Written Answers Nos. 503-526
503. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent he expects the food sector to rely on high-quality products in order to retain competitiveness in various world markets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42246/19]
View answerThe agri-food sector is Ireland’s most important indigenous industry, playing a vital role in Ireland’s economy.
Food Wise 2025, the current ten-year strategy for the agri-food sector identifies the opportunities and challenges facing the sector and provides an enabling strategy that will allow the sector to develop and prosper. Food Wise includes more than 400 specific recommendations, spread across the cross-cutting themes of sustainability, innovation, human capital, market development and competitiveness, as well as specific sectoral recommendations. If these recommendations are implemented, the expert committee which drew up the Food Wise 2025 Strategy believe that the ambitious growth projections were achievable by 2025, including increasing the value of agri-food exports by 85% to €19 billion; and creating 23,000 direct and indirect jobs all along the supply chain.
In July this year, I launched the fourth annual progress report of Food Wise 2025, Steps to Success 2019. This showed that by 2018 exports had increased by 19.9% and primary production by 13.3% compared to the baseline.
As of Q2 2019, of the 376 detailed actions which were due to commence by 2019 or are ongoing actions, 87% have been achieved or substantial action has been undertaken and the remaining 13% have commenced and are progressing well.
Some of the highlights of recent years include the development of supports for industry such as ‘Meat Technology Ireland’, the strategic research and innovation base for beef and sheep meat processing; the ‘VistaMilk SFI Research Centre’, focusing on innovative precision pasture-based dairying; and most recently the new ‘Prepared Consumer Food Centre’. All of these are contributing to creating Irish value-added agri-food products to keep Ireland competitive in the global food market.
Furthermore, the EU quality policy aims at protecting the names of specific products to promote their unique characteristics, linked to their geographical origin as well as traditional know-how. There is evidence that the granting of a “geographical indication” to a product (Protected Geographical Indication - PGI, Protected Designation of Origin - PDO & Traditional Specialties Guaranteed - TSG) can add value in the market place, providing an economic advantage for producers and for rural areas. The indications help to distinguish a product against competition.
Through these schemes, Ireland can build on its excellent global reputation as a producer of quality food. Ireland has several products registered and several other products are under consideration. My Department, along with relevant stakeholders, is currently working towards submitting an application to the EU Commission for Protected Geographical Indication status for Irish beef.
504. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of live lambs imported on a weekly basis since 1 January 2019 from Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42329/19]
View answer505. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of live lambs imported in 2018 from Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales; if all were destined for direct slaughter in Irish meat processing plants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42330/19]
View answer507. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if live lambs imported direct for slaughter are not eligible for the Origin Green status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42332/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 504, 505 and 507 together.
Intra EU movement of animals is recorded on the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES). The following figures have been sourced from TRACES.
Sheep Imported directly to Ireland from the United Kingdom for Slaughter
|
Year |
Northern Ireland |
England |
Wales |
Scotland |
|
2019* |
291,794 |
0 |
0 |
1,959 |
|
2018 |
449,580 |
0 |
0 |
6,872 |
* Up to 14th October 2019
Data from England excludes the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man
The average weekly figure of live lambs imported from Northern Ireland for direct slaughter into Ireland over the first 36 weeks of 2019 was 8,105 per week.
It should be noted that Origin Green is not a product logo. Logos have been developed to promote the Bord Bia Quality Assurance Schemes (QASs) to the consumer and can only be used on product by members of Bord Bia QASs. Where a logo is to be used on product, all links in the production of the finished product must be QAS Certified members.
There are currently a number of quality assurance logos that are permitted to be used, depending, primarily on the origin of the produce. A comprehensive document on the Bord Bia Logo Use Policy is available at https://qas.bordbia.ie/Retail/Public/Logo%20Use%20Policy%20v12.pdf.
506. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the controls that are put in place to ensure that live lambs imported from Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales are correctly labelled according to EU country of origin regulation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42331/19]
View answerThe intra EU movement of animals is recorded on the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES), which is the EU-wide online management tool for all sanitary requirements on intra-EU trade and importation of animals, semen and embryo, food, feed and plants. Imports of live animals are recorded on TRACES by the competent authority of the country of origin on the point of exit.
Food products placed on the marketplace are covered by a range of legislation designed to ensure that products supplied to consumers are of the highest safety standards. My Department plays a part in the enforcement of this legislation along with other Government departments and State Agencies such as the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and the Health Service Executive. The FSAI is the body responsible for enforcement of regulations governing traceability, labelling and provision of food information to customers.
