Written Answers Nos. 508-527
508. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if high speed broadband will be made available to persons working from home due to Covid-19 restrictions at a location (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9720/20]
View answer515. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when residents of an area (details supplied) will be able to avail of efibre broadband. [10086/20]
View answer517. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if high speed broadband can be made available to persons working from home (details supplied) due to Covid-19 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10096/20]
View answer518. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if high speed broadband can be made available to persons working from home (details supplied) due to Covid-19 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10097/20]
View answer520. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when a person can anticipate the availability of fibre broadband near their home (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10193/20]
View answer524. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if provisions are being put in place for residents of a direct provision centre (details supplied) in County Clare to have access to the internet in their rooms in view of the fact that children of school-going age reside in the centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10410/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 508, 515, 517, 518, 520 and 524 together.
The Government is committed to delivering high speed broadband to every home, farm, business and school in the country.
The Questions refer to premises which are located in the AMBER area on the NBP High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie. The AMBER area represents the area to be served by the network to be deployed under the NBP State led Intervention, the contract for which was signed in November last with National Broadband Ireland (NBI).
All counties will see premises passed in the first 2 years and over 90% of premises in the State will have access to high speed broadband within the next four years. The NBP network will offer users a high speed broadband service with a minimum download speed of 150Mbps from the outset. By the end of next year, NBI plans to pass in the region of 115,000 premises, with 70,000 - 100,000 passed each year thereafter until rollout is completed. Further details are available at the NBI website www.nbi.ie
To support remote working and connected communities, approximately 300 Broadband Connections Points (BCPs) were identified by Local Authorities to be connected to high speed broadband this year. This will assist communities to quickly get free public access to high speed broadband in advance of the main NBP deployment. The planned BCP locations, including schools, library hubs, local sports facilities and other public places are available to view on the High Speed Broadband Map on the Department’s website www.broadband.gov.ie. The BCP d elivery project is well underway and surveying of the BCP locations is progressing which will facilitate detailed design and installation. BCP locations are subject to change and a number of the premises initially identified are in the process of being replaced with alternative locations. The remaining BCPs remain on track for delivery by the end of 2020.
The BCPs in identified public places will leverage the high speed broadband connection through a range of measures and initiatives, for example providing free public Wi-Fi, some will also have hot-desks, and some will be digital hub business centres where digital training, business information events and other SME supports are organised.
509. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the position in relation to persons whose houses are in the amber area under the national broadband plan; the options they have to obtain high speed broadband and or fibre broadband in a quick period of time; if other providers are free to provide a service in this area; if the company with the National Broadband Plan contract has to be compensated in these situations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9760/20]
View answerThe National Broadband Plan (NBP) contract was signed with National Broadband Ireland (NBI) in November 2019, to roll out a high speed and future proofed broadband network for the 1.1 million people living and working in the nearly 540,000 premises, 100,000 businesses and farms and 695 schools within the Intervention Area. Premises within this intervention area will be served by the network to be deployed by NBI, as within this area commercial operators have advised my Department that they have no plans to deliver high speed broadband service.
There is no prohibition on commercial serving these premises. The Department has engaged extensively with industry since 2013 through multiple public consultations to determine as accurately as possible where commercial operators have existing High speed broadband networks and where they have plans over the next 7 years to deploy high speed broadband networks. The Department's High Speed Broadband Map ( available at broadband.gov.ie) shows the extent of the State Intervention area and also the areas targeted for commercial services as notified to the Department through these consultations by industry.
The NBP contract provides a mechanism for National Broadband Ireland (NBI) to apply for compensation for encroachment in the event that other commercial operators have deployed a future proofed high speed broadband service, of a fibre or equivalent high speed broadband technology, in advance of NBI's own deployment in the intervention area. This contingent subsidy can only be applied for in specific circumstances and is subject to robust governance mechanisms. The encroachment element of the contingency subsidy is capped at €100m and can only be applied for where the Department determines a commercial deployment of high speed broadband meets the requirements set out in the NBP contract, specifically a deployment of a fibre or equivalent high speed broadband technology, and that this deployment has had a negative impact on NBI's business case. The consultation on the NBP map that was carried out in the second half of 2019 in advance of contract award, which established industry’s up to date infrastructure and future plans, has significantly reduced the likelihood of the encroachment element of the contingency subsidy being sought.
510. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will consider introducing a refund charge on bottles due to the ever-increasing littering issue (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9849/20]
View answerThe Government is determined to reduce the excessive use of plastics. As a first step, the purchase of certain single use plastics has been banned throughout the public service. We are committed to increase recycling rates of plastics from 34% now to 50% by 2025 and 55% by 2030, along with other EU member states, and to phase out non-recyclable plastics entirely. A Deposit and Return Scheme is one option proposed for EU member states to consider as a means of increasing the collection of plastic beverage containers and achieve the new 90% target for this waste stream identified in the Single Use Plastic Directive. In 2019 I commissioned a study to examine how Ireland can deliver a 90% collection target for single use beverage containers, including plastic bottles, as required under the Single Use Plastics Directive. This study examines the possibility of introducing a Deposit and Return Scheme and how this might operate in an Irish context. The introduction of an initiative such as a Deposit and Return Scheme needs to be carefully considered in the context of potential benefits, expected costs and impacts identified to enable evidence-based decision making in this matter and having regard to other potential measures that would facilitate the 90% collection rate. The study into how Ireland can achieve the 90% collection target has been received and is currently being reviewed in the context of developing a new Waste Action Plan.
The introduction of a Deposit and Return Scheme was also considered by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment in 2018. The estimated set up and running costs were identified as between €76m to €116m net cost, without consideration of the impacts on the existing kerbside collection and existing household subsidy.
511. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of work to implement a nationwide smoky coal ban; if he has reviewed the recent report from the Environmental Protection Agency on the need for a nationwide smoky coal ban; the status of the threatened legal challenge by a number of coal suppliers to the smoky coal ban; if he has met with officials from the Department of Health on the implementation of a smoky coal ban; if he has provided additional resources to local authorities to carry out enforcement of the existing smoky coal ban in their respective areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9907/20]
View answerThe ban on the marketing, sale and distribution of bituminous coal, or ‘the smoky coal ban’ as it is commonly known, was first introduced in Dublin in 1990, and subsequently extended to other major cities and towns with populations in excess of 15,000 people, such that it now applies in 26 urban areas nationwide. The ban has proven very effective in reducing particulate matter and sulphur dioxide levels and has had the effect of significantly improving public health. Research indicates, for example, that the ban has resulted in over 350 fewer annual deaths in Dublin alone.
I announced in December 2019 that the ban will be extended to 13 further urban centres with populations in excess of 10,000 people with effect from September 2020 onwards. Consultation continues with the relevant Local Authorities in order to define the exact geographical areas in which the ban will apply, and my Department is currently drafting the necessary secondary legislation.
The decision to make only a partial extension to the existing ban at this time was made in the context where a number of coal firms had indicated that they would challenge the proposal of two former Ministers to expand the smoky coal ban nationwide.
The basis of their challenge is that a nationwide smoky coal ban cannot be introduced without a nationwide ban on the burning of peat, turf and wet wood because these products produce similar levels of pollution. The legal threat is not only to take down any new nationwide ban, but to remove the existing ban relating to bituminous coal. The legal threat remains though no legal proceedings have been initiated since my announcement in December 2019. The Attorney General has provided legal advice on this matter, and my officials are continuing to engage with his office to finalise a legally robust plan, which will improve air quality by reducing air pollution, without jeopardising the existing ban.
I am already on record as welcoming the EPA report “Air Quality in Ireland 2018”, published late last year, which sets out the current position as regards our air quality and illustrates certain challenges in this regard. It is important to note that the report indicates that air quality levels at monitoring sites in Ireland were below the current EU legislative limit values in 2018.
The principal responsibility for enforcing the ban rests with individual Local Authorities. Therefore, I have not met with, the Department of Health in relation to this matter.
Local Authorities are responsible for carrying out of their statutory functions, including enforcement., and the deployment of resources to meet priorities locally. It at the discretion each Local Authority, where necessary, to seek additional resources for particular priorities through the normal estimates negotiations process.
512. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when deep sea angling can commence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9933/20]
View answerInland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) issued angling guidelines in relation to Covid-19 to facilitate anglers to fish while complying with prevailing Covid-19 social distancing, exercise and travel distance limitations. These guidelines are available on the IFI website www.fisheriesireland.ie The guidelines, which also apply to sea angling, follow the advice of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) and the Government's Roadmap for Reopening of Society and Business. The guidelines will be updated based on further NPHET advice, including advice relating to social distancing, exercise and travel distance limitations.
However, as the Deputy will know the activity of deep sea angling encompasses the use of sea-going vessels and important additional advice has also issued from Marine Emergency Services, including the Irish Coastguard, on the use of sea-going vessels in the light of potential marine emergency response. My Department or IFI has no function in this matter.
