Written Answers Nos. 467 - 486
467. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the role of his Department in responding to a cyber emergency and protecting the democratic process in this country from international hacking events. [24369/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraTo date, the primary focus of the Cyber Security function in my Department, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), has been in assisting Government Departments and Agencies to secure their networks and information, and to begin the process of transposing the EU Network and Information Security Directive. The NCSC has at present no role in actively preventing attacks on private sector entities, not least because this would require active surveillance of network activity, something for which there is no legislative basis, and which would pose a number of data protection and other challenges.
The NCSC has become the national point of contact for cyber security matters, and receives notice of suspicious activity of networks in Ireland from similar bodies in other jurisdictions, and from the cyber security sector. In cases where this activity involves private sector operators, and where possible, the NCSC contacts them directly and warns them of issues arising, and of steps that might be taken to mitigate risks to their systems or data. If notice was received of activity around the networks of a political party, the same procedure would be followed.
468. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of Civil Service clerical officers in full-time employment in his Department as of 31 May 2017, by county, in tabular form. [29845/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the following table.
|
No of Clerical Officers (Permanent Employees) as at 31/5/2017 |
Location |
|
31 |
Dublin |
|
12 |
Cavan |
|
1 |
Wexford |
|
Total 44 |
|
469. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of full-time Civil Service clerical officers in his Department who have either retired, resigned or been promoted from 1 January 2015 to 31 May 2017, by county, in tabular form. [29861/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the following table.
|
Year |
No of clerical officer retirements |
No of clerical officer resignations |
No of clerical officer promotions |
|
2015 |
2 Dublin |
0 |
0 |
|
2016 |
0 |
2 Dublin |
3 Dublin |
|
2017 to 31st May |
0 |
1 Dublin |
8 Dublin 2 Cavan 1 Wexford |
470. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of full-time Civil Service clerical officer appointments made in his Department from 1 January 2015 to 31 May 2017, by county, in tabular form. [29885/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the following table.
|
Year |
No of new clerical officer appointments |
Location |
|
2015 |
7 |
Dublin |
|
2016 |
5 |
Dublin |
|
2017 to 31 May |
8 |
Dublin |
471. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of temporary Civil Service clerical officer appointments made in his Department from 1 January 2015 to 31 May 2017, by county, in tabular form. [29903/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the following table.
|
Year |
No of temporary clerical officer appointments |
Location |
|
2015 |
0 |
N/A |
|
2016 |
8 |
Dublin |
|
2017 to date |
1 |
Dublin |
474. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of houses which have been connected to high-speed broadband under the terms of the agreement signed with a company (details supplied) in April 2017; and the counties in which these houses have been connected. [29977/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra476. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to improve the broadband service in an area (details supplied). [30049/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra480. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 1778 of 20 June 2017, his plans to extend the initial roll-out of fibre broadband in Knockaville, Mullingar, County Westmeath. [30104/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra485. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the progress to date in 2017 in the provision of effective, efficient, state-of-the-art broadband in all areas throughout the country; and if he is satisfied that the progress to date is in keeping with expectations. [30150/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra486. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment in the context of broadband provision in all areas of the country, the extent to which he expects to be in a position to ensure the availability of high-quality service in fringe areas not covered by the service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30151/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra494. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the extent to which the standard, quality and speed of broadband and mobile telephone services in County Kildare compare with the best available worldwide; his plans to improve same over the coming year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30159/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 474, 476, 480, 485, 486 and 494 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.
Since 2012, the commercial telecommunications sector has invested over €2.5 billion in upgrading and modernising networks which support the provision of high-speed broadband and mobile telecoms services. As a result, there has been significant progress in relation to broadband rollout so that today approximately 1.4 million or 61% of premises in Ireland can get high-speed broadband of a minimum of 30 Megabits per second. This footprint is continuing to expand.
In April, eir signed an agreement with me, committing them to follow through on their commercial plans to provide new high-speed broadband infrastructure to 300,000 premises in rural areas. Eir has committed to doing this work 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 on progress of the eir 300k rollout will be published on the Department's website. The Q1 figures have been verified by my Department and 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. As at Q1, 40,114 premises have been passed since eir commenced work in late 2016. To date, some 3,865 of those premises have been connected to high-speed broadband services under the terms of the Commitment Agreement. Information on eir's planned rural deployment is available at http://fibrerollout.ie/eircode-lookup/.
