Written Answers Nos. 1729-1750
1729. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of staff employed in his Department and in each State agency under the aegis of his Department, by county, in tabular form. [29249/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department currently employs 334 full-time equivalent staff. The Department has offices located in the following counties and locations:
- Dublin - Adelaide Road, Customs House and Beggars Bush
- Cavan - Cavan Town
- Wexford - Wexford Town
The breakdown of staff numbers by county is as follows:
|
County |
Dublin |
Cavan |
Wexford |
|
No. of Staff |
259 |
39 |
35 |
(Note: One staff member is employed in Brussels)
The information requested in relation to the agencies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for each agency. The Department will request the relevant bodies to reply directly to the Deputy with the information requested in respect of their organisations.
1730. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the provision of broadband to Loughill, County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26538/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1737. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26770/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1740. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if a townland (details supplied) will be offered broadband under the latest announcement of the rollout to broadband in rural Ireland; the criteria in establishing the areas which will receive broadband under the initiative; the timeframe for the implementation of the plan; if north County Offaly will be considered a priority under the plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26873/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1743. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to the rollout of the national broadband plan, the timeline for the provision of universal coverage along the L2190 between Inch, Coolgreaney and Arklow of high speed broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26938/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1745. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will address a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26991/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1756. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding fibre broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27166/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1757. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if a reply will issue to a query raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27207/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1766. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding fibre broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27404/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1775. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to extend broadband cover to a location (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27748/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1778. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will extend the area for the initial rollout of fibre broadband in the Gaybrook area L1132, Mullingar, County Westmeath. [27808/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1730, 1737, 1740, 1743, 1745, 1756, 1757, 1766, 1775 and 1778 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.
In April, eir signed an agreement with me committing them to follow through on their commercial plans to provide broadband to 300,000 premises in rural areas. Eir has committed to doing this work over a 90 week period, with an average of 500 premises passed 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.
Quarterly updates will be published on the Departments website. The Q1 2017 update will be published shortly and I am pleased to announce that the eir rollout is in line with the Commitment Agreement
The decision by eir to invest in infrastructure to deploy high speed broadband services to an additional 300,000 premises in rural Ireland was taken purely on commercial grounds. Neither I nor the Department have a statutory authority to direct eir in this regard.
I also published in April an updated High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The Map shows the extent of the State Intervention area and also 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.
There are approximately 2.3m premises covering Ireland’s 26 counties, of which approximately 542,000 (23%)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. Of the 1.8m premises, 300,000 premises fall within eir’s plans to deliver rural high speed broadband between now and end 2018 (Light BLUE on map). Information on eir's planned rural deployment is available at http://fibrerollout.ie/eircode-lookup/.
The table below details the percentage of premises to be covered by the State Intervention and through commercial investment in the areas identified by the Deputies.
|
County Name |
Location |
Townland |
AMBER % Premises within the NBP Intervention Area |
BLUE % Premises within Commercial Operator’s Area |
LIGHT BLUE %Premises planned commercial rural deployment |
|
Cork |
Ballygarvan |
Ballygarvan |
27% |
65% |
8% |
|
Kerry
|
*Kilbrean Beg |
Kilbrean Beg (Ed Killarney) |
52% |
|
48% |
|
Knockawaddra West |
5% |
95% |
|
||
|
Knockawaddra East |
|
100% |
|
||
|
Knockawaddra |
Knockawaddra Middle |
|
100% |
|
|
|
Manister |
Monaster North |
20% |
|
80% |
|
|
Crecora |
Ballyveelish |
13% |
|
87% |
|
|
Barley Mount West |
Barleymount West |
62% |
|
38% |
|
|
Limerick |
Loughill |
Loghill (Ed Kilscannel) |
100% |
|
|
|
Clonkirk |
Clonkirk |
56% |
4% |
40%
|
|
|
Monaghan |
Ballybay |
Cornamucklaglass |
8% |
92% |
|
|
Rhode |
Laurencetown |
7% |
93% |
|
|
|
Offaly
|
Carrick |
Carrick (Garrycastle By) |
100% |
|
|
|
Gaybrook |
Gorteen (Fartullagh By) |
23% |
|
77% |
|
|
|
Gaybrook Demesne |
85% |
|
15% |
|
|
Westmeath |
Knockville |
Knockville |
100% |
|
|
|
Inch |
Bolabradda |
10% |
|
90% |
|
|
Wexford |
Coolgreaney |
Coolgreaney |
3% |
4% |
94% |
|
Wicklow |
Arklow |
Arklow |
|
100% |
|
*The eircode referred to by the Deputy in the townland of Kilbrean Beg falls within an AMBER area and will be part of the State led Intervention.
