Written Answers Nos. 332-351
332. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if the draft terms of reference regarding the North-South interconnector will be circulated to Members of the Oireachtas and to a committee in County Monaghan and another organisation (details supplied) for comment before they are signed off on; and if these terms of reference will require Cabinet approval. [18935/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra342. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when it is proposed to finalise the terms of reference in relation to the study to be undertaken concerning the proposed North-South interconnector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19087/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 332 and 342 together.
In light of the motions passed by Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann, I requested officials in my Department to prepare a proposal for an updated independent study that will bring further clarity to the relative cost and technical merits of overhead and underground solutions for the North South Interconnector.
In preparing the terms of reference for this study, and also to fulfil the commitment made at a meeting I held with public representatives and local community groups in Leinster House on 8 February, my officials held meetings with representatives of the North East Pylon Pressure Campaign on 28 March and the Monaghan Anti-Pylon Committee on 3 April.
I have now received the draft terms of reference for the study. Together with my officials I hope to finalise them in the coming days and I will revert to members of the Oireachtas thereafter. The terms of reference will not require cabinet approval however I expect to fully brief cabinet colleagues as to the approach to the study.
333. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps he will take to ensure that community owned wind farms have access on an affordable basis to the national grid. [18945/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is currently developing a proposed new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) which will be designed to assist Ireland in meeting its Electricity (RES-E) targets out to 2030. The new scheme design requires detailed economic analysis on the viability and cost effectiveness of supporting several renewable technologies, at various scales.
The Programme for Government recognises the importance of community participation in renewable energy projects in both the national and local interest. This builds on the 2015 Energy White Paper commitment to widen the opportunity for community and citizen participation in renewable energy projects. With this in mind, the development of the new RESS also includes an assessment of models for community participation in renewable energy projects.
This work has identified many challenges facing community participation in renewable energy projects, including financial, technical, legal, infrastructural (including grid access) and institutional barriers, and appropriate policy measures to address these challenges are now currently being assessed. The results of this policy assessment will feed directly into the design elements of the new RESS and following on from this, my Department will publish a public consultation on the design of the new support scheme during this quarter.
There will be many decisions to be made on this scheme with regard to scale, technologies and how communities will have a greater involvement than in previous schemes. However, following the outcome of this public consultation and before any new scheme is introduced, it will need to secure Government approval and state aid clearance from the European Commission. Subject to this, it is expected that the new scheme will become operational in the first half of 2018.
While I am strongly committed to developing policies to support community participation in renewable energy projects, the specific question about grid access is an operational matter for the national grid system operators in conjunction with the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER).
335. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his policy on the public service broadcasting charge as was committed to under the previous Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19023/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have no plans to replace the current Television Licence fee with a broadcasting charge. In addition I do not intend to raise the cost of the current licence fee of €160.
I recognise the important part that public service broadcasters play in our democratic society. The provision of stable and adequate funding is essential to ensuring the continued delivery of their role in this regard. I am very much aware, however, of the challenges that face the existing TV Licence system, including the current unacceptable levels of evasion which is over 13.75% equating to a loss of approximately €40 per annum to public service broadcasting.
In that context, my Department has been working with An Post and RTÉ on an on-going basis so that all steps are being taken to ensure the system is working as effectively as possible. Measures such as marketing campaigns, more evening and weekend inspections and appointment of additional temporary Inspectors are just some of the initiatives that have been utilized to enhance sales and improve compliance rates.
I am considering proposals for the amendment of the Broadcasting Act 2009 including a legislative amendment to provide for the tendering of licence fee collection. My Department is liaising with the Office of Government Procurement which has issued a Request for Information to ascertain what the market might be able to deliver in relation to licence fee collection. The outcome of this process will inform any proposed tender that may be issued once the necessary legislative amendment is in place. I noted the Deputy’s press release on this subject in recent days and I want to take this opportunity to confirm that if such a tender proceeds it will of course be open to An Post to apply for that tender. For completion it is my intention that post offices will remain a central point of purchase for the licence fee by householders.
