Written Answers Nos. 745-758
745. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps he is taking to ensure that Ireland's views on the European emissions trading scheme are represented in EU level negotiations on this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11401/17]
View answer746. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if representatives from his Department are in attendance at the European Environmental Council discussion of the ETS scheme. [11402/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 745 and 746 together.
The Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is one of the main policies of the European Union to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in a cost-effective manner. Emissions Trading is a "cap and trade" scheme, whereby an EU wide cap or limit is set for participating installations. This cap is reduced over time so that total emissions are reduced. Within this cap, "allowances" for emissions are auctioned or allocated for free. Individual installations must report on their emissions on an annual basis and surrender sufficient allowances to cover their emissions, purchasing additional allowances if necessary. The ETS includes 11,000 installations (98 in Ireland) and accounts for roughly 45% of EU emissions (25% of Irish emissions). The ETS was launched in 2005 and is currently in its third phase, covering the period 2013 to 2020. Negotiations are currently under way regarding the design of the ETS for the post-2020 (Phase IV) period. On the basis of European Commission proposals, Member States in the Council, including Ireland, have been engaged in negotiations to ensure that the reformed ETS is able to meet its GHG reduction objectives in a cost-effective manner. At a meeting of the Environment Council on 28 February, which I attended, agreement was reached on a general approach on the revised ETS proposal, a position Ireland was able to support. This will now enable the Council to begin negotiations with the European Parliament on the proposal. It is currently anticipated that this process will reach a conclusion later this year.
747. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps he is taking to ensure that Ireland's views on the European non ETS carbon emission scheme are represented in EU level negotiations on this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11403/17]
View answerThe Paris Agreement, which entered into force in November 2016, aims to limit global average temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with an ambition of 1.5 degrees Celsius. The Agreement is designed to meet this objective through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted by all parties to the agreement. In this regard, the European Union submitted an NDC committing to a reduction of at least 40% in EU-wide emissions by 2030 compared with 1990 levels, which will be met through reductions of 43% in the Emission Trading System (ETS) and 30% in the non-ETS sector compared with 2005 levels. A proposal on the non-ETS targets for individual Member States, the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR), was published by the European Commission in July 2016. Targets have been proposed for Member States based on GDP per capita and the cost-effectiveness of domestic emissions reductions within individual Member States.
In the case of Ireland a target of 39% has been proposed, which has been adjusted downwards to 30% to reflect cost-effectiveness of measures within the Irish economy. The European Commission proposals are the subject of ongoing negotiations in the Council of Ministers and in the European Parliament. The outcome of these negotiations will determine Ireland’s contribution to the overall EU 2030 effort. It is, nevertheless, already clear that meeting the proposed targets for Ireland will present an enormous challenge, requiring very substantial public and private investment in addition to a board suite of non-financial policy interventions.
I will shortly be publishing a draft of Ireland’s first National Mitigation Plan for public consultation which will set out a series of options for additional measures towards meeting the proposed targets for Ireland for 2030 as well as to put Ireland on a pathway towards transitioning to a low carbon, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable economy by 2050.
748. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the amount his Department spent on public relations consultants and all matters relating to public relations costs in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11425/17]
View answerMy Departmental remit includes complex policy areas, oversight of State regulation and service provision across key strategic services such as energy and public broadcasting, and regulation of sectors such as mining and hydrocarbon exploration. Given the technical complexity, economic significance and community interest in these areas, there is a requirement to disseminate information and to address specific issues as they arise. The Department therefore necessarily incurs some expenditure on public relations from time to time. In procuring these services, my Department always seeks to ensure value for money and the keeping of expenditure to the minimum necessary.
My Department's spend on public relations consultancy in 2016 was €44,460.
749. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if the roll-out of high speed broadband under the rural broadband scheme will include a village (details supplied) in County Mayo; the timeframe for the upgrading of broadband lines in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11449/17]
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 €2.5 bn in upgrading and modernising networks which support the provision of high speed broadband and mobile telecoms services.
There has been significant progress in relation to broadband rollout so that today, approximately 1.4m or 61% of premises in Ireland can get high speed broadband of a minimum of 30 Megabits per second. The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector, which 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 maps shows that 100% of the townland of Srah, including Shraigh, and 64% of the townland of Bunnahowen falls within the AMBER area and will therefore be included in the State intervention procurement process. The remaining 36% of the townland of Bunnahowen is included in the BLUE area where commercial providers are either currently delivering or previously indicated that they have plans to deliver high speed broadband services.
Individuals can check whether their premises are in a BLUE or an AMBER area by accessing the High Speed Broadband Map and entering their Eircode. Individuals can also check whether their area is in a BLUE or AMBER area by accessing the county and townland information at http://www.dccae.gov.ie/communications/en-ie/Broadband/Pages/County-and-Townland-Maps.aspx.