The map provides information on a county by county basis with a breakdown of coverage across the townlands in every county. 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 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.
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 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 will also assist local authorities in preparing for the roll-out of the new NBP network once contracts are in place.
In addition, I signed regulations allowing ComReg to proceed with the allocation of spectrum in the 3.6 GHz radio spectrum band. On 22 May, ComReg announced the result of its 3.6 GHz spectrum award which 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.
1731. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the developments that are due to take place in the domestic waste collection market in Dublin in the coming months among private waste collectors; the way in which he plans to protect households from significant increases in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26546/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1739. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to introduce a pay-by-weight system for waste collection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26814/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1731 and 1739 together.
The 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 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 the amount of waste sent to landfill for disposal and will also facilitate the provision of a range of options for people to manage their waste costs.
I have already indicated quite clearly that any such system will encompass more than just the previously proposed pay-by-weight per-kilogram model. It is important to acknowledge that many people are already on plans that encourage waste prevention and segregation, including some which contain an element of weight-based charging.
As previously pointed out, I do not have a role in setting the level of charges for waste collection. I would, however, like to see a system in operation whereby the prevention and segregation of household waste is encouraged so that we reduce our reliance on landfills around the country, and enable people to manage their waste costs by preventing waste where possible and segregating the remaining waste properly to improve the rate and quality of recycling.
1732. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 725 of 28 February 2017, the status of the application. [26570/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am informed by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) that the club referred to made a submission to IFI on the availability of a long term licence for Pallas Lake. Longer term licences are granted on the basis of an appropriate development plan and a formal application. I understand that the application was made on foot of funding opportunities available to the club to develop the lake further as an amenity and to proactively promote the lake.
In order to facilitate a licence arrangement, the status of the title to the fishery must be verified. Issues of title verification can be complex but it is important, particularly from the club's perspective, to establish this definitively.
IFI have confirmed that Pallas Lake is one of 17 catchments that are leased from ESB and under the current conditions of the lease IFI are prohibited from sub-letting the lake.
IFI advise that they intend to meet with ESB to discuss the current lease and once finalised further consideration can be given to the Club's request.
1733. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on the recommendations of the two Oireachtas committee reports carried out on the health impacts of microwave radiation in the past; if his Department is monitoring the health and safety regulations on microwave radiation of other EU jurisdictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26654/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraBoth the Joint Committees on Public Enterprise and Transport, and on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources published reports on exposure to non-ionising radiation from mobile phone hand sets and telecommunication masts. Both reports included recommendations ranging from the monitoring of exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) to planning guidelines for telecommunication masts and mobile phone base stations.
To consider the issues raised by the committees, an Inter-Departmental Committee on Health Effects of Electromagnetic Fields was appointed by the Government in 2005. Consultations were held and as a result the Report of the Expert Group on the Health Effects of Electromagnetic Fields was published in March, 2007. The report informed the Department's policy on EMF and non-Ionising radiation, focusing primarily on the issue of public exposure and addressing recommendations made in earlier reports.
More recently, my Department commissioned the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands (RIVM) to produce a report titled "Electromagnetic Fields in the Irish Context", which was published in October, 2016. This report examined the most up to date peer-reviewed research on the possible health effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields and also examined how a sample of 5 other countries deal with the policy issue, including how these policies are implemented in practice. The report confirmed earlier conclusions that no adverse short- or long-term effects have been shown to occur from exposure to electromagnetic fields at levels below the limits recommended by the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).
The recommendations from the report also reaffirmed Ireland's approach on the issue on electromagnetic fields, which follows best practice in adopting internationally recognised standards and guidelines for public exposure to electromagnetic radiation developed by the ICNIRP. The ICNIRP guidelines ensure adequate protection measures for the public from any EMF sources, limiting exposure from mobile phones and masts in addition to power line fields. For example, recommending that where possible new power lines should be sited away from heavily populated areas so as to minimise exposure. This precautionary policy is in line with the conclusions of EU Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) in its 2015 Opinion.
To promote on-going public confidence in measures to mitigate any potential health effects of non-ionising radiation, officials in my Department are developing proposals to better advise local and central Government, and other public bodies, on all appropriate non-ionising radiation issues, including advice on regulations and standards for the safe use of non-ionising radiation.