As the Deputy is aware I have requested the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment to examine the longer term issue of the future funding of public service media. I look forward to receiving the Committee’s report in due course, which will inform future funding policy for public service broadcasting.
336. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the approximate cost of introducing the renewable heat incentive; if he will consider including projects installed from the date the initiative is announced to retrospectively qualify once the initiative starts; the approximate cost of this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19024/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe introduction of a Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is a commitment in the White Paper on Energy and the 2016 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, 6.5% of heat was derived from renewable sources in Ireland.
I announced the final public consultation on the design and implementation of the new RHI in January 2017, and I welcome the large volume of submissions received by my Department. All submissions are currently being reviewed and will be used to inform the final design of the scheme.
In order to support on-going investment in the renewable heating sector, my Department will seek clearance from the European Commission that RHI support can apply to RHI applicants, who meet the criteria of the scheme, and were completed and first commissioned between the Government announcement on the RHI on the 8 July 2014 and the start date of the RHI. A final decision on this matter will ultimately be a matter for the Commission and form part of the final State Aid clearance notification for the RHI scheme.
Ultimately, the final cost of introducing a RHI will be driven, in part, by the final design of the scheme, the number of participants and the type of renewable heat technologies to be supported and any sustainability and air quality criteria that form part of the new scheme.
337. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the average cost of energy production per megawatt hour of each source of energy used here in tabular form; the current supports given to wind energy here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19025/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Single Electricity Market (SEM) is the wholesale electricity market for the island of Ireland. The SEM is regulated by the SEM Committee and administration of the SEM is managed by the Single Electricity Market Operator.
Data for 2014 and 2015 in relation to the cost of electricity production per megawatt hour (MWh) for the various technologies is available at Table 3.7 of the publication Generator Financial Performance in the Single Electricity Market. The document is available on the SEM Committee website at
www.semcommittee.com/sites/semcommittee.com/files/media-files/SEM-16-086%20CEPA%20Generator%20Financial%20Performance%20Report.pdf.
In addition, an update report published by the Council for European Energy Regulators earlier this month of support schemes across Europe, found that Ireland still has one of the lowest levels of monetary support per unit of gross electricity produced. The report is available at www.ceer.eu/portal/page/portal/EER_HOME/EER_PUBLICATIONS/CEER_PAPERS/Electricity/2017/C16-SDE-56-03%20Status%20Review%20RES%20Support%20Schemes.pdf.
The Renewable Electricity Feed-in Tariff (REFIT) schemes are the principal means of supporting renewable electricity generators for electricity exported to the grid. REFIT 1 and REFIT 2 schemes, which are now closed for new applications, support onshore wind generation.
The 2017 reference price, or guaranteed support price, for large scale and small scale wind generation is €69.72MWh and €72.17MWh respectively. Details of the REFIT reference prices for all supported technologies are available on this Department’s website at www.dccae.gov.ie.
REFIT forms a key part of the Public Service Obligation (PSO). The PSO levy is charged to all electricity customers in Ireland to support national policy objectives related to renewable energy, indigenous fuels (peat) and security of energy supply. The PSO levy is determined each year by the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER). Ireland’s REFIT schemes have proved effective in attracting investment into the renewable energy sector and the REFIT schemes have been found to be a very cost effective tool to support renewables development, as indicated by a report published by the Council of European Energy Regulators in 2015.
338. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the amount of the subsidy to the contractor responsible for delivering the national broadband plan; the overall cost of this subsidy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19026/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra339. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the terms of agreement between his Department and a company (details supplied) with regard to the recent decision to take 300,000 homes and premises out of the State intervention area of the national broadband plan; and the penalties that will apply should the company fail to meet its commitment. [19027/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra340. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when negotiations began with a company (details supplied) over the recent decision to remove 300,000 homes from the national broadband plan; when the two other bidders (details supplied) were informed of this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19028/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 338 to 340, inclusive, together.
