Robert Troy
Ceist:220. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the position regarding broadband in an area (details supplied). [28884/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraBroadband Service Provision
Ceisteanna (220)
Freagraí scríofa
The National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to deliver high speed services to every city, town, village and individual premises in Ireland. The Programme for Government commits to the delivery of the NBP as a matter of priority. This is being achieved through private investment by commercial telecommunications companies and through a State intervention in areas where commercial investment is not forthcoming. The formal procurement process for the State Intervention commenced in December 2015.
The procurement process aims to identify an entity or entities to build, roll out, operate and deliver high speed broadband of at least 30 Mbps upload and 6 Mbps download speeds to all premises within the intervention area.
The High Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie shows the extent of the State Intervention area:
- The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have previously indicated plans to deliver high speed broadband services. The Department continues to monitor the commercial deployment plans in the BLUE area to ensure that those services are delivered.
- The areas marked AMBER on the High Speed Broadband Map represent the target areas for the State Intervention which are the subject of the current procurement process.
The map provides information on a county-by-county basis with a breakdown of coverage across the townlands in every county including County Westmeath. Individuals can check whether their premises is in a BLUE or an AMBER area by scrolling through the map online or entering their Eircode. The Department also has a dedicated mailbox and anyone with a query in relation to the Map should email the Department, quoting their Eircode, to broadband@dccae.gov.ie. The Greenpark Meadows area of Mullingar is within the BLUE Area i.e. within the area receiving service from commercial broadband providers. It appears from the Deputy's question that issues persist however in relation to obtaining high speed services in the area. I have asked officials in my Department to investigate this further and if the Deputy has further detail, including the eircodes of any premises which cannot currently get services, it would be helpful if these were emailed to broadband@dccae.gov.ie.
As an update on the procurement process, over 750,000 premises are the focus for the procurement process, which formally commenced in December 2015. This includes almost 18,000 premises in Westmeath. On 5 July, I announced that my Department has also identified that up to an additional 170,000 premises which are currently marked BLUE on the High Speed Broadband Map are unlikely to get access to services. My Department is conducting further analysis to identify these additional premises with a view to including them in the formal procurement process. This work will conclude in the coming months and will be reflected in a further update to the High Speed Broadband Map.
The Department commenced the Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD) phase of the procurement process in July and is engaged in the formal dialogue process with the three qualifying bidders. Following the conclusion of the Dialogue Phase and an invitation to bidders to submit detailed draft proposals, the Department will issue final tender documentation to bidders. When final tenders have been submitted a winning bidder(s) will be selected for the contract which will comprise one or two lots as set out in the NBP Intervention Strategy.
The timing of each stage of the procurement is dependent on a number of factors including the number of qualified bidders and the complexities that may be encountered during the procurement process. It must be noted that bidders will need adequate time to prepare detailed proposals and their final formal bids and get the relevant shareholder and funding approvals at these stages of the process.
As part of the Department's extensive stakeholder consultations in 2015, telecommunications service providers indicated that it could take 3-5 years to roll out a network of the scale envisaged under the NBP. It is however open to bidder(s) to suggest more aggressive timescales as part of their bids. As part of the competitive process, the Department will engage with winning bidder(s) on the best roll-out strategy, in order to target areas of particularly poor service, business needs and/or high demand. This will need to be balanced with the most efficient network roll-out plan. A prioritisation programme will be put in place in this regard, in consultation with the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. A detailed roll-out plan for the network will be published once contract(s) are in place.
The Programme for Government also commits to measures to assist in the roll out of the network once a contract is awarded. In this regard, Minister Humphreys is leading on the establishment of two regional action groups, working with Local Authorities, Local Enterprise Offices and other relevant agencies to help accelerate the broadband network build in rural Ireland, once a contract(s) has been awarded.
In the meantime, my Department continues to liaise closely with industry and relevant other Departments and agencies to assist in the commercial deployment of telecommunications networks. The commercial telecommunications sector has invested over €2 billion in upgrading and modernising networks which support the provision of high speed broadband and mobile telecoms services. These investments will further improve the coverage and quality of broadband and mobile voice and data services throughout the country.
