Written Answers Nos. 164-182
164. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has assessed the report by a company (details supplied) on the way in which the cost of solar energy on the grid may be reduced in future auctions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21354/21]
View answerDetailed work is underway in my Department on the planning and design of the second Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) onshore auction which will support the ambition set out in the Programme for Government of at least 70% renewable electricity by 2030.
My officials have reviewed the referenced report, which was commissioned by the Irish Solar Energy Association (ISEA). Solar energy projects were a key part of the success of the recent RESS 1 auction and the Programme for Government commits to building on this success by ensuring that a greater share of our electricity needs are met through solar power.
The RESS has been designed to deliver renewable energy projects to the grid at least cost to consumers by driving strong competition. Assessing the wider system costs of technologies is key to driving the best outcome for consumers and therefore a balance must be struck between de-risking investment for developers and allocating risk to the market. The RESS received state aid approval from the EU Commission in July 2020 and auctions held under the scheme must operate within the framework of the state aid decision.
Connection charges to the transmission system is a matter for the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) while planning permission for solar projects is a matter for the relevant planning authority. Responsibility in relation to commercial rates, including for solar energy projects, is a matter for the relevant rating authorities in accordance with the valuation methodology determined by the Valuation Office.
While no decisions have been made on the detailed design of the second RESS onshore competition, all stakeholders will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the design of the scheme through the consultation process on the draft terms and conditions.
A timetable will be published in the coming months which will set out the key milestones in the competition including consultation on the terms and conditions, the qualification process and the auction bidding window.
165. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the procedures for setting grid connection costs and the estimation of needed strengthening of the grid to accommodate renewable power sources have been reviewed to ensure that they are similar to those applying for renewables in other European countries and are supportive of the rapid growth of renewable sources of power in Ireland. [21355/21]
View answerThe energy sector in Ireland faces a collective challenge to decarbonise our electricity system against a backdrop of significant electrification of the heat and transport sectors contributing to rapidly increasing demand.
Grid connections costs are a matter, in the first instance, for the electricity system operators, EirGrid and ESB Networks, who must balance demand with grid availability and constraints, along with security of supply considerations. EirGrid and ESB Networks are regulated by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), which also has responsibility for the setting of grid connection policy.
The principle applied by the CRU in this regard is cost appropriateness, which means the generator pays their costs to connect to the network. The approach to grid connection costs may vary in other European countries but usually depends on a number of factors, including generation mix along with the resilience and interconnection of electricity networks.
As regulator, the CRU reviews the procedures for setting grid connection costs and reviews the costs that the system operators apply for strengthening the grid. As part of the CRU's recent Price Review 5 decision which covers the system operators' costs for the next five years, a total of €4bn has been committed to capital expenditure for EirGrid and ESB Networks. This will enable the system operators to strengthen the grid and ensure that the grid can accommodate increasing levels of renewable power in line with the commitments in the Climate Action Plan to have 70% renewable electricity on the system by 2030.
EirGrid is currently undertaking a “Shaping our Electricity Future” consultation across the three dimensions of electricity networks, power system operation, and electricity markets with the aim of developing an integrated all-island vision of the 2030 power system and electricity market.
166. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his plans to ensure adequate and satisfactory access to consistent phone signal and fibre optic broadband for the communities of Seanphobal and An Rinn, County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21358/21]
View answerProviding telecommunication services is a matter for the relevant service providers operating in a fully liberalised market regulated by the Commission for Communication Regulation (ComReg), as independent Regulator. As set out in the Programme for Government, ensuring access to high-quality internet connections for people across Ireland is essential to the development of all parts of our country, socially and economically. I recognise how vital telecommunications services are to citizens for so many aspects of their daily lives, including remote working, studying and staying in touch with family members during the Covid-19 crisis.
The level of connectivity to support digital activity has improved significantly in recent years with Ireland’s rank in the EU Digital Economic Society Index (DESI) Score Card improving to 6th overall. Capital investment by telecommunications operators over the last 5 years was in the order of €3.3 billion for fixed and mobile, with a considerable level of continuing investment, which has significantly enhanced the availability of services (both voice and data). ComReg has published a Coverage Map which shows ComReg’s predicted mobile outdoor coverage across Ireland and at specific addresses and/or Eircodes selected by consumers for all Mobile Service Providers. It is available at https://coveragemap.comreg.ie/map. This resource can be of assistance to citizens in identifying which network would best suit their needs.