A formal procurement process is in train to select a company or companies who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network within the State Intervention Area. My Department will shortly update the High Speed Broadband map to finalise the Intervention Area for the Procurement process, taking into account industry investments that have not materialised in Blue areas, together with new industry investments within the proposed State Intervention Area, along with concrete and credible commitments by industry for further new investments within the 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, I and Minister Humphreys established a Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce in July 2016. The findings of this Taskforce recommends practical actions that can be taken to remove barriers to and improve mobile phone and broadband access in Ireland. 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.
Minister Humphreys has established two regional action groups, working with Local Authorities, Local Enterprise Offices and other relevant agencies to unlock barriers to investment in mobile and broadband services. Since July, there has been significant progress made in discussions with the key stakeholders including local authority management representation, Government Departments and State agencies, as well as interaction with ComReg and telecoms operators.
I have 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 €8 million 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 including County Mayo.
750. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the date by which he anticipates the renewable heat incentive scheme will be opened; if he has considered grandfathering in existing installations that meet the terms of the RHI scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11496/17]
View answerThe introduction of a Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is a commitment in the Programme for Government and Energy White Paper, and will be the primary support mechanism in the heating sector designed to meet Ireland’s renewable energy obligations. During 2016, my Department undertook a detailed economic assessment on the design and cost of the RHI for heat users the industrial and commercial sector. This assessment included a range of renewable energy technologies and focused on the approximately 3,000 large commercial and industrial heat users in the non-Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) in Ireland.
In order to support on-going investment in the renewable heating sector, my Department is seeking clearance from the European Commission that RHI support can apply to RHI applicants who meet the criteria of the scheme and were completed and first commissioned between the Government announcement on the RHI in July 2014 and the start date of the RHI.
If permission is granted for this grandfathering decision by the European Commission the successful applicants will be eligible to apply for support but will have to meet all the terms and condition of the new scheme. A final decision on grandfathering will form part of the state aid clearance notification for the RHI Scheme.
The public consultation on the design and implementation of the new RHI scheme was conducted on the Department’s website recently, and I am encouraged by the large number of submissions received to this consultation. The information provided will help to inform the final design of the new scheme.
Before the RHI scheme is introduced, the overall costs and technologies to be supported will be subject to Government approval and State aid clearance from the European Commission. It is expected that the RHI will be open for applications before the end of the year.
751. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the level of construction inflation that has been experienced by his Department in each of the past six years and to date in 2017 in respect of construction projects and other capital projects; the way in which he monitors construction inflation and the mechanisms he employs to establish this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11532/17]
View answerMy Department does not engage directly in any construction projects and accordingly does not directly monitor construction inflation. In relation to other types of capital expenditure, all projects operate within agreed budgets and must adhere to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s Public Spending Code. All procurements for capital projects in my Department must comply with National and EU procurement rules.
752. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to the derogation that has been given to mobile phone operators which allows them to preclude data costs from the EU roaming directives; his views on whether this is against the spirit and intention of the proposal; if he has had any discussions with ComReg on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11722/17]
View answerEU "Roam Like at Home" (RLAH) will give Irish and EU consumers the ability to use their mobile devices, within other EU countries, at domestic rates, subject to Fair Use Policy, from 15 June 2017. Throughout negotiations at EU level on this initiative, Ireland has been fully supportive of the Roam Like at Home principle, and, in particular, the importance of obtaining a sustainable agreement for business and consumers alike. I would expect all mobile operators to be fully compliant with Irish EU legislation, including RLAH from 15 June 2017.
The Irish Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg, is the competent statutorily independent regulatory authority for Telecoms and as such will be the authority which will regulate the Roam Like At Home regime in Ireland from 15 June 2017. ComReg has informed me that it has not issued any derogations in the manner referred to by the Deputy nor do they have the power to do so under existing legislation. The new EU rules clearly cover data services, along with voice and SMS. There is no exemption for the data services, only exceptional limits in cases of unlimited or very competitive offers.
It would be inappropriate for me to comment any further on matters which are independently regulated by ComReg. ComReg will have a role in scrutinising all existing and new mobile market offerings to ensure full legal and regulatory compliance.
753. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has had contact with ComReg regarding the decision by some mobile phone companies not to make available to their customers all the benefits that should accrue with the new EU roaming charges regime with effect from June 2017, with particular reference to data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11723/17]
View answer754. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will raise at the EU Council of Ministers the need for all mobile phone companies to provide to all their customers all the benefits that should accrue from the new roaming charges regime with effect from June 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11724/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 753 and 754 together.
