Written Answers Nos. 1295-1314
1295. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department can speed up broadband in an area (details supplied) and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35715/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1296. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will report on the broadband speeds in an area (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35733/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1300. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to provide broadband to an area (details supplied) in which a gap in service exists, and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35830/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1302. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will examine the case of a company (details supplied) in County Kerry that cannot access fibre broadband, and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35914/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1295, 1296, 1300 and 1302 together.
The provision of telecommunications services is primarily a matter for the service providers concerned who operate in a fully liberalised market, regulated by the independent regulator, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg).
Regulatory matters relating to the provision of services by operators, including any regulatory issues surrounding quality of service are the responsibility of ComReg. If, after having exhausted the service provider’s complaint handling procedures, a customer is not happy they may contact ComReg, on 1890 229 668; online at http://www.askcomreg.ie/ or by email at Consumerline@comreg.ie, for further assistance and guidance. As the body that issues licences/authorisations to broadband service providers including satellite, ComReg will investigate such complaints to ensure that the companies in question are delivering services in line with its licence/authorisation obligations.
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 on commercial grounds. Neither I nor the Department have a statutory authority to direct Eir in this regard. The Deputies are aware that the Government’s national broadband plan (NBP) will provide high speed broadband access (minimum 30 megabits per second) to all premises in Ireland, regardless of location - including those areas where commercial providers will not provide this service.
The addresses and businesses referred to in the questions will be provided with high speed broadband through the NBP State led intervention should such services not be provided to them by commercial operators. My Department wrote to the three bidders in the NBP procurement process on 20 June 2017 inviting them to submit their 'Detailed Solutions'. This is a significant milestone in the NBP procurement process. 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.
1297. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated cost of extending the warmer homes scheme to include door and window insulation, external wall insulation and dry lining insulation in tabular form. [35736/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe energy efficiency measures the Deputy refers to in the question are known as ‘deeper measures’. Currently the Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme (WHS) provides ‘shallow measures’ to the majority of applicants. The WHS scheme is free of charge to eligible applicants. These shallower measures include attic and cavity wall insulation, draught proofing, lagging jackets, low energy light bulbs and energy advice. This package currently costs the Exchequer around €3,000 per home. In extreme cases where the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) surveyor deems a home to be in particularly bad condition deeper measures such as doors and windows, and other forms of insulation, may be carried out. In making this assessment, a surveyor will look at factors including the age of the home, the construction of the wall, the age of the heating system or where one is absent.
The reason that these deeper measures are reserved for the most inefficient and poorly insulated homes is that they cost well in excess of the measures currently offered. Were they to be offered as standard, the number of people who could be helped each year would be significantly lower. Indeed, the measures currently offered under the WHS were selected as the best balance that could be achieved between the resources that the Exchequer can provide to the scheme, the number of homes that can receive support and the energy savings that can be delivered. In short, the measures supported are those that can deliver the most energy savings at the lowest cost to the highest number of people.
SEAI procures a panel of contractors to deliver the measures under the WHS. These contractors are procured on a 3 year panel and provide their costs in advance. Therefore, contractors can be required to upgrade a wide variety of houses, and so in calculating their costs they have to take a range of different scenarios into account such as technology costs and inflation. It is on this basis that the costs for the measures that the Deputy has outlined are provided in the following table.
|
Measure |
Average cost for standard house |
|
Basic energy efficient window package |
€6,000 |
|
Internal wall insulation (dry lining) (wall area = 85m2) |
€7,927 |
|
External wall insulation (wall area = 85m2) |
€13,452 |
1298. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated costs of extending the natural gas network to towns with a population of over 5,000, and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35810/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraGNI is a commercial State-sponsored Body under the aegis of the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government. The development and expansion of the natural gas network is in the first instance a commercial matter for Gas Networks Ireland (GNI), which is mandated under section 8 of the Gas Act 1976, as amended, to develop and maintain a national system for the supply of natural gas that is both economical and efficient.
The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) is statutorily responsible for all aspects of the assessment and licensing of prospective operators who wish to develop and/or operate a gas distribution system within the State under the Gas (Interim) (Regulation) Act 2002. In 2006, the CER approved a new network connections policy, which created the opportunity to reassess the feasibility of connecting certain towns to the gas network. The CER policy stipulates that in order for any town to be connected to the gas network, certain economic criteria need to be met as a prerequisite. The policy framework provides that, over a certain period, the costs of connecting the town to the network are recouped through the actual consumption of gas and the associated tariffs. This is designed by CER to obviate against uneconomic projects which would increase costs for all gas consumers. The key factor which would qualify a town, or group of towns, in any future review would be a significant increase in demand for natural gas, usually resulting from the addition of a new large industrial or commercial facility.
