Written Answers Nos. 759-772
759. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the expenditure from the overseas development aid budget on the green climate fund from 2014 to 2016, inclusive; if any of the expenditure announced in budget 2017 will go towards the green climate fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12001/17]
View answerIn line with a commitment in the Programme for Partnership Government, and a pledge given by the Taoiseach to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to scale up climate finance, my Department made an initial contribution of €2 million to the Green Climate Fund in 2016. The Government has also committed to building up its support to the Green Climate Fund in the coming years. This contribution forms part of Ireland’s wider commitment to the Paris Climate Change Conference in November 2015 to provide least €175 million in public funding on climate action between 2016 and 2020.
In addition to the Green Climate Fund, Ireland’s public funding for climate action also includes on-going support for mitigation and adaptation action in developing countries, mainly through bilateral assistance to Ireland’s key partner countries in sub-Saharan Africa and also through funding for the Least Developed Countries Fund, both of which are supported through the Official Development Assistance budget, managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
760. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will provide a detailed breakdown and report of the areas of expenditure of the energy efficiency fund since 2014; the audit measures in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12007/17]
View answerThe Energy Efficiency Fund (EFF) is a commercial fund, established in 2014, to provide specialist financial expertise and appropriately structured funding for large scale energy efficiency projects in the private and public sectors. A sum of €35m in seed capital was provided by the Government with a view to the establishment of a leveraged fund of €70m. That target has been exceeded with commitments by private sector institutional investors bringing the fund to its present total of €78.8m. The Government remains a minority shareholder.
As a commercial, regulated, entity the fund is subject to full regulatory scrutiny by the Central Bank. The fund is authorised and regulated by the Central Bank as a qualifying investor fund (“QIF”) in accordance with the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (Directive 2011/61/EU) (“AIFMD”). The governance framework for the Government's capital commitment was established by the European Union (Energy Efficiency Obligation) Regulations, Statutory Instrument (SI) 131 of 2014.
The EEF is managed by Sustainable Development Capital LLP (SDCL) following a tender process carried out in 2013. SDCL also has investments in energy efficiency projects in the UK, the United States, Hong Kong and Singapore. To date €3,190,800 of the Government capital commitment has been drawn down. Three projects have been completed to date in the retail, hospitality and social housing sectors. A pipeline of projects is being progressed across sectors such as financial services, communications and healthcare.
The last full audit of Ireland Energy Efficiency Investments plc conducted by KPMG was for the year ended 31 March 2016. In this audit, KPMG gave an unqualified audit opinion and noted that the financial statements had been properly prepared in keeping with the International Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the European Union and complied with the requirements of the Companies Act 2014. Should the Deputy wish I am happy to furnish him with a copy of these accounts.
761. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to upgrade the broadband telecommunications infrastructure in an area (details supplied); if the requests of local residents and local businesses to have an adequate and modern broadband service provided in that area without further delay will be given consideration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12033/17]
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.
There has been significant progress in relation to broadband roll-out 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 9% of the townland of Doohamlat, Co Monaghan falls within the AMBER area and will therefore be included in the State intervention procurement process. The remaining 91% of Doohamlat 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 is 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 1,000 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 from contract award to roll out 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 roll-out 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 roll-out 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 roll-out 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 roll-out 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 €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 including County Monaghan.
762. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the estimated cost to re-establish CERT; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11556/17]
View answerThere are no plans to establish a dedicated training organisation for the tourism and hospitality sector. I am not aware of any estimate having been conducted as to the cost of establishing such a body. In line with provision for other sectors, education and training for this sector is primarily funded and delivered through the higher, further education, and training bodies namely the Institutes of Technology and the Education and Training Boards with complementary training and business supports provided by Fáilte Ireland.
763. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the work his Department has carried out to date regarding the investment of €10 million in regional airports, in particular Waterford Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11708/17]
View answerThe Programme for Government commitment is to provide an additional €10 million over the lifetime of the Capital Plan to support the four regional airports which of course includes Waterford Airport, along with the airports in Donegal, Ireland West Airport Knock and Kerry. This commitment, together with other Programme for Government commitments of a capital nature, is currently part of the mid-term review of the Capital Plan which was commenced in January and my Department will make a submission to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform shortly.
764. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has considered installing hydrogen refuelling stations for vehicles. [11973/17]
View answerOver the coming years, a transition to alternatively-fuelled vehicles will be required to effect a substantial reduction in Ireland's overall transport emissions. My Department recently developed a draft national policy framework for alternative fuels infrastructure - in line with the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive (2014/94/EU) - and carried out a public consultation from 27 October to 23 November 2016 on this draft framework to support the deployment of alternative fuels in Ireland. Following consideration of submissions received from the consultation process, I expect to finalise and publish the National Policy Framework in the coming weeks. As the draft Framework indicates, there is no hydrogen refuelling infrastructure in operation in Ireland with few commercial organisations capable of constructing or bearing the cost of a stand-alone hydrogen project. Coupled with the lack of right-hand drive hydrogen vehicles currently available for use on the Irish market, the rate of infrastructure development is expected to remain low. There are no immediate plans to establish a hydrogen refuelling network. Hydrogen is not expected to deliver mass-market uptake before 2030 as the costs of the refuelling infrastructure and associated vehicles are likely to remain prohibitive until the middle of the next decade. Consequently, the cost of the infrastructure is greatly disproportionate to current demand.
However, the feasibility of establishing a hydrogen refuelling network will be regularly assessed to take account of changes in technological development and market uptake.