ComReg is currently managing a licensing process through which telecoms operators can gain access to additional spectrum with a view to providing enhanced services to consumers. This spectrum award process includes specific provisions aimed at further improving coverage where people need it most. In addition to commercial investment, so as to ensure that nobody is left behind in a digital divide, the National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) to roll out a high speed and future proofed broadband network within the Intervention Area which covers 1.1 million people living and working in the nearly 540,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with 695 schools.
The High Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie, shows the areas which will be included in the National Broadband Plan State led intervention as well as areas targeted by commercial operators. 62,470 premises in total in County Waterford, of which 47,470 (76%) premises are served by commercial operators and 15,000 premises (42%) will be provided with high speed broadband through the State led Intervention. Government investment in County Waterford under the National Broadband Plan will amount to €59m.
As of 22 April 2021, over 207,000 premises across 26 counties have been surveyed which is ahead of schedule. The next step is for NBI to develop network designs to deliver the new Fibre to the Home network to these premises and substantial design work is underway. Over 11,000 (73%) premises in the Intervention Area have been surveyed in County Waterford including in the areas of Ballinakill, Cheekpoint, Waterford City, Passage East, Kilmeaden, Dunmore East and Tramore. The areas of Seanphobal and An Rinn, Co. Waterford are located in the Dungarvan Intervention Area and will receive access to high speed broadband as part of the NBP.
Further details are available on specific areas within Waterford through the NBI website www.nbi.ie which provides a facility for any premises within the intervention area to register their interest in being provided with deployment updates.Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are a key element of the NBP providing high speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. As of 22 April 2021, 304 BCP sites have been installed by NBI and the high speed broadband service will be switched on in these locations through service provider contracts managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development for publicly available sites and by the Department of Education and Skills for schools. In County Waterford, BCP sites at Knockamore, Ballysagart, Mondeligo and Mount Mellarey are now connected by NBI. Further details can be found at https://nbi.ie/bcp-locations/.
Whitechurch National School, Faithlegg National School, Saint Mary's National School and Ballycurrane National School are connected by NBI for educational access as part of this initiative. School BCPs will be provided with high speed broadband for educational use only through service provider contracts managed by the Department of Education. An acceleration of this aspect of the project was announced in December last which will see some 679 primary schools connected to high speed broadband by 2022, well ahead of the original target delivery timeframe of 2026. Further details are available on the NBI website at https://nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/.
167. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 10 of 14 January 2021 and 22 of 21 January 2021, if the working group established between the County and City Management Association and the Data Protection Commission on the use of CCTV cameras in the fight against illegal dumping has concluded its work; the findings and or recommendations of this group; his plans following this work to provide legislative underpinning for the use of CCTV equipment to support enforcement efforts in a manner which is both effective and GDPR compliant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21447/21]
View answerThe Working Group referred to by the Deputy was not solely established to examine the use of fixed location CCTV from a GDPR perspective, but rather to consider the use by local authority enforcement personnel of a broad range of Audio-Visual Recording (AVR) and surveillance technologies. This is including, but not limited to, the use of fixed position CCTV, mobile CCTV, overt vs covert CCTV, drones over public/private land, bodycams worn by waste enforcement personnel, dashcams in local authority vehicles, GPS tracking technologies, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology and other surveillance technologies.
My Department plans to bring forward provisions, through the Waste Management (Circular Economy) Bill that will allow waste enforcement authorities to utilize all such new and emerging technologies in an effective manner, while fully respecting the privacy rights of all citizens, and is currently awaiting legal advice from the Office of the Attorney General (AGO).
168. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the annual licensed tonnage of waste delivered to a company (details supplied) since it began operations; if the operators have made applications for increased tonnages that can be delivered to the plant in the past three years to date; and if he will provide a schedule of local authorities that deliver waste to the facility. [21470/21]
View answerIndustrial emissions installations, such a Dublin Waste To Energy (DWTE), are subject to a range of regulatory controls under national legislation, including planning permission and the conditions attached to a licence issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the operation and management of such sites and are subject to ongoing monitoring by the EPA to ensure compliance with such licence conditions.
