Written Answers Nos. 55 to 71
55. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has satisfied himself with the observations and recommendations of the advisory council in its first report; the number of recommendations that will be implemented in the final report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21559/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Climate Change Advisory Council was established under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015. Under this legislation, the Advisory Council is an independent body whose key function is to provide advice and recommendations to me, to relevant sectoral Ministers and to the Government as a whole in relation to the development of national mitigation plans and national adaptation frameworks. The Advisory Council is also tasked with advising on matters relating to the achievement of the Ireland’s objective to transition to a low carbon, climate resilient and sustainable economy by 2050.
I very much welcome the publication by the Advisory Council of its first report in November of last year. In this report, the Advisory Council very clearly articulates the scientific understanding underpinning of the nature of climate change, the resulting imperative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the policy implications this presents Ireland. In these respects, I would commend the report to every member in these Houses. The Advisory Council also arrives at some initial conclusions in relation to the issues that the first National Mitigation Plan should consider both for individual sectors covered by the Plan as well as on a cross-sectoral basis.
In order for the Advisory Council to meet its mandate under the 2015 legislation, I invited it, following my publication of the draft National Mitigation Plan, to engage directly with me and with other relevant Government Ministers with a view to providing my colleagues and me with its recommendations to feed into the preparation of the final Plan. All input received from the Advisory Council is being considered in finalising the National Mitigation Plan which will go to Government for approval in early June. I also understand that the Advisory Council intends to publish its first Periodic Report in July of this year and that this report will include the Council’s overall response to the final National Mitigation Plan as published.
In this regard, it is important to note that the Advisory Council is also required, under the 2015 legislation, to report annually on progress made during the previous year in achieving greenhouse gas emissions reductions and to make recommendations, as it considers necessary or appropriate, in relation to the most cost-effective manner of achieving reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in order to enable the achievement of the national transition objective.
56. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the proposed renewable heat incentive scheme; the date by which this scheme will become operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21830/17]
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.
The final public consultation on the design and implementation of the new RHI closed in March 2017, and all 119 submissions are currently being reviewed by my Department. The findings from this public consultation will be used to help inform the final design of the scheme. Once this review process is complete the final cost and design of the RHI will need Government and State Aid approval.
I hope to be in a position to announce the details of the new scheme by the end of the year.
57. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if there will be a universal service obligation retained in terms of the national broadband plan. [21834/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra76. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to address the gaps in broadband coverage in rural areas around the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21821/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra78. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the current projected commencement date and completion date for the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21561/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra79. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the national broadband plan; the deadline by which 100% of premises around the country will have access to broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21827/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra83. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps he will take to address the gap in broadband coverage for the Oldtown area of north County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21820/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 57, 76, 78, 79 and 83 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.
On the 4 April, I signed a commitment agreement with eir in relation to its plans to provide broadband to an additional 300,000 premises in rural areas on a commercial basis. Eir has committed to concluding this work over a 90 week period, an average of nearly 500 premises per day. My Department will be monitoring this rollout to ensure that eir meets its obligations under the Agreement. A copy of the Commitment Agreement is available on my Department's website. On the same day I published an updated High Speed Broadband Map 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.
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.
There are approximately 2.3m premises covering Ireland’s 26 counties, of which approximately 23% (542,000) premises are located in the AMBER area on the Map. These premises will require State intervention and are the focus for the State Intervention procurement process. The remaining 1.8m premises are located in the BLUE areas and will be/are served by commercial operators.
The map shows that 100% of Oldtown Co Dublin falls within eir’s plans to deliver rural high speed broadband between now and end 2018 (Light Blue on the Map). 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. Information on eir's planned rural deployment is available at http://fibrerollout.ie/eircode-lookup/.
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 three bidders have indicated that they are proposing a predominantly fibre-to-the-home solution. 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 State Intervention network will be a wholesale network and retail service providers will be able to use the network to provide enhanced broadband services to their customers.
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 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 Programme for Government also commits to measures to assist in the rollout of the network once a contract is awarded.
In this regard, I established a Mobile Phone and Broadband Task Force in July 2016 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 National Broadband Plan State intervention. The report of the Task Force was published in December and is available on my Department's website.
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 is being led by an Implementation Group. This group brings together all key stakeholders identified in the Task Force report with responsibility for delivery of actions. This group will formally report every 90 days on progress made on all actions to both myself and Minister Humphreys. I am expecting the first such quarterly report shortly.