Similarly, I am not in a position to comment on the specific suggestion in the Deputy’s question as to the number of persons in a vessel, having regard to social distancing requirements.
513. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of persons that availed of and the costs incurred by his Department regarding the cycle to work scheme since it was introduced to date by year and cost in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9978/20]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the following table.
|
Year |
No of applications |
|
2015 |
11 |
|
2016 |
9 |
|
2017 |
17 |
|
2018 |
17 |
|
2019 |
18 |
|
2020 |
6 |
There is no cost to the Department as this is paid for by the relevant employee through salary deduction as per the terms of the Cycle to Work Scheme.
514. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the timeframe for Inland Fisheries Ireland to ensure safe passage for salmon at a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10035/20]
View answerI am advised by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) that the question of fish passage at Clohamon on the river Slaney relates to the abstraction of water for use in a private hydro-electric plant. IFI’s powers in this matter, under section 123 of the Fisheries Consolidation Act 1959, relate to the legal requirements for gratings in watercourses diverted from rivers which are intended to prevent entry therein of salmon or trout. There are no powers under the 1959 Act directly related to water abstraction activity.
The fishing rights on the Slaney are privately owned and my Department and IFI have worked closely with the Slaney River Trust, the group representing the owners, and have supported the Trust on a project to improve tailrace screening at the Clohamon site to assist in mitigating impacts on fish passage. This support has included the provision of funding to assist the project.
516. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the analysis conducted on broadband capacity for addresses (details supplied) which resulted in them being transferred from the blue commercial zone to the NBI amber zone; the basis of the decision; when the decision was made; the person or body that took part in the decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10095/20]
View answerThe government is committed to delivering high speed broadband to every home, farm, business and school in the country. High speed broadband will be delivered to every city, town, village and individual premises in Ireland, 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.
The High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie.shows the extent of the State Intervention area and also the areas targeted for commercial services:
- The BLUE areas represent those areas where commercial telecommunications providers are either currently delivering or have indicated plans to deliver high speed broadband services,
- The AMBER areas on the High Speed Broadband Map represent the areas that will require State Intervention by the National Broadband Plan.
- THE LIGHT BLUE - the areas covered by the eir Commitment Agreement.
My Department has consulted with commercial operators extensively to ensure the High Speed Broadband Map provides as accurate a representation as possible of where high speed broadband will be provided by commercial operators and where it will not.
These particular five premises were identified in 2017 as premises where a commercial operator was no longer planning to provide a high speed broadband service. This typically occurs where a commercial deployment does not materialise as originally envisaged by the commercial operator. As a result the premises were re categorised at that time, as AMBER premises under the high speed broadband Map, so that they could be addressed through the State's NBP intervention.
The Department has subsequently reconfirmed with the market, through further consultations held in 2018 and 2019, that no commercial operator is currently serving these premises or has any plans to serve them within the next 7 years with high speed broadband. Including these premises in the NBP intervention area will ensure that these premises will be served by a high speed broadband network, initially with a minimum download speed of 150Mbps, which will be future proofed for the next 25 years.
519. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if confirmation has been received from Bord na Móna that its health and safety plans and procedures have been updated to provide sufficient support to deal with bog fires in the absence of the recently laid-off 200 plus staff (details supplied). [10141/20]
View answerBord na Móna is a commercial State company operating under the Turf Development Acts 1946 to 1998. Health and Safety matters such as those raised by the Deputy are operational in nature and not ones in which I, as Minister, have any role or function. However Bord na Móna have informed me that there has been no requirement to modify or adapt existing procedures as there has been no reduction in their capability to manage fires on its estate. Experienced and trained staff and equipment have been available and have responded promptly whenever required.
521. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to make assistance available to voluntary community radio stations to support them during the Covid-19 pandemic in view of the vital information role they play in their communities keeping persons in touch in this time of social isolation; the reason they were not included in the previous announcement in relation to commercial and national radio broadcasters on 9 April 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10208/20]
View answerIt is vital that the Irish public have a readily available, reliable source of information on COVID 19 and the measures being put in place to tackle the crisis, and the radio sector has played a valuable role in this regard. At my request, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) agreed to waive levy payments for the independent radio sector in quarters 1 and 2 2020, which will save the sector €1m. This waiver covers all independent radio at national, regional and local level including community radio. The BAI are reporting to me on the impact of these measures and the financial state of the commercial radio sector.
