NBP. As part of the competitive process, the Department will engage with winning bidder(s) on the best rollout strategy, in order to target areas of particularly poor service, business needs and/or high demand. This will need to be balanced with the most efficient network rollout plan. A prioritisation programme will be put in place in this regard, in consultation with the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. A detailed rollout plan for the network will be published once contract(s) are in place.
The Programme for Government also commits to measures to assist in the rollout of the network once a contract is awarded. In this regard, Minister Humphreys is leading on the establishment of two regional action groups, working with Local Authorities, Local Enterprise Offices and other relevant agencies to help accelerate the broadband network build in rural Ireland, once a contract(s) has been awarded.
In a further positive initiative, last July, I established a Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce with my colleague Minister Humphreys to address immediate issues in relation to the quality of mobile phone and broadband coverage. The Taskforce report is available at the following link: http://www.dccae.gov.ie/communications/en-ie/Pages/Publication/Report-of-the-Mobile-Phone-and-Broadband-Taskforce.aspx
I have signed Regulations allowing ComReg to proceed with an early 2017 auction of the 3.6GHz radio spectrum band, to provide an 86% increase in total spectrum available for mobile and fixed wireless services. I have also secured €8m for RTE which will allow it to free up the 700MHz spectrum band, to provide enhanced mobile services.
In the meantime, my Department continues to liaise closely with industry and relevant other Departments and agencies to assist in the commercial deployment of telecommunications networks.
These investments should assist in significantly improving the coverage and quality of broadband and mobile voice and data services throughout the country.
564. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if grants for window replacements will be introduced to compliment the energy saving grant aid already available to home owners from Sustainable Energy Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2799/17]
View answerThe Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) operates a number of schemes on behalf of my Department to support energy efficiency improvements to homes. The Better Energy Homes scheme makes a range of grants available to householders who wish to improve the energy efficiency of their home, the Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme offers free energy efficiency upgrades to those in energy poverty and the Better Energy Communities scheme funds community activity on energy efficiency. The measures currently supported are those that can deliver the most energy savings at the lowest cost. The upgrade of windows is not currently supported under the Better Energy Programme due to the need to balance the budgetary resources available with the demand for the programme. While window insulation does improve the energy efficiency of a home, the cost of such a measure is high in relation to the energy efficiency gains made.
I have asked SEAI to conduct a review of the technologies that are currently supported through the Better Energy Homes scheme and to consider whether grant support should be offered for a wider range of energy upgrades. I expect SEAI to report back to me later this year. Any changes to the scheme that are warranted will be operational in 2018.
Information on the grant support available under the Better Energy Programme is available on the SEAI website at www.seai.ie.
565. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the provision of a gas line extension to cater for Longford town. [2801/17]
View answerThe development and expansion of the natural gas network is in the first instance a commercial and operational matter for Gas Networks Ireland (GNI), which is a commercial State-sponsored Body under the aegis of the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government. GNI is mandated under Section 8 of the Gas Act 1976, as amended, to develop and maintain a national system for the supply of natural gas that is both economical and efficient. GNI's published "Connections Policy", which was most recently revised in 2015, sets out its policy for new connections to the transmission and distribution gas networks. Under this policy, GNI conducts studies to assess towns for connections to the gas network. In order for any town to be so connected certain economic criteria need to be satisfied. These criteria provide that the construction and operating costs of connecting a town, or group of towns, to the network must be recovered through the consumption of gas and the associated network charges. In this regard, the 2015 Energy White Paper underlined that new infrastructure proposals will continue to be assessed through robust analysis.
The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) is statutorily responsible for assessing and approving the GNI Connections Policy, and it concluded its last such approval process in October 2015 following the usual public consultation. I have no statutory role in relation to this matter.
566. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if, in the context of situations whereby the Electricity Supply Board has access to farmers' lands to erect transmission poles thereon, he will take steps to ensure that if a pole is accidentally damaged thereon the farmer should not be levied with the cost of repairing same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2836/17]
View answerESB is a commercial State company established under the Electricity (Supply) Act 1927. The matter raised by the Deputy is operational in nature and not one in which I, as Minister, have any function.
567. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the rural broadband scheme in Foxford, County Mayo. [2871/17]
View answerThe National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to deliver high speed broadband services to every city, town, village and individual premises in Ireland. The Programme for Government commits to the delivery of the NBP as a matter of priority. This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment by the telecommunications sector and a State intervention in those areas where commercial investment has not been fully demonstrated. A key principle of the NBP is to support and stimulate commercial investment through policy and regulatory measures. Commercial investment since the publication of the NBP has considerably exceeded expectations. To date, the commercial telecommunications sector has invested over €2.5bn in upgrading and modernising networks which support the provision of high speed broadband and mobile telecoms services.
Currently, approximately 1.4m premises in Ireland can get high speed broadband from commercial service providers and investment by the telecoms sector is continuing to expand this footprint.
The High Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie shows the current extent of the State Intervention area:
- The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial telecommunications providers are either currently delivering or have previously indicated plans to deliver high speed broadband services,
- The areas marked AMBER on the High Speed Broadband Map represent the target areas for the State Intervention, which are the subject of the current procurement process. It is intended that premises within this area will have access to services of at least 30 megabits per second when the procurement process is completed and the network rolled out.
The map currently indicates that 97% of the townland of Foxford will be covered by commercial operators while the remaining 3%% of the townland of Foxford will be part of the State Intervention. The Department is actively monitoring the commercial deployment plans in the BLUE areas to ensure that all premises can get access to services. In this regard, direct feedback from consumers is important and if customers in these areas cannot access high speed broadband services, I would encourage them to contact my Department directly at broadband@dccae.gov.ie, quoting their address and Eircode and giving details of providers they have contacted with a view to obtaining services. The Department will also shortly update the High Speed Broadband map and finalise the Intervention Area for bidders, taking into account any industry investments that have not materialised and potential other new investments.
A formal procurement process is now in train to select a company or companies who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network within the State Intervention Area. The procurement process is being intensively managed, to ensure an outcome that delivers a future-proofed network that serves homes and businesses across Ireland, for at least 25 years. Intensive dialogue with bidders is continuing and the three bidders have indicated that they are proposing a predominantly fibre-to-the-home solution. This provides for a future proofed solution for the 25 years of the contract and beyond. A fibre-to-the-home solution means that householders and businesses may get speeds not just of 30 Megabits per second but much higher, potentially up to 1000 Megabits per second.
The timeframe for the procurement continues to be dependent on a range of factors including the complexities that may be encountered by the procurement team and bidders, during the procurement process. During the Department's extensive stakeholder consultations in 2015, telecommunications service providers indicated a 3-5 year timeline to rollout a network of the scale envisaged under the NBP. As part of the competitive process, the Department will engage with winning bidder(s) on the best rollout strategy, in order to target areas of particularly poor service, business needs and/or high demand. This will need to be balanced with the most efficient network rollout plan. A prioritisation programme will be put in place in this regard, in consultation with the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. A detailed rollout plan for the network will be published once contract(s) are in place.
The Programme for Government also commits to measures to assist in the rollout of the network once a contract is awarded. In this regard, Minister Humphreys is leading on the establishment of two regional action groups, working with Local Authorities, Local Enterprise Offices and other relevant agencies to help accelerate the broadband network build in rural Ireland, once a contract(s) has been awarded.
In a further positive initiative, last July, I established a Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce with my colleague Minister Humphreys to address immediate issues in relation to the quality of mobile phone and broadband coverage. The Taskforce report which was published in December, is available at the following link: forchttp://www.dccae.gov.ie/communications/en-ie/Pages/Publication/Report-of-the-Mobile-Phone-and-Broadband-Taske.aspx
I recently signed Regulations allowing ComReg to proceed with the allocation of spectrum in the 3.6GHz band, in early 2017. This will provide an 86% increase in total spectrum available for mobile and fixed wireless services. I have also secured €8m for RTE which will allow it to free up the 700MHz spectrum band, to provide enhanced mobile services.
In the meantime, my Department continues to liaise closely with industry and relevant other Departments and agencies to assist in the commercial deployment of telecommunications networks.
These investments should assist in significantly improving the coverage and quality of broadband and mobile voice and data services throughout the country, including Co Mayo.
568. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the current systems for monitoring NOx emissions from diesel fuelled vehicles in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford; the current levels of those emissions in each city; the international health standards which apply; if his Department or the Environmental Protection Agency made any submissions to the preparations for the Finance Bill 2016 on any move to equalise excise duty rates on petrol and diesel fuels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2877/17]
View answerAir quality monitoring in Ireland is carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to meet the requirements of EU Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe, known as the CAFÉ Directive. The Directive requires that certain minimum levels of monitoring are carried out for the purposes of assessment and management of air quality. The EPA monitors a range of atmospheric pollutants, based on data obtained from its monitoring stations that form the national ambient air quality network. The Agency's most recent annual air quality report was published in November 2016 and provides an assessment of air quality in Ireland for 2015. Emissions of NOx were monitored at 15 locations across Ireland for the report, and values for all these sites were below the annual limit value. The report cautions however that NOx values may increase in line with growth in economic activity in the State. City centre and urban monitoring sites in Ireland are approaching EU limit values for NO2, and it is possible that we will see limit values exceeded in the near future unless mitigation steps are taken.
A significant contributor to the rise in NOx emissions in recent years throughout the EU has been the higher than expected emissions from the new fleet of road vehicles, particularly diesel vehicles. Over time, discrepancies have come to light between the emissions recorded from vehicles during emissions testing and ‘real’ driving. The European Commission approach has been to revise the test cycle to be more representative of emissions from real-world driving experience (RDE). Ireland fully supported these proposals and their early implementation. The Road Safety Authority, which is under the aegis of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, is the agency centrally involved in this issue on behalf of Ireland.
My Department did not make a submission on the question of the equalisation of excise duty rates between petrol and diesel during the preparation of the Finance Bill, 2016. As an independent statutory body, the question of whether any such submission was made by the Environmental Protection Agency should be addressed directly to the Agency.
569. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the name of the service provider tasked with delivering broadband in the Granard area of County Longford; if there are plans by this company to improve the service in this area and in particular the service provided to a business (details supplied); and if his Department will contact this business, as outlined in a previous parliamentary reply, in order to provide assistance in this regard. [2886/17]
View answerI refer to the reply to Question No. 1481 of 17 January, 2017 in which I advised that the business referred to falls within the AMBER area, which is the target area for the State Intervention and will, therefore, be included in the State Intervention procurement process which is now underway.
570. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the rationale used to determine each of the 12 exclusions listed at 4.3.1 of the report on wind turbine noise modelling commissioned by his Department through the SEAI and published in draft format in March 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2889/17]
View answerThe objective of the report referred to in the Question was to inform a decision on the impact of potential noise limits on the available wind energy capacity in Ireland. The objective was not to establish the criteria for determining spatial feasibility as it was solely an acoustic exercise. The acoustic models produced in the study were based on the identification of potentially viable areas for wind turbine placement and a number of assumptions were made in compiling the report. Proposals for individual wind farm developments are subject to the statutory requirements of planning law, in the same manner as other proposed developments. Aside from exclusion zones around dwellings, exclusion zones were applied in the report around environmental, cultural heritage and archaeological zones. It is important to reiterate the limited scope of this report, which did not include an environmental study.
The 12 exclusion zones constitute areas protected under national and EU law such as the Habitats Directive. By their nature, any development proposed within those areas, would be subject to specific environment assessment. Under each of the listed exclusion zones, further environmental constraints impact the likelihood of a project receiving planning approval. Therefore, in order to assess the implications of acoustic parameters, it was reasonable to apply the 12 exclusion zones in question, which were agreed by the Steering Group, membership of which included the then Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the SEAI and Local Authority representation, prior to the commencement of this modelling exercise.
571. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of Secretaries General in his Department; the annual pay of each Secretary General within his Department at 1 Jan 2017; the expected change in that pay as a consequence of the provisions of the Lansdowne Road agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2904/17]
View answer572. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of assistant secretaries general in his Department; the annual pay of each assistant secretary general within his Department at 1 January 2017; the expected change in that pay as a consequence of the provisions of the Lansdowne Road agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2920/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 571 and 572 together.
The current gross salary of the secretary general of my Department is €176,350 per annum.
There are currently four assistant secretaries employed in my Department (there is currently one vacancy at this level). Two are earning a gross annual salary of €119,572 each, one earns €125,761 and the remaining assistant secretary earns €136,496.
Under the provisions of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2015 (FEMPI Act 2015), for those on salaries in excess of €110,000 the salary reductions imposed under the FEMPI Act 2013 will be restored in three equal phases on 1 April 2017, 1 April 2018 and 1 April 2019. A circular setting out the revised salary rates applicable from 1 April 2017 to general Civil Service grades, including Secretaries General and Assistant Secretaries General, is currently in preparation and will be issued by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in due course.
573. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the progress Eir has made on meeting commercial milestones specifically in relation to commitments to the blue areas of the national broadband plan map. [3123/17]
View answerThe National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to deliver high speed broadband services to every city, town, village and individual premises in Ireland. The Programme for Government commits to the delivery of the NBP as a matter of priority. This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment by the telecommunications sector and a State Intervention in those areas where commercial investment has not been fully demonstrated. A key principle of the NBP is to support and stimulate commercial investment in Broadband through policy and regulatory measures. Commercial investment since the publication of the NBP has considerably exceeded expectations. To date, the commercial telecommunications sector has invested over €2.5bn in upgrading and modernising networks which support the provision of high speed broadband and mobile telecoms services.
Currently, approximately 1.4m premises in the Blue area in Ireland can get high speed broadband from commercial service providers including eir and investment by the telecoms sector is continuing to expand this footprint. The breakdown of planned coverage of premises per townland is available on the High Speed Broadband Map at www.broadband.gov.ie.
The rollout of High Speed Broadband services in the Blue area by commercial operators including eir is being kept under ongoing review by my Department to ensure that all premises can get access to services, either through commercial investment or the State intervention. In this regard my Department continues to liaise closely with industry and relevant other Departments and Agencies to assist in the commercial deployment of telecommunications networks. The Department will also shortly update the High Speed Broadband map and finalise the intervention area for bidders, taking into account any industry investments that have not materialized and potential other new investments.
A formal procurement process is now in train to select a company or companies who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network within the State Intervention Area. The procurement process is being intensively managed, to ensure an outcome that delivers a future-proofed network that serves homes and businesses across Ireland, for at least 25 years. Intensive dialogue with bidders is continuing and the three bidders have indicated that they are proposing a predominantly fibre-to-the-home solution. This provides for a future proofed solution for the 25 years of the contract and beyond. A fibre-to-the-home solution means that householders and businesses may get speeds not just of 30 Megabits per second but much higher, potentially up to 1000 Megabits per second.
As part of the competitive process, the Department will engage with winning bidder(s) on the best rollout strategy, in order to target areas of particularly poor service, business needs and/or high demand. This will need to be balanced with the most efficient network rollout plan. A prioritisation programme will be put in place in this regard, in consultation with the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. A detailed rollout plan for the network will be published once contract(s) are in place.
The Programme for Government also commits to measures to assist in the rollout of the network once a contract is awarded. In this regard, Minister Humphreys is leading on the establishment of two regional action groups, working with Local Authorities, Local Enterprise Offices and other relevant agencies to help accelerate the broadband network build in rural Ireland, once a contract(s) has been awarded.
In a further positive initiative, last July, I established a Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce with my colleague Minister Humphreys to address immediate issues in relation to the quality of mobile phone and broadband coverage. The Taskforce report is available at the following link:http://www.dccae.gov.ie/communications/en-ie/Pages/Publication/Report-of-the-Mobile-Phone-and-Broadband-Taskforce.aspx
I recently signed Regulations allowing ComReg to proceed with an early 2017 auction of the 3.6GHz radio spectrum band, to provide an 86% increase in total spectrum available for mobile and fixed wireless services. I have also secured €8m for RTE which will allow it to free up the 700MHz spectrum band, to provide enhanced mobile services.
These investments should assist in significantly improving the coverage and quality of broadband and mobile voice and data services throughout the country.
574. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has been communicated to by Eir on whether it is endeavouring to have the universal service obligations softened particularly in respect to the true cost of phone line installation at a nominal cost. [3124/17]
View answerMy Department is in ongoing dialogue with operators on a variety of policy and regulatory issues. The provision of fixed line electronic communications networks connections and broadband services to users is undertaken on a commercial basis by electronic communications networks and services providers.
The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), the independent market regulator which is statutorily independent in the exercise of its functions, has imposed a universal service obligation on Eir, which, among other things, obliges it to provide landline connections at a standard connection charge across the country unless the costs incurred in any individual case exceeds a certain amount.
In light of the statutory independence of Comreg as the independent market regulator, it would not be appropriate for me to make any further comment on this matter.
575. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the details of his discussion with Bord na Móna with regard to its new acquisition in Liverpool; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3159/17]
View answer576. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he sought any assurances from Bord na Móna with reference to job security for workers in its Kilberry plant, Athy, County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3160/17]
View answer577. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the assurances he will provide that the existing jobs in the Bord na Móna Kilberry Plant, Athy, County Kildare will not be impacted by the new acquisition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3161/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 575 to 577, inclusive, together.
Bord na Móna is a commercial State company operating under the Turf Development Acts 1946 to 1998. While the matter raised by the Deputy, regarding assurances of existing jobs, is an operational one for the management team at Bord na Móna and not one in which I, as Minister, have any direct function, it is a matter of concern for me.
Consent to this acquisition followed thorough analysis by Bord na Móna in the first instance, NewERA, as Ministerial commercial and financial advisors, and my Departmental officials. The acquisition in question forms part of the Bord na Móna strategy to secure its long-term future by moving away from peat production for energy use. It also allows the company to continue to support the horticulture business here in Ireland and to maintain a strong presence in the UK market. As part of the consent process on my part, and on the part of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform , Bord na Móna provided assurances with regard to staff engagement and the minimisation of potential redundancies within the company.
578. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the plans and initiatives being put in place to measure and monitor air emissions and pollutants as required under a forthcoming EU directive (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3175/17]
View answer579. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the details of any additional funding being provided to the Environmental Protection Agency to enable it to measure and monitor air emissions and pollutants in order to ensure Ireland meets commitments set out in the revised Gothenburg protocol which a new directive (details supplied) incorporates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3176/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 578 and 579 together.
The final transposition date for the recently introduced National Emissions Ceiling Directive (Directive EU 2016/2284) is 1 July 2018. The Directive is a key element of the EU's Clean Air Package, which aims to reduce air pollution and improve air quality across Europe.
My Department is undertaking a number of policy initiatives in anticipation of the Directive coming into force and to address concerns about the impacts of air pollution on human health and the environment.
I expect to launch a consultation paper on Ireland's first ever National Clean Air Strategy in the coming weeks, with a view to having the strategy in place by the end of the year. The strategy will set a progressive vision for managing and improving Ireland’s air quality and will seek to integrate a range of considerations into future policy on air quality. The development of the strategy is especially timely, in the context of the EU's Clean Air Package, as it will act as a policy framework for the implementation of the provisions of the package in Ireland. It will also complement and add value to it, by having a particular focus on national priority areas not addressed by EU legislation. This process necessarily involves discussion and consultation with a wide number of stakeholders, including the European Commission, relevant Departments and agencies of Government, the residential fuel industry, and the general public. Discussions on issues that may arise in connection with the strategy have already commenced with some of these stakeholders.
In addition, the EPA has commenced preparation of a draft national ambient air monitoring programme under section 65 of the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992 (as amended), which will provide the basis and options for the continued development and expansion of the national ambient air monitoring network, including providing the data necessary to inform funding decisions. The development of the national ambient air monitoring programme will include a review of the adequacy of the current network for both determining compliance with European and national standards for air quality and for the provision of information to the public about local air quality. A stakeholder consultation on this process was recently completed, and my officials look forward to further engagement with the agency on this important initiative over the coming year.
580. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will request a baseline air quality study to be carried out in Dublin city before the Poolbeg incinerator is fully operational in view of the fact the initial study was completed in 2005 and therefore may not be an accurate baseline measure for future air quality monitoring; if the operators of the incinerator will be required to use the initial baseline measurement when measuring emissions as set out in the EPA licence for the operation of the incinerator in the event that an up to date study is not completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3177/17]
View answerI understand that the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Dublin Waste to Energy plant, which included an air quality baseline survey, accompanied the Planning Application to An Bord Pleanala and the Waste Licence Application to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Under the relevant legislation, matters pertaining to planning do not fall under the remit of the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment.
Furthermore, conditions and enforcement of conditions attached to the Dublin Waste to Energy licence are a matter for the licensing authority, the Environmental Protection Agency. As Minister, I am precluded by legislation from exercising powers in relation to the performance in particular circumstances by the Agency of a function conferred on the Agency under legislation and I have no role in this regard.
Accordingly, questions regarding the Environmental Impact Statement for the Dublin Waste to Energy plant should be directed to the appropriate authority.
