Written Answers Nos. 611-625
611. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated first and full year cost of hiring five, ten and 15 additional administrative officers within his Department. [32189/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn the link are the current civil service pay scales which have also been sent by my Department to the Deputy's Office for his attention.
http://circulars.gov.ie/pdf/circular/per/2017/08.pdf.
612. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the amount spent on the SEAI better energy communities project in 2015 and 2016 and to date in 2017; the number of persons that participated in this scheme on a yearly basis, by county. [32190/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) administers the Better Energy Communities (BEC) Scheme on behalf of my Department. The Scheme aims to support and encourage community based partnerships to improve the energy efficiency of homes, businesses and community facilities in a local area. To date the scheme has supported the upgrade of more than 14,000 homes and several hundred shared community facilities, from sports clubs to community centres and childcare facilities.
In 2015, €15 million in grant funding was awarded to 33 projects. The list of successful projects for 2015 is attached.
In 2016, almost €20 million in grant support was awarded under this Scheme to 35 community projects. An additional two projects which sought funding of less than €50,000 were also funded. This provided for energy efficiency upgrades to more than 2,000 homes and 405 community and commercial facilities. The total investment in energy efficiency, including funding from local communities themselves, was almost €48 million, supporting an estimated 700 direct and indirect jobs across the country. There were 63 applications received in total. The full list of successful projects is available on SEAI's website at: http://www.seai.ie/Grants/Better_Energy_Communities/BEC-projects-2016-Oct-revision.pdf.
This year, more than €26m in grant funding has been awarded to 44 projects across the country. This funding will provide for energy efficiency upgrades to over 2,000 homes, of which 1,510 are energy poor, and a further 479 community, public and commercial facilities. The projects include a wide range of upgrades to building fabric, heating systems, lighting and solar heating. This grant support will leverage a total investment in energy efficiency of almost €67 million, supporting more than 1,000 jobs in the construction sector across the country. The list of successful projects for 2017 is also attached.
The SEAI has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members, which can be sent to oireachtas@seai.ie and will be dealt with promptly.
614. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the national dialogue on climate change. [32192/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra652. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when the national dialogue on climate change will be opened; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32904/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 614 and 652 together.
I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 72 and 473 of 27 June 2017.
I was pleased to announce earlier this year that the Government was moving to establish, on a two-year pilot basis, a National Dialogue on Climate Action. This is in line with the commitment set out in the Programme for a Partnership Government.
The primary objective of the National Dialogue will be to ensure an inclusive process of engagement and consensus building across society towards enabling the transformation to a low carbon and climate-resilient future. To do this, the Dialogue will seek to create awareness, engagement and motivation to act (locally, regionally and nationally) in relation to the challenges presented by climate change and to establish, on a long term basis, appropriate networks for people to meet periodically to consider evidence-based inputs on the economic, social, behavioural, environmental and public aspects of climate and energy policy.
I have also indicated that the National Mitigation Plan, which I expect to publish shortly, will become a living document and in the context of this on-going process, outcomes from the Dialogue will be a key component for consideration in the development of further decarbonisation options.
I am currently finalising, and will shortly announce, the membership of a National Dialogue on Climate Action Advisory Group which I am establishing to provide me with advice in relation to the overall strategy, structure and operation of the National Dialogue.
A key element of the National Dialogue already underway is the Green Schools National Climate Change Action and Awareness Programme which, for 2017, includes the development phase for a Climate Change Ambassadors Programme.
Further action and initiatives under the National Dialogue will be announced in due course.
615. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of plans for a quality broadband service in Derryadd, Kenagh, County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32352/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra623. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the timeframe for the rollout of the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32539/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra624. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to the need to improve broadband telecommunications infrastructure throughout County Cavan; when it is expected that the national broadband plan will be rolled out to benefit areas such as County Cavan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32540/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra625. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to the need to improve broadband telecommunications infrastructure throughout County Monaghan; when it is expected that the national broadband plan will be rolled out to benefit areas such as County Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32541/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra626. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding broadband roll out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32551/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra643. Deputy Hildegarde Naughton asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of premises, both commercial and households that will be connected to high speed fibre broadband in County Galway in the next 76 weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32802/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra644. Deputy Hildegarde Naughton asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of premises, both commercial and households that will be connected to high speed fibre broadband in south County Mayo in the next 76 weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32803/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 615, 623 to 626, inclusive, 643 and 644 together.
Through the National Broadband Plan (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.
This unequivocal commitment by Government to deliver the NBP has also served as a catalyst for industry in bringing forward investment in new infrastructure in towns, villages and rural areas of Ireland. As of today, approximately 1.4m 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 and it is expected to rise to 77% by the end of 2018. For those areas that will not be covered by commercial operators the State has committed to intervene and subsidise a network build.
In April, eir signed a 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 with an average of 500 premises passed per day. A copy of the Commitment Agreement is available on my Department's website www.dccae.gov.ie. 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 by eir on commercial grounds. Neither I, nor my Department, have a statutory authority to direct eir in this regard.
