Tuesday, 4 Apr 2017

Written Answers Nos. 612-626

Waste Disposal

Ceisteanna (612)

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

612. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the amount it cost to dispose of contaminated recycled waste recently returned here; the way in which it was funded; if this was the first occasion this occurred; if not, the detail of the previous incidents and the way they were handled; the amount it cost; the measures being taken to ensure it is not repeated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16127/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Statistics and information on shipments of waste to and from Ireland, including repatriated waste, are not kept by my Department. Such information is maintained by the National Transfrontier Shipments Office (NTFSO) as the National Competent Authority for the export, import and transit of waste shipments under the Waste Management (Shipments of Waste) Regulations, 2007.

The liability for the costs associated with repatriated waste shipments carried out under the TFS notification procedure are as prescribed in the Shipments of Waste Regulations. Under these Regulations the notifier of a proposed waste shipment is legally obliged to put in place a Financial Guarantee to cover liabilities resulting from shipments carried out under notification. The purpose of the Financial Guarantee is to cover costs arising in the context of cases where a notified shipment of waste cannot be completed as intended, or in cases where a shipment or the intended recovery or disposal is deemed illegal.

On foot of the recent issues with the transit of a number of containers through Rotterdam, my Department and the NTFSO have met with the Dutch Authorities to agree early warning systems for suspect shipments. The NTFSO has also carried out inspections of the facilities where the contaminated material was originally processed and has met with the waste broker concerned with a view to improving the broker’s inspection and monitoring procedures in order to reduce the risk of repeated incidents in the future.

It is recognised that the co-mingled recycling bin can be contaminated with non-recyclable items due to a number of factors including awareness of what can or cannot be recycled on behalf of the household customer. To improve awareness rates I have allocated substantial funding (€1.6m) in 2017 towards a national waste campaign which will focus on waste prevention and waste segregation. The campaign will support householders to increase their recycling rates and assist them in avoiding the contamination of recyclate and organic waste.

Waste Disposal

Ceisteanna (613)

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

613. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the locations of the remaining open municipal waste sites; the areas that the waste is drawn from; if the current situation of concentrating on a limited number of areas complies with best practice waste principles; the changes that are expected; the timeframe for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16178/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

According to a recent EPA report, Ireland's Environment - An Assessment 2016, there were six operating landfills in the State in 2016.

In accordance with legislation, waste management planning, including infrastructure provision, is the statutory responsibility of local authorities. Under section 60(3) of the Waste Management Act, I am precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to the performance by a local authority, in particular circumstances, of a statutory function vested in it.

My role as Minister is to provide a comprehensive legislative and waste policy framework through which the relevant regulatory bodies, such as the local authorities and the Environmental Protection Agency, operate. In this regard, in line with a measure contained in the Government policy, A Resource Opportunity - Waste Management Policy in Ireland, three Regional Waste Management Planning Lead Authorities have been designated by the local authority sector and three regional waste management plans for the period 2015 to 2021 are in place since May 2015.

Broadband Service Provision

Ceisteanna (614)

Danny Healy-Rae

Ceist:

614. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the assistance he will provide to a community in County Kerry to establish a fibre optic line from locations (details supplied) to benefit the community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16030/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

I refer the Deputy to the response in Parliamentary Question No. 258 of 22 March 2017.

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.

Today the 4th April, I formally published an updated High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The updated Map shows the following categories of areas for delivery of broadband:

- The BLUE areas represent those areas where commercial telecommunications providers are either currently delivering or have indicated plans to deliver high speed broadband services,

- The AMBER areas on the High Speed Broadband Map represent the areas that will require State Intervention and are the subject of the current procurement process.

It is intended that all premises will have access to services of at least 30 megabits per second when the procurement process is completed and the network rolled out.

The updated map indicates that the villages of Camp, Cloghane and Brandon falls within a BLUE area and will be covered by a commercial operator. Premises that are located in between the villages of Camp and Cloghane that are not served by a commercial operator will be included in the State Intervention procurement process under the NBP.

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.

With the publication of the updated High Speed Broadband Map the State Intervention Area has now been finalised. 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. 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. 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.

The Programme for Government also commits to measures to assist in the rollout of the network once a contract is awarded.

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 and a prioritisation programme.

Broadcasting Charge

Ceisteanna (615)

Brendan Griffin

Ceist:

615. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16164/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Public service broadcasters play an important role in our democratic society and the provision of stable and adequate funding is essential to ensuring they can continue to deliver on that role.