Under Section 60(3) of the Waste Management Act, as Minister, I am precluded from the exercise of any power or control in relation to the performance in particular circumstances by the Agency or a local authority of a function conferred on it by the Act, therefore this question should be directed to the EPA.
169. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if there are other examples in legislation in which the Government has limited liability from claims for damages or compensation for failure to comply with an Act as in section 4 of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021 (details supplied). [21534/21]
View answerThe Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021 will establish a legally binding framework with clear targets and commitments set in law, and provide that the necessary structures and processes are embedded on a statutory basis to ensure Ireland achieves its national, EU and international climate goals and obligations in the near and long term.
The Bill will enact a number of commitments set out in the Programme for Government, including providing that the first two carbon budgets should achieve a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and giving statutory effect to a commitment to achieve a climate neutral economy by not later than 2050.
In order to achieve the statutory objective, the Bill also introduces a number of new policy instruments, including a series of successive carbon budgets and sectoral targets, annual revisions to the Climate Action Plan, and a National Long Term Climate Action Strategy. The Bill establishes a clear relationship, and a requirement for consistency, between these policy instruments and the national climate objective. Local Authorities will also be required to produce individual Climate Action Plans.
While I am not in a position to advise on examples in other legislation, the intention of the ‘limitation of liability’ provision set out in section 4 of the Bill is to provide that there will be no entitlement to remedy or relief by way of damages or compensation for any failure to comply with the Act or any breaches of obligation thereunder. This inclusion of this clause seeks to limit punitive financial compensation being sought which would limit the State’s ability to fund climate action. However, no other remedy is affected and the obligations in the 2015 Act, and those set out in this Bill when enacted, may be litigated before the Courts. If the Government or any public body fail to deliver on their required obligations, it is open to pursue such matters before the Courts.
The second stage debate on the Bill commenced in Dáil Éireann on 21 April and this stage is expected to conclude this week. I look forward to continued constructive engagement to ensure its timely passage through both Houses of the Oireachtas.
170. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if there are guidelines in place for telecommunication providers to share mast infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21537/21]
View answerI have no direct role or function in relation to the issue raised by the Deputy. This is a matter for telecommunication operators, operating on a commercial basis. These operators function in a liberalised market, regulated by the Commission for Communication Regulation (ComReg).
However, Directive 2014/61/EU on measures to reduce the cost of deploying high-speed electronic communications networks requires operators of communications, together with certain energy, transport and waste water networks to negotiate agreements to share their network physical infrastructure with public communications networks operators, if requested, unless there are objective reasons not to do so in any particular case.
The Directive provides, among other things, for infrastructure sharing requirements and a requirement to establish a dispute settlement body to adjudicate in disputes regarding access to other networks and the terms and conditions of such access. The European Union (Reduction of Cost of Deploying High Speed Public Communications Networks) Regulations 2016 (S.I. No. 391 of 2016) transposing these requirements of the Directive were signed into law on 20 July 2016.
In addition, Article 61 of the EECC Directive (EU) 2018/1972 (‘the Code’) which is currently undergoing transposition, provides for national regulatory or other competent authorities to require the sharing of passive infrastructure by an undertaking authorised to provide electronic communications networks if it is necessary for the local provision of services which rely on radio spectrum and there is no viable and similar alternative means of access to end-users made available on fair and reasonable terms and conditions. The imposition of the obligation to share passive infrastructure is subject to the conditions provided for in that Article.
171. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when an organisation (details supplied) will be provided funding as promised in January 2021 to increase core funding to environmental NGOs in Ireland; the reason for the delay to date; if there are further plans to increase funding to NGOs to enable same monitor climate change and biodiversity loss in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21677/21]
View answerI am very aware of the important work done by the member organisations of the Irish Environmental Network (IEN). These national environmental NGOs are active on a broad range of environmental issues, including wildlife conservation, biodiversity and climate change.
I recognise that, in addition to the climate and biodiversity challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges to communities and society. IEN members have had to adapt quickly in response to the changing landscape, developing new skills and tools to shift activities online.
The recently approved funding of €1.764m for the IEN and its constituent members in 2021 will help offset increased operating and administration costs of member activities. This is an increase of over 65% on the level of funding provided in 2020 and represents a very strong demonstration of my support for the work of the environmental NGO's in Ireland.