In terms of the cost of extending the gas network, Bord Gáis Networks, and more recently GNI, carried out a comprehensive assessment of towns not connected to the national gas network, which provided estimated figures on the costs of extending the network to these towns. The final reports for this assessment was published in 2010. GNI continues to review towns that did not qualify at the time of the assessment.
The question of whether network extensions should, where economically feasible and in line with our energy policy goals in the White Paper, provide for the possibility of future connections in order to contribute to regional and rural development needs to be addressed, in my view. At the launch of the Action Plan for Rural Development I set out my view that there are communities partly or sometimes wholly excluded from basic criteria of modern convenience and comfort, in terms of communications, energy efficiency and fuel poverty. My long-standing position on the gas network is that it should be developed generally in rural Ireland to provide natural gas to as many areas as possible. Accordingly, and against the backdrop of the energy policy White Paper, I am commissioning a study on the wider costs and benefits of gas network extensions, to include possible climate and decarbonisation aspects, as well as the regional and rural development benefits such as in supporting rural centres. The study may produce analysis and material that is relevant to the information sought by the Deputy. It is intended that a preliminary report will be delivered before the end of 2017.
My Department does not hold the cost information sought by the Deputy.
1303. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has been in contact with his counterparts in Northern Ireland with regard to the development of a project (details supplied), and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35929/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe development and expansion of the natural gas network is in the first instance a commercial matter for Gas Networks Ireland (GNI), which is mandated under Section 8 of the Gas Act 1976, as amended, to develop and maintain a national system for the supply of natural gas that is both economical and efficient.
The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) is statutorily responsible for all aspects of the assessment and licensing of prospective operators who wish to develop and/or operate a gas distribution system within the State under the Gas (Interim) (Regulation) Act 2002.
In 2006, the CER approved a new network connections policy, which created the opportunity to reassess the feasibility of connecting certain towns to the gas network. The CER policy stipulates that in order for any town to be connected to the gas network, certain economic criteria need to be met as a prerequisite. The policy framework provides that, over a certain period, the costs of connecting the town to the network are recouped through the actual consumption of gas and the associated tariffs. This is designed by CER to obviate against uneconomic projects which would increase costs for all gas consumers. The key factor which would qualify a town, or group of towns, in any future review would be a significant increase in demand for natural gas, usually resulting from the addition of a new large industrial or commercial facility.
As regards the connection of Ballyconnell or Cavan town to the gas network, I am aware that the most recent assessment of this region under CER’s economic criteria was undertaken by GNI between 2006 to 2010 and it was found that connecting Ballyconnell or Cavan town to the gas network remains unviable at this time in the absence of a significant new demand for gas. Towns that were not proven viable, under the criteria set out by the Commission for Energy Regulation, are kept under review by GNI.
I note that the Gas to the West project in Northern Ireland has only recently entered the construction stage, with work on the intermediate pipelines begun this month, with the high pressure pipeline being constructed in 2018.
The question of whether network extensions should, where economically feasible and in line with our energy policy goals in the White Paper, provide for the possibility of future connections in order to contribute to regional and rural development needs to be addressed, in my view. At the launch of the Action Plan for Rural Development I set out my view that there are communities partly or sometimes wholly excluded from basic criteria of modern convenience and comfort, in terms of communications, energy efficiency and fuel poverty. My long-standing position on the gas network is that it should be developed generally in rural Ireland to provide natural gas to as many areas as possible. Accordingly, and against the backdrop of the energy policy White Paper, I am commissioning a study on the wider costs and benefits of gas network extensions, to include possible climate and decarbonisation aspects, as well as the regional and rural development benefits such as in supporting rural centres. It is intended that a preliminary report will be delivered before the end of 2017.
1304. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his response to the Irish Postmasters' Union withdrawing from negotiations on the future of the post office network; the way in which he plans to secure the future of the post office network going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36045/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister, I am disappointed that the negotiations between the IPU and An Post have broken down as I had been hopeful that progress could be made by both parties. The An Post Group lost €13.7 million in 2016 with the core mails business losing over €30m. The financials reflect the fact that An Post has entered a period of long term structural decline in its mails business mainly due to the impact of e-substitution on mail volumes. The same trend is apparent in the post office business which, in turn, has impacted on the level of income available to IPU members. These difficulties prompted the various reviews of the network in recent years which aimed to set out a series of measures to secure the future of the network.
