Wednesday, 10 May 2017

Written Answers Nos. 227-233

Bord na Móna

Ceisteanna (227)

Jackie Cahill

Ceist:

227. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will ensure that the option of redeployment to other Bord na Móna facilities will be offered to staff from the Littleton plant; if a generous voluntary redundancy scheme will be made available for those who do not seek redeployment; if the future of the major land asset at Littleton will be set out by Bord na Móna to ensure that all opportunities for further employment are explored in view of the decisions made by Bord na Móna; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22292/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

While Bord na Móna is a commercial State company operating under the Turf Development Acts 1946 to 1998 and the matters raised by the Deputy are operational in nature and not ones in which I, as Minister, have any function, they are nonetheless matters of concern to me.

In the first instance I have encouraged the company to maintain engagement with employees and Unions as this matter progresses. Although I have no function with regard to employment within the company, I have urged the company to consider all opportunities for redeployment, phased reductions in employment numbers, and all renewable technology opportunities which may offer the potential of sustainable and long-term regional employment alternatives.

Broadcasting Sector

Ceisteanna (228)

Dara Calleary

Ceist:

228. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to outline his plans for reducing the broadcasting levy on independent radio stations; his views on whether the current rate of the levy is an unjustifiable burden on independent radio stations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22302/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

I recognise the important role that independent broadcasters play in our society and the service they provide.

Section 33 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 provides for the making of a levy order by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) for the purposes of meeting the expenses of the Authority and its Committees in undertaking the performance of its statutory functions. The funding provided through the levy by all relevant commercial, public and community broadcasters is vital to the proper functioning of the Authority.

I have obtained Government approval to proceed with the drafting of a number of legislative amendments to the Broadcasting Act 2009, including amendment to the provisions of the Act relating to the broadcasting levy which will help to alleviate the levy burden on broadcasters.

National Mitigation Plan

Ceisteanna (229, 230)

Eamon Ryan

Ceist:

229. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to outline the nature of the expertise in carbon sequestration in peatlands he is able to rely on within his Department or by means of consultancy contracts when considering whether actions relating to peatland carbon sequestration should be included in the national mitigation plan and whether to support the mandatory inclusion of wetland management in the proposed 2030 targets for the non-traded emissions from EU member states. [22346/17]

Eamon Ryan

Ceist:

230. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to outline the analysis he has carried out or has access to regarding the cost effectiveness of greenhouse gas mitigation by means of storing and sequestering carbon in peatlands. [22347/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

I propose to take Questions Nos. 229 and 230 together.

I refer to the answers to Questions Nos. 300 of 6 April 2017 and 1298 of 2 May 2017. As I set out in reply to those questions, I am open to considering further work on the role of wetlands in the context of the National Mitigation Plan, building on the experience of research already undertaken. A number of Departments and Agencies will be in a position to provide input into any such analysis which, I envisage, will be taken forward in the context of the National Mitigation Plan. It is, however, premature at this stage to indicate what approach will be taken in relation to the procurement of consultancy expertise to assist with this analysis, or to indicate the position regarding the cost effectiveness of greenhouse gas mitigation by means of storing and sequestering carbon in peatlands.

Climate Change Negotiations

Ceisteanna (231)

Eamon Ryan

Ceist:

231. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to detail the Departments and agencies that will be represented at the UNFCCC meetings of the SBI and SBSTA in Bonn in May 2017; and the Department that will be attending the side events on global peatlands initiative and rediscovering the magnificent carbon storage potential of wetlands and peatlands. [22348/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

The forty-sixth sessions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Subsidiary Body for Implementation and Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice, as well as the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement, take place from 8 to 18 May 2017, in Bonn, Germany. These meetings take place annually and are key to making progress on a range of technical matters related to the implementation of the UNFCCC and of the Paris Agreement between each session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC.

