Written Answers Nos. 732 - 745
732. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if an assessment has been made on Project Kelvin's success here; the number of businesses in County Monaghan availing of this direct fibre optic connection to the US; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9789/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Kelvin network, which has been fully operational since 2011, provides direct international telecoms connectivity between the North West of Ireland and North America (New York) and Europe (Amsterdam). It is linked by a terrestrial fibre network to bring the Kelvin connectivity to 13 urban centres North and South, including Letterkenny, Monaghan, Castleblayney, Dundalk, Drogheda and Dublin. An independent evaluation finalised in 2016 indicated that the network has:
- increased competition in the telecommunications market in the North-South Interreg region of Ireland and reduced costs for international telecoms connectivity
- provided a modern, high speed (reduced latency) international connectivity infrastructure between the North West of Ireland and North America and Europe
- improved the resilience of telecoms networks in the Interreg region and in Ireland
- removed a disadvantage of the Interreg region and provided a basis for attracting investment
- benefitted businesses and citizens in the Interreg, border and North West regions of Ireland.
My officials understand that some 35 customers, comprising telecommunications operators, large corporates, local government bodies and global technology companies avail of connectivity on the Kelvin network to provide telecoms and broadband services to end users, including businesses, or to meet their own connectivity needs. Of these, it is understood that two telecommunications operators utilise the Kelvin network in County Monaghan. My Department does not hold information relating to the detail of the services procured on the Kelvin network which is a matter for the individual customers involved.
733. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9790/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to deliver high speed broadband 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 a combination of commercial investment by the telecommunications sector and a State Intervention in those areas where commercial investment has not been fully demonstrated.
A key principle of the NBP is to support and stimulate commercial investment through policy and regulatory measures. Commercial investment since the publication of the NBP has considerably exceeded expectations. To date, the commercial telecommunications sector has invested over €2.5bn in upgrading and modernising networks which support the provision of high speed broadband and mobile telecoms services.
There has been significant progress in relation to broadband rollout so that today, approximately 1.4m or 61% of premises in Ireland can get high speed broadband of a minimum of 30 Megabits per second. The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector, which is continuing to expand this footprint.
The High Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie shows the current extent of the State Intervention area:
- The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial telecommunications providers are either currently delivering or have previously indicated plans to deliver high speed broadband services,
- 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. It is intended that premises within this area will have access to services of at least 30 megabits per second when the procurement process is completed and the network rolled out.
Individuals can check whether their premises is in a BLUE or an AMBER area by accessing the High Speed Broadband Map and entering their Eircode.
A formal procurement process is in train to select a company or companies who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network within the State Intervention Area. My Department will shortly update the High Speed Broadband map to finalise the Intervention Area for the Procurement process, taking into account industry investments that have not materialised in Blue areas, together with new industry investments within the proposed State Intervention Area, along with concrete and credible commitments by industry for further new investments within the Intervention Area.
The procurement process is being intensively managed, to ensure an outcome that delivers a future-proofed network that serves homes and businesses across Ireland, for at least 25 years. Intensive dialogue with bidders is continuing and the three bidders have indicated that they are proposing a predominantly fibre-to-the-home solution. This provides for a future proofed solution for the 25 years of the contract and beyond. A fibre-to-the-home solution means that householders and businesses may get speeds not just of 30 Megabits per second but much higher, potentially up to 1000 Megabits per second.
The timeframe for the procurement continues to be dependent on a range of factors including the complexities that may be encountered by the procurement team and bidders, during the procurement process. During the Department's extensive stakeholder consultations in 2015, telecommunications service providers indicated a 3-5 year timeline to rollout a network of the scale envisaged under the NBP.
As part of the competitive process, the Department will engage with winning bidder(s) on the best rollout 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 rollout 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 rollout 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 rollout of the network once a contract is awarded.
In this regard, I and Minister Humphreys established a Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce in July 2016. The findings of this Taskforce recommends practical actions that can be taken to remove barriers to and improve mobile phone and broadband access in Ireland. The Taskforce report is available at the following link:www.dccae.gov.ie/communications/en-ie/Pages/Publication/Report-of-the-Mobile-Phone-and-Broadband-Taskforce.aspx.
Minister Humphreys has established two regional action groups, working with Local Authorities, Local Enterprise Offices and other relevant agencies to unlock barriers to investment in mobile and broadband services. Since July, there has been significant progress made in discussions with the key stakeholders including local authority management representation, Government Departments and State agencies, as well as interaction with ComReg and telecoms operators.