To date, all funding of the IEN has been supported through the Environment Fund and is granted subject to the recipients complying with the provisions of Department of Finance Circular 13 of 2014, “Management of and Accountability for Grants from Exchequer Funds”. My Department is currently processing this request in accordance with this circular and an initial instalment will issue to the IEN over the coming days.
172. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when funding for smaller scale projects at local authority level will be provided as part of the Climate Action Fund; when the last round of funding will be allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21678/21]
View answerMy Department is currently developing proposals to provide further support from the Climate Action Fund through a community climate action programme. The design of this programme will be informed by feedback received through the climate consultation that is currently underway and, in particular, the conversations that are taking place at local level through the Public Participation Networks. The consultation is open until 18 May and analysis on the feedback from these conversations will help shape the community programme in terms of identifying where financial support is required, where capacity building is needed, and the types of projects and initiatives that are being considered at local level. Information on the types of projects that may be supported, who may apply for this support and the application process, will be published on my Department’s website when the programme is launched shortly.
In advance of the finalisation of this programme, Creative Ireland, in collaboration with my Department, has launched Creative Climate Action, a competitive fund of up to €2 million supported by the Climate Action Fund and the Creative Ireland Programme.The fund will support creative and cultural projects up to the end of 2022 which will connect people with the profound changes that are happening in our environment, society and economy arising from climate change, and can transform that connection into behaviour change or climate action. Two strands of funding are available:
- an open call – to organisations, NGOs, charities, enterprises, institutions and collectives/networks working with creative and cultural practitioners; and
- a closed call – to Local Authorities, either individually, with other Local Authorities or external partners.
Further information, including a briefing note and details on how to apply, are set out on the Creative Ireland website: www.creativeireland.gov.ie
173. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the role climate action regional offices will have in providing guidance and assistance to local authorities when developing climate action plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21681/21]
View answerThe Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021 commenced Second Stage in the Dáil last Wednesday 21 April 2021. The Bill will establish a legally binding framework with clear targets and commitments set in law, and provide that the necessary structures and processes are embedded on a statutory basis to ensure Ireland achieves its national, EU and international climate goals and obligations.
The Bill, inter alia, further strengthens the role of Local Authorities in climate action. It sets out legislative requirements for each Local Authority to produce a Climate Action Plan, covering both mitigation and adaptation. These plans will have to be consistent with national climate plans and strategies, and Local Authorities will have to liaise with each other in their preparation.
In 2018, my Department entered into a five year financial commitment of €10 million to establish four Climate Action Regional Offices (CAROs). The CAROs played a key role in coordinating the development of Local Authority Local Adaptation Strategies published in 2019. Each CARO is now working with the Local Authorities in its region to both facilitate and monitor implementation of the local climate adaptation actions within the strategies. My Department is also funding and working with the CAROs in relation to the implementation of a Local Authority climate action training programme to build the necessary capacity in the sector, increasing climate change knowledge and supporting climate action by all Local Authorities. The training will facilitate effective climate mitigation and adaptation actions at local level. The CAROs will continue to provide support to the Local Authorities on climate action. My Department engages regularly with all four CAROs, in particular through participation in the National Local Authority Climate Action Steering Group.
174. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason new builds are left waiting for their Eircode to be released by An Post and are therefore left without access to an Eircode and other services such as broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21690/21]
View answerCapita Business Support Services Ireland, trading as Eircode, assign Eircodes to new property addresses using a valid postal address and verified geo-locations. An Post collects information on new and existing buildings, as well as changes to existing addresses and Ordnance Survey Ireland provides the geo-locations for these buildings. An Post GeoDirectory, a subsidiary company of An Post and Ordnance Survey Ireland, issue a new release of the GeoDirectory database file on a quarterly basis to Eircode in accordance with their licence agreement.
Each new postal address assigned an Eircode is published on the free to use Eircode Finder website, a notification letter is issued to the property occupant containing the Eircode of that address and an updated Eircode Database is provided to licensed businesses for their use. Eircode have informed my Department that over 139,000 property addresses have been assigned an Eircode since launch.
Once the Eircode database is updated on a quarterly basis it is then a matter for individual Eircode database providers to release updates to commercial businesses in accordance with the terms of their licence agreements.