The Deputy will also be aware that work is very advanced on the development of the National Climate Change Mitigation Plan which is being prepared by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (DCCAE), working in close co-operation with other Departments including my own and the Department of Agriculture. Transport has an important role to play in helping to achieve our national emission and decarbonisation targets. The mitigation measures under consideration for transport will be wide-ranging and the movement to alternative fuels will form part of this plan. The draft Mitigation Plan will be available for extensive public consultation shortly before it is finalised and put to Government for approval.
765. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans, in conjunction with the NTA, to deliver on action points 251 to 254, inclusive, of the Action Plan for Rural Development to work with rural communities to assess and implement improvements to existing rural transport routes and develop new rural transport routes as necessary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11706/17]
View answerAs I advised the Deputy in response to her question of 31 January 2017, Question No. 698, my Department provides funding for the Rural Transport Programme (RTP) to the National Transport Authority (NTA) which has national responsibility for integrated local and rural transport, including management of the RTP.
The review of public transport policy, including the rural transport dimension to ensure it meets the needs of rural communities, under action no. 251 of the Action Plan will be initiated shortly by my Department and will be conducted in consultation with the NTA and other key stakeholders.
Actions nos. 252 to 254 of the Action Plan fall to the NTA to implement, given its responsibility for management of the RTP, and I have referred this aspect of your question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.
The referred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
766. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the proposed M20 Cork to Limerick motorway; his views on whether it is a critical piece of infrastructure for the region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11207/17]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The planning, design and implementation of individual national road projects is a matter for the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. As I have indicated previously, I have agreed that TII can proceed with some early activities related to restarting planning for the upgrade of the Cork to Limerick link. As Minister I have to work within the capital budgets available to my Department and in this context additional funding will be needed if the project is to be progressed further.
I will review the scope for advancing work on the Cork to Limerick link once the planned Review of the Capital Plan is completed.
767. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if funding will be provided for replacement warning signage on regional roads in County Galway in 2017; if so, when this funding is likely to be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11224/17]
View answerThe improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of the local authority (in this case Galway County Council), in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from the local authority's own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority. I announced the 2017 regional and local road grant allocations on 24 January and while there is no specific grant for signage, it is open to the Council to charge replacement warning signage to its Discretionary grant. Galway County Council was allocated €4,816,031 under this grant category in 2017.
768. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of an application by a group (details supplied) for a sports capital grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11229/17]
View answerI can confirm that an application has been submitted by the organisation referred to by the Deputy under the 2017 Sports Capital Programme. All of the 2320 applications received under the 2017 Sports Capital Programme will be assessed by officials in my Department over the coming months. An announcement regarding allocations will be made later this year.
769. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if funding will be provided in 2017 towards the provision of necessary road improvement works on a national route (details supplied). [11248/17]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The planning, design and implementation of individual national road projects is a matter for the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (formerly known as the NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Noting the above position, I have referred your question to TII for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within ten working days.
The referred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
770. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to recognise the driving licences of other EU countries; and his further plans to develop a system whereby holders of EU licences can be punished for driving offences here. [11321/17]
View answerI am pleased to advise the Deputy that there is already mutual recognition of driving licences across the EU, and a licence from another Member State can be exchanged for an Irish one if the holder takes up residence here. There is no cross-border mechanism at present for the mutual recognition of penalties for road traffic offences for such licence holders. However, the Road Traffic Act 2016 provides for mutual recognition of disqualified drivers between Ireland and the UK. I expect that actual recognition of driving disqualifications of UK residents and persons holding UK driving licences who have been disqualified here for relevant road traffic offences and vice versa will commence by June 2017. By that time all the necessary administrative arrangements including the necessary parliamentary procedures in the UK should be in place so that the consequences of relevant serious driving offences worthy of driving disqualification will follow the offender back to their own jurisdiction.
771. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has raised the status of the UK's future membership of the European Aviation Safety Agency with his UK and EU counterparts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11352/17]
View answerI am very concerned about the potential impacts of Brexit on Irish aviation and these concerns have been conveyed to the European Commission's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, and his team. The Department of the Taoiseach remains in constant contact with the Barnier team and will continue to engage with them on these and other Irish concerns. There will be no negotiations with the UK until Article 50 has been triggered. This includes any discussion with regard to the UK's future membership of the European Aviation Safety Agency. However, in preparing for those negotiations, all possible steps are being taken with the aim of ensuring that aviation will remain a top negotiation priority for Ireland.
772. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to implement a national concussion strategy; and if his attention has been drawn to publications (details supplied) that both state that such a strategy needs to be developed in view of the ever increasing number of concussion and concussive brain injuries which are associated with certain sports. [11416/17]
View answerI am aware of the recently published research on this matter and I fully recognise the seriousness of concussion and head injuries in sport and the importance of ensuring the safety of players. The Deputy should be aware that neither I nor Sport Ireland have a statutory role or remit with regard to monitoring or reviewing the safety standards in use by, or applicable to, National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs). It is the expectation, however, that NGBs would abide by existing legislation and have regard to guidance issued by relevant statutory agencies. The safety of all those involved in sport is of paramount importance, whether as participants, competitors, spectators, volunteers or workers. In that regard, the Deputy will be interested to note that various NGBs in Ireland such as the FAI, GAA and IRFU all have concussion and head injury guidelines in place for their sports, which stress the importance of ensuring the health and well-being of the players. I have asked Sport Ireland, the statutory body with responsibility for the promotion, development and co-ordination of sport, to reply directly to the Deputy with further information on the concussion and head injury guidelines in place by the NGBs. I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a reply is not received within ten days.
The referred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
