Parliamentary questions

National Broadband Plan Implementation

Timmy Dooley

1. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if all premises covered by the national broadband plan will be connected by 2020; if he is satisfied with the download speeds it envisages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16375/16]

Post Office Network

Carol Nolan

2. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the action he will take to preserve the services delivered by rural post offices. [16173/16]

Postal Codes

Timmy Dooley

3. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views that the establishment of Eircode has provided value for money; if he is satisfied with the rate of take up by industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16216/16]

Broadband Service Provision

Mattie McGrath

4. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his efforts to roll out high-speed broadband in rural Ireland and in County Tipperary in particular; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16411/16]

Mobile Telephony Services

Michael McGrath

5. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the commitments in the programme for Government on improving mobile telephone coverage and his timetable for action; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16180/16]

Renewable Energy Generation Targets

Timmy Dooley

6. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if Ireland is on track to meet binding European Union 2020 renewable targets; the fines that will be realised if these are not achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16220/16]

Energy Efficiency

Michael McGrath

7. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will consider introducing an opt-in provision for customers in the national smart metering programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16236/16]

Public Service Obligation Levy Increase

Shane Cassells

8. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the rate at which the public service obligation, PSO, is levied on electricity bills; his views on increasing this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16205/16]

Alternative Energy Projects

Bernard Durkan

9. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans for developing an alternative energy sector in line with current and future requirements, the need to meet carbon dioxide emission reduction targets and the need to ensure a robust and reliable energy grid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16168/16]

Broadband Service Provision

Éamon Ó Cuív

10. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to expedite the roll-out of genuinely high-speed broadband to rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16119/16]

Energy Prices

Mick Barry

11. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views that the Electricity Supply Board should consider reducing its charges for electricity, given its reported profits of €635 million in 2015; and that high energy prices are being maintained to make the Electricity Supply Board an attractive proposition for privatisation. [16116/16]

North-South Interconnector

Seán Fleming

12. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to support putting the North-South electricity interconnector underground using high-voltage direct current technology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16229/16]

Television Licence Fee

Eamon Ryan

13. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if and when he will replace the television licence fee with an alternative funding mechanism; if he is satisfied with the performance of An Post in collecting the current licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16112/16]

Post Office Network

Dara Calleary

14. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the measures he is taking to maintain the post office network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16199/16]

Broadband Service Provision

Charlie McConalogue

15. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the status of the commitment to and the timeline for providing high-speed broadband to every home and business in County Donegal; the number of these which have high speed broadband and the additional number which will receive it in 2016 and in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16113/16]

Departmental Functions

Seán Sherlock

16. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the sections of his Department and the remit which have been transferred to the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht; and the State agencies and bodies he will have responsibility for. [16245/16]

Renewable Energy Generation Targets

Carol Nolan

17. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if Ireland is on course to meet its renewable energy targets by 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16177/16]

Energy Policy

Bríd Smith

18. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his proposals to swiftly situate Ireland as a carbon dioxide-free energy user; the steps he will take to ensure Ireland no longer relies on imports of fossil fuels, on the future extraction of energy sources or on hydraulic fracturing in Ireland that would contribute to carbon dioxide levels rising, given that carbon dioxide levels have surpassed 400 parts per million and that the rate of increase is greater than at any previous time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16179/16]

National Broadband Plan

Fiona O'Loughlin

19. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when he will implement the national broadband plan and award it to an external body so that small businesses can be certain of a service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16110/16]

Gas Networks Ireland

James Browne

20. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to request the Commission for Energy Regulation if it has approved or if and when it will approve the extension of the natural gas pipeline to New Ross, County Wexford and to request Gas Networks Ireland to state if and when it will extend the pipeline to New Ross, given that it has already extended it to Wexford town, and narrowly bypassed New Ross; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16170/16]

Energy Prices

Catherine Murphy

21. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland has provided him with a comparison between the basic cost of energy in Ireland and in European Union states including, but not limited to, its bi-annual reports; if he will provide these; if the authority has not done so, if he will request it to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16174/16]

Broadband Service Provision

James Browne

22. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when he will roll out rural broadband in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16169/16]

Post Office Network

Bobby Aylward

23. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will honour the commitment that a five-year strategy and pilot service hub post offices would be in place by July 2016 which the chairperson (details supplied) of the Post Office Network Business Development Group made at the launch of its report in January 2016 and the commitment in the programme for Government to consider enabling the payment of motor tax at post offices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11766/16]

Hydraulic Fracturing

Carol Nolan

24. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the measures he will take to ban hydraulic fracturing for fuel extraction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16178/16]