I have signed Regulations allowing ComReg to proceed with the allocation of spectrum in the 3.6GHz band, in early 2017. This will provide an 86% increase in total spectrum available for mobile and fixed wireless services. I have also secured €8m for RTE which will allow it to free up the 700MHz spectrum band, to provide enhanced mobile services.
These investments should assist in significantly improving the coverage and quality of broadband and mobile voice and data services throughout the country.
734. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the ESB's WestWave ocean energy project off County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10080/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra735. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the EU and national funding received by the WestWave ocean energy project off County Clare to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10081/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 734 and 735 together.
The WestWave project is a collaborative ocean energy project led by the ESB with the objective of accelerating the development of the ocean energy sector in Ireland. ESB is working with a number of wave energy developers to realise this 5MW project off the coast of Clare, however the details in regard to the developers, procurement process and specific technologies involved are matters for ESB.
I am advised by the ESB that the WestWave project is expected to be operational by 2020. This is a highly innovative project and it is imperative that the technical solution chosen would be appropriate for the challenging wave conditions off the west coast of Ireland.
Wave and tidal energy is still at the R and D stage globally, and while promising experimental devices have been developed, much more research, development and demonstration is required to bring wave energy technology to commercial viability.
In terms of funding, in July 2014 the WestWave project was awarded €23 million by the European Commission under the EU New Entrant Reserve (NER300) funding mechanism. This is the only Irish project to receive funding under this scheme.
The project has also received funding of over €481,000 under the Prototype Development Fund administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. The main focus of the fund is to stimulate the development and deployment of ocean energy devices and systems.
736. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the cost of implementing a living wage of €11.50 per hour for all employees directly employed or in agencies funded by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10096/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department currently has 17 staff members who earn less than €11.50 gross per hour. The cost to my Department of introducing a minimum wage of €11.50 is estimated at €63,000 per annum.
The information requested in relation to the agencies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for each agency. The Department will request the relevant bodies to reply directly to the Deputy with the information requested in respect of their organisations.
737. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated fine should the State miss its carbon targets for 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10168/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFor each year between 2013 and 2020, Ireland has a Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) emissions reduction target under the 2009 Effort Sharing Decision (ESD) No. 406/2009/EC. For the year 2020 itself, the target set for Ireland is that emissions should be 20% below their value in 2005. This is jointly the most demanding 2020 reduction target allocated under the ESD, and one shared only by Denmark and Luxembourg. The 2013 target is based on the average of emissions for the years 2008 -2010. The target for each of the years 2014 through 2019 is on a straight-line trajectory between the targets for 2013 and 2020, and surpluses in one year can be used to cover deficits in any subsequent year. The average incidence of these targets is a 12% reduction relative to 2005.
In March 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published projected emissions for 2020 which indicate that Ireland’s emissions at that stage could be in the range of 6 - 11% below 2005 levels, depending on whether additional policies or measures beyond those already in place by the end of 2014 are implemented. On a cumulative basis over the period 2013 - 2020, Ireland is projected to have a deficit of between 3 and 12 Megatonnes Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (MtCO2eq). According to the latest inventory published by the EPA in November 2016, GHG emissions for 2015 are estimated to be 59.84 MtCO2eq. This is 3.7% higher than emissions in 2014.
As I have previously indicated, the shortfall to 2020 projected by the EPA reflects both the constrained investment capacity over the decade between 2008 and 2019 due to the economic crisis (including the impact of the troika programme and the EU fiscal governance requirements), and the fact our 2020 target was very significantly above what would have been cost-effective for Ireland to contribute to the overall EU effort. It now represents a significant challenge to be addressed, including as we look out to 2030. It will be necessary, therefore, to pursue other available options, in addition to the introduction of further policies and measures planned as part of the development of the National Mitigation Plan, if we are to address this gap to target.
In the first place, this will include the retirement of Annual Emissions Allocations and units from the Kyoto Protocol Flexibility Mechanisms carried forward from 2008-2012 which can be offset against the deficit. If this does not fully address any potential deficit, further carbon units could be purchased. It is not possible to accurately quantify the cost to purchase notional carbon units at this stage as the cost is dependent on both the quantum and price of carbon units to be purchased at the time.
739. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to supply a high speed broadband service to a location (details supplied) in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10289/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra740. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to supply a high speed broadband service to a location (details supplied) in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10290/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra741. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to supply a high speed broadband service to a location (details supplied) in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10295/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra742. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to supply a high speed broadband service to a location (details supplied) in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10303/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra743. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to supply a high speed broadband service to a location (details supplied) in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10304/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra744. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to supply a high speed broadband service to a location (details supplied) in County Louth. [10306/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra745. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to supply a high speed broadband service to a location (details supplied) in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10309/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 739 to 745, inclusive, together.
The National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to deliver high speed broadband 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 a combination of commercial investment by the telecommunications sector and a State Intervention in those areas where commercial investment has not been fully demonstrated.
A key principle of the NBP is to support and stimulate commercial investment through policy and regulatory measures. Commercial investment since the publication of the NBP has considerably exceeded expectations. To date, the commercial telecommunications sector has invested over €2.5bn in upgrading and modernising networks which support the provision of high speed broadband and mobile telecoms services.
There has been significant progress in relation to broadband rollout so that today, approximately 1.4m or 61% of premises in Ireland can get high speed broadband of a minimum of 30 Megabits per second. The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector, which is continuing to expand this footprint.
The High Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie shows the current extent of the State Intervention area:
- The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial telecommunications providers are either currently delivering or have previously indicated plans to deliver high speed broadband services,
- 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. It is intended that premises within this area will have access to services of at least 30 megabits per second when the procurement process is completed and the network rolled out.
There are c.60,000 premises in County Louth, of which approximately 15,000 are located in the Amber area on the Map, and will benefit from the NBP’s State Intervention. The remaining 45,000 premises are located in the commercial blue area and will be served by commercial operators.
The eircodes referred to by the Deputy fall within the AMBER area and will therefore be included in the State intervention procurement process.
Individuals can check whether their premises is in a BLUE or an AMBER area by accessing the High Speed Broadband Map and entering their Eircode.
A formal procurement process is in train to select a company or companies who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network within the State Intervention Area. My Department will shortly update the High Speed Broadband map to finalise the Intervention Area for the Procurement process, taking into account industry investments that have not materialised in Blue areas, together with new industry investments within the proposed State Intervention Area, along with concrete and credible commitments by industry for further new investments within the Intervention Area.
The procurement process is being intensively managed, to ensure an outcome that delivers a future-proofed network that serves homes and businesses across Ireland, for at least 25 years. Intensive dialogue with bidders is continuing and the three bidders have indicated that they are proposing a predominantly fibre-to-the-home solution. This provides for a future proofed solution for the 25 years of the contract and beyond. A fibre-to-the-home solution means that householders and businesses may get speeds not just of 30 Megabits per second but much higher, potentially up to 1000 Megabits per second.
The timeframe for the procurement continues to be dependent on a range of factors including the complexities that may be encountered by the procurement team and bidders, during the procurement process. During the Department's extensive stakeholder consultations in 2015, telecommunications service providers indicated a 3-5 year timeline to rollout a network of the scale envisaged under the NBP.
As part of the competitive process, the Department will engage with winning bidder(s) on the best rollout 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 rollout 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 rollout 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 rollout of the network once a contract is awarded.
In this regard, I and Minister Humphreys established a Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce in July 2016. The findings of this Taskforce recommends practical actions that can be taken to remove barriers to and improve mobile phone and broadband access in Ireland. The Taskforce report is available at the following link: www.dccae.gov.ie/communications/en-ie/Pages/Publication/Report-of-the-Mobile-Phone-and-Broadband-Taskforce.aspx.
Minister Humphreys has established two regional action groups, working with Local Authorities, Local Enterprise Offices and other relevant agencies to unlock barriers to investment in mobile and broadband services. Since July, there has been significant progress made in discussions with the key stakeholders including local authority management representation, Government Departments and State agencies, as well as interaction with ComReg and telecoms operators.
I have signed Regulations allowing ComReg to proceed with the allocation of spectrum in the 3.6GHz band, in early 2017. This will provide an 86% increase in total spectrum available for mobile and fixed wireless services. I have also secured €8m for RTE which will allow it to free up the 700MHz spectrum band, to provide enhanced mobile services.
These investments should assist in significantly improving the coverage and quality of broadband and mobile voice and data services throughout the country including County Louth.