EU "Roam Like at Home" (RLAH) will give Irish and EU consumers the ability to use their mobile devices, within other EU countries, at domestic rates, subject to Fair Use Policy, from 15 June 2017.
Throughout negotiations at EU level on this initiative, including at the EU Council of Ministers, Ireland has been fully supportive of the Roam Like at Home principle, and, in particular, the importance of obtaining a sustainable agreement for business and consumers alike.
The new EU rules clearly cover data services, along voice and SMS. There is no exemption for the data services, only exceptional limits in case of unlimited or very competitive offers.
I would expect all mobile operators to be fully compliant with Irish and EU legislation, including RLAH from 15 June 2017. The European Commission is currently collaborating with National Regulatory Authorities to provide detailed guidance on how Roam Like at Home (RLAH) can be introduced at retail level and is also working closely with consumer organisations across the EU (BEUC). I have every faith in this process.
The Irish Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg, is the competent statutorily independent regulatory authority for Telecoms and as such will be the authority which will regulate the Roam Like At Home regime in Ireland from 15 June 2017. ComReg will have a role in scrutinising all existing and new mobile market offerings to ensure full legal and regulatory compliance.
As ComReg are statutorily independent in the exercise of its functions, I have no authority to intervene in those functions.
755. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the action local authorities can take when companies (details supplied) leave redundant telecoms boxes in villages and towns such as Athy and in which the local authority cannot get in touch with them due to change of ownership of the company. [11772/17]
View answerI have no role or function in the matter raised by the Deputy. The provision of telecoms boxes is a decision for private operators and as such I have no function in this area. Ordinarily those operators pay for the removal of telecoms boxes which are no longer in use.
The issue raised is one for the relevant independent local authority that examines such matters on a case by case basis. Accordingly I would encourage the Deputy to bring this matter directly to its attention.
756. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the skills of the implementation of a motion that was passed by Dáil Éireann regarding the North-South interconnector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11930/17]
View answerOn 21 December 2016 An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission for the North-South Interconnector project in Ireland. The decision concluded a lengthy planning process which included an Oral Hearing completed over eleven weeks from March to May last year. The planning process in Northern Ireland is ongoing, with the planning inquiry concluding on 27 February 2017. The North-South Interconnector is important to the efficient operation of the Single Electricity Market and the increased security of electricity supply across the island of Ireland.
I am well aware of views that have been raised by communities across Cavan, Meath and Monaghan that the transmission lines should be laid underground, rather than built overhead. However, all evidence available to me indicates that developing the project underground would cost substantially more and deliver less. In particular I would highlight the Independent Expert Commission report of 2012 that estimated the cost of building the project underground would be three times the cost of the overhead solution.
In light of the motions passed by Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann, I have requested officials in my Department to prepare a proposal for an updated independent report that would consider any changes in cost and technology in the five years since the 2012 report by the Independent Expert Commission. I intend that such a report would be completed this year in advance of the scheduled commencement of construction of the North-South Interconnector in 2018.
I would like to reemphasise the Government's continued strong support for this project.
757. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he or his officials have discussed the impact of Brexit on Ireland's energy security with his UK and EU counterparts. [11971/17]
View answer758. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if there have been meetings between his Department's energy policy division and their EU and UK counterparts regarding the impact of Brexit on Ireland's energy supply. [11972/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 757 and 758 together.
As the Deputy is aware the EU has stated that there will be no negotiation without Article 50 notification. However, Ministers and officials, across Government Departments, take every opportunity to discuss the potential impacts of Brexit with our EU and UK colleagues. I have previously outlined meetings in relation to my own Department in answers to Parliamentary Question No. 275, answered on 19 January 2017, and Parliamentary Questions Nos. 40 and 45, answered on 6 December 2016.
More recently, I have attended two EU Council meetings - the Energy Council on 27 February and the Environment Council on 28 February. I used this opportunity to hold further bilateral discussions on the potential impacts of Brexit on the Irish and European energy sectors with the UK Under-Secretary of State for Industry and Energy, Mr Jesse Norman and the Belgian Minister of Energy, Environment, and Sustainable Development, Ms Marie-Christine Marghem.
In addition, officials from my Department have discussed the potential impacts of Brexit on the Irish energy sector with their EU and UK counterparts. This includes meetings with the European Commission task force and officials from the UK's Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. At these meetings, my officials have presented on Ireland's key Brexit priorities in relation to the energy sector.
These priorities were also presented at the recent All-Island Brexit Civic Dialogue on Energy held on 6 February in Boyle County Roscommon. The provided an opportunity for business, civic and political representatives to discuss and provide feedback on the priorities identified. I am arranging to have a copy of that presentation to be made available on my Department's website.