In addition, 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.
These initiatives should assist in enhancing the quality of mobile phone and data services across Ireland and particularly in rural Ireland.
There is no universal service obligation (USO) for high speed broadband provision or mobile voice services in Ireland. The current EU and national regulatory framework for telecommunications relates solely to voice telephony and Functional Internet Access (28.8 kilobits per second) and is provided for under the current EU regulatory framework governing telecoms. In September 2016, the European Commission published an ambitious proposal for the regulation of the European telecoms sector, which aims to incentivise and encourage increased investment in high speed broadband networks. I have raised the issue of a USO for high speed broadband at EU level and I am seeking inclusion of a specific provision in the new framework that would allow Member States to apply a USO for high speed broadband, where such networks are available.
58. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the amount likely to be paid by Ireland due to missing carbon emission targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21494/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra67. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated costs of fines he expects Ireland to incur based on current projections of the failure to reach emissions targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21497/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra82. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to ensure Ireland is not fined for failing to reach targets for reducing its greenhouse gas emissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21822/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra585. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the way in which his Department is planning for the possibility of up to €5.5 billion in fines in 2030 if the State does not meet its climate targets (details supplied); the way in which his Department has been liaising with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to same, particularly with reference to the national mitigation plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18968/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 58, 67, 82 and 585 together.
The release of the latest projections of greenhouse gas emissions by the Environmental Protection Agency on 13 April last clearly indicated the enormous challenge facing Ireland to reduce its emissions. The projections indicate that emissions from those sectors of the economy not covered by the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) could be between 4% and 6% below 2005 levels by 2020, a deteriorating position in respect of the achievement of Ireland’s targets for 2020 when compared with previous projections. Though not unexpected, given the welcome return to economic growth in Ireland, it nevertheless confirms that Ireland’s greenhouse emissions continue to track broader trends in the economy and serves to underline the difficult decisions ahead of us as we try to reduce emissions in line with our international commitments.
In relation to the targets for 2020, Ireland has an emissions reduction target for each year between 2013 and 2020 under the 2009 EU Effort Sharing Decision. For the year 2020 itself, the target set for Ireland is that emissions should be 20% below their level in 2005. This will be Ireland’s contribution to the overall EU objective to reduce its emissions by the order of 20% by 2020 compared to 1990 levels. Ireland’s target is jointly the most demanding 2020 reduction target allocated to EU Member States under this Decision, which is shared only with Denmark and Luxembourg.
The projected shortfall to our targets in 2020 reflects both the constrained investment capacity over the past decade due to the economic crisis, and the extremely challenging nature of the target itself. In fact, it is now accepted that Ireland’s 2020 target was misinformed and not consistent with what would be achievable on an EU wide cost-effective basis.
In order to maximise Ireland's emissions reductions and address the gap to the 2020 target, it will also be necessary to pursue other available options, in addition to the introduction of further policies and measures planned through the National Mitigation Plan.
The legislative framework governing the EU’s 2020 emissions reductions targets includes a number of flexibility mechanisms to enable Member States to meet their annual emissions targets, including provisions to bank any excess allowances to future years and to trade allowances between Member States. Ireland expects to make use of both of these mechanisms in meeting our compliance obligations. In relation to likely costs that Ireland will incur, this would arise in the context of a possible requirement to purchase additional allowances to meet our annual compliance requirements. At this stage, it is not possible to accurately quantify the potential cost of such purchases as this will depend on both the volume of purchases required and the price of allowances to be purchased.
In relation to 2030, I do not accept the contention in Deputy Martin's Question in relation to the scale of costs related to failure to meet Ireland’s 2030 targets as these targets have not yet been agreed. I would, however, note that while the scale of investment required in order to help Ireland meet these targets will be significantly in excess of current levels of expenditure, such productive investment in our economy will contribute to sustainable economic growth and job creation over the next decade and beyond.
59. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the timescale for the national fibre broadband plan to be delivered to offshore islands; if his attention has been drawn to the particular problems offshore islands face regarding sustaining a working population without high-speed internet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21895/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to deliver high speed broadband services to every city, town, village and individual premises in Ireland including those on our offshore islands, 66 of which are inhabited and have a total population of over 9,000. 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.
On the 4 April, I signed a commitment agreement with eir in relation to its plans to provide broadband to an additional 300,000 premises in rural areas on a commercial basis. Eir has committed to concluding this work over a 90 week period, an average of nearly 500 premises per day. My Department will be monitoring this rollout to ensure that eir meets its obligations under the Agreement. A copy of the Commitment Agreement is available on my website www.dccae.gov.ie.