The Government’s National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure that every citizen and business, regardless of location, has access to a high quality, high speed broadband service. This will be achieved through a combination of commercial investments and a State led intervention in areas where commercial services have 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.
The State is not a service provider in the telecoms market and in line with EU State Aid guidelines and competition rules can only intervene where there is clear evidence that the commercial sector has not and will not in the future invest.
In October 2015 the Department published the process it proposed to adopt in order to assess commercial high speed broadband investment plans and made this available on the Department’s website. Plans received from commercial operators were subsequently assessed under technical, deployment and financial criteria, in line with the EU State Aid requirements. This resulted in the publication of the High Speed Broadband Map in December 2015. The Map is a critical aspect of State Aid compliance and the mapping process remained open in accordance with the published terms so as to ensure that existing plans are realised and that new development can be managed.
The Department commenced the procurement process in December 2015 in respect of the Intervention Area, based on the premises in the AMBER area of the High Speed Broadband Map published by the Department in December 2015.
As the Procurement process advances, a strong focus for the Department has been on ensuring that the promised services are delivered in those areas classified as “BLUE”, which are currently outside the scope of the procurement process. Consultation with industry has intensified since January 2016, with a view to interrogating existing BLUE areas further.
Bidders have requested certainty on the Intervention Area to allow them to develop their business cases and the Department is also of the view that greater certainty on the map is required by bidders and is critical for the procurement process.
In November 2016 my Department initiated a review of an eir proposal to rollout fibre to 300,000 premises in rural areas on a commercial basis to a proportion of the Intervention area. This analysis is now complete and on 4 April, I signed a Commitment Agreement with eir in relation to their plans to provide high speed broadband to an additional 300,000 premises in rural areas on a commercial basis. Eir has committed to doing this work over a 90 week period, with an average of 500 premises passed per day. The rollout plan has been agreed with my Department and this along with the tight deadline will be monitored closely by my Department to ensure that eir meets their obligations under the Agreement. A copy of the Commitment Agreement is available on my website www.dccae.gov.ie. The Agreement provides that penalties of scale may be imposed on eir, in the event of failure by eir to rollout in accordance with the Commitment Agreement, so as to ensure any costs incurred by my Department are reimbursed by eir.
On the same day I published an updated High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. which finalises the State Intervention area. 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.
Individuals can themselves check whether their premises is in a BLUE or an AMBER area by accessing the High Speed Broadband Map and entering their Eircode at www.broadband.gov.ie
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 finalisation of the State Intervention Area for the procurement process is an important milestone as it means that bidders can progress their business plans and the Department can move to the next stage of the procurement.
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 once contracts are in place.
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.
The Government remains committed to ensuring that all parts of Ireland will have at least 30Mbps connectivity, through public or private sector investment, as outlined in the National Broadband Plan.
The Government’s Capital Investment Plan published on 29 September 2015, includes an initial provision of €275m for the NBP up to 2021. The €275m represents an initial stimulus for the first five years of the NBP intervention. It is likely that a significantly higher level of funding will be required over the duration of the proposed 25 year term of the contract. The level of exchequer funding required for the NBP will only be known after the competitive tender process has concluded and bidders provide their estimates of cost and subsidy requirements.
341. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of premises nationally forecasted to be covered by the national broadband plan and by commercial high-speed broadband services, marked blue, amber and light blue on the latest high-speed broadband map, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19062/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe table shows the number of premises covered and to be covered by the National Broadband Plan. The NBP is made up of commercial investment and a State Intervention.
The information contained in the table is derived from the data provided by commercial operators to my Department in the course of the National Broadband Plan mapping exercise. This exercise was conducted by the Department in the period from July 2013 – April 2017.
On the 4th April 2017, I 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.
The map provides information on a county by county basis. Individuals can themselves check whether their premises is in a BLUE or an AMBER area by accessing the High Speed Broadband Map and entering their Eircode at www.broadband.gov.ie.