Quarterly updates on progress of the eir 300k rollout will be published on my Departments website. The Q1 figures have been verified by my Department and the eir rollout is in line with the Commitment Agreement.
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 Map, which is searchable by address or eircode, has been developed by my Department using extensive information obtained from commercial operators and will be updated to show quarterly progress of the eir rollout.
- 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 in Ireland, of which approximately 542,000 (23%) premises are located in the Intervention area on the Map. These premises will require State intervention and are the focus for the procurement process. The remaining premises are located in the BLUE areas and will be served by commercial operators. Individuals can themselves check whether their premises is in a BLUE or an AMBER area by accessing the High Speed Broadband Map and entering their Eircode at www.broadband.gov.ie. The position in relation to the areas referred to by the Deputies is set out below.
The map shows that 100% of the townland of Derryad, Co Longford will be part of the State led Intervention under the NBP.
There are c. 42,000 premises in County Cavan, of which c17,000 are located in the Amber area on the Map, and will benefit from the NBP’s State Intervention. The remaining c25,000 premises are located in the commercial BLUE area and will be served by commercial operators. This figure includes c7,000 premises that fall within eir’s plans to deliver rural high speed broadband between now and end 2018 (Light BLUE on map).
There are c.33,000 premises In Co Monaghan, of which c16,000 premises will benefit from the NBP’s State Intervention. The remaining c17,000 premises are located in the commercial BLUE area and will be served by commercial operators. This figure includes c 4,000 premises that fall within eir’s plans to deliver rural high speed broadband between now and end 2018 (Light BLUE on map).
In relation to Co Kerry there are c89,000 premises of which c29,000 premises will benefit from the NBP's State Intervention. The remaining c60,000 premises are located in the commercial BLUE area and will be served by commercial operators. This figure includes c24,000 premises that fall within eir's plans to deliver rural high speed broadband between now and end of 2018 (Light BLUE on map).
There are c133,000 premises in Co Galway of which c27,000 fall within eir's plans to deliver rural high speed broadband between now and the end of 2018 (Light BLUE on map).
In the case of Co Mayo there are c83,000 premises of which c16,000 premises fall within eir's plans to deliver rural high speed broadband between now and the end of 2018 (Light BLUE on map).
A full set of county statistics are available at www.broadband.gov.ie.
Information on eir's planned rural deployment is available at http://fibrerollout.ie/eircode-lookup/.
The procurement process to select a company or companies who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network in the State Intervention area 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 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. 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 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 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 established an Implementation Group to drive and monitor 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 3.6GHz 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.
This comprehensive package of initiatives which I have developed and continue to manage will assist in enhancing the quality of mobile phone and data services across Ireland and particularly in rural Ireland.
616. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the conservation limits for each wild Atlantic salmon for each river in the south east river basin, as of January 2017; the rivers which have an identifiable surplus of wild Atlantic salmon over the conservation limit; the rivers which are not meeting the conservation limit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32391/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra617. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the rivers in the south east river basin which are open for salmon and sea trout fishing by means of draft and snap net harvesting as of January 2017; the rivers in the south east river basin which are open for salmon fishing by means of angling harvest; the rivers in the south east river basin which are open for salmon fishing by means of angling, catch and release; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32392/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra620. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the methodology employed to measure the conservation limits for wild Atlantic salmon on each river in the south east river basin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32396/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra621. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the types of fish counters for wild Atlantic salmon on each river in the south east river basin; the accuracy of each fish counter; the locations in which fish counters are present; if they are fully operational; the way in which salmon are counted on rivers that may have no operational fish counter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32397/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 616, 617, 620 and 621 together.
Following the advice of the Standing Scientific Committee for Salmon and the recommendation of management in IFI, the rivers in the South East can be divided into three distinct categories.
The first category is rivers that are open with a surplus of salmon that can be harvested. There are no salmon Rivers in the Wexford or Waterford Fishery Districts that fall into this category. In the Lismore District the Blackwater, Glenshelane and Finisk are the only open rivers with a quota for harvest. The Blackwater is the only river with a commercial quota which is shared with the rod and line quota the full surplus that is available is 5,670 salmon. There was a 5% reserve established which was not allocated. Of the remainder 29%, or 1,562, was allocated to the commercial sector and 71%, or 3,824, to the rod and line - (angling sector).
The second category is rivers that are open on a catch and release basis where no harvest of fish is permitted. There are no such rivers in the Wexford Fishery District. In the Waterford District there is the Barrow, Nore, Suir and Pollmounty. There is the River Bride in the Lismore District. As a consequence of these rivers being catch and release no commercial quota exists.
The third category is rivers that have poor salmon runs and are closed to salmon fishing. These are, in the Wexford District, the Avoca, the Owenavorragh and the Slaney, in the Waterford District, the Owenduff, the Mahon; the Tay, the Colligan and the Corrack and in the Lismore District the Lickey, the Tourig and the Womanagh.