On the same day I published an updated High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. which shows the extent of the State Intervention area and the areas targeted for commercial services.
- 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.
There are c.2.3m premises in Ireland, of which approximately 23% (542,000) premises are located in the AMBER area on the Map. These premises will require State intervention and are the focus for the State Intervention procurement process. The remaining 1.8m premises are located in the BLUE areas and will be/are served by commercial operators. 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. Information on eir's planned rural deployment is available at http://fibrerollout.ie/eircode-lookup/.
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 three bidders have indicated that they are proposing a predominantly fibre-to-the-home solution. 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 State Intervention network will be a wholesale network and retail service providers will be able to use the network to provide enhanced broadband services to their customers.
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 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 Programme for Government also commits to measures to assist in the rollout of the network once a contract is awarded.
In this regard, in July 2016, together with Minister Humphreys I established the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce 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 National Broadband Plan State intervention. The report of the Task Force was published in December and is available at the following link: http://www.dccae.gov.ie/communications/en-ie/Pages/Publication/Report-of-the-Mobile-Phone-and-Broadband-Taskforce.aspx.
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 is being led by an Implementation Group. This group brings together all key stakeholders identified in the Task Force report with responsibility for delivery of actions. This group will formally report every 90 days on progress made on all actions to both myself and Minister Humphreys. I am expecting the first such quarterly report this month.
In addition, 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.
These initiatives should assist in enhancing the quality of mobile phone and data services across Ireland and particularly in rural Ireland.
60. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the North-South interconnector project. [21899/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra65. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when the terms of reference will be finalised in respect of the study to be undertaken with regard to the proposed North-South interconnector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21888/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra71. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when he will implement the motion regarding the North-South interconnector which was passed on 16 February 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21829/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra80. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if there will be further consultations with local community groups prior to the finalisation of the terms of reference for the study in relation to the proposed North-South interconnector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21889/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 60, 65, 71 and 80 together.
On 19 December 2016 An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission for the North-South Interconnector project in Ireland. The decision concluded a lengthy planning process which included an Oral Hearing completed over eleven weeks from March to May last year. The planning decision is currently the subject of Judicial Review proceedings. The planning process for the section of the project in Northern Ireland is ongoing with an oral hearing concluding on 27 February 2017.
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. This engagement was important in facilitating local representative groups input into the terms of reference drafting process. .
I have approved the terms of reference for the study and published them on my Department's website yesterday.
Construction of the project is not planned to commence before 2018 and I intend that this study be completed and published before the end of this year.
61. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps he will be taking to increase the uptake of hybrid and electric vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21831/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe EU Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28/EC set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy demand from renewable sources by 2020, including 10% of transport with this target also being legally binding. In the transport sector, Ireland aims to meet its renewable target mainly through the increased use of sustainable biofuels, with electric vehicles (EVs) also making a small contribution. At end 2015, 5.7% of our energy needs in the transport sector were met from renewable sources.
The Electric Vehicles Grant Scheme provides grant aid of up to €5,000 towards the purchase of a new full battery EV (BEV) or Plugin Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV). The scheme, which will be kept under review, is continuing this year and an allocation of €5 million has been provided in my Department’s Vote for this purpose. These grants are in addition to the VRT reliefs of up to €5,000 that also apply to EVs. Budget 2017 extended VRT reliefs on PHEVs to end 2018 and on BEVs to end 2021.
Increasing numbers of EVs have been registered in Ireland. Since the introduction of the EV Grant Scheme in 2011, the purchase of 2,060 electric vehicles has been supported to date under the scheme to the value of almost €9.7 million. Almost 75% of the vehicles supported received grant aid since 2015.
In accordance with the commitment in the Programme for Government, my Department and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport are co-chairing a Low Emission Vehicles (LEV) Task Force involving relevant Government Departments and agencies. The work of this Task Force has been divided into two phases with the first phase focusing solely on EVs. The topics being examined include the potential for market growth of EVs and policy levers to stimulate this growth. Options under consideration include tax incentives, access to restricted areas and preferential rates for tolls and parking. Having considered the available options, the Task Force expects to report on an interim basis to Government on the first phase shortly with associated recommendations for decision.
62. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has made provision with regard to roaming charges when Britain leaves the European Union in view of the abolition of roaming charges across the EU in 2017. [21836/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe EU Roaming Regulations aim to abolish retail roaming charges within the EU on 15 June 2017, subject to Fair Use Policy. At that point in time, the UK will still be a member of the EU and will thus be required to abide by EU law in place at that time.
It is not yet possible to say what impact Brexit will have on cross border roaming charges once the UK formally leaves the Union. This will be largely dependent on the future relationship between the EU and UK.
The UK Government White Paper on Brexit sets out that the UK wishes to ensure that the UK telecoms companies can continue to trade as freely and competitively as possible with the EU.
I can assure the Deputy however that my Department will continue to engage with the key stakeholders on this matter both domestically and at EU level and has identified this policy area as a priority.
63. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of his Department's ongoing interaction with a company (details supplied) on the roll out of broadband in the newly highlighted light blue areas of the national broadband plan; when he expects formal timelines to be put on these rollouts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21893/17]
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.
In accordance with procedures set out by my Department in December 2015, in late 2016 my Department initiated a review of an eir proposal to rollout fibre to over 300,000 premises in rural areas on a commercial basis. These premises were in areas that had formed part of the procurement process for the NBP State Intervention area. This analysis is complete and on 4 April, I signed a commitment agreement with eir in relation to its plans to provide broadband to an additional 300,000 premises in rural areas on a commercial basis. Eir has committed to completing the rollout over a 90 week period, an average of 500 premises passed per day. In line with the published Agreement there are regular Review Meetings the purpose of which is to monitor this rollout and ensure that eir meets its obligations under the Agreement. A copy of the Commitment Agreement is available on my website www.dccae.gov.ie.
Quarterly updates will be published on the Departments website. The Q1 2017 update will be published in May and I am pleased to announce that the eir rollout is in line with the Commitment Agreement. My Department has informed me that in the period from 1 January to end March 2017 30,064 premises have been passed. This brings to 40,114 the total subset of the 300k premises that eir has passed since they commenced work in late 2016.
Information on eir's planned rural deployment is available at http://fibrerollout.ie/eircode-lookup/.
64. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will ensure any future funding model for the national broadcaster will examine the way companies such as (details supplied) and others pay nothing to terrestrial broadcasters for access to their linear channel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21823/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI recognise the important part that public service broadcasters play in our democratic society and the consequent importance of providing stable and adequate funding to ensure the continued delivery of their role in this regard.
While the TV Licence system faces a range of challenges, including the current unacceptable levels of evasion, my Department is continuing to work with An Post and RTÉ so that all steps are being taken to ensure that, to the extent possible, it continues to deliver the necessary levels of public funding.
In addition, I am in the process of bringing proposals to Government for the amendment of the Broadcasting Act 2009 including a legislative amendment to provide for the tendering of licence fee collection. In connection with this, on foot of a request from my Department, the Office of Government Procurement recently issued a Request for Information to ascertain what the market might be able to deliver in relation to licence fee collection. A total of nine responses have been received and these are now being reviewed and the information provided will be used to inform any proposed tender that may be issued once the necessary legislative amendment is approved and in place.
In terms of future funding models for the national broadcaster, I am aware of the issue referred to by the Deputy and it is one that has been subject to much debate in other jurisdictions, including in the UK. As the Deputy may be 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 the public service media and, while the scope of its deliberations is a matter for the Committee to determine, I am confident that its review will be comprehensive and thorough and will involve due consideration of all relevant issues such as that referred to by the Deputy. I very much look forward to receiving the Committee’s report in due course, which will inform future funding policy for public service broadcasting.
66. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans for the development of the alternative energy sector in line with current and future requirements in view of the need to meet carbon emission reduction targets and the necessity to ensure a robust and reliable energy grid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21861/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2015 Energy White Paper sets out a vision to promote the development and diversification of renewable energy in Ireland in a competitive, secure and sustainable manner. A well balanced fuel mix that provides reliable and sustainable energy, minimises costs and protects against supply disruptions and price volatility, is essential to Irish consumers and businesses.
The 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive sets Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020. Ireland is committed to achieving this target through meeting 40% of electricity demand, 12% of heat and 10% of transport from renewable sources of energy, with the latter target also being legally binding.
Data from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) shows that 25.3% of electricity, 6.5% of heat and 5.7% of transport energy requirements were met from renewable sources at end 2015. Overall, SEAI analysis shows that 9.1% of Ireland’s energy requirements in 2015 were met by renewable energy.”