In April I published an updated High-Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. This map finalises the State Intervention Area for the procurement process and is an important milestone in the procurement process. 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.
The map shows that 2% of the townland of Abbeylara, County Longford and 100% of Knockaville, County Westmeath falls within an AMBER area and will be part of the State-led Intervention under the NBP. The remaining 98% of the townland of Abbeylara falls within the BLUE area and will be served by commercial operators.
There are circa 89,000 premises in County Kildare, approximately 13,000 (14%) of which are located in the Amber area on the Map, and will benefit from the NBP’s State Intervention. The remaining circa 76,000 (75%) premises are located in the commercial BLUE area and will be served by commercial operators and includes approximately 9,000 (12%) where eir is planning to deliver high-speed broadband by 2018.
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.
My Department monitors the rollout of services in the BLUE area. I would encourage consumers who cannot access high-speed broadband services to contact my Department directly at broadband@dccae.gov.ie, quoting their address and Eircode, and giving details of providers they have contacted with a view to obtaining services. This information will assist the Department in keeping track of progress in those areas and following up if necessary.
The Broadband Intervention strategy sets out a detailed service specification including a requirement that the State-funded network must:
- be capable of delivering high-quality, high speed broadband of at least 30 megabits per second download and 6 megabits per second upload to all citizens;
- be capable of providing for higher performance in the future so as to keep pace with consumer demand;
- ensure the availability of high quality wholesale services to allow retail competition to develop.
The Plan envisages public investment in the capital costs of building the necessary infrastructure to support high-quality affordable broadband services similar to those already available in cities and towns.
I am confident that the combination of existing commercial investment and the State intervention will make Ireland an exemplar in Europe and beyond, in terms of providing high-speed services to all citizens regardless of where they live or work.
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 to 5 year timeline to roll out a network of the scale envisaged under the NBP once contracts are in place.
The procurement is progressing to the next stage. This week, the Department wrote to the three bidders in the NBP procurement process inviting them to submit their Detailed Solutions by 26 September 2017. This is a significant milestone as the NBP procurement process moves to the next stage. 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.
However, I am aware that the rate of demand for data services has increased exponentially in the last four years and this presents a continuing challenge for telecommunication operators, regulators and policy makers both in Ireland and internationally. Recognising this challenge, I specifically included in the Programme for Government a commitment to a Mobile Phone and Broadband Task force. In July 2016, I established the Task Force together with Minister Humphreys to identify immediate solutions to broadband and mobile phone coverage deficits and investigate how better services could be provided to consumers, prior to the full build and roll-out of the network planned under the National Broadband Plan State intervention.
The report of the Task Force was published in December and is available on both Departments' websites. In producing this report, the Task Force worked with Departments, local authorities, ComReg, State agencies, the telecoms industry and other key stakeholders. The report contains 40 actions that will alleviate some of the telecommunications deficits across Ireland and the implementation programme on mobile phone and broadband access identifies 19 of these actions as areas where immediate and direct action by Departments and State agencies can ensure accelerated benefits to consumers.
In order to maintain momentum created by the Task Force, I, together with Minister Humphreys, established an Implementation Group. This group is driving and monitoring the implementation of the actions, bringing together all key stakeholders identified in the Task Force report with responsibility for delivery. This group will be formally reporting every 90 days on progress made on all actions. I published the first such quarterly progress report on 13th June 2017, which is available on my Department's website at http://www.dccae.gov.ie/documents/Taskforce%20Q1%20Progress%20Report.pdf and which shows that considerable progress has been made, particularly in relation to the implementation of actions identified for Q1 2017. 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, following regulations which I signed last year, ComReg recently announced the results of its auction for the 3.6 GHz radio spectrum band, which means an 86% increase in spectrum capacity to meet the growing demand for mobile and wireless broadband services across rural and urban areas. The Regulator has awarded 15 year licences for the rights of use in this band which will provide a degree of stability and create future investment certainty. Spectrum was also awarded in lots covering nine urban and rural regions across the country.
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.
475. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has submitted a national low carbon transition and mitigation plan to the Government for approval; and when the Government will approve the plan. [29998/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer to the reply to Question No. 58 on today's Order Paper. The objective of Ireland’s first statutory National Mitigation Plan is to set out what Ireland is doing, and is planning to do, to further the national transition objective as set out in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act, 2015.