The information below sets out the position at end 2016. The information in the table will be updated quarterly to reflect updates in the rollout.
|
County Name |
Total Number of Premises |
AMBER Premises Intervention Area |
Blue Premises commercial operators
|
LIGHT BLUE Premises Planned Commercial Rural Deployment Area * |
|
Carlow |
27,668 |
7,880 |
15,863 |
3,925 |
|
Cavan |
42,143 |
17,150 |
17,664 |
7,329 |
|
Clare |
68,488 |
23,529 |
31,023 |
13,936 |
|
Cork |
267,361 |
74,849 |
167,139 |
25,373 |
|
Donegal |
101,184 |
34,105 |
42,782 |
24,297 |
|
Dublin |
590,076 |
8,701 |
577,905 |
3,470 |
|
Galway |
133,963 |
39,335 |
67,633 |
26,995 |
|
Kerry |
89,068 |
29,090 |
34,988 |
24,990 |
|
Kildare |
89,565 |
13,371 |
67,063 |
9,131 |
|
Kilkenny |
47,650 |
17,901 |
22,445 |
7,304 |
|
Laois |
38,927 |
12,721 |
21,143 |
5,063 |
|
Leitrim |
22,263 |
11,318 |
7,949 |
2,996 |
|
Limerick |
97,173 |
22,105 |
60,036 |
15,032 |
|
Longford |
22,414 |
8,288 |
10,287 |
3,839 |
|
Louth |
60,085 |
8,755 |
43,618 |
7,712 |
|
Mayo |
83,214 |
37,046 |
30,103 |
16,065 |
|
Meath |
83,031 |
19,370 |
50,662 |
12,999 |
|
Monaghan |
32,845 |
15,792 |
12,505 |
4,548 |
|
Offaly |
36,737 |
12,420 |
18,166 |
6,151 |
|
Roscommon |
39,117 |
18,688 |
12,984 |
7,445 |
|
Sligo |
39,978 |
14,386 |
19,625 |
5,967 |
|
Tipperary |
83,976 |
30,428 |
38,048 |
15,500 |
|
Waterford |
61,506 |
16,690 |
38,562 |
6,254 |
|
Westmeath |
44,369 |
12,019 |
25,664 |
6,686 |
|
Wexford |
81,796 |
21,785 |
39,674 |
20,337 |
|
Wicklow |
63,773 |
14,286 |
44,041 |
5,446 |
|
Total |
2,348,370 |
542,008 |
1,517,572 |
288,790 |
There are c.2.3m premises covering Ireland’s 26 counties, of which approximately 542,000 premises are located in the AMBER area on the Map. These premises will require State intervention and are the focus for the procurement process which formally commenced in December 2015. The remaining 1.8m premises are located in the BLUE areas and will be/are served by commercial operators. Of the 1.8m premises, some 288,000 premises fall within eir’s plans to deliver rural high speed broadband between now and end 2018. Information on eir's planned rural deployment is available at http://fibrerollout.ie/eircode-lookup/.
343. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when a project will be progressed in view of the fact the infrastructure would be beneficial for a town needing job creation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19090/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe development and expansion of the natural gas network is in the first instance a commercial matter for Gas Networks Ireland (GNI), which is mandated under Section 8 of the Gas Act 1976, as amended, to develop and maintain a national system for the supply of natural gas that is both economical and efficient.
The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) is statutorily responsible for all aspects of the assessment and licensing of prospective operators who wish to develop and/or operate a gas distribution system within the State under the Gas (Interim) (Regulation) Act 2002. I have no statutory function, under the regulatory framework, in relation to the connection of towns to the gas network.
