Written Answers Nos. 72-93
72. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will include the suggestions and recommendations of environmental groups on the draft national mitigation plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21495/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra81. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the national mitigation plan; the timeframe for the publication of the plan; the resources being made available for the implementation of the plan; the reason the draft plan was not published in Irish; if the final plan will be published in Irish; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21558/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra584. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the way in which his Department is tackling climate change. [15143/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 72, 81 and 584 together.
The objective of Ireland’s first National Mitigation Plan is to set out what Ireland is doing and is planning to do to further our transition to a low carbon, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable economy by 2050.
Work on the development of the first Plan is nearing completion and I intend to submit it to Government for approval in early June. The Plan is being prepared on a whole-of-Government basis reflecting in particular the central roles of key Ministers responsible for the Electricity Generation, Built Environment, Transport and Agriculture, Forest and Land Use sectors.
A public consultation on the Plan closed on 26 April 2017. Submissions received through this consultation are currently being examined by my Department as well as by the Departments with responsibility for the key sectors listed above and each submission will be given due consideration in the finalisation in the Plan.
I also recognise the need to engage wider society more generally with the climate challenge, motivate changes in behaviour, and create structures at local, regional and national levels to support the generation of ideas and their translation into appropriate cost-effective actions. To progress this, I recently announced a National Dialogue on Climate Action to provide for an inclusive process of engagement and consensus building across society towards enabling the transformation to a low carbon and climate-resilient future.
It must also be recognised that the first Plan is a work in progress reflecting the reality of where we are in our decarbonisation transition having regard to a number of factors including curtailed public and private investment over the course of recent years. The first Plan cannot, therefore, provide a complete roadmap to achieve the national transition objective to 2050 but it will begin the process of development of medium to long term options to ensure that we are well positioned to take the necessary actions in the next and future decades.
This will be an ongoing process aimed at incremental and permanent decarbonisation. The Plan will become a living document: it will be made accessible on my Department's website; will be subject to annual progress reports; and will be updated on an on-going basis as analysis, dialogue and technological innovation generate further cost-effective sectorial mitigation options. Recognising that funding climate action to the required level presents an enormous challenge for Ireland, a key part of this process will be to evaluate exchequer and non-exchequer options for financing Ireland's transition.
In relation to the translation of the draft Plan, my Department is fully aware of its responsibilities under the Official Languages Act and every effort has been made to ensure that an Irish version of the draft Plan can be made available as soon as possible. My Department is currently undertaking final proofing of the Irish language text of the draft Plan and I will publish this version on my Department's website as soon as possible. I also intend that an Irish language version of the final Plan be made available following its approval by Government.
74. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the policies or initiatives he is considering from the offshore renewable energy development plan; and the progress of these options. [21838/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland has some of the best offshore renewable resources in Europe, and the development of this abundant resource will be an increasingly important element of Ireland's future energy policies. The 2014 Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP) sets out Government policy in relation to the sustainable development of this resource. The Plan identifies policy actions and enablers that are key to the development of this sector.
Progress on these policy actions and enablers is on-going under the aegis of the Offshore Renewable Energy Steering Group (ORESG). The ORESG, which includes representation from all relevant Government Departments and agencies, is responsible for the implementation of the Plan across three work-streams: Job Creation; Infrastructure; and Environment. A Working Group for each stream was established with a view to ensuring that offshore renewable energy is developed in line with EU environmental obligations and best practice and significant progress is being made on a number of fronts.
Work items progressed in 2016, and continuing into 2017, include the creation of an inventory of environmental, social and economic data relevant to offshore renewable energy developments; the development of guidance documents for industry on the preparation of Environmental Impact Statements, Natura Impact Statements and on environmental monitoring requirements; and work on mapping opportunities and constraints for the development of offshore renewable energy projects around Ireland. The latter will be a useful tool to help inform future decision making in relation to the most suitable locations for offshore renewable energy development. A Communications Strategy has also been developed to showcase Ireland’s significant potential and strong offering in this area, to raise the profile of the Irish ocean energy industry and to communicate that Ireland is "open for business".
In addition, legislative proposals for a new streamlined development consent process for offshore renewable energy in the maritime area are being progressed under the Maritime Area and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill.
Finally it should be noted that the OREDP mandates an interim review of the Plan itself and its associated Strategic Environmental Assessment, to be carried out in 2017. This task is being progressed in 2017 and a full review of the OREDP will take place in 2020.
75. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he expects the target for renewable energy for electricity of 40% to be met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21825/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe overarching objective of the Government's energy policy is to ensure secure and sustainable supplies of competitively priced energy to all consumers. A well balanced fuel mix that provides reliable energy, minimises costs and protects against supply disruptions and price volatility, is essential to Irish consumers.
The 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020. In order to meet this target, Ireland is committed to meeting 40% of electricity demand from renewable sources. Good progress is being made towards increasing the share of renewable energy in our generation portfolio.
Policies and schemes are in place to incentivise the use of renewable energy. 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 designed to assist in meeting our renewable electricity target.