North-South Interconnector

Brendan Smith

25. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the outcome of discussions he had with EirGrid in relation to the North-South electricity interconnector; if he is aware of the widespread opposition in communities in counties Monaghan, Cavan and Meath placing the transmission lines underground; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16156/16]

Broadband Service Provision

Éamon Ó Cuív

26. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources what he considers to be high-speed broadband in terms of its national roll-out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16120/16]

Exploration Industry

Richard Boyd Barrett

27. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he has had discussions with his counterpart in Northern Ireland on the exploratory drilling at Woodburn Forest in County Antrim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16155/16]

Broadband Service Provision

Thomas Pringle

28. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will respond to the European Commission's recent Digital Scoreboard Report which states that a lack of rural broadband has resulted in Ireland having one of the lowest rates of broadband take-up in Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13114/16]

Hydraulic Fracturing

Richard Boyd Barrett

29. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will introduce a national ban on hydraulic fracturing, given the international evidence on its dangers; if not, why not; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16154/16]

Broadband Service Provision

Bernard Durkan

30. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to provide high-speed, high-quality broadband and mobile telephony in all areas and to maximise the quality and availability, as available globally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16167/16]

Mobile Telephony Services

Thomas P. Broughan

31. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on the high level of termination charges in the mobile telephony sector; on the position of the European Union Commission on these charges, and retaining roaming charges in the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16121/16]

Broadband Service Provision

Seán Sherlock

32. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources how he intends to ensure that, in the 21st century, all areas receive 4G internet connectivity under the national broadband package. [16246/16]

Irish Water

Catherine Murphy

33. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if Irish Water is to be established as a public body; why the Energy Bill 2016 seeks to expand the remit of the Commission for Energy Regulation to cover the regulation of water services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16176/16]

Postal Codes

Clare Daly

34. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on the progress of operations of the Eircode system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16117/16]

Broadband Service Expenditure

Jackie Cahill

35. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when he will fully roll out the broadband structure for County Tipperary under the national broadband plan, given that poor coverage is impacting negatively on the economic development of the county. [16122/16]

Climate Change Policy

Eamon Ryan

36. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans for a national dialogue on climate and energy, as set out in the White Paper, Ireland's Transition to a Low Carbon Energy Future 2015 to 2030; when it will occur; the persons who and the bodies which will be involved; the outcomes he is hoping to achieve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16111/16]

Electricity Transmission Network

Brendan Smith

37. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the outcome of discussions he has had with EirGrid on major projects it proposes to undertake over the next few years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16157/16]

Hydraulic Fracturing Policy

Mick Barry

38. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on the campaign of opposition to the exploratory hydraulic fracturing taking place at Woodburn Forest in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, and reports that the companies involved in hydraulic fracturing have expressed an interest in performing similar explorations in County Leitrim. [16115/16]

Property Registration Authority Administration

Peadar Tóibín

39. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if there are enough resources to staff the land registry process in registering rights of way (details supplied). [16422/16]

General Register Office

Catherine Murphy

40. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the form and procedures a person must follow in registering an international divorce on an Irish registered marriage which was the subject of a divorce in Australia (details supplied); and the procedures a person must follow in dealing with the births, deaths and marriages office. [16546/16]

Drugs in Prisons

Jack Chambers

41. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the programme of mandatory drug testing in prisons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16384/16]

Forensic Science Ireland Laboratory

Jack Chambers

42. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the average turnaround times for cases submitted to the forensic science laboratory; the funding allocated to it in each of the years 2006 to 2016 to date, in tabular form; the personnel numbers attached to it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16386/16]

Drug Treatment Court

Jack Chambers

43. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of her review of the Drug Treatment Court model; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16387/16]

Road Safety

Jack Chambers

44. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of roadside drug tests, including the number conducted and the number of positive detections, prosecutions and convictions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16389/16]

Residency Permits

Bernard Durkan

45. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the residency status of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16393/16]

Closed-Circuit Television Systems Provision

Joe Carey

46. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to establish a new community-based closed circuit television scheme similar to that operated previously which would be open to community alert groups to apply for funding in conjunction with An Garda Síochána; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16395/16]

Visa Applications

Josepha Madigan

47. Deputy Josepha Madigan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when visitor visa applications will be processed and granted to persons (details supplied). [16408/16]

Legal Proceedings

Micheál Martin

48. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the matters outstanding in a case (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16415/16]

Garda Deployment

Brendan Smith

49. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if additional Garda Síochána personnel will be assigned to the Cavan-Monaghan Garda division, given the substantial reduction in Garda numbers in that division over the past number of years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16418/16]

Residency Permits

Róisín Shortall

50. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when she will normalise the residency status of a person (details supplied); and if she will put temporary arrangements in place to facilitate the person in resuming employment while she is processing the application. [16448/16]