While the existing TV licence fee model has provided a measure of stability to date, the rapid changes in technology altering the traditional way in which television is watched, together with economic pressures generally, are having a growing impact on the funding now being provided by the model and raise a serious question mark over the future ability of the current model to continue to provide stable funding for public service media in the longer term.

I am currently considering proposals for the amendment of the Broadcasting Act 2009 and I intend to bring these proposals to Cabinet shortly. As part of these proposals, I am examining the option of increasing the range of devices liable for a television licence. The growth of Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) as a delivery mechanism for television services, as well as the availability of a much wider range of devices for media consumption means that traditional viewing habits are changing. Recent TAM reports show that the percentage of households which are no longer deemed to have a television as defined by the current regulations has risen from 6% in 2013 to 8% in 2016.

In advance of any amendment to the current regulations, I intend to write to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communication, Climate Action and Environment, to seek their views on which types of devices should remain exempt.

I have also requested that the Committee examine the longer term issue of the future funding of public service media. As the Deputy may be aware, the Committee is currently considering this issue following a period of public consultation and stakeholder engagement. I look forward to receiving their report in due course which will help inform future funding policy for public service broadcasting.

Broadband Service Provision

Ceisteanna (616)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

616. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 284 of 16 February 2017, the number of premises forecasted to be covered by the national broadband plan and by commercial high-speed broadband services, inclusive of the further 170,000 premises that are currently marked blue on the high-speed broadband map and which are unlikely to get access to services, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16215/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Today the 4th April, I formally published an updated High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The updated Map shows the following categories of areas for delivery of broadband:

- The BLUE areas represent those areas where commercial telecommunications providers are either currently delivering or have indicated plans to deliver high speed broadband services,

- The AMBER areas on the High Speed Broadband Map represent the areas that will require State Intervention and are the subject of the current procurement process.

My Department has developed coverage maps on a county basis including information on the townlands in each county. Over 50,000 townlands and 2.3 million premises have been identified. Information on county coverage including townland statistics in each province is available on my Department’s website.

The updated Map shows that there are approximately 1.8m premises in the BLUE areas, representing 77% of the total premises in Ireland. The remaining 23%, which comprises some 542,000 premises are in the AMBER areas and are expected to be served by the State Intervention.

It is intended that all premises will have access to services of at least 30 Megabits per second when the procurement process is completed and the network rolled out.

Alternative Energy Projects

Ceisteanna (617)

Carol Nolan

Ceist:

617. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if there is a policy in place on the burning of significant quantities of wood for commercial purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16257/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Bord na Móna is a commercial State company operating under the Turf Development Acts 1946 to 1998. The matter raised by the Deputy is operational in nature and not one in which I, as Minister, have any function.

The use of biomass for energy production is supported by the Refit 3 programme, of which Edenderry Power Ltd (EPL) is a beneficiary. The various forms of biomass used by EPL are residues from existing sustainable forestry and other similar activities. Residues include, among other things, saw dust and brash from forestry operations and tree bark stripped from trees in sawmills. This is material which would otherwise have been wasted.

Fuel Poverty

Ceisteanna (618)

Denise Mitchell

Ceist:

618. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when the stay warm savings scheme will be rolled out to locations (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16267/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

The Stay Warm savings scheme is run by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. It makes €5 stamps available to the public through retail outlets. These stamps are collected in a savings booklet which can then be used to pay for all or part of a home heating bill. The aim of the scheme is to offer a convenient solution that helps householders to save towards the cost of their home heating bills.

My Department has committed to funding the scheme on a pilot basis for two years. The scheme is currently operating in parts of Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow. In total, 70 retailers are selling stamps and promoting the scheme, with 55 fuel suppliers accepting the stamps as part or full payment for all deliveries. In Dublin, the stamps are available in the Finglas and Cabra areas, with 20 retailers and 12 fuel suppliers participating in the scheme in those areas. As the two year pilot period will draw to a close in the middle of this year, the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul have informed me that they have no plans to expand the geographical areas where the stamps are offered.

At the conclusion of the two year pilot, an evaluation will be undertaken which will attempt to determine the impact the scheme has had. Similar savings schemes have been operated for a number of years in Northern Ireland where they have been found to increase households savings performance.