The scale of the financial challenges facing An Post has necessitated a fundamental review of the company, including the post office network, in order to devise and implement a strategy to secure a sustainable future for An Post, its employees and postmasters.
Naturally, the outcome of the review will impact on the extent to which the recommendations contained in the various reports on the network can be implemented.
We all agree that transforming the postal business will be difficult and will require tough decisions but the new changes will be designed to make An Post fit for a future where the organisation can be confident, robust, begin growing again and be a winner in the digital world. Government policy is to offer Government services online and, in time, it is likely that this will represent the default option for accessing services. For the foreseeable future, however, a segment of the population is not comfortable or able to access services digitally. I believe that the post office network is the obvious choice as the “offline gateway” for citizens with its nationwide network and existing strong relationship with offline citizens. The post office network can play a role in simplifying back office functions to facilitate better and more efficient processes. The potential is there so it is imperative that it is harnessed.
While decisions on restructuring An Post and the operation of the post office network are operational matters for the board and management of An Post, I am monitoring the position closely and hope that a pragmatic approach that will ensure the long-term sustainability of An Post and the post office network can be agreed. The Government will be briefed once a definitive strategy has been agreed but until such time, it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on this process.
1306. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to outsource the collection of the television licence fee to an agent other than An Post; the likely cost to the State of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36135/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, I have obtained Government approval to draft a number of legislative amendments to the Broadcasting Act, 2009, including amendments to allow for the tendering of TV Licence fee collection, and the proposed amendments are currently being considered by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action & Environment under pre-legislative scrutiny.
In tandem with this, I recently asked the Office of Government Procurement to issue a request for information to see what services the market may be able to offer in respect of TV Licence fee collection. The result of this will help inform any tender process once the legislative amendments are in place to provide for a procurement process.
Whatever form any future tender process might take, it is my intention that the post office network should remain central to the sale of television licences.
In the meantime, there will be no change to the existing TV licence fee arrangements and An Post continues to work as my issuing agent in accordance with Section 145 of the Act.
1307. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to the regulatory compliance issues surrounding Bord na Móna's acquisition of a company (details supplied), and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36143/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware of the issue referred to by the Deputy which is an operational matter for Bord na Móna as a commercial State company operating under the Turf Development Acts 1946 to 1998. I understand that this is currently the subject of legal proceedings and therefore it would not be appropriate for me to comment further.
1308. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the details of each body or organisation that is scheduled to receive in excess of €1 million from his Department's Vote of expenditure or the group of Votes of expenditure connected with his Department in 2017 for the provision of services by the body or the organisation concerned; the amount involved in each case; if there is a signed service level agreement in place in respect of the services to be carried out by these bodies or organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36153/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have set out in the table below the information sought in relation to bodies and organisations that are scheduled to receive in excess of €1 million in respect of the provision of services from my Department's Vote in 2017.
|
Body/Organisation |
Amount - €m |
Agreement in Place |
|
Raidió Teilifís Éireann (TV Licence fee) |
190.724 |
Relevant provisions of the Broadcasting Act, 2009 apply |
|
Raidió Teilifís Éireann (Spectrum) |
8 |
Grant Agreement |
|
TG4 |
33.71 |
Relevant provisions of the Broadcasting Act, 2009 apply |
|
Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (Broadcasting Fund) |
14.704 |
Relevant provisions of the Broadcasting Act, 2009 apply |
|
An Post |
12.457 |
Service Level Agreement |
|
Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland |
113.871 |
Service Level Agreement |
|
Inland Fisheries Ireland |
26.578 |
Service Level Agreement |
|
Loughs Agency |
2.705 |
Service Level Agreement |
|
Environmental Protection Agency |
26.932 |
Service Level Agreement |
|
Digital Hub Development Agency |
1.676 |
Service Level Agreement |
|
National Digital Research Centre |
3.5 |
Concession Agreement and Service Level Agreement |
|
Enterprise Ireland (Trading Online Voucher Scheme) |
3 |
Service Level Agreement |
|
Kildare County Council (Landfill Remediation) |
4.5 |
Memorandum of Understanding |
1309. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the details of each inspection carried out on a privately operated tailrace at Clohamon on the River Slaney from 1 January to 20 June 2017; the date of each inspection; the authority that carried out each inspection; and if salmon were observed by the inspection team during each inspection, in tabular form [36258/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraInland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) adopts a wide-ranging conservation and protection strategy and delivers an associated broad protection programme on the River Slaney system encompassing coastal, estuarine and freshwater (main channel and tributaries) environments.