The National Mitigation Plan has been prepared having regard to the provisions set out in the 2015 Act in close collaboration with all relevant Departments and, in particular, with the Departments of Transport, Tourism and Sport; Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government; and Agriculture, Food and the Marine. As well as being supported by a range of technical, economic and environmental inputs, the National Mitigation Plan has also been informed by the submissions received during a public consultation in March and April 2017.
In addition, I invited the Climate Change Advisory Council, following my publication of the Draft National Mitigation Plan, to engage directly with me and with other relevant Ministers with a view to providing its recommendations to feed into the preparation of the final Plan. All input received from the Advisory Council has been considered in finalising the National Mitigation Plan.
In accordance with the provisions of the 2015 Act, the National Mitigation Plan was circulated to Government in the required timeframe and, once the Plan is approved by Government, I look forward to publishing the Plan and formally laying it before each House of the Oireachtas.
477. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will liaise with service providers to improve mobile telephone coverage in an area (details supplied). [30050/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra478. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will liaise with service providers to improve mobile telephone coverage in an area (details supplied). [30051/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra488. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he expects to see an improvement in the quality of mobile telephone services in all areas throughout the country without exception; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30153/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 477, 478 and 488 together.
The provision of telecommunications services, including mobile phone services, is a matter for the service providers concerned which operate in a fully liberalised market regulated by the independent Regulator of the telecommunications sector, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). I do not have a statutory authority to require commercial companies to roll out services to particular locations. However, mobile operators have invested significantly in rolling out improved services following ComReg's multi-band spectrum auction in 2012. At least one operator now has in excess of 90% 4G population coverage. However, as mobile services are a radio-based technology, services can be affected by topography, quality of handsets and the capacity of the network, as well as by proximity to mobile telephone antennas.
Any customer across Ireland who experiences service difficulties, including in Abbeylara, County Longford and Ballymore, County Westmeath, should raise the matter with the service provider in the first instance. If this fails to resolve matters, customers can and should refer a complaint to ComReg, which will investigate the service provider's compliance with its contractual obligations.
Notwithstanding the statutory independence of ComReg, in recognition of the frustration currently being experienced across Ireland where telecommunications networks are not always delivering the services people expect, I specifically included in the programme for Government a commitment to a Mobile Phone and Broadband Task force. In July 2016. I established the Task Force together with Minister Humphreys to identify immediate solutions to broadband and mobile phone coverage deficits and investigate how better services could be provided to consumers, prior to the full build and roll-out of the network planned under the National Broadband Plan State intervention. The report of the Task Force was published in December and is available on both Departments' websites.
In producing this report, the Task Force worked with Departments, local authorities, ComReg, State agencies, the telecoms industry and other key stakeholders. The report contains 40 actions, each with their own timeframe for delivery, 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.
An Implementation Group is driving and monitoring the implementation of the actions, bringing together all key stakeholders identified in the Task Force report with responsibility for delivery. This group will be formally reporting every 90 days on progress made on all actions. On 13 June, I published the first such quarterly progress report, which is available on my Department's website at http://www.dccae.gov.ie/documents/Taskforce%20Q1%20Progress%20Report.pdf and which shows that considerable progress has been made, particularly in relation to the implementation of actions identified for Q1 2017.
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, following regulations which I signed last year, ComReg recently announced the results of its auction for the 3.6GHz radio spectrum band, which means an 86% increase in spectrum capacity to meet the growing demand for mobile and wireless broadband services across rural and urban areas. The Regulator has awarded 15 year licences for the rights of use in this band which will provide a degree of stability and create future investment certainty. Spectrum was also awarded in lots covering 9 urban and rural regions across the country.
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.
479. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 586 of 23 of May 2017, if the review he referred to regarding an incentivised system in regard to waste management has been completed; if the situation that ensued in 2016 whereby families were charged more for their waste collection than previously will not recur; if there is a provision in the review for infirm or disabled persons who use nappies and so on; and the timeframe for the new system be rolled out. [30075/17]
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 intention is to introduce an incentivised pricing structure which will provide the flexibility for customers to be offered a suite of pricing options to encourage householders to reduce and segregate their waste.