Labelling of food is governed by the EU food legislation on the provision of Food Information to Consumers (Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011), which lays down strict rules on labelling of ingredients. Country of origin labelling is mandatory for certain meats and other products such as honey and wine. From 1 April 2020, it will be mandatory to indicate the country of origin of the primary ingredient (which makes up more than 50% of a food) if it is different from the country of origin of the product as a whole.
508. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if data collected by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, on BER forms in respect of water usage will not be passed on to other authorities such as Irish Water and that such data shall be protected in line with GDPR; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41614/19]
View answerA Building Energy Rating or BER is an energy rating label with accompanying advisory report for homes. The rating is a simple A to G scale. A-rated homes are the most energy efficient and will tend to have the lowest energy bills. A BER makes the energy performance of a home visible to prospective buyers and tenants allowing them to take energy performance into consideration in their purchase or rental decision.
The Advisory Report identifies potential energy performance improvements that could lead to better comfort levels, reduced energy use and costs. An enhanced advisory report, to be made available later this year, will provide more information including on the indicative costs and grant supports available for suggested energy improvements for the property to help promote more energy upgrades.
The BER calculates the energy used to heat water based on the specification of the water system and standardised occupancy. This calculation was recently revised to more accurately account for the hot water demand within the dwelling. However, BER assessors do not collect measured or actual water usage to complete BER assessments.
SEAI do not share BER data with Irish Water. Anonymised BER data for all BERs registered is available on the SEAI website. It is not possible to identify individual homes using anonymised BER data. BER data is subject to GDPR and the BER legislation S.I. 243 of 2012.
509. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the policy on PV solar panels covering agricultural land; the details of this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41695/19]
View answer511. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has considered the option of introducing a smart metering or green tax credit for farmers using solar panels that generate surplus energy that cannot be sold back to the grid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42016/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 509 and 511 together.
Solar PV is supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, under the Pig and Poultry Investment Scheme as part of the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Schemes. The Minister for Agriculture announced an expansion of the Scheme in April 2019 which includes €17 million in grant supports for on-farm renewable energy measures including solar PV and battery energy storage systems. Full details are available at: https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/farmerschemespayments/tams/
Action 30 of the Climate Action Plan sets out the steps necessary and timelines for the delivery of an enabling framework for micro-generation. A micro-generation working group, chaired by my Department has been established with the participation of the Department of Agriculture and consideration of the work programme under Action 30 is underway.
In July 2018 my Department launched a new micro-generation scheme to support domestic customers who install solar photovoltaic panels in their homes. The pilot scheme, which is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, is subject to a review which has been completed and is under consideration.
The Smart Meter Upgrade is a meter replacement programme which will result in the upgrade of over 2 million meters to modern, smart-ready technology. When the programme completes in Ireland in 2024, all domestic and business premises will have a new modern meter installed. The upgrade to smart meters will encourage energy efficiency, support an increase in renewable power on the energy system, and result in lower overall costs for consumers. The installation of smart meters is a key enabler for the energy transition to a decarbonised system and will support the market for micro-generation as outlined in the Government's Climate Action Plan.
510. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the budget spent on cleaning up illegal dumping by each local authority area in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41717/19]
View answerThe total costs of illegal dumping by local authority area are not collated by my Department, as they include local authority enforcement, disposal and legal costs and also involve costs for other State agencies such as An Garda Síochána.
However, my Department encourages a multifaceted approach to tackling the problem, incorporating enforcement, public awareness and education and has introduced a range of measures to target illegal dumping and strengthen waste enforcement generally. These include:
- The provision of an annual waste enforcement grant of €7.4 million to support the recruitment and retention of 150 local authority waste enforcement personnel across the country;
- The establishment of Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities to support and co-ordinate local authority action at a cost of €1 million per annum;
- The establishment of a National Waste Enforcement Steering Committee, which facilitates the deployment of co-ordinated multi agency responses to illegal waste activity across the regions.
In addition, my Department has developed the Anti-Dumping Initiative to encourage local authorities to work in partnership with community organisations in order to identify high-risk or problem areas, develop appropriate enforcement responses and carry out necessary clean-up operations. Since 2017, funding of €3.3 million has been made available which has supported more than 400 projects across all 31 local authority areas, remediating blackspots, while equipping local authority waste enforcement officers with the latest technologies available to tackle this problem.