Broadband Service Provision

Ceisteanna (619)

Gerry Adams

Ceist:

619. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when a business (details supplied) in County Louth will have access to high-speed Internet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16312/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Today the 4th April, I formally published an updated High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The updated Map shows the following categories of areas for delivery of broadband:

- The BLUE areas represent those areas where commercial telecommunications providers are either currently delivering or have indicated plans to deliver high speed broadband services,

- The AMBER areas on the High Speed Broadband Map represent the areas that will require State Intervention and are the subject of the current procurement process.

It is intended that all premises will have access to services of at least 30 megabits per second when the procurement process is completed and the network rolled out.

The map indicates that Omeath, County Louth is within a BLUE area and will, therefore, be served by commercial operators. There are, however, several premises within the Omeath BLUE area that have been identified as not being able to receive High Speed Broadband. These premises are now identified as AMBER dots on the updated map and will be part of the State Intervention under the NBP. 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.

With the publication today of the updated Map the State Intervention Area has now been finalised. 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. 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. 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.

The Programme for Government also commits to measures to assist in the rollout of the network once a contract is awarded.

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 and a prioritisation programme.

Broadband Service Provision

Ceisteanna (620)

Brendan Griffin

Ceist:

620. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when he will issue the national broadband tender; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16344/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

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, including over the last 12 months 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.

Today the 4th April, I formally published an updated High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The updated Map shows the following categories of areas for delivery of broadband:

- The BLUE areas represent those areas where commercial telecommunications providers are either currently delivering or have indicated plans to deliver high speed broadband services,

- The AMBER areas on the High Speed Broadband Map represent the areas that will require State Intervention and are the subject of the current procurement process.

It is intended that all premises 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.

With the publication of the updated High Speed Broadband Map the State Intervention Area has now been finalised. 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.

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.

In the short-term I am working to ensure measures are put in place to assist in the rollout of the NBP State Intervention network once a contract is awarded and to improve mobile phone and broadband access in Ireland.

Departmental Information

Ceisteanna (621)

Colm Brophy

Ceist:

621. Deputy Colm Brophy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of requests his Department received for material to be made available in Braille format in each of the years 2014 to 2016; the number of these requests which were accommodated by his Department; the cost implication and the person or body which provided the translation service. [16384/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

My Department received no requests for material to be made available in Braille format for the years 2014 to 2016.

Nuclear Plants

Ceisteanna (622, 623)

Eamon Ryan

Ceist:

622. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the correspondence he has received from the United Kingdom on the proposed nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point C; and the response he has made. [16481/17]

Eamon Ryan

Ceist:

623. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the correspondence he has received from the United Kingdom on the proposed nuclear power plant at Wylfa; and the response he has made. [16482/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

I propose to take Questions Nos. 622 and 623 together.

Ireland’s established position is that, while not a nuclear energy producing country, we acknowledge the right of States to determine their own energy mix. However, we expect that, where a State chooses to develop a nuclear power industry, this will be done in line with the highest international standards with respect to safety and environmental protection. The Irish Government have been aware since 2009 of the UK’s plans to build new nuclear power stations at sites judged as potentially suitable.

There is regular contact at official level on a range of nuclear related matters between Ireland and the United Kingdom. This contact is formalised in the biannual meetings of the UK-Ireland Contact Group on Radiological Matters. This group includes Departmental officials and representatives from the relevant Regulatory bodies - the United Kingdom's Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Office for Radiological Protection. Ireland has been actively involved in the consultations process on the proposed new build programme which is a standing agenda item at UK-Ireland Contact Group on Radiological Matters meetings.

The Government asked the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII), now merged with EPA, to prepare a report on the potential radiological implications for Ireland from the proposed new nuclear power plants in the UK including Hinkley Point C and Wylfa. This expert report, published in 2013, is available at:

https://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/radiation/RPII_Proposed_Nuc_Power_Plants_UK_13.pdf

A principal finding of the report is that the routine operation of the proposed nuclear power plants will have no measurable radiological impact on Ireland or the Irish marine environment. This report continues to inform Irish engagement on the UK new nuclear build programme.

In relation to the development at Hinkley my Department recently received a letter from the UK Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy asking if Ireland considered whether notification under the Espoo Convention, which deals with trans-boundary environmental impacts, would be useful. In response my Department stated that such future notification would be useful.

National Broadband Plan Administration

Ceisteanna (624)

Brendan Smith

Ceist:

624. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to reduce the number of homes and businesses to be covered by the national broadband plan in an agreement between his Department and a telecommunications provider; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16535/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

The Government's National Broadband Plan (NBP) was published in August 2012. Progress continues to be made in delivering on this Government’s commitment to ensure every household and business in Ireland has access to high speed broadband, regardless of where they are located.