In line with commitments in the Programme for Government I established a Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce with my colleague Minister Humphreys in July 2016. The Taskforce will recommend practical actions that can be taken in the short-term to improve mobile phone and broadband access in Ireland, working with Government Departments, Local Authorities, ComReg, State Agencies, the telecoms industry and other key stakeholders. The work of the taskforce will also assist Local Authorities in preparing for the roll out of the new NBP network once contract(s) are in place. I expect that Minister Humphreys and I will bring proposals to Government by the end of 2016, on foot of the Taskforce's report.
Broadband Service Provision
Ceisteanna (221)
Charlie McConalogue
Ceist:221. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if a location (details supplied) is to be included in the national broadband plan and if not, the private company which has indicated that it will provide a high-speed connection to it and by what date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28903/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to deliver high speed services to every city, town, village and individual premises in Ireland. The Programme for Government commits to the delivery of the NBP as a matter of priority. This is being achieved through private investment by commercial telecommunications companies and through a State intervention in areas where commercial investment is not forthcoming. The formal procurement process for the State Intervention commenced in December 2015.
The procurement process aims to identify an entity or entities to build, roll out, operate and deliver high speed broadband of at least 30 Mbps upload and 6 Mbps download speeds to all premises within the intervention area.
The High Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie shows the extent of the State Intervention area:
- The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have previously indicated plans to deliver high speed broadband services. The Department continues to monitor the commercial deployment plans in the BLUE area to ensure that those services are delivered.
- The areas marked AMBER on the High Speed Broadband Map represent the target areas for the State Intervention which are the subject of the current procurement process.
The map provides information on a county-by-county basis with a breakdown of coverage across the townlands in every county including County Donegal. Individuals can check whether their premises is in a BLUE or an AMBER area by scrolling through the map online or entering their Eircode. The Department also has a dedicated mailbox and anyone with a query in relation to the Map should email the Department, quoting their Eircode, to broadband@dcenr.gov.ie. Based on information provided by commercial operators and represented on our broadband map, coverage in this area is mixed. 65% of the area of Lisfannon Business Park in Lisfannon, Buncrana, Co Donegal falls within the BLUE area i.e. within the commercial operator(s) coverage area. The remaining 35%, falls within the AMBER area and will be covered by the State Intervention.
Over 750,000 premises are the focus for the procurement process for the State intervention, which formally commenced in December 2015. This includes over 52,000 premises in Donegal. On 5 July, I announced that my Department has also identified that up to an additional 170,000 premises nationally which are currently marked BLUE on the High Speed Broadband Map are unlikely to get access to services. My Department is conducting further analysis to identify these additional premises with a view to including them in the formal procurement process. This work will conclude in the coming months and will be reflected in a further update to the High Speed Broadband Map.
The Department commenced the Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD) phase of the procurement process in July and is engaged in the formal dialogue process with the three qualifying bidders. Following the conclusion of the Dialogue Phase and an invitation to bidders to submit detailed draft proposals, the Department will issue final tender documentation to bidders. When final tenders have been submitted a winning bidder(s) will be selected for the contract which will comprise one or two lots as set out in the NBP Intervention Strategy.
The timing of each stage of the procurement is dependent on a number of factors including the number of qualified bidders and the complexities that may be encountered during the procurement process. It must be noted that bidders will need adequate time to prepare detailed proposals and their final formal bids and get the relevant shareholder and funding approvals at these stages of the process.
As part of the Department's extensive stakeholder consultations in 2015, telecommunications service providers indicated that it could take 3-5 years to roll out a network of the scale envisaged under the NBP. It is however open to bidder(s) to suggest more aggressive timescales as part of their bids. As part of the competitive process, the Department will engage with winning bidder(s) on the best roll-out strategy, in order to target areas of particularly poor service, business needs and/or high demand. This will need to be balanced with the most efficient network roll-out plan. A prioritisation programme will be put in place in this regard, in consultation with the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. A detailed roll-out plan for the network will be published once contract(s) are in place.