I welcome last week’s announcement by the BAI of the awarding of Sound and Vision funding to 32 independent commercial radio stations. This €2.5m round of funding recognises the financial pressures that commercial radio stations are facing as a result of falling advertising revenue. They play a key role in sharing reliable information on Covid 19 and bringing local communities together as we continue to manage the pandemic. The funding will enable the stations to continue their valuable role in raising awareness and supporting the communities they serve.
I have also requested a separate funding round of €750,000 for community radio stations which will be progressed by the BAI over the summer with another round in the autumn for commercial television and public service broadcasters including public service radio.
522. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on the fact that Eir remains under the universal service obligation (details supplied); and if the terms and conditions of the obligation will be reviewed before June 2021 in view of the fact some conditions such as minimum data speed are outdated. [10306/20]
View answerThe EU and national regulatory framework for telecommunications allows for the application of a Universal Service Obligation in respect of certain basic telecoms services. The current regime ensures that reasonable access requests for a home fixed line phone service and other basic communications services, such as payphones, are available to all consumers throughout the State. ComReg is charged with designating operators to deliver these services, as appropriate, and also with ensuring compliance with relevant obligations. ComReg is statutorily independent in the exercise of its functions. ComReg’s current designation of eir as the universal service provider for access at a fixed location is for the period July 2016 – June 2021. I understand that ComReg plans to commence a review of voice access at a fixed location, and what if any obligation will be applicable in this regard post 21 June 2021.
523. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the progress to date on the draft national energy and climate plan; when Ireland will be submitting the national long-term strategy, which was due to be submitted in January 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10372/20]
View answerThe Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2018/1999), sets out the process for the preparation of the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP). Ireland’s draft NECP was approved by Government in late 2018 and submitted to the European Commission by the deadline of 31 December 2018. The European Commission then engaged in an iterative process with Member States and issued recommendations to each Member State on 18 June 2019. Since the submission of the draft NECP in December 2018, considerable work has been undertaken in the development of Ireland’s final NECP, which fully incorporates the significantly raised ambition and additional policies under the Climate Action Plan. Together with the Commission recommendations and the responses to our two public consultations, these have informed the final draft NECP which better reflects our new, increased levels of energy efficiency, higher renewable energy ambitions and maps out a clear path to delivering on Ireland’s carbon reduction targets for 2030 and beyond. My Department has kept the European Commission informed on progress on an on-going basis and is working towards submitting the final NECP to the Commission at the earliest opportunity.
Substantial work has been undertaken on developing Ireland’s Long-Term Climate Strategy (LTS) to 2050. The LTS will be sent to the European Commission once it has been submitted to Government for consideration and approval. The LTS will identify additional measures and pathways beyond 2030, towards decarbonisation to 2050 underpinned by analysis of transition options across all key sectors of the economy, to inform future policy making, business investment decisions and household, community and citizen action. It will build on the decarbonisation pathways to 2030 that are detailed in the Climate Action Plan 2019 and reflected in the National Energy and Climate Plan.
525. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will take steps to help safeguard jobs at a company (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9736/20]
View answer526. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a company (details supplied) is under examinership here and has announced 280 redundancies and is enforcing statutory redundancy payments against precedent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9780/20]
View answer540. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a matter raised in correspondence by a person (details supplied) in relation to job losses at a company will receive a response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9717/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 525, 526 and 540 together.
The aviation industry is one of the most affected by the global pandemic. All airlines have seen severe depletion of revenue and are facing various degrees of financial challenge.
The Government has brought forward a series of measures to support all businesses impacted by COVID-19. These include the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme, the Pandemic Unemployment Benefit, and the ISIF Pandemic Stabilisation and Recovery Fund for medium and large enterprises.
I understand that these scheme are open to Cityjet during this difficult time. However, it would not be appropriate for my Department to intervene in the ongoing examinership process. Industrial relations are a matter for the airline and its employees and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has no role in relation to such matters.
527. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to support the aviation industry here following the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10028/20]
View answerThe unprecedented challenges arising from Covid-19 require special attention, and for that reason I am establishing a Taskforce for Aviation Recovery, which will be charged with developing and advising on a framework for restarting aviation. I am in the process of appointing people to this Taskforce, which will convene quickly and report back to me within within a short timeframe with a plan.
The overall challenge is to develop a safe and sustainable pathway to reopening and to put in place measures that will help us rebuild a robust and competitive industry that is a key driver of economic growth.