Early assignment of Eircodes is contingent on An Post facilitating the increased frequency of new and changed addresses in the GeoDirectory database from quarterly to monthly to Eircode through their subsidiary An Post GeoDirectory. My officials are working with An Post, Ordnance Survey Ireland, An Post GeoDirectory and Eircode to expedite the process of assigning Eircodes for new properties with postal addresses and geo-locations.
175. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will report on the recent announcement from the ESB in relation to Moneypoint; the estimated number of jobs envisaged for the local community over the years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21691/21]
View answer176. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will report on the future of Moneypoint; if other options were looked into such as tidal wave energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21692/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 175 and 176 together.
ESB have informed my Department that as part of their plans to develop a green energy hub at Moneypoint, they are developing a floating wind farm of 1,400MW off the coasts of Counties Clare and Kerry in partnership with Equinor. The first phase of their two planned wind farms will be commissioned by 2028 subject to the appropriate consents and success at relevant auctions. This will contribute significantly to Ireland’s target of at least 5GW of Offshore Wind connected to the grid by 2030 and once complete, the wind farm will be capable of powering more than 1.6 million homes in Ireland. Construction of an offshore windfarm is a highly specialised activity that includes both onshore and offshore activities. Based on similar projects elsewhere, ESB estimate that employment during construction will be close to 600 people.
On an ongoing basis, ESB assess all available technologies for technical and commercial feasibility. This includes onshore and offshore wind, solar, wave and other renewable technologies.
178. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the details of the holders of exploration licences, petroleum prospecting licences and petroleum leases; the date each was issued; the date each expires; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21750/21]
View answerSection 57 of the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development Act 1960 requires that I lay before the Houses of the Oireachtas every six months a report detailing all petroleum authorisations extant and granted during the period of the report. The last such report laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas was in respect of the six-month period ending 31 December 2020.
In addition, a report on the status of all petroleum authorisations is published on a quarterly basis on gov.ie (https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/10d43-acreage-reports-and-concession-maps/). The most recent such report was published in respect of the three month period ending 31 March 2021. This report contains the information requested by the Deputy in relation to the holders, issue date and expected expiration date of existing petroleum authorisations.
179. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No. 256 of 24 March 2021, if the allocation of an Eircode will be expedited to ensure broadband provision in the case of persons (details supplied). [21841/21]
View answerCapita Business Support Services Ireland, trading as Eircode assigns Eircodes to new property addresses using a valid postal address and verified geo-locations. An Post collects information on new and existing buildings, as well as changes to existing addresses and Ordnance Survey Ireland provides the geo-locations for these buildings. An Post GeoDirectory, a subsidiary company of An Post and Ordnance Survey Ireland, issue a new release of the GeoDirectory database file on a quarterly basis to Eircode in accordance with their licence agreement.
Each new postal address assigned an Eircode is published on the free to use Eircode Finder website, a notification letter is issued to the property occupant containing the Eircode of that address and an updated Eircode Database is provided to licensed businesses for their use. Once the Eircode database is updated on a quarterly basis it is then a matter for individual Eircode database providers to release updates to commercial businesses in accordance with the terms of their licence agreements. An Post have informed my officials that the individual's address data has been recorded in their systems and this information should be issued from An Post GeoDirectory to Eircode in the next assignment of the database My officials have requested Eircode to contact and liaise directly with the individual in question regarding the assignment of an Eircode for this new property address. Early assignment of Eircodes is contingent on An Post facilitating the increased frequency of new and changed addresses from quarterly to monthly to Eircode through their subsidiary An Post GeoDirectory. My officials are working with An Post, Ordnance Survey Ireland, An Post GeoDirectory and Eircode to expedite the process of assigning Eircodes for new properties with postal addresses and geo-locations.
180. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when the fibre installation at a location (details supplied) will be complete; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21846/21]
View answerThe Question refers to a premises located in the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website 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.
I appreciate people's frustration when they are living so close to a fibre network but cannot get a connection to that network, particularly given the heightened importance of connectivity during the Covid-19 pandemic. The NBP will ensure that in all such cases a future proofed high speed broadband network will be built to serve these premises and work to deliver on this is underway.