The Programme for Government also commits to measures to assist in the roll out of the network once a contract is awarded. In this regard, Minister Humphreys is leading on the establishment of two regional action groups, working with Local Authorities, Local Enterprise Offices and other relevant agencies to help accelerate the broadband network build in rural Ireland, once a contract(s) has been awarded.
In the meantime, my Department continues to liaise closely with industry and relevant other Departments and agencies to assist in the commercial deployment of telecommunications networks. The commercial telecommunications sector has invested over €2 billion in upgrading and modernising networks which support the provision of high speed broadband and mobile telecoms services. These investments will further improve the coverage and quality of broadband and mobile voice and data services throughout the country.
In line with commitments in the Programme for Government I established a Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce with my colleague Minister Humphreys in July 2016. The Taskforce will recommend practical actions that can be taken in the short-term to improve mobile phone and broadband access in Ireland, working with Government Departments, Local Authorities, ComReg, State Agencies, the telecoms industry and other key stakeholders. The work of the taskforce will also assist Local Authorities in preparing for the roll out of the new NBP network once contract(s) are in place. I expect that Minister Humphreys and I will bring proposals to Government by the end of 2016, on foot of the Taskforce's report.
Renewable Energy Incentives
Ceisteanna (222)
Brendan Smith
Ceist:222. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if the renewable heat incentive will be introduced with effect from early 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28923/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The introduction of a Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is a commitment in the Programme for Government and will be the primary support mechanism in the heating sector designed to meet Ireland’s renewable energy obligations. The aim of the RHI is to build on the progress already made in the renewable heating sector and to help reach Ireland’s 12% target by 2020. In 2015, it is estimated that 6.8% of heat was derived from renewable sources.
Over the last few months, the Department has undertaken a detailed economic assessment on the design and cost of the RHI and this work is now almost complete. Once finalised, there will be an additional public consultation phase on the design of the new scheme. Before the RHI is introduced, the overall costs and technologies to be supported will be subject to Government approval and State aid clearance from the European Commission. It is expected that a new scheme will become available in the latter half of 2017.
Public Sector Staff Retirements
Ceisteanna (223)
Pearse Doherty
Ceist:223. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of persons outside the payroll shared service centre, in increments of €5,000, in receipt of lump sums on retirement from the public service; and the corresponding amount of the lump sum in each of the years 2013 to 2015 granted by his Department. [28775/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
II am providing the Deputy with details of lump sum payments made to Department staff who retired between 1 January 2013 and 23 August 2013 when this function transferred to the Payroll Shared Services Centre. Included in this information also are details of lump sum payments made to staff in one of my Department's aegis bodies up to February 2014 who had retained their Civil Service status up to their retirement date.
I have asked the State Agencies under the aegis of my Department to provide the Deputy with the information requested in respect of their organisations. If the Deputy does not receive a reply from the agencies within 10 working days he should advise my private office.
|
Band |
2013 |
2014 |
|
0 – 5,000 |
1 |
|
|
5,000 – 10,000 |
1 |
|
|
10,000 – 15,000 |
1 |
|
|
15,000 – 20,000 |
1 |
1 |
|
45,000 – 50,000 |
1 |
|
|
50,000 – 55,000 |
|
1 |
|
65,000 – 70,000 |
1 |
|
|
70,000 – 75,000 |
1 |
|
|
75,000 – 80,000 |
2 |
|
|
205,000 – 210,000 |
1 |
|
|
Total number paid |
10 |
2 |
|
Total value paid |
€588,994.36 |
€70,273.43 |
The referred replies under Standing Order 42A were forwarded to the Deputy.
Public Transport Provision
Ceisteanna (224)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:224. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to provide disabled persons with a more accessible public transportation system through the allocation of funds to establish a nationwide network of accessible Bus Éireann coaches and coach stops; to upgrade unmanned train stations; and to expand the amount of accessible taxis from 5% to 15%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28832/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Accessibility improvements to public transport services are being advanced in the context of my Department's Sectoral Plan under the Disability Act 2005, Transport Access for All.