The Government has a range of policy measures and schemes to incentivise the use of renewable energy and although good progress towards the target has been made to date, meeting the 16% target remains challenging. The REFIT schemes underpin the development of a range of renewable electricity technologies. In addition, my Department is working on the development of a new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme and a Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Scheme, designed to assist in meeting our RES-E and RES-H targets. The introduction of any new scheme - including the overall costs and technologies to be supported - will be subject to Government approval and State Aid clearance from the European Commission.
In the transport sector, Ireland aims to meet its renewable target mainly through the increased use of sustainable biofuels, with electric vehicles also making a small contribution. The Biofuel Obligation Scheme (BOS) was increased from 6% to 8% by volume from 1 January 2017. A public consultation on future increases to the BOS, required to meet the 2020 renewable transport target will take place later this year.
The 2014 National Policy Position on Climate Action and Low Carbon Development, which is underpinned by the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015, provides the high-level policy direction for the State to move to a low-carbon economy by 2050. The development of sectoral mitigation measures for the electricity generation, built environment, transport and agriculture sectors to be set out in a National Mitigation Plan (NMP) is nearing finalisation. The primary objective of the first NMP will be to monitor measures already underway and identify potential additional measures that, in the medium to longer term, will reduce GHG emissions. This will assist Ireland to achieve our national transition objective to become a low carbon, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable economy by 2050. The NMP will be submitted to Government for approval in June.
68. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding post offices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21720/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is Government policy that An Post remains a strong, viable company in a position to provide a high quality, nationwide postal service and that it maintains a nationwide customer-focused network of post offices in the community. A fundamental review of An Post, including the post office network, which will identify the strategic changes and restructuring necessary to maintain the company on a sound financial footing is ongoing. Regarding the provision of new services in post offices, there are opportunities to develop new or enhanced product lines for the network including the concept of 'digital assist' whereby the Post Office would become a default option for the provision of Government services for those who are not comfortable in the digital space. These opportunities will be assessed by An Post in the context of the current strategic review.
On foot of a reconfiguration of Government Departments in July last year, responsibility for the post office network transferred to the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. That Department published the Final Report of the Post Office Hub Working Group in March in which it was outlined that they are pursing the possible opportunities for services such as community banking and motor tax renewal for the network. Arrangements are in hand to reassign responsibility for the post office network to my Department given my overall responsibility for An Post and the recommendations of the Post Office Hub Working Group will continue to be finalised.
Decisions in relation to the operation of the post office network are operational matters for the Board and management of An Post and not ones in which I, as Minister, have a statutory function. Nonetheless, I will continue to monitor the position closely.
69. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on the implications stamp price increases will have for post offices as private companies begin to compete with lower stamp prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21832/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn recognition of the exceptionally difficult financial situation facing An Post the Government agreed, in late 2016, to give An Post increased pricing freedom in order to enable the company to increase prices in the short term and generate much needed cash flow.
In this regard the Communications Regulation (Postal Services) (Amendment) Bill 2016 was published on 22 December 2016. The Bill passed through the Oireachtas and was signed by the President on 15 March 2017. I made the necessary Commencement Order giving effect to the repeal of the price cap mechanism on the 21 March 2017.
An Post increased the price of the stamp with effect from 13 April 2017. Ireland fell well below the European average in terms of stamp prices and the increases (€1.00 for national and €1.35 for international) bring the price in line with European norms. The European average for a national stamp currently sits at €1.10.
The Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Act 2011 fully opened the Irish postal market to competition. An Post is the designated universal postal service provider which requires it to provide a minimum level of postal service throughout the State, the essential element of which is the collection and delivery of mail to every address on every working day, which is effectively each day from Monday to Friday. An Post has and will continue to compete with other postal operators in the market on a level playing field in order to provide a range of postal options to consumers. As a commercial State company, pricing strategies and related matters are the responsibility of the Board and management of An Post.
70. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the deferred pay by weight waste collection system; when it will be implemented; the steps he will take to ensure waste collection companies do not inflate prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21833/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe charges applied by waste management companies are a matter between those companies and their customers, subject to compliance with all applicable environmental and other relevant legislation, including contract and consumer legislation.
My Department is currently reviewing, together with the regulatory authorities and industry representatives, the introduction of an incentivised system which encourages people to prevent, reduce and segregate their waste. This approach is in line with Government waste policy to reduce our reliance on landfill for waste disposal and will also facilitate the provision of a range of options for people to manage their waste costs.