I allocated a further €3 million for the 2019 Anti-Dumping Initiative, an increase of 50% on last year, in order to continue to support communities around the country in their efforts. This funding is supporting over 280 projects, many of an innovative nature. Funds will be distributed to local authorities shortly and details of this year's allocations and the projects funded during 2017 and 2018 can be accessed on my Department's website at: https://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/environment/topics/waste/enforcement/anti-dumping-initiative/Pages/AntiDumpingInitiative.aspx
512. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of a new phone and broadband connection for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41609/19]
View answerEvery home, farm, school and business in Ireland will have access to high speed broadband – no matter where they are located – following the Government’s decision to approve the appointment of a preferred bidder to the National Broadband Plan. Under this plan, Ireland will become one of the first countries in the world to ensure that those in rural areas have the same digital opportunities as those in urban areas.
The premises referenced by the Deputy is in the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map, which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie. The AMBER areas represent the target areas for the proposed State led Intervention under the NBP.
This intervention is the subject of the procurement process to engage a company to build, operate and maintain the NBP State intervention network. I recently brought a recommendation to Government to confer Preferred Bidder status on Granahan McCourt, the remaining bidder in the NBP procurement process and Government agreed to this.
The Government Decision of 7 May 2019 means that it is intended to award the State Intervention contract to the Bidder. This award is subject to contract close, including finalisation of financial and legal documents. Deployment of the NBP State Intervention network will commence shortly that.
The Bidder has indicated that the NBP State intervention will take an estimated 7 years from the beginning of deployment.
A deployment plan will be made available by the Bidder once the contract is signed. In the first year of roll out, the Bidder will deploy approximately 300 Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) across all counties. It is anticipated that between 7 and 23 BCPs will be deployed in each county. BCPs will provide a community based high speed broadband service, enhancing online participation and allowing for the establishment of digital work hubs in these locations.
The Bidder is aiming to pass 133,000 premises at the end of the second year, with 70-100,000 passed each year thereafter until roll out is completed.
Work continues on finalising the contract and in parallel to this work, I am considering the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Communications Committee report which was published recently. I will bring my deliberations of the report to Government in due course.
I note the Deputy’s constituent’s concerns relating to the reliability of service they have been experiencing from their provider.
Issues relating to the provision of telecommunications services, including connection of service are, in the first instance, a matter for the relevant service provider to resolve.
If, after having exhausted the service provider's complaint handling procedures, a customer is not happy, they may contact the independent regulator, Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg, on 1890 229 668; online at www.askcomreg.ie or by email at Consumerline@comreg.ie, for further assistance and guidance. ComReg will investigate such complaints to ensure that the companies in question are delivering services in line with its licence obligations.
513. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the progress of an announced plan to introduce a nationwide ban on single use plastics; if a policy has been developed; if so, when it will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41636/19]
View answer514. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the specific measures contained within a plan to introduce a nationwide ban on single use plastics that are additional to measures contained within the 2018/0172 (COD); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41637/19]
View answer534. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to introduce a smoky coal or single use plastic ban into the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42293/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 513, 514 and 534 together.
We are committed to leading the way in reducing single use plastics and are working both at a national and European level to tackle the problem. The Government has:
- Agreed that Government departments and bodies will no longer purchase single-use plastic cups, cutlery and straws
- Strongly supported new EU legislation on Single-use Plastic (SUP), which will ban straws, cotton bud sticks made from plastic, plastic plates and cutlery, plastic coffee stirrers and plastic balloon holders
- Committed to a 90% plastic bottle collection target and a 55% plastic recycling target
- Commenced a clean oceans initiative to collect, reduce and reuse marine litter and clean up our marine environment (by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
- Commissioned a review to establish the best way to reach a 90% collection target for beverage containers, after which the Minister will announce the necessary actions
- Introduced a new law to ban microbeads (by the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government)
Further consideration of measures to tackle single use plastics will be undertaken in the context of developing a Circular Economy Strategy. I launched the stakeholder consultation on developing the new strategy on 16 September 2019.
In relation to a ban on smoky coal, I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question [39537/19] of 1 October 2019. The position is unchanged.
515. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of premises within the dark blue area of the national broadband plan for which commercial operators have indicated their intention to provide a service in tabular form; the number of premises indicated by each commercial operator; the percentage of the intervention area covered in a recent consultation on the mapping process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41638/19]
View answer516. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of a consultation process of the map of the national broadband plan undertaken with commercial operators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41639/19]
View answer517. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the mechanism by which a commercial operator can inform National Broadband Ireland of a planned commercial operator within the intervention area; if National Broadband Ireland will be allowed to roll out fibre in which a commercial roll-out is already under way; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41640/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 515 to 517, inclusive, together.
The commercial or dark blue area represented on the NBP Map currently has 76% of premises nationally with over 1.8 million premises included, where commercial operators have indicated their intention to provide a high speed broadband service. Commercially sensitive coverage data has been provided to my Department by commercial operators and this data have been anonymised to produce the NBP Map. As such, the number of premises in the dark blue area is not available by reference to each commercial operator but as an aggregated number where at least one operator and in many cases more than one operator is providing high speed broadband services.
As a State intervention, the National Broadband Plan must comply with the requirements of the European Commission’s Guidelines on the application of the State aid rules to broadband networks. The Guidelines require, amongst other things, that Member States carry out a detailed mapping exercise and public consultation process in particular to identify as far as reasonably possible those areas where intervention is required.
Since July 2013, my Department has engaged in an ongoing and extensive process of mapping and monitoring of broadband availability in Ireland. This has been supported by a number of public consultations from 2014 to date. This process has included a review of operator networks in line with the assessment criteria published in 2015.
My Department recently consulted publicly to close the ongoing mapping exercise, seeking submissions from operators who wish to have their existing high speed broadband networks or who have developed plans to invest in high speed broadband networks over the next 7 years, to be included on the Department’s High Speed Broadband Map. The scope of this consultation included all premises currently included in the Intervention Area as well as all those premises marked as blue on the NBP map. In addition, the Department had identified approximately 46,000 premises in blue areas of the Map where high speed broadband services may not have materialised and sought information in relation to these, or other similar premises, from operators, or the public. That consultation closed on 30 September.
As part of the consultation, over 180 submissions have been received from a variety of stakeholders, including 30 from large and small telecoms operators, with the remainder from local authority broadband officers and members of the public.
Operator submissions will be assessed against the Department’s published assessment criteria. Operators submitting planned investments were required to sign a declaration that they would enter into a Commitment Agreement with the Department if their plans satisfied the assessment criteria and were accepted by the Department as being concrete and credible.
Following the conclusion of the Department’s assessment, the non-confidential versions of all submissions will be published, as soon as possible, on the Department’s website together with the outcome of the assessment.
The consultation will identify where an existing high speed broadband service is available from a commercial operator along with where there are concrete plans to provide such a service. These areas will not be included in the Intervention Area. The outcome will set out the Intervention Area which National Broadband Ireland will be required to deliver as part of the NBP intervention contract. The Department is in the final stages of closing out the contract and will in due course publish a non-confidential version of the contract which sets out the relevant provisions to allow for changes to the number of premises up or down.
518. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 277 of 3 October 2019, if the one completed third-party project application to the midlands fisheries fund referred to is that of instream fisheries enhancement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41685/19]
View answer519. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 277 of 3 October 2019, if one completed third-party project application to the midlands fisheries fund is the sum total of stakeholders applications to the midlands fund for 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41686/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 518 and 519 together.
I can confirm that there was one completed third party application for funding from the 2019 Midland Fisheries Fund. The application included elements of instream habitat enhancement and riparian zone management.
In the context of fisheries development funding, I would emphasise that the Midlands Fisheries Fund is one small element within the funding streams available under the umbrella of the National Strategy for Angling Development (NSAD). In that regard Inland Fisheries Ireland expects to award funding to 8 instream enhancement projects this year and made funding awards to 3 such projects in 2018.
520. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 279 of 3 October 2019, if he will consider allocating funds to the 2020 Inland Fisheries Ireland budget to allow the IFI to reinstate its invaluable design and supervision service for the IFI and OPW capital instream fishery enhancement programme to recommence in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41687/19]
View answer521. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of instream fishery enhancement plans that have been provided by the external panel of consultants that Inland Fisheries Ireland has assembled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41688/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 520 and 521 together.
I am satisfied that the Project Management Office (PMO) in Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has the appropriate staff compliment and expertise to facilitate and support instream fisheries enhancement projects undertaken by IFI and/or third parties.