This approach is in line with Government waste policy which is articulated in the 2012 policy document 'A Resource Opportunity- Waste Management Policy in Ireland'. A specific measure in the policy provides that the household waste collection sector will “operate pricing structures designed to incentivise environmentally sustainable behaviours by households in terms of waste reduction and segregation”. Incentivised pricing should encourage us, as a community, to prevent and reduce the amount of waste that we produce and to utilise the value of our waste through reuse, recycling and recovery. This will also enable Ireland to meet its legal obligations as well as current and future targets under EU waste legislation.
The amount of waste being sent to landfill has increased in the last two years. Last year, local authorities had to exercise emergency powers on two occasions to make additional landfill capacity available. We must act to encourage further waste reduction in order to avert a return to an over dependence on landfill. The introduction of an incentivised pricing structure for household waste collection will be an important measure in this regard. The issue of disposing of medical incontinence wear in the context of an incentivised pricing system is under consideration.
481. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he expects to be in a position to meet alternative energy production targets with consequent environmental benefit in the course of the next four years on a yearly basis; if he is satisfied that current proposals in the alternative energy sector are adequate in this context; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30146/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra482. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the extent of alternative energy electricity generation capacity; the degree to which this is on par with expectations and international commitments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30147/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra484. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he is satisfied that alternative energy production targets can be achieved on time in the future with particular reference to the need to comply with international agreements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30149/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 481, 482 and 484 together.
The extent of the challenge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with our EU and international commitments is well understood by the Government, as reflected in the 2014 National Policy Position on Climate Action and Low Carbon Development and underpinned by the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015. The National Policy Position provides a high-level policy direction for the adoption and implementation by Government of plans to enable the State to move to a low-carbon economy by 2050. Statutory authority for the plans is set out in the Act.
In March, I published a draft of Ireland's first National Mitigation Plan for public consultation and I intend to shortly publish the final version of the Plan which will set out what Ireland is doing, and plans to do, to further our transition to a low carbon, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable economy by 2050.
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. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has calculated 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 from renewable sources.
The total amount of renewable generation connected to the grid is 3,174 MW approximately, of which 2,851 MW is wind generation. It is estimated that a total of between 3,900 MW and 4,300 MW of onshore renewable generation capacity will be required to allow Ireland to meet its 40% renewable electricity target. Given that we have 3,174 MW in place, we will need approximately a further 700 MW to 1,100 MW of additional renewable generation to meet our 2020 targets.
The Government has a range of policy measures and schemes in place or under development designed to stimulate further progress in the domestic renewable energy sector. These include the Renewable Energy Feed in Tariff (REFIT) schemes for the electricity sector and the Biofuel Obligation Scheme in the transport sector. These schemes have proved successful at incentivising large-scale investment in the renewable industry in recent years.
My Department is also currently developing a new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme and a Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Scheme, designed to encourage further investment in the renewable electricity and heat sectors, respectively. The introduction of any schemes - including the overall costs and technologies to be supported - are 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 Biofuels Obligation Scheme (BOS) was increased from 6% to 8% by volume from 1 January 2017. A public consultation on future increases to the Biofuel Obligation Scheme, required to meet the 2020 renewable transport target will take place later this year.
483. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the degree to which access to north, south, east and west interconnectors remains available as a means of ensuring access to alternative energy and sale of electricity to the international grid on foot of alternative energy production in this country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30148/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland’s energy policy emphasises the important role of interconnection in the transition to a low carbon energy future. One of the key requirements identified in the Energy White Paper is the need for appropriate energy infrastructure, including energy networks and interconnection with other countries’ energy systems.
On 19 December 2016, An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission for the North-South Interconnector project in Ireland. The planning process for the section of the project in Northern Ireland is underway. This interconnector will help facilitate increased levels of renewable electricity and increase our energy independence by reducing our reliance on imported fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas.
The East-West Interconnector (EWIC) is a 500MW electricity interconnector that connects Ireland and Great Britain. It has been in operation since 2012 and allows the trading of electricity between the island of Ireland and British wholesale electricity markets. EWIC helps to facilitate the growth in renewable electricity by providing access to a larger market.
Two other interconnector projects are currently proposed. The Celtic Interconnector proposes to link Ireland and France and the Greenlink interconnector proposes to link Ireland and Wales. Both projects provide the opportunity for increased renewable electricity and the sale of electricity, generated from renewable sources in Ireland, to be traded internationally.