Protection measures are delivered through the operation of highly trained, skilled and experienced inland fishery protection and surveillance teams, enabled through deployment of state-of-the-art technology and supporting infrastructure, on a 24 hour, 365 day basis.
Many interventions on the River Slaney would include the Clohamon installation, but it is not possible to disaggregate inspections exclusively aimed at this facility as sought. I am advised by IFI that, while much of the Slaney constitutes privately owned fisheries, a total of 3,283 person hours were spent on protection patrolling alone in 2016, which included kayak, foot, bicycle and vehicle patrols on the main channel of the River Slaney and its tributaries. This is the format in which IFI compiles data on its protection services.
However, I would be happy to ask IFI to organise a briefing for the Deputy on the specific issue.
1310. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to extend high speed broadband in the area of Newtown, Lullymore and Rathangan, County Kildare, and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36553/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1315. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when broadband will be provided at a location (details supplied). [36607/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1310 and 1315 together.
The NBP high speed broadband map shows that 54% (or 15 premises) of the townland of Lullymore East, Kildare and 24% (or 10 premises) of the townland of Lullymore West, Kildare falls with an AMBER area and will be part of the State Intervention under the NBP. The remaining 46% (13 premises) of the townland of Lullymore East and 74% (31 (premises) of the townland of Lullymore West fall with the BLUE area and will be covered by commercial operators. 2% (1 premise) of the townland of Lullymore West falls within Eir’s plans to deliver rural high speed broadband between now and the end of 2018 (Light BLUE on map).
The premises referred to by the Deputy in the townland of Cloghduff Co Cork, falls within an AMBER area and will be part of the State led Intervention under the NBP.
My Department wrote to the three bidders in the NBP State Intervention procurement process on 20 June 2017 inviting them to submit their 'Detailed Solutions'. This is a significant milestone in the process. 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.
1311. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the latest profiles in value and outruns forecast in his Department for the end of December 2017 and any variances that may arise based on his Department’s performance against profile in gross voted expenditure at the end of June 2017. [36563/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1325. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if there will be an underspend in his Department's current or capital budget for 2017; if so, the subheads that are now below profile and those that may come in below profile at the end of the calendar year; if underspends in his Department will be available to the central Exchequer at year end; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36742/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1311 and 1325 together.
My Department actively manages expenditure within the allocation agreed by the Dáil in the 2017 Estimates in order to deliver on its agreed business priorities and objectives. In overall terms, expenditure was €217m at end June 2017, equating to just over 90% of profile. The bulk of the €22.8m underspend against profile relates to capital expenditure programmes, which are expected to accelerate as the year progresses.
Expenditure trends are kept under constant review by my Department. It is not possible, however, to reliably forecast the projected year end outturn position at this time.
Details of my Department’s expenditure are reported in the Expenditure Reports which are published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in tandem with the monthly Exchequer Statement.
1312. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the procurement process for the national broadband plan. [36601/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1313. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of full time equivalent positions in his Department with responsibility for the national broadband plan. [36602/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1314. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of homes connected under his Department's agreement with a company (details supplied). [36603/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1312 to 1314, inclusive, together.
The national broadband plan (NBP) is led at senior management level in my Department supported by a team comprising a broad mix of expertise and experience, including expert staff seconded from the Telecommunications Regulator, ComReg. The Team is fully supported by external professional expertise including technical, commercial, economic, legal, environmental and financial, to assist in the delivery of the project. In addition there is external oversight in the form of a steering group, which oversees the strategy development and operation and a procurement board which oversees the procurement processes. Both of these groups are chaired by the Department and comprise independent expert advisers. The size of the team varies from time to time, according to the specific needs of the project and is scaled up or down as necessary. There are approximately 30 full time equivalent personnel on the project.
The procurement process has progressed to the 'Detailed Solutions' stage which is the last stage of the procurement process before Final Tenders are sought.
My Department has concluded that Eir has met its Quarter 2 target as outlined in the Commitment Agreement and a total of over 70,000 premises have now been passed, in accordance with the agreement.