My Department provided additional funding to IFI to facilitate the recruitment of Project Officers in the PMO and these posts are now an integral part of IFI funding and service provision. The Project Officers facilitate project promoters to ensure that correct and appropriate environmental and governance procedures are followed.
IFI are conscious at all times of the need and requirement to ensure a holistic approach to fisheries development that does not damage sensitive habitats or fauna. Earlier this year IF made an additional resource available to the PMO to further support the design elements of river habitat enhancement projects.
This additional appointee is involved, inter alia, in the design of certain river habitat enhancement projects, on OPW drained channels, that have been allocated funding. This support is aimed particularly towards applicants to overcome any perceived inability or uncertainty in progressing design elements. I am advised by IFI that it anticipates that the design and development of these projects will continue into 2020.
In 2017 IFI established a panel of environmental engineering consultants to carry out, if required, feasibility studies and engineering designs in environmentally sensitive habitats. To date IFI has not had to request that they prepare any instream fishery enhancement plans. Use of the panel is not obligatory and applicants are free to use other suitably qualified and insured consultants.
I can confirm that in 2018 IFI awarded funding to 3 instream fisheries enhancement projects. In 2019 IFI expects to award funding to 8 instream enhancement projects.
522. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the meetings, both planned and unplanned, that he attended on a trip to New York in September 2019. [41725/19]
View answerThe UN Climate Action Summit, which took place on 23 September, was convened by the UN Secretary General to build momentum towards enhanced climate ambition by Parties to the Paris Agreement. This was preceded on Saturday, 21 September, by a Youth Climate Summit which was attended by myself and the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.
I attended a number of side events and meetings related to the Climate Action Summit, as follows:
- Welcome meeting with Irish Youth Delegates to the UN Climate Action Summit
- Spiritual Moment Pre-Youth Summit with representatives of the Indigenous Youth
- In the context of the Youth Climate Summit on 21 September:
- opening of the Youth Climate Summit with the UN Secretary General
- signing of the ‘Kwon Gesh’ (‘Solemn Duty’) climate pledge, sponsored by Ireland and the Marshall Islands, and inviting signatories to give the younger generation a greater voice in creating climate policy
- intergenerational Town Hall involving youth leaders engaging with world leaders
- Intergenerational Dinner with youth delegates, involving the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, former President Mary Robinson, and Ministerial representatives from the Marshall Islands, Nigeria and Namibia
- Side event on scaling-up of nature-based solutions for climate mitigation
- Meeting with fellow Climate Summit track leads and the UN Secretary General;
- Climate and Environment Ministerial reception at the UK Residence hosted by COP26 President-Designate Claire Perry MP
- Pacific Island Forum Reception “Our Blue Pacific, Our Future”
- In the context of the Climate Action Summit on 23 September:
- opening ceremony
- intergenerational dialogue hosted by the UN Secretary General
- Ireland's National Statement to the Summit, delivered by the Taoiseach
In addition to the above, I had the opportunity, on the margins of the Summit, to meet with a number of my counterparts, in particular those Ministers from the Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing State, to discuss how to better address the challenge of climate change in the places where its impacts are felt the strongest.
523. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the regulations governing the planning and construction of offshore wind farms and site testing within Irish waters. [41733/19]
View answerThe Climate Action Plan includes, inter alia, a suite of actions to decarbonise the electricity sector and boost the quantity of renewable generation in order to meet our target of 70% of demand from renewable sources by 2030; the Plan commits to connecting at least 3.5GW of Offshore Wind by 2030.
Currently, only offshore renewable energy projects within the limits of the foreshore (12 nautical miles) may be licensed under the Foreshore Act 1933, as amended. The relevant provisions of the Foreshore Act are administered by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.
The Marine Planning and Development Management Bill aims to address both current deficiencies in the foreshore regime and the legal lacunae in regard to the State’s inability to regulate certain activities such as offshore renewable energy in areas beyond the foreshore. The Bill, which is one element of an overall reform of marine planning policy, is being developed by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, working closely with my Department insofar as offshore renewable energy is concerned. The Climate Action Plan commits to publishing this Bill by the end of this year.
524. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views that Newry has been earmarked as one of a number of sites being considered for the disposal of nuclear waste as outlined in the white paper of the UK Government; the consultation that has taken place between local authorities in Northern Ireland and County Louth on the matter; if any consultation has taken place between the UK and Irish Governments in respect of the proposal; the steps he will take to ensure this will not take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41771/19]
View answerSenior officials from my Department and from the Environmental Protection Agency meet twice yearly with their counterparts from the United Kingdom (UK) through the UK-Ireland Contact Group on Radiological Matters. The matter of the storage and disposal of radioactive waste, and in particular the Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) project, whereby this material is stored in an underground facility, is a standing item on the agenda for the Group. At the November 2018 meeting of the Group, officials from the UK confirmed that the working policy on the location of potential sites for a GDF relates to England only. It does not include Northern Ireland.
Further confirmation on this was received in writing from UK officials in February of this year. I can, therefore, categorically assure the Deputy that there are no plans by the British authorities to place nuclear waste in Northern Ireland. The Group will meet again in November where developments in relation to the GDF project will be discussed.
My officials will continue to monitor developments and to engage with their UK counterparts, at national and regional levels, to ensure that our views in this matter continue to be represented.
525. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of full-time and part-time civil servants his Department has recruited by grade in each of the years 2014 to 2018 and to date in 2019; the number of full-time and part-time civil servants his Department has lost due to retirement by grade in the same period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41813/19]
View answerThe Information requested by the deputy is outlined in the tables below:
Recruitment by Year
|
Year |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 (to date) |
Grand Total |
|
|
Grade Equivalent |
||||||||
|
Administrative Officer |
Full Time |
3 |
7 |
8 |
11 |
5 |
2 |
36 |
|
Assistant Principal |
Part Time |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Full time |
12 |
26 |
16 |
9 |
63 |
|||
|
Total |
12 |
26 |
16 |
10 |
64 |
|||
|
Assistant Secretary |
Full Time |
1 |
1 |
2 |
||||
|
Clerical Officer |
Part Time |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Full Time |
6 |
7 |
10 |
26 |
14 |
2 |
65 |
|
|
Total |
6 |
7 |
10 |
26 |
14 |
3 |
66 |
|
|
Executive Officer |
Full Time |
1 |
2 |
13 |
8 |
3 |
4 |
31 |
|
Higher Executive Officer |
Part Time |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Full Time |
1 |
4 |
6 |
11 |
22 |
|||
|
Total |
1 |
4 |
6 |
12 |
23 |
|||
|
Principal |
Full Time |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
10 |
|
|
Services Officer |
Full Time |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|||
|
Grand Total |
11 |
20 |
51 |
80 |
52 |
21 |
235 |
Retirements by Year
|
Year |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
Total |
|
|
Grade Equivalent |
||||||||
|
Administrative Officer |
Full Time |
2 |
1 |
3 |
||||
|
Assistant Principal |
Part Time |
1 |
1 |
2 |
||||
|
Full Time |
2 |
4 |
2 |
5 |
1 |
14 |
||
|
Total |
2 |
5 |
2 |
6 |
1 |
16 |
||
|
Assistant Secretary |
Full Time |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Clerical Officer |
Part Time |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|||
|
Full Time |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|||||
|
Total |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
|||
|
Executive Officer |
Part Time |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|||
|
Full Time |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
||||
|
Total |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
6 |
|||
|
Higher Executive Officer |
Full Time |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
||
|
Principal Officer |
Full Time |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
6 |
||
|
Grand Total |
1 |
4 |
11 |
8 |
11 |
7 |
42 |
The grades also include technical/professional equivalents.
526. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when an area (details supplied) in County Waterford will have full broadband connection and access to Internet services available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41830/19]
View answerEvery home, farm, school and business in Ireland will have access to high speed broadband – no matter where they are located – following the Government’s decision to approve the appointment of a preferred bidder to the National Broadband Plan. Under this plan, Ireland will become one of the first countries in the world to ensure that those in rural areas have the same digital opportunities as those in urban areas.
According to my Department’s high speed broadband map, available at www.broadband.gov.ie, the premises referred to by the Deputy is one which is indicated as having been passed by eir as part of their rural deployment of high speed broadband. Therefore, that premises should be in a position to order a high speed broadband connection from a provider offering services on the network.
Where a premises in this situation is having difficulty getting connected, my Department's customer service team in the National Broadband Plan (NBP) Division can assist by raising a case with eir.
I advise the Deputy’s constituent to contact the NBP customer service team at broadband@dccae.gov.ie directly, providing their name, phone number, email address and Eircode, as well as details of the issues they are experiencing. My Department will then be in a position to pursue a case on their behalf with eir.