In 2006, the CER approved a new network connections policy, which created the opportunity to reassess the feasibility of connecting certain towns to the gas network. The CER policy stipulates that in order for any town to be connected to the gas network, certain economic criteria need to be met as a prerequisite. The policy framework provides that, over a certain period, the costs of connecting the town to the network are recouped through the actual consumption of gas and the associated tariffs. This is designed by CER to obviate against uneconomic projects which would increase costs for all gas consumers. The key factor which would qualify a town, or group of towns, in any future review would be a significant increase in demand for natural gas, usually resulting from the addition of a new large industrial or commercial facility.
The question of whether network extensions should, where economically feasible and in line with our energy policy goals in the White Paper, provide for the possibility of future connections in order to contribute to regional and rural development merits further consideration. At the launch of the Action Plan for Rural Development I set out my view that there are communities partly or sometimes wholly excluded from basic criteria of modern convenience and comfort, in terms of communications, energy efficiency and fuel poverty. My long-standing position on the gas network is that it should be developed generally in rural Ireland to provide natural gas to as many areas as possible. Accordingly, and against the backdrop of the energy policy White Paper, my Department is preparing to commission research and to have a report by year-end into the potential role that natural gas could play in supporting rural centres.
In the meantime, I am interested in whether ways can be identified to facilitate additional connections to the network contributing to rural development, without additional costs for all gas consumers.
344. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the measures the mobile phone and broadband taskforce identified to improve broadband connectivity in the amber areas in the short term (details supplied); the way in which residents of these areas can avail of these measures to improve their access to broadband; if there are options to avail of the reduced-rate broadband services over the 4G mobile phone network, while they continue to wait for the national broadband plans or schemes to deliver same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19136/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe provision of telecommunications services, including mobile phone and broadband services, is a matter for the service providers concerned which operate in a fully liberalised market regulated by the independent Regulator of the telecommunications sector, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg).
I am, however, critically aware of the frustration currently being experienced across Ireland, including in the AMBER Intervention Area targeted by the National Broadband Plan State intervention, where telecommunications networks are not always delivering the services people expect. Recognising this frustration, I specifically included in the Programme for Government a commitment to a Mobile Phone and Broadband Task force. In July 2016, I established the Task Force together with Minister Humphreys to identify immediate solutions to broadband and mobile phone coverage deficits and investigate how better services could be provided to consumers prior to the full build and roll-out of the network planned under the NBP State intervention. The report of the Task Force was published in December and is available on both Departments' websites.
In producing this report, the Task Force worked with Departments, local authorities, ComReg, State agencies, the telecoms industry and other key stakeholders. The report contains 40 actions that will alleviate some of the telecommunications deficits across Ireland and the implementation programme on mobile phone and broadband access identifies 19 of these actions as areas where immediate and direct action by Departments and State agencies can ensure accelerated benefits to consumers. The work of the Task Force will also assist local authorities in preparing for the roll-out of the new NBP network once contracts are in place.
In order to maintain momentum, I, together with my colleague Minister Humphreys, have established an Implementation Group, which met for the first time on 8 March. This group is driving and monitoring the implementation of the actions in the Task Force report, bringing together all key stakeholders identified in the Task Force report with responsibility for delivery of actions. This group will be formally reporting every 90 days on progress made on all actions to both myself and Minister Humphreys. I am expecting the first such quarterly report in the coming weeks.
The benefits that the implementation of the actions in the Task Force report will bring will be felt across Ireland, including in the AMBER NBP Intervention Area.
In addition to the Mobile Phone and Broadband Task Force, other initiatives are underway to enhance services across the State. I have signed regulations allowing ComReg to proceed with a 2017 allocation of spectrum in the 3.6 GHz radio spectrum band. This will provide an 86% increase in total spectrum available for mobile and fixed wireless services.
In my Department's Estimates for 2017, I have secured an €8 million provision for RTE to allow it to free up the 700 MHz spectrum band. ComReg in turn will make plans to allocate this spectrum to provide for significantly enhanced mobile coverage. The 700 MHz band is particularly suited to rural environments where the signal can travel long distances.