To date, wind energy has been the largest driver of growth in renewable electricity. At end January 2017, the total amount of renewable generation connected to the grid was 3,120 MW of which 2,796 MW was wind. A further 3,570 MW of renewable generation is contracted for connection to the grid. Provisional figures provided by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland indicate that the total contribution from renewable generation to gross electricity consumption last year was 26.5%. In addition, solar and biomass have the potential to also contribute to our renewable electricity target. Eirgrid estimates that a total of between 3,900 and 4,300 MW of onshore renewable generation capacity will be required to allow Ireland to achieve 40% renewable electricity by 2020.
Looking to the European Union's emerging climate and energy targets for 2030, it is likely that all Member States will be required to expand their renewable electricity generation portfolios beyond their 2020 capacities. This will be subject to negotiation in the context of the Commission's Clean Energy Package proposals and Ireland's share of any EU binding renewable target to be agreed would have to be fair, affordable and deliverable.
77. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his future plans for support mechanisms for solar power; and the options which have been considered. [21835/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government contains a commitment to facilitate the development of solar energy projects in Ireland. This builds on the commitment in this area in the 2015 Energy White Paper.
My Department is currently developing a proposed new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) which will be designed to assist Ireland in meeting its renewable energy contributions out to 2030. Analysis is on-going against a range of commercial renewable technologies at various scales and includes an assessment of the cost of supporting Solar Photovoltaics (PV) - both rooftop and ground-mounted. The assessment also includes analysis of the optimum support mechanisms for renewable technologies, in line with the 2014 EU State Aid Guidelines.
Once this assessment is complete, my Department will publish a public consultation on the design of the new support scheme in the coming months. 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.
I am fully aware of the level of interest in the solar PV sector in Ireland. I am advised that there have been over 550 applications, amounting to about 3,900 Megawatts of solar capacity, seeking a connection to the electricity grid in the last 18 months.
Notwithstanding the level of solar applicants seeking connection to the grid, my stated position is that while solar has a role to play in Ireland’s energy future, we cannot have a situation where a new support scheme leads to a disproportionate increase in people’s electricity bills through the Public Service Obligation levy. In designing the new RESS, the cost implications for people and businesses will, therefore be a high priority.
Finally, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland currently provides supports for the use of solar thermal heating technology to both large industry and SMEs. Households can also avail of grant support for investment in renewable energy installations, including solar thermal, under the Better Energy Homes Scheme.
84. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the economic analysis which underpins the climate targets he has set out. [21897/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand the Deputy's Question refers to analysis of Ireland's proposed emission reduction targets for the period 2021-2030 under the draft Effort Sharing Regulation proposal published by the European Commission in July 2016.
This proposal seeks to give effect to the European Union's commitment, under the Paris Agreement, to a reduction of at least 40% in EU-wide emissions by 2030 compared with 1990 levels, which will be met through reductions of 43% in the Emissions Trading System (ETS) and 30% in the non-ETS sector compared with 2005 levels.
The Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) proposal, which applies specifically to emissions reductions in sectors of the economy outside of the EU ETS, proposes targets for each Member State based on GDP per capita, adjusted to reflect the cost-effectiveness of making emissions reductions within each Member State. In the case of Ireland a target of 39% has been proposed, which has been adjusted downwards to 30% to reflect a cost-effectiveness criterion. The proposal also recognises the mitigation potential of land use, land-use change and forestry, and contains a one-off flexibility between the ETS and the non-ETS, to ensure that all Member States are collectively enabled to reduce their emissions as cost effectively as possible, while ensuring progress towards the overall EU 2030 target can be maintained on a robust basis. Technical and economic analysis is ongoing on a cross-Departmental basis to understand the implications of the ESR proposal for Ireland. The proposal continues to be negotiated at EU level and Ireland's analysis of the impacts of the proposal will continue to evolve during this process. The final outcome of these negotiations will determine Ireland’s contribution to the EU's commitments for 2030 under the Paris Agreement.
85. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when his Department first announced plans to introduce the national broadband plan; the dates on which various Ministers held press conferences to publicise it; the expected commencement and completion dates given by Ministers at each of these press conferences; the current projected commencement and completion date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21560/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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.
Through the NBP the Government has committed to intervening to ensure high speed broadband is available in parts of the country where commercial providers acting alone will not provide this essential service. This commitment to intervene will ensure that no part of Ireland, no household, no school, no business is left behind.
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 set out in reply to Question Nos. 72 of 6 December 2016 the position is relation to previous announcements on the development of the NBP. The updated position is as follows:
- On the 4 April 2017 I signed a commitment agreement with eir in relation to its plans to provide broadband to an additional 300,000 premises;
- I also published on 4 April an updated High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie which 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;
- On 5 April I held a briefing for Deputies and Senators in Leinster House to update on progress.
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 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 on the Departments 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 in May.
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.
86. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Taoiseach the number of persons on the live register for each of the years from 2011 to 2016 and up to 1 May 2017 in towns (details supplied) in County Cork, in tabular form. [21803/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Live Register series gives a monthly breakdown of the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Benefit, Jobseeker's Allowance and other registrants as registered with the Department of Social Protection.
The most recent Live Register figures available are for April 2017.
Table 1 shows the average number of persons on the Live Register in the local offices requested for each of the years 2011 to 2016.
Table 2 shows the number of persons on the Live Register in the local offices requested for each of the months January to April 2017.
It should be noted that the Live Register is not a definitive measure of unemployment as it includes part-time workers, and seasonal and casual workers entitled to Jobseeker's Benefit or Allowance.
Table 1 Average number of persons on the Live Register in requested Local Offices, 2011 to 2016.
|
Local Office |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
|
Fermoy (Includes Mitchelstown) |
2,762 |
2,661 |
2,516 |
2,174 |
1,864 |
1,604 |
|
Mallow |
2,737 |
2,746 |
2,616 |
2,321 |
2,012 |
1,731 |
|
Cobh |
1,170 |
1,185 |
1,157 |
1,093 |
986 |
856 |
|
Youghal |
1,891 |
1,818 |
1,773 |
1,638 |
1,462 |
1,306 |
|
Midleton |
3,363 |
3,203 |
3,066 |
2,770 |
2,466 |
2,130 |
Source: CSO Live Register.
Table 2 Number of persons on the Live Register in requested Local Offices January-April 2017.
|
Local Office |
January |
February |
March |
April |
|
Fermoy (Includes Mitchelstown) |
1,475 |
1,489 |
1,409 |
1,368 |
|
Mallow |
1,499 |
1,514 |
1,426 |
1,484 |
|
Cobh |
777 |
775 |
711 |
710 |
|
Youghal |
1,225 |
1,207 |
1,147 |
1,128 |
|
Midleton |
1,930 |
1,921 |
1,798 |
1,778 |
Source: CSO Live Register.
87. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with the Croatian President. [21874/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI met the President of the Republic of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic in Government Buildings on 4th April as part of her three day State Visit to Ireland.
During our meeting we discussed the bilateral relationship between our two countries; EU-UK negotiations, following triggering by the UK of Article 50; and the Future of Europe, including EU enlargement. President Grabar-Kitarovic also briefed me on regional issues in South-East Europe, touching on economic, political and social challenges.
The Croatian President requested our advice in planning for their EU Presidency in 2020. In light of our extensive experience of seven EU Presidencies, I was pleased to be able to offer our assistance, and our officials will follow up in this regard.
88. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on regional and rural affairs last met. [21875/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Cabinet Committee on Regional and Rural Affairs last met on the 12th December 2016 and is due to meet again today, Tuesday May 9 2017.
89. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Taoiseach the details of payments made by his Department or a public body under the aegis of his Department to a person (details supplied) in the past 36 months. [21393/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that no payments have been made by my Department to Kieran Mulvey over the past 36 months to date.
Sanction was obtained from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for work to be carried out during 2016 by Mr Mulvey on the independent report on the North East Inner City based on standard approved rates for the sum of €11,800, but this amount has not been drawn down.
90. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on social policy and public service reform last met; and when the next meeting will take place. [21516/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform last met on 10th April 2017. The next meeting of the Committee has been scheduled for 15th May.
91. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Taoiseach the ratio of workers here earning below the minimum wage or at the minimum wage compared to other EU countries. [21234/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe exact information requested by the Deputy is not available.
The Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) is the official source of estimates of employment (ILO) in the State and this is the best source of information on the ratio of workers earning the National Minimum Wage or less as this survey covers all employees. The most recent figures available are for Q4 2016 when the proportion of employees aged 15 years and over reporting earning the National Minimum Wage or less in the State was 8.6% (134,500).
The CSO introduced a new series of questions to the QNHS in Q2 2016 to facilitate the production of these new estimates to meet the needs of the Low Pay Commission. There are no comparable estimates of the ratio of workers earning the National Minimum Wage or less for other EU countries as the regulation governing the operation of the Labour Force Survey (implemented in Ireland using the QNHS) does not include a requirement to collect such estimates.
92. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the person or body which checks the stocks of Garda breath-testing kits; the locations at which the unused kits are stored; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21911/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer to my response to the Deputy's Question 122 for written answer on 2 May 2017, in which I indicated that the Garda authorities had informed my Department that stocks of breath-testing equipment are managed through Garda Central Stores, which is located in Santry, Dublin.
93. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if there is a statutory duty on estate agents to inform persons of past and potential future flood risks in respect of houses they are selling; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22166/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA) was established under the provisions of the Property Services (Regulation) Act 2011. The primary function of the PSRA is to control and supervise licensed property service providers, such as Auctioneers, Estate Agents, Letting and Property Management Agents. While I am precluded from giving legal advice, I can inform the Deputy that there is no statutory provision in the Property Services (Regulation) Act to require licensed property service providers to inform persons of the past and potential flood risks in respect of any houses they are selling.