I am advised by National Broadband Ireland that, as of 22 April 2021, over 207,000 premises across all counties have been surveyed. In County Kerry, premises have been surveyed including in the areas of Muckross, Fossa, Kilcummin, Lissivigeen, Ballycasheen, Faha, Firies, Ballyhar,Curraheen, Abbeydorney, Kilflynn, Firies, Castlemaine and Ardfert. Surveys are underway in Rathmore, Knocknacopple, Mounthorgan, Kilquane Upper, Barraduff, Cloonteens, Gneevgullia, Tureenamult, Renasup, Castlegregory, Aughacasla, Camp, Knockbrack, Maum, Lougher, Inch, Annascaul, Derrygorman, Ballyglasheen, Brackluin, Ballintarmon, Drom, An Clochan, Kilshannig, Fahamore, Candeehy Breanainn, Ballyheigue, Glenderry, Ladywell, Banna, Lerrig, Ballymacandrew, Causeway, Foxfort, Ballymacaquinn, Ballincloher, Dromartin and Beenconeen. Build works have started in the areas around Tralee in Curraheen, Abbeydorney, Kilflynn, Firies, Castlemaine and Ardfert. Pre-build works in the Killarney area have also commenced.
The premises referred to is in the Kilfenora deployment area and I am advised by NBI that access to high speed broadband will be available in the area later this year. Further details are available on specific areas within County Kerry through the NBI website which provides a facility for any premises within the intervention area to register their interest in being provided with deployment updates through its website www.nbi.ie. Individuals who register with this facility will receive regular updates on progress by NBI on delivering the network and specific updates related to their own premises as works commence. I am advised that NBI is working to provide more detail on its website, with a rolling update on network build plans. NBI also has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie, which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.
Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are a key element of the NBP providing high speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. As of 22 April, 304 BCP sites have been installed by NBI and the high speed broadband service will be switched on in these locations through service provider contracts managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development for publicly accessible sites and the Department of Education for schools. BCP sites installed in Kerry are Gneeveguilla, Railway Station Heritage Centre and Community Space, Inch Community Centre, Kielduff Community Centre and Cillín Liath. Cable Station and Chapeltown Community Centre are installed and connected. Further details can be found at https://nbi.ie/bcp-locations/.
Boheeshil National School, Dunloe Upper and Coars National School are installed as part of this initiative. My Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high speed broadband, within the Intervention Area, for connection over the term of the NBP. In this regard, an acceleration of this aspect of the National Broadband Plan was announced in December which will see some 679 primary schools connected to high speed broadband by 2022, well ahead of the original target delivery timeframe of 2026. Further details are available on the NBI website at https://nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/.
181. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the way in which his Department and agencies under his remit facilitate persons wishing to engage with their services through the Irish language; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21901/21]
View answerMy Department endeavours to fully facilitate anyone wishing to engage with our services in Irish, ensuring that our obligations under the Official Languages Act and our commitments under our own current Irish Language Scheme are fully met.
This Scheme has been formulated with the intention of ensuring that all relevant obligations under the Official Languages Act by the Department will be fully addressed on an incremental basis, through this and future schemes. Any person who communicates with us through Irish will receive a response in Irish. Key corporate and policy publications, consultations, and press releases are published bilingually. Anyone who wishes to speak to a member of staff in Irish can do so, and the Department has a dedicated Irish Language Officer to ensure implementation of our Language Scheme and the ongoing and appropriate provision of Irish Language services in the Department. The Department has recently completed our website migration to the gov.ie platform, necessitating a review of all web content, including policy and service information. We are currently in the process of having all of our online services translated, according to our commitments under our Irish Language Scheme. The provision of Irish Language services in our agencies is a matter for those organisations separately, and does not fall under the provisions of our own Departmental Irish Language Scheme.
182. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if all forms issued by his Department and agencies under his remit are available in both the Irish and English languages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21919/21]
View answerMy Department is fully compliant with our Irish Language Scheme, which commits us to publishing all application forms bilingually.
Application forms are accessed online on the gov.ie platform, to which my Department recently migrated. This process has resulted in a full review of content on the platform, and the Department is currently in the process of ensuring all of these forms are available online in both languages, according to our commitments under our Irish Language Scheme. The provision of Irish Language services in our agencies is a matter for those organisations separately, and does not fall under the provisions of our own Departmental Irish Language Scheme.