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) 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, including over the last 12 months 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.

I formally published an updated High Speed Broadband Map today which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The updated Map shows the following categories of areas for delivery of broadband:

- The BLUE areas represent those areas where commercial telecommunications providers are either currently delivering or have indicated plans to deliver high speed broadband services,

- The AMBER areas on the High Speed Broadband Map represent the areas that will require State Intervention and are the subject of the current procurement process.

The updated Map shows that there are approximately 1.8m premises in the BLUE areas, representing 77% of the total premises in Ireland. The remaining 23%, which comprises some 542,000 premises are in the AMBER areas and are expected to be served by the State Intervention.

It is intended that all premises will have access to services of at least 30 Megabits per second when the procurement process is completed and the network rolled out.

With the publication of the updated High Speed Broadband Map the State Intervention Area has now been finalised. 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. 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.

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.

The Programme for Government also commits to measures to assist in the rollout of the network once a contract is awarded.

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 and a prioritisation programme.

Broadband Service Provision

Ceisteanna (625)

Timmy Dooley

Ceist:

625. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on a recent ComReg publication (details supplied) and the finding that only 7,623 premises are connected with fibre to the home broadband technology, FTTH; and if the new national broadband plan will ensure all premises covered by the plan have FTTH download speeds. [16560/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

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, including over the last 12 months 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 latest ComReg quarterly report highlights that over 65% of all broadband customers now avail of high speed broadband services ( > 30 Megabits per second). It also indicates that uptake over the past quarter includes an increase in customers availing of Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) of over 20.2%. While this represents only 7,623 premises, this is a large increase over a short period and is a very encouraging indicator of the popularity of FTTP products. It also indicates that the commercial sector is moving towards FTTP as the solution of the foreseeable future.

Today the 4th April, I formally published an updated High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The updated Map shows the following categories of areas for delivery of broadband:

- The BLUE areas represent those areas where commercial telecommunications providers are either currently delivering or have indicated plans to deliver high speed broadband services,

- The AMBER areas on the High Speed Broadband Map represent the areas that will require State Intervention and are the subject of the current procurement process.

It is intended that all premises 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.

With the publication of the updated High Speed Broadband Map the State Intervention Area has now been finalised.

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.

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.

In the short-term I am working to ensure measures are put in place to assist in the rollout of the NBP State Intervention network once a contract is awarded and to improve mobile phone and broadband access in Ireland.

Carbon Tax Implementation

Ceisteanna (626)

Noel Rock

Ceist:

626. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will consider implementing here something similar to the UK’s carbon tax (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16686/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

I understand the Deputy is referring to the Carbon Price Support Scheme introduced in the United Kingdom which applies to UK installations participating in the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and which tops up the carbon price in the EU ETS to a published UK ‘floor’ price.

The ETS is one of the main policies of the European Union to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in a cost-effective manner. Emissions Trading is a "cap and trade" scheme, whereby an EU wide cap or limit is set for participating installations. This cap is reduced over time so that total emissions are reduced. Within this cap, "allowances" for emissions are auctioned or allocated for free. Individual installations must report on their emissions on an annual basis and surrender sufficient allowances to cover their emissions, purchasing additional allowances if necessary.

The ETS includes 11,000 installations (101 in Ireland) and accounts for roughly 45% of EU emissions (25% of Irish emissions). The ETS was launched in 2005 and is currently in its third phase, covering the period 2013 to 2020.

Negotiations are currently under way regarding the design of the ETS for the post-2020 (Phase IV) period. On the basis of European Commission proposals, Member States in the Council, including Ireland, have been engaged in negotiations to ensure that the reformed ETS is able to meet its GHG reduction objectives in a cost-effective manner. The proposed reforms to the ETS are also aimed at, inter alia, addressing persistently low prices within the ETS over recent years.

At a meeting of the Environment Council on 28 February, which I attended, agreement was reached on a general approach on the revised ETS proposal, a position Ireland was able to support. This will now enable the Council to begin negotiations with the European Parliament on the proposal. It is currently anticipated that this process will reach a conclusion later this year.

On the basis that negotiations to reform the ETS currently underway at EU level are aimed at addressing current weaknesses, I do not have any plans to adopt any additional carbon price support measures to apply to ETS installations in Ireland.