Written Answers Nos. 239-249
239. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the State agencies and bodies under the remit of his Department; the location of each such body by county; and the number of full and part-time persons employed in each such body. [18227/19]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. While the location of the Head Office of each body has been provided, it should be noted that some boards also have regional offices.
State Bodies and Staff Numbers April 2019
|
State Agency |
Location (Head Office) |
Full Time Staff |
Part Time Staff |
|
Raidio Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) |
Dublin |
1585 |
125 |
|
Teilifís na Gaeilge (TG4) |
Galway |
79 |
14 |
|
Electricity Supply Board (ESB) |
Dublin |
6096 |
400 |
|
An Post |
Dublin |
7102 |
1340 |
|
Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) |
Dublin |
89 |
5 |
|
Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) |
Dublin |
92 |
10 |
|
Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) |
Dublin |
115 |
16 |
|
Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) |
Dublin |
35 |
7 |
|
Eirgrid |
Irish Office: Dublin System Operator for Northern Ireland (SONI): Antrim (Northern Ireland) |
373 (Ireland) 131 (NI) |
6 (Ireland) 5 (NI) |
|
Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA) |
Dublin |
10 |
0 |
|
Loughs Agency |
Derry (Northern Ireland) |
44 |
4 |
|
National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA) |
Dublin |
6 |
0 |
|
Irish National Petroleum Corporation (INPC) |
Dublin |
0 |
0 |
|
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |
Wexford |
404 |
25 |
|
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) |
Dublin |
293 |
10 |
|
Bord na Móna |
Kildare |
1350 |
43 |
240. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when the tender process for the national broadband plan will be finalised; if his attention has been drawn to the ongoing concerns nationally about the inadequate broadband telecommunications service available at present (details supplied); the timescale for the delivery of high speed broadband infrastructure to each county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18302/19]
View answerThe National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure high speed broadband access to all premises in Ireland, regardless of location. This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment and a State led intervention.
The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector. In 2012, less than 700,000, or 30% of all 2.4 million Irish premises had access to high speed broadband. Today, 74% of premises can access high speed broadband.
The procurement process to appoint a bidder for the State intervention network is now at the final stage. I will bring a recommendation to Government shortly. In the event a contract is awarded, my Department will engage with the bidder on the most appropriate deployment across each county which will enable premises in the intervention area to gain access to a high speed broadband service.
For those premises currently awaiting access to high speed broadband, practical initiatives will continue to be addressed through the work of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce to address obstacles and improve connectivity in respect of existing and future mobile phone and broadband services.
Under this Taskforce, engagement between telecommunications operators and local authorities through Local Authority Broadband Officers is continuing. These Broadband Officers are acting as single points of contact in local authorities for their communities. The appointment of these officers is already reaping rewards in terms of ensuring a much greater degree of consistency in engagements.
241. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the roll-out of broadband in south County Kildare; and the progress of the national broadband plan. [18303/19]
View answerThe National Broadband Plan aims to ensure that every home, school and business in Ireland has access to high speed broadband. This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment across the country, and a State intervention in those areas where commercial operators acting alone are unlikely to invest.
According to my Department’s High Speed Broadband Map, 30,856 or 79% of premises in the constituency of South Kildare now have access to high speed broadband. This represents an increase of 13 percentage points since April 2017, when eir began its deployment of high speed broadband to some 300,000 rural premises. This deployment will deliver access to a high speed broadband service to a further 1%, or 400 premises. The remaining 7,811, or 20%, of homes, schools and businesses in Kildare South will be connected under the Government’s National Broadband Plan State Intervention.
In April 2017 my Department published an updated High Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. This map shows the areas targeted by commercial operators to provide high speed broadband services and the areas that will be included in the State Intervention Area under the National Broadband Plan. The Map is colour coded and searchable by address or Eircode.
The procurement process to appoint a bidder for the State intervention network is now at the final stage. I will bring a recommendation to Government as soon as possible.
For those premises currently awaiting access to high speed broadband, practical initiatives will continue to be addressed through the work of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce to address obstacles and improve connectivity in respect of existing and future mobile phone and broadband services.
Under this Taskforce, engagement between telecommunications operators and local authorities through Local Authority Broadband Officers is continuing. These Broadband Officers are acting as single points of contact in local authorities for their communities. The appointment of these officers is already reaping rewards in terms of ensuring a much greater degree of consistency in engagements.
242. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of persons employed at each level of the Civil Service, from Secretary General to cleaner, each year since 2016; the number of those at each level who are female in each year since 2016, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18346/19]
View answerThe information requested is currently being compiled. I will forward this information to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
243. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the overcrowding on commuter trains in the Blanchardstown, Ongar and Castleknock areas; his plans to improve the capacity and quality of commuter trains and of public transport more generally for the area and the wider west Dublin area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18152/19]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding of public transport. The operation of the heavy rail network and for assessing rolling stock requirements for the network are a matter for Iarnród Éireann in conjunction with the National Transport Authority (NTA) which also has statutory responsibility for the development and implementation of public transport in the Greater Dublin Area.
Noting the responsibility of the agencies, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply on the specific issues raised. Please advise my office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
244. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason train carriages have been removed from service on commuter trains between west Dublin and the city centre; his plans to return to service carriages that were removed after the financial crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18153/19]
View answerThe issue raised is an operational matter for Iarnród Éireann and I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
245. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of a driver test for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18155/19]
View answerThe driving test service is run by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and my Department has no input into the scheduling of appointments.
The current wait time at the Killarney test centre is 8.9 weeks. This is lower that the Authority's target for a national average waiting time of no longer than 10 weeks.
The Authority provides a facility where driving test cancellations are made available to applicants who may need an urgent appointment. The applicant should contact the Authority directly and request that they be placed on the cancellation list. In order to be fair to all applicants, cancellation places will be assigned in order of the date of placement on the list. If an applicant requires a driving test urgently for employment or emigration purposes, the Authority will make every effort to accommodate them.
246. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the percentage of State funding for sporting activities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18215/19]
View answerThe total budget allocated for sport in my Department's Vote is set out in the Revised Estimates for 2019.
The total allocation for my Department in 2019 is €2.343 billion. The total amount allocated under Programme D - Sports and Recreation Services is - €125.362 million, which is made up of €63.874 million in current funding and €61.488 million in capital funding. The 2019 budget for sport represents 5% of my Department's total allocation. This is an increase of €11 million on the budget for 2018.
247. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the national governing bodies that have received funding through Sport Ireland that have complied with the governance code to date. [18216/19]
View answerThe governance of National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs) is a matter for the NGBs themselves and Sport Ireland as the statutory body with responsibility for governance oversight of NGBs.
All sporting bodies in receipt of public funding must work towards compliance with the Governance Code for the Community, Voluntary and Charity Sector. The Government’s National Sports Policy 2018-2027 recognises the importance of good governance for the effective and efficient running of sport and it includes an action that Sport Ireland will oversee a process to have all NGBs and Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) adopt the Governance Code by the end of 2021. My Department and Sport Ireland have underlined that future funding for NGBs and LSPs will be conditional on compliance with the Governance Code.
I have referred the Deputy's question to Sport Ireland for direct reply in relation to progress made by supported sporting bodies in implementing the Governance Code for the Community, Voluntary and Charity Sector. I would ask the Deputy to inform my office if a reply is not received within 10 days.
248. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the State agencies and bodies under the remit of his Department; the location of each such body by county; and the number of full and part-time persons employed in each such body. [18239/19]
View answerA list of agencies under the remit of my Department is set out as follows. Further contact information can be found at the following link. http://www.dttas.ie/corporate.
|
Commercial Bodies |
|
Body |
|
CIÉ |
|
Bus Átha Cliath |
|
Bus Éireann |
|
Iarnród Éireann |
|
daa plc |
|
Irish Aviation Authority |
|
Shannon Group |
|
Dublin Port Company |
|
Galway Harbour Company |
|
New Ross Port Company |
|
Port of Cork Company |
|
Port of Waterford Company |
|
Shannon Foynes Port Company |
|
Non-Commercial Bodies
|
|
Body |
|
Commission for Aviation Regulation |
|
Fáilte Ireland |
|
Sport Ireland |
|
Medical Bureau of Road Safety |
|
National Transport Authority |
|
Commission for Railway Regulation |
|
Road Safety Authority |
|
Tourism Ireland |
|
Transport Infrastructure Ireland |
|
Marine Casualty Investigation Board |
|
Commissioners of Irish Lights |
|
Advisory Boards |
|
Body |
|
Taxi Advisory Committee to NTA |
|
Railway Safety Advisory Board |
The location and the current number of staff is a matter for each agency. Your query will be forwarded to the agencies for direct reply to you. If you do not receive a reply within 10 working days please contact my private office.
249. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when a decision will be made on applications to the large-scale sport infrastructure fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18281/19]
View answerThe Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund opened for applications on 19th November 2018. The closing date for receipt of applications was yesterday (17th April) at 5pm.
A significant number of applications were received by the deadline from National Governing Bodies of Sport and from local authorities. My officials are undertaking an initial assessment of the applications and details will be published on my Department's website as soon as possible.
I am advised that assessing all applications will take at least six months. I expect that allocations will be announced before the end of the year.