The Sectoral plan is premised on the principle that through accessibility improvements to the public transport system for people with disabilities, access for all people will be improved. This is being done as extensively as possible having regard to the availability of resources.
Measures to provide for full accessibility is built into all new public transport infrastructure projects and vehicles from the design stage and newer systems such as the Luas are fully accessible.
My Department provides funding to the National Transport Authority (NTA) for a rolling programme of bus replacement and refurbishment of the Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann PSO fleets, both in the Greater Dublin Area and nationally. This has enabled 100% of the Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann city fleets to be wheelchair accessible, as well as approximately 80% of Bus Éireann coaches (which are wheelchair accessible by lift) and this will increase as the coach fleet is replaced.
Funding is also provided to the NTA to manage an on-going programme of accessibility improvement grants to upgrade existing public transport infrastructure and facilities. This includes funding in 2016 for accessibility upgrade works at a number of rail stations, for accessible bus stops & bus stations and for a Wheelchair Accessible Taxi Grant Scheme.
Work to expand accessibility of existing coach services is ongoing. During 2016 the NTA has begun the installation of wheelchair accessible bus stops across the Bus Éireann route network. The long-term objective is to install a wheelchair accessible bus stop in every town in the State. The NTA is rolling this out on a route-by-route basis starting this year with Bus Éireann routes 30 (Dublin-Donegal) and 32 (Dublin-Letterkenny).
Noting its responsibility in the matter I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for a more detailed reply. The Deputy should advise my private office if he does not receive a reply within ten working days.
The referred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
Road Projects Status
Ceisteanna (225)
Tom Neville
Ceist:225. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding a link road junction (details supplied) in County Limerick. [28839/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The planning, design and operation of individual road projects is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) (formerly known as the NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.
Noting the above position, I have referred the Deputy's question to TII for direct reply. The Deputy should advise my private office if he does not receive a reply within ten working days.
The referred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
Dublin Bus
Ceisteanna (226)
Catherine Murphy
Ceist:226. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if Dublin Bus hedges its fuel purchases; the amount it spends on fuel to operate the entire fleet per annum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28850/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The issue raised is a matter for Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) and I have forwarded the Deputy's question to CIÉ for direct reply. The Deputy should advise my private office if she does not receive a response within ten working days.
The deferred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
Ministerial Travel
Ceisteanna (227)
Catherine Murphy
Ceist:227. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the full cost, duration, purpose and outcome of his trip to Brazil in August 2016; the number of officials who accompanied the Minister on that trip; the costs associated with their travel; his views on whether that trip represented good value for money; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28851/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I travelled to Brazil to attend the Olympic Games from 14th August and returned on 18th August. I was accompanied by one official. I am advised that the invoices relating to various costs incurred on the trip have not been processed but I expect that this will happen shortly. I am not therefore in a position to provide the definitive total cost to the Deputy but will do so directly to the Deputy as soon as it is to hand. I will also be publishing on my Department's website www.dttas.ie all travel expenses incurred by me since taking office, including costs in respect of Brazil.
I attended the event in my capacity as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and as a representative of the Government. In doing so I wanted to show full support for our athletes who have given years of effort and preparation to reach a point where they could represent our country at the highest level. As such, I believe the trip represented good value for money.
Rail Services Provision
Ceisteanna (228)
Catherine Murphy
Ceist:228. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in view on the fact that Irish Rail's busiest train journey in 2015 was the Greystones to Malahide 8 a.m. service (details supplied), his plans to increase capacity for that service; his plans to upgrade the rail line from Greystones to Bray from a single track to a double track in order to improve connectivity from County Longford and County Louth to Rosslare Europort; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28855/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding for public transport. The day-to-day operations of our heavy rail system, including rolling stock requirements, are a matter for Iarnród Éireann in consultation with the National Transport Authority. Therefore I have forwarded the Deputy's letter to Iarnród Éireann and I have asked that it respond to her within three weeks. If the Deputy does not receive a response within this timeframe she should contact me again.