1734. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if a reciprocal free post arrangement is in place between Ireland and China which provides free post from China to Ireland and from Ireland to China. [26697/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraDelivery of international mails between An Post and China Post is remunerated under the Terminal Dues rates element of the UPU Inter-Governmental Treaty, to which Ireland and China are parties. The Government has appointed An Post as the designated Universal Service Provider in Ireland. There is no reciprocal free post arrangement in place between Ireland and China which provides free post from China to Ireland and/or from Ireland to China.
1735. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the amount of fines for dog fouling handed out by each local authority in each of the years 2007 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form; the amount of expenditure spent by each local authority each year in tackling dog fouling; and the number of staff in each local authority that have responsibility for the issuing of fines and monitoring of dog fouling. [26726/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1765. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of fines issued to persons in the past three years under section 22 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997 regarding dog fouling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27389/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1735 and 1765 together.
Although in 2016, dog fouling constituted just 1.21 per cent of all litter nationally, it is an issue of personal concern to me given its potential impacts on human health, particularly for children.
It is an offence under section 22 of the Litter Pollution Acts, 1997 to 2009 not to clean up after your dog. I believe that there are sufficient penalties in place, when enforced, to deal with the issue of dog fouling under the Acts, but ultimately it is the responsibility of each individual to ensure that they play their part in preserving the environment for others through the responsible disposal of their litter, including in relation to dog fouling.
Each local authority must determine the most appropriate course of action to tackle litter pollution locally, including the most appropriate public awareness, enforcement and clean-up actions in relation to litter and dog fouling, taking account of its own particular circumstances and priorities. Authorised local authority officers and Gardaí may issue a notice or on-the-spot fine to an individual believed of committing a prescribed offence under the Acts. Under section 159 of the Local Government Act, 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the local authority's functions. It is, therefore, a matter for each individual Chief Executive to assign staff to specific business function areas within their organisation.
Although the dog fouling data sought is not currently collated, data in relation to expenditure by each local authority on street/road cleaning, litter warden services, and litter public awareness initiatives, for the years 2010 to 2016, is available on the Department's website http://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/environment/topics/waste/litter/Pages/Local-Authority-Litter-Fines-and-Expenditure-Statistics.aspx. A breakdown, by local authority, of the total amount collected for litter on-the-spot fines and court fines is also available at this link.
As part of the targeted direct response to deal with litter, my Department operates an Anti-Litter and Anti-Graffiti Awareness Grant Scheme (ALAGS). Under this scheme, local authorities can apply for funding for projects aimed at raising awareness of litter issues, including that of dog fouling. Local authorities are asked to focus their activities under the scheme on young people and in particular on schools and community groups with an emphasis on encouraging long term behavioural change. It is open to local authorities to utilise some of this funding to improve the situation specifically in relation to dog fouling.
Compared to 2016, I have increased funding for the ALAGS scheme in 2017 by 28% and allocated a total of €884,000 to local authorities this year. My Department recently issued a circular on the scheme and I have specifically requested local authorities to consider anti-dog fouling schemes in the awarding of grants.
1736. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the Government's position regarding the EU Commission's proposals for a new renewable energy directive (details supplied). [26730/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2009 Renewable Energy Directive requires that biofuels must meet strict sustainability criteria to qualify for support and to be counted towards renewable energy targets. Under these criteria biofuels may not be made from raw materials originating from tropical forests or recently deforested areas, drained peatland, wetland or highly biodiverse areas. In addition, the 2015 ILUC Directive limits to 7% the amount of energy from crop based biofuels, whose use could lead to indirect land use change (ILUC), that Member States can count towards their 2020 renewable energy targets for transport. The ILUC Directive will be transposed into Irish legislation by my Department by the deadline of 10 September 2017.
In November 2016, the European Commission published a proposal for a new Renewables Directive that envisages an overall European Union renewable energy target of at least 27% in 2030. It is proposed in the draft Directive that the amount of energy from crop based biofuels which can be counted towards renewable energy shares in transport (RES-T) in the period after 2020 will be progressively reduced from 7% in 2020 to 3.8% in 2030.