The conservation limit can be defined as the spawning stock level that produces long term average maximum sustainable yield as derived from the adult to adult stock and recruitment relationship. This is generally termed a biological reference point and establishes the specific abundance of fish required to maintain a healthy and sustainable salmon population in a particular river system. The conservation limit is calculated similarly for all of Ireland's 147 salmon rivers and estuaries based on the wetted area, latitude and other river-specific factors such as the relative proportion of one sea winter grilse salmon (1SW) and multi-sea winter (MSW) salmon in the population, the average weight of these salmon, proportions of male and female salmon and average numbers of eggs per female fish. Comprehensive and extensive step-by-step information on how conservation limits are calculated are contained in the annual Standing Scientific Committee on Salmon (SSCS) report which is attached.
IFI’s fish counter programme operates forty one counters at thirty six counting sites throughout the country. Two types of counters are used to record fish numbers, Vaki counters and Logie counters. All Logie counter sites incorporate video verification in addition to the standard counter device.
In the South East River Basin District, there is one counter operating on the River Slaney. The counter on the Slaney is a Logie fish counter which is a tube fish pass configuration with video recording for verification. The location of the counter at Clohamon weir is approximately 30 miles from where the Slaney enters the sea through Wexford Harbour. The counter provides only a partial count of fish passing up the river as fish can traverse the weir in flood conditions.
The counter is both efficient and accurate in terms of the fish that actually move upstream or downstream through the tube, but a significant proportion of the run by-passes the counter at other points on the weir. To enable an accurate estimate of the number of fish that pass up the river a scientific method of tagging fish and assessing the proportion of these fish that are detected through the counter was undertaken. This enabled IFI to estimate the percentage of fish that (a) travel over the weir and (b) go through the counter and enables the scientists gauge the fish run in the river.
The in-stream structure housing the counter was severely damaged in flooding in January 2016 and IFI assessed all options for relocating the counter. However, an alternative site would require planning so in the interim the existing tube counter was repaired in November 2016 to ensure no further data was lost. The counter has been operational since.
618. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of times since January 2017 Inland Fisheries Ireland has inspected a privately operated tailrace at Clohamon on the river Slaney; the number of salmon removed from this tailrace during these inspections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32393/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraInland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) staff inspects the area in question on a regular basis as part of fishery protection patrols on the River Slaney. The area is also inspected by environmental staff to gauge the level of fish that can, at times, enter past the grating into the tailrace of a private hydroelectric scheme.
IFI Staff have conducted, with the assistance of the owner of the facility, one significant rescue operation so far this year and on that occasion 20 salmon and 200 sea trout were safely returned back to the main river channel.
619. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the studies which have been carried out by Inland Fisheries Ireland into the mortality and survival rates of wild Atlantic salmon in catch and release angling; the average mortality and survival rates of wild Atlantic salmon caught and released on each river basin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32394/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraStaff of Inland Fisheries Ireland and others published a paper in 2015 in the Fisheries Research journal on a study that looked at the survival of wild Atlantic salmon after catch and release in three rivers in Ireland. The study necessitated the capture and tagging of 76 fish over the course of the programme, and from the subsequent recapture it was evident that 98% of the salmon caught by fly fishing had survived while only 55% of the fish caught on a lure survived. From this, it is clear that fly fishing on a catch and release river only adds a small additional mortality threat to the stock, provided the fish are released properly and carefully.
622. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if owners or management companies of apartment blocks are required to provide full waste disposal and recycling services including glass to owners or tenants of the apartments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32425/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder waste management legislation, collectors of household waste are required to provide receptacles for the collection of residual, recyclable and food waste, in line with the requirements of their waste collection permit issued under the Waste Management Act 1996 (No. 10 of 1996), the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007, (S.I. 820 of 2007) as amended, and the European Union (Household Food Waste and Bio-waste) Regulations 2015.
The Regional Waste Management Plans 2015-2021 (http://www.epa.ie/waste/policy/regional/) contain a specific action to allocate resources to the monitoring of apartment complexes to improve compliance with segregation of waste prioritising the reduction of contamination. In addition, new template bye-laws developed by the Regional Waste Management Planning Offices will, if adopted by the elected members of a council, inter alia, place the onus on management companies to ensure that appropriate receptacles are provided for the proper segregation, storage and collection of household waste, including recyclate and food waste, as appropriate and in line with national requirements.
There is no obligation on collectors of household waste under waste management legislation to provide a collection service for glass or glass bottles. In terms of the recycling of glass, recent data (links provided below) indicate that we are at or above an 80% recycling level. There are over 2,200 bring banks and 100 recycling centres across the country, which support these high recycling levels for glass. Further information is available at the following links:
https://www.repak.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Repak_AR_final_for-web1.pdf.
http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/waste/stats/EPA_Progress%20towards%20EU%20targets_Jan17_web.pdf.
Though not under my remit, I am aware that Guidelines for Planning Authorities on design standards for new apartments were published in December 2015 and address the issue of the storage and collection of waste materials in apartment schemes. Further information is available at the following link:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/apartment_guidelines_21122015.pdf.