Ireland's delegation at these particular meetings comprises officials from my own Department, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Environmental Protection Agency. Ireland’s delegation liaises regularly with other Departments and agencies, as appropriate, during the meetings as issues relevant to their areas of responsibility arise.

A range of side events are scheduled to take place in the margins of these meetings over the course of the two weeks. While not part of the programme of official negotiations, these events afford a platform for observer organisations to engage with Parties and other participants with a view to knowledge sharing, capacity building, networking and exploring options for addressing the objectives of the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement.

Broadband Service Provision

Ceisteanna (232)

Seán Sherlock

Ceist:

232. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to set down the number of homes and businesses that have been connected to high-speed broadband since the announcement of the agreement with a company (details supplied); and the locations of each. [22365/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

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.

Quarterly updates will be published on the Departments website. The Q1 2017 update will be published shortly and the eir rollout is in line with the Commitment Agreement. I am advised 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. Of those, over 1,400 premises have been connected. Further information on eir's planned rural deployment is available at http://fibrerollout.ie/eircode-lookup/.

On the same day I published  an updated High Speed Broadband Map which finalises the State Intervention area under the National Broadband Plan. The updated Map shows Ireland with two colours, BLUE and AMBER:

- 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 for the State intervention is completed and the network rolled out.

Individuals can themselves check whether their premises are in a BLUE or an AMBER area by accessing the High Speed Broadband Map and entering their Eircode at www.broadband.gov.ie. Consumers in BLUE areas who cannot access High Speed Broadband are encouraged to notify the Department at [e-mail], quoting their eircode. The Department is working with the operators, the local authorities and other key stakeholders on resolutions for black spot areas.

Building Energy Rating Administration

Ceisteanna (233)

Barry Cowen

Ceist:

233. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of building energy rating certificates issued for new housing in each of the years 2007 to 2016 and to date in 2017. [22379/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

A Building Energy Rating (BER) is an indication of the energy performance of a dwelling (represented in terms of the number of kilowatt hours (kWh) used per square metre per year). The actual energy performance of dwelling will vary depending on occupancy and how the dwelling is used.

A BER is based on the characteristics of major components of the dwelling including: wall, roof and floor dimensions; window and door sizes and orientations, as well as the construction type and insulation, ventilation and air tightness features; the system for heat supply (including renewable energy), its distribution and control; and the type of lighting. The BER certificate indicates the annual primary energy usage and carbon dioxide emissions associated with the provision of space heating, water heating, ventilation, lighting, and associated pumps and fans.  A BER only covers electricity used for heating, lighting and ventilation with associated pumps and fans. Electricity used for cooking, refrigeration, laundry and other appliance use is not included.

The Building Energy Rating (BER) scheme was established under the European Communities (Energy Performance of Buildings) Regulations 2006. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is designated as the issuing authority with responsibility for registering BER assessors, logging BER assessments and managing the BER scheme. Since 1 January 2009, a BER certificate and advisory report is compulsory for all homes being sold or offered for rent. A BER is also required for new dwellings that apply for planning permission on or after 1 January 2007.

The Central Statistics Office publishes a quarterly, independently verified, report on the number of BERs issued in the previous quarter. 96% of dwellings built since 2010 are "A" or "B" rated on the BER scale.

A BER certificate is also required to avail of the grants for energy-efficiency improvements to the home, which are provided under the Better Energy Programme which is operated by SEAI on behalf of my Department. These grants are available for households built before 2006, on the basis that homes built from 2006 onwards should have been constructed to the 2003 Building Regulations and so should not require significant insulation or heating system upgrades.

The number of BERs published for new build was provided by SEAI who make information on all published BERs available to researchers through a National BER Research Tool, accessible through SEAI's website: http://www.seai.ie/Your_Building/BER/National_BER_Research_Tool/.

Year	Number of BERs published for new build
2007	25
2008	1698
2009	12363
2010	5771
2011	2630
2012	2448
2013	2606
2014	3744
2015	4722
2016	6278
2017 to date	2626
Total	44911