Biofuel production and its use, unless properly regulated, may not deliver required greenhouse gas savings and could impact negatively on food production and land use. It is important, therefore, that measures are in place to mitigate environmental risks, such as Indirect Land-Use Change, of certain categories of biofuels. It is also important that the development of advanced biofuels, which pose little risk of ILUC, are encouraged. Both the ILUC Directive and the proposed new Renewables Directive contain measures to incentivise the production of these advanced biofuels.
As the wide ranging proposals of the new Renewables Directive are negotiated at EU level, my Department will continue to work closely with relevant Government Departments and other Member States on all issues, including the biofuels proposals, with a view to ensuring that Ireland’s interests are protected.
1738. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of post offices that have closed in each of the years 2000 to 2016 by county, in tabular form. [26781/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1796. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has received communications from An Post in relation to the number of post offices that have closed in each of the years 2015 and 2016 and to date in 2017 by county, in tabular form. [28998/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1738 and 1796 together.
Issues relating to the closure of post offices are an operational matter for the Board and management of An Post and not one in which I, as Minister, have any statutory function.
I will, however, request An Post to issue a reply directly to the Deputy with the information sought.
1741. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the threats identified by his Department with regard to the responsibilities of his Department as a result of no deal being reached in Brexit negotiations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26899/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 2 May, the Government published a comprehensive document on Ireland and the negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union under Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. This document sets out the approach of the Government to the forthcoming negotiations, following the successful campaign to have key Irish issues recognised in the EU negotiation position. Following on from this publication, work is underway to prepare a further paper on economic implications of the Brexit challenge. This will draw on the work to date across Departments, which will be developed to mitigate emerging sectoral challenges. These plans will build on ongoing cross-Government research, analysis and consultations with stakeholders, and will reflect the core economic themes of the Taoiseach's speech to the IIEA on 15 February last.
Ireland’s economic interests lie firmly in a strong and well-functioning EU with continued and unfettered access to the single market. There is a lot of negotiation to be done around trading arrangements. Our contingency work is examining all scenarios and we cannot pre-empt the outcome at this stage. We are not under any illusions about the complexity of these negotiations and are engaged in detailed planning to prepare for these.
As the Deputy is aware, my Department has a broad remit encompassing telecommunications, energy, climate, broadcasting and environment.
The ongoing work in my Department identifies potential impacts across each sector, defines specific priorities for the Brexit process and examines policy recommendations.
My Department has identified energy as the highest priority sector. Maintenance of secure energy trading between the UK and EU Member States is vital to sustain and maintain Ireland’s economic growth. In addition, maintaining the Single Electricity Market across the island of Ireland is a key priority.
I wish to assure the Deputy that I and my Department are working hard across Government and with our EU colleagues to prepare for Brexit and minimise the potential impacts on Ireland.
1742. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the expenditure by his Department on research and development in the maritime energy sector including tidal, wave and wind energy in each of the past five years, in tabular form. [26934/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2014 Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP) sets out the Government’s policy in the ocean energy area. The plan identifies the sustainable economic opportunity for Ireland in the period to 2030 of realising the potential of our indigenous offshore wind, wave and tidal energy resources. In contrast to offshore wind, wave and tidal energy is still at the R&D stage globally. Notwithstanding the development of promising experimental devices, much more research, development and trials are required to bring wave and tidal energy technology to commercial viability.
Exchequer support in terms of research, development and demonstration was increased under the OREDP. This funding supports Ireland’s commitment to world class test facilities including the Lir National Ocean Test Facility in Cork, the quarter scale Galway Bay test site, and the full scale Atlantic Marine Energy Test Site (AMETS), off the coast of Mayo. This funding also supports the Prototype Development Fund, which is operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, and provides grant aid to support developers in bringing their devices from prototype to full scale commercial viability.
A breakdown of the funding drawn down by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland for ocean energy research and development in each of the years 2012 to 2016 is set out in the table.
|
Year |
Total €million |
|
2016 |
3.830 |
|
2015 |
3.977 |
|
2014 |
3.883 |
|
2013 |
1.624 |
|
2012 |
2.535 |
In addition, my Department provided grant aid of €3 million over the period 2012-2015 towards the rebuilding of the Beaufort Laboratory at the IMERC campus, which now houses the Lir Ocean Test facilities.
1744. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 378 of 23 May 2017, if he will provide the figures for all pension contributions made by public sector workers in each body under the aegis of his Department, excluding those in the Civil Service, including the pension levy, in each of the years 2010 to 2016 and to date in 2017. [26968/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested regarding the agencies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for each Agency. I will request the relevant bodies to reply directly to the Deputy with the information sought in respect of their organisation.