In terms of commercial investment, mobile operators have invested significantly in rolling out improved services, following ComReg's multi-band spectrum auction. At least one operator now has in excess of 90% 4G population coverage. However, as mobile services are a radio based technology, services can be affected by topography, quality of handsets and the capacity of the network, as well as by and proximity to mobile telephone antennas.
These initiatives should assist in enhancing the quality of mobile phone and data services across Ireland and particularly in rural Ireland and including in the AMBER Intervention Area.
345. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the amount of funding provided under the capital plan for the information technology infrastructure across his department; the amount spent to date; the progress to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19285/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government’s Capital Investment Plan (2016 – 2021) includes an initial provision of €275m for the National Broadband Plan (NBP). This represents an initial stimulus for the first five years of the NBP intervention, with remaining payments being spread over the full 25 years of the contract. The amounts required by bidders will only be known after bidders provide their initial estimates of cost and subsidy requirements. Total spend to-date on the NBP under this Plan is just over €5m.
A formal procurement process is in train to select a company or companies who will rollout 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.
On the 4th April, 2017 I published an updated High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The 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 gives certainty to the bidders in terms of the State Intervention Area for the procurement process. This is an important milestone as it means that bidders can progress their business plans and the Department can move to the next stage of the procurement.
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 once contracts are in place.
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.
The Government remains committed to ensuring that all parts of Ireland will have at least 30Mbps connectivity, through public or private sector investment, as outlined in the National Broadband Plan.
346. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of money that has been spent under the capital plan on the Wild Atlantic Way; the amount that has yet to be spent under the plan; the number of discovery points that have completed and received funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18763/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra347. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of money that has been spent under the capital plan on Ireland's Ancient East; the amount that has yet to be spent under the plan; the number of discovery points that have been completed and received funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18764/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 346 and 347 together.
My Department's role in relation to tourism lies primarily in the area of national tourism policy. It is not directly involved in the management or development of individual tourism projects. These are operational matters for the Board and Management of Fáilte Ireland. While the Department provides funding to Fáilte Ireland under the capital plan for investment in tourism offerings such as the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland's Ancient East, it does not have a role in the administration of those tourism capital programmes.
Accordingly, I have referred the Deputy's question to Fáilte Ireland for direct reply to the Deputy. Please contact my private office if you have not received a reply within ten working days.
348. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding provided under the capital plan for the National Indoor Arena; the amount spent to date; the expected completion date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18826/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn amount of €21m was provided under the Capital Plan 2016-2022 for the completion of Phase 1 of the National Indoor Arena. Phase 1, comprising a National Indoor Athletics Training Centre, a National Gymnastics Training Centre and a National Indoor Training Centre catering for over 20 sports, was completed in December 2016 and officially opened by An Taoiseach in January 2017. The total cost of Phase 1 was €38.5m.
There is a proposal to develop Phase 2 of the National Indoor Arena, comprising covered pitches and ancillary facilities. The availability of funding for the development of Phase 2 will be determined in the Mid Term Review of the Capital Plan, and the timing of that project will then be clearer.
349. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding provided under the capital plan for sports facilities nationally, excluding the National Indoor Arena; the amount spent to date; the expected completion date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18827/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra350. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding provided under the capital plan for sports facilities at local level; the amount spent to date; the expected completion date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18828/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra351. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of funding provided under the capital plan for the sports capital programme; the amount spent to date; the projects covered by the programme; the progress made to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18829/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 349 to 351, inclusive, together.
Under the 2016-2021 Capital Plan as published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, a capital envelope of over €314 million was provided for sports facilities over seven years to cover both local and national level sports facilities, including swimming pools. This includes €21 million for completion of Phase I of the National Indoor Arena and €30 million stimulus funding for Pairc Ui Chaoimh.
Details of all payments and allocations under the Sports Capital Programme (SCP) and the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme since the commencement of the Capital Plan in 2016 are available on my Department's website at www.dttas.ie. Due to the nature and large number of sports projects funded under the Programmes it is not possible to provide anticipated completion dates for them.