1746. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated costs for adapting information technology systems to include Eircode for departmental mail; the number of Departments that have adapted their information technology systems to implement Eircode; and the cost to the exchequer in this regard. [27007/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraCapita Business Support Services Ireland, trading as Eircode, was awarded a 10 year contract in December 2013 to develop, implement, maintain and promote the use of the National Postcode System "Eircode". The contract provided for a programme of public sector database encoding with Eircodes for 15 public sector bodies that have frequent interaction with the public. Prior to the Eircode launch approximately 80million public sector database records were encoded with Eircodes, costing €11.5m (VAT inclusive).
Public sector bodies have used their regular on-going ICT software upgrades to incorporate Eircodes as part of other changes to their systems. The cost of adapting systems to use Eircodes is a matter for individual organisations, though Departments have indicated that this has resulted in no significant cost to those bodies.
Eircodes are being used by the large public sector bodies, including: Department of Social Protection, Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, Revenue Commissioners and the Health Service Executive. Many other state bodies and agencies that have interaction with the public have also incorporated the Eircode into their systems. These include the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport; Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Local Government Management Agency; Central Statistics Office; Department of Education & Skills; Residential Tenancies Board; Companies Registration Office; Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland; Ordnance Survey Ireland; An Post; National Treasury Management Agency; Electric Ireland and ESB Networks.
1747. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of new Eircodes that were issued in 2016; the number issued in the first quarter of 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27008/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraCapita Business Support Services Ireland, trading as Eircode, was awarded a 10 year contract in December 2013 to develop, implement, maintain and promote the use of the National Postcode System "Eircode". Eircode have informed my Department that in 2016 the total number of addresses assigned an Eircode was 16,183 and the total number of addresses assigned an Eircode in the first quarter of 2017 was 5,152. New Eircodes can be found on the free to use online Eircode Finder (https://www.eircode.ie/), which remains very popular with the public with just under 10 million searches since the finder went live. The finder app provides both the geographical and postal addresses for properties in the State.
1748. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the reason the policy document prepared in 2012 which involved the various angling associations (details supplied) and Inland Fisheries Ireland was not implemented despite the fact that the final draft of both policy documents received the support of national inland fisheries forum; the reason both documents were subsequently altered by Inland Fisheries Ireland to remove Lough Owel from the list of designated wild brown trout lakes without appropriate consultation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27057/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1749. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the reason Inland Fisheries Ireland is reviewing the policies pertaining to management of pike and designated wild brown trout fisheries in view of the fact that policies which were agreed in 2012 and 2013 were never implemented and given an opportunity to work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27058/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1750. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps he will take to direct Inland Fisheries Ireland to implement the pike and trout policies which were subject to agreement by the relevant parties in 2012 and 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27059/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1748 to 1750, inclusive, together.
The National Pike policy, and similar policies for Bass and Trout, were launched, by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), in August 2014. The Pike Policy was agreed with the Irish Federation of Pike Angling Clubs, the Trout Anglers Federation of Ireland and the National Association of Recreational Anglers. It was expected that the policy would be reviewed following 3 years of its implementation.
IFI commenced, in late 2016, the process of examining all relevant and appropriate data to inform the review of these policies.
An important element of this examination is a review of the management of pike in designated wild brown trout fisheries. A group comprised of a range of representatives from all relevant disciplines within Inland Fisheries Ireland has been formed and is undertaking this review. Representatives of Pike and Trout Federations have been invited to participate in the group.
The work of the group is in an investigative and discovery phase and, in this regard, the input of a range of scientists identified by members of the group has also been sought. Submissions received by the Review Group, will be considered by the group prior to any conclusions or recommendations being made. Formal discussion on the policy will not take place until such time as IFI have also delivered the outputs from their scientific programme
A public consultation, commenced by the Board of Inland Fisheries Ireland in November 2016, closed in December and all submissions can now be viewed by the public on the IFI website: www.fisheriesireland.ie.
The Review Group aims to complete the process by the end of September 2017. However, this is predicated on having an opportunity to complete the associated scientific research programme and all of the work of the review group in the context of the volume of submissions, the technical nature of the data referenced and the complexity of the issue.
It is important that the policy review group is given sufficient time and space to complete the review and proposals for revision of policy as regards pike and trout, if any, will be decided once the review is completed. In the meantime, the existing policy, agreed in 2014, has been continued in 2017.
