Thursday, 31 May 2018

Written Answers Nos. 28-47

Broadband Service Provision

Ceisteanna (28, 45)

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

28. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of his commitment to provide high speed broadband to every house and business in County Donegal; the deadline for same; the number of homes and business which have access to high speed broadband; the number of additional homes and businesses which received access to high speed broadband in 2017; the number which will receive access in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23804/18]

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

45. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the impact that Eir pulling out of the tender process will have on the commitment to provide high speed broadband to every house and business in County Donegal; the number of homes and business which have access to high speed broadband; the number of additional homes and businesses which received access to high speed broadband in 2017; the number which will receive access in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23805/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 and 45 together.

The Government's National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure high speed broadband access (minimum 30 megabits per second) to all premises in Ireland, regardless of location.  The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector. Today, 7 out of 10 of the 2.3 million premises in Ireland have access to high speed broadband. By 2020, 9 out of 10 premises will have access to a high speed broadband connection. This is being achieved via a combination of commercial investment and a State led intervention.

In April 2017 I published an updated High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. This map shows the areas targeted by commercial operators to provide high speed broadband services and the areas that will be included in the State Intervention Area under the National Broadband Plan (NBP).

The Map is colour coded and searchable by address/eircode:

- The AMBER areas represent the target areas for the proposed State led Intervention under the NBP and are the subject of an ongoing procurement process. 

- The BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services. 

- The LIGHT BLUE areas represent eir's commercial rural deployment plans to rollout high speed broadband to 300,000 premises as part of a Commitment Agreement signed with me in April 2017.

There are over 101,000 premises in Donegal. Nearly 34,000 (34%) fall within the AMBER area and will be served under the State led Intervention. More than 59,000 (58%) of premises are in a BLUE area and are, or will be, served by commercial providers, while approximately 8,000 (8%) are LIGHT BLUE and fall to be served by eir's planned rural deployment.

Information on the categories of specific premises can be accessed on my Department’s website www.broadband.gov.ie by entering the relevant eircode into the High Speed Broadband Map.

My Department is in a formal procurement process to select a company who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network in the State intervention area. That procurement process is now in its final stages.

One bidder, eir, publicly withdrew from the procurement process on 30 January 2018. While this was regrettable, it was a commercial decision for eir to make.  The specialist NBP procurement team continues to engage intensively with all relevant stakeholders, including the sse/enet consortium, to ensure the earliest possible achievement of the Government’s objective of providing reliable high quality, high speed broadband to all premises in Ireland.

In April 2017, I signed a Commitment Agreement with eir in relation to its plans to provide High speed broadband to 300,000 premises in rural areas on a commercial basis. Information on eir's planned rural deployment is available at http://fibrerollout.ie/eircode-lookup/. A copy of the Commitment Agreement is available on my Department’s website www.dccae.gov.ie.

Quarterly updates on eir's rural deployment are published on this website. Data for Q1 2018 recently submitted by eir to my Department indicates that the company has passed some 145,000 premises nationwide as part of its ongoing deployment. 17,772 of these are in Donegal. A further 8,302 Donegal premises are in the LIGHT BLUE area on my Department’s High Speed Broadband Map and remain to be passed as part of eir’s rollout.

Eir has signalled that there would likely be knock-on effects to their 2018 milestone targets due to the severe weather impacts of both storms Ophelia and Emma and my Department continues to engage with the company in this regard. I have met with the senior management in eir and expressed to them the importance of implementing measures to catch up with milestone targets as a priority.  

A county by county breakdown of eir’s data for Q1 2018 is now available on my Department’s website.

For those premises currently awaiting access to high speed broadband, practical initiatives will continue to be addressed through the work of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce to address obstacles and improve connectivity in respect of existing and future mobile phone and broadband services.

Under this Taskforce, engagement between telecommunications operators and local authorities through the Broadband Officers is continuing to strengthen.  These Broadband Officers are acting as single points of contact in local authorities for their communities.  The appointment of these officers is already reaping rewards in terms of ensuring a much greater degree of consistency in engagements with operators and clearing obstacles to developing infrastructure. The Department of Rural and Community Development maintain a list of Broadband Officers, a link to which is available on my Department's website at https://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/communications/topics/Broadband/national-broadband-plan/latest-news/Pages/Broadband-Officers-Workshop.aspx.

 

 

National Broadband Plan Implementation

Ceisteanna (29)

Thomas Byrne

Ceist:

29. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of rural broadband roll-out in County Meath. [23919/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

The Government's National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure high speed broadband access (minimum 30 megabits per second) to all premises in Ireland, regardless of location.  The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector. Today, 7 out of 10 of the 2.3 million premises in Ireland have access to high speed broadband. By 2020, 9 out of 10 premises will have access to a high speed broadband connection. This is being achieved via a combination of commercial investment and a State led intervention. In April 2017 I published an updated High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. This Map shows the areas targeted by commercial operators to provide high speed broadband services and the areas that will be included in the State Intervention Area under the NBP.

The Map is colour coded and is searchable by address/eircode:

- The AMBER areas represent the target areas for the proposed State led Intervention under the NBP and are the subject of an ongoing procurement process.  

- The BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services. 

- The LIGHT BLUE areas represent eir's commercial rural deployment plans to rollout high speed broadband to 300,000 premises as part of a Commitment Agreement signed with me in April 2017.

The Commitment Agreement signed with eir relates to its plans to provide high speed broadband to 300,000 premises in rural areas on a commercial basis. Information on eir's planned rural deployment is available at http://fibrerollout.ie/eircode-lookup/. A copy of the Commitment Agreement is available on my Department’s website www.dccae.gov.ie.

Data for Q1 2018 recently submitted by eir to my Department indicates that the company has passed some 145,000 premises nationwide as part of its ongoing deployment. eir has signalled that there would be likely knock-on effects to the 2018 milestone targets due to the severe weather impacts of both storms Ophelia and Emma. I have met with the senior management in eir and expressed to them the importance of implementing measures to catch up with milestone targets as a priority.

There are over 84,000 premises in County Meath of which approximately 64,500 fall within a BLUE area of the Map and will be covered by commercial operators.  Of these, nearly 4,500 premises are part of eir's planned rural deployment to deliver rural high speed broadband.  The remaining approximately 19,500 premises in County Meath fall within an AMBER area and will be part of the State led Intervention under the NBP. 

My Department is in a formal procurement process to select a company who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network in the State intervention area. That procurement process is now in its final stages.

For those premises currently awaiting access to high speed broadband, practical initiatives will continue to be addressed through the work of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce to address obstacles and improve connectivity in respect of existing and future mobile phone and broadband services.

Under this Taskforce, engagement between telecommunications operators and local authorities through the Broadband Officers is continuing to strengthen.  These Broadband Officers are acting as single points of contact in local authorities for their communities.  The appointment of these officers is already reaping rewards in terms of ensuring a much greater degree of consistency in engagements with operators and clearing obstacles to developing infrastructure. The Department of Rural and Community Development maintain a list of Broadband Officers, a link to which is available on my Department's website at https://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/communications/topics/Broadband/national-broadband-plan/latest-news/Pages/Broadband-Officers-Workshop.aspx.

Broadband Service Speeds

Ceisteanna (30)

Brian Stanley

Ceist:

30. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will take into consideration and provide a guaranteed speed to mainly rural broadband users while they wait for the roll-out of the national broadband plan in view of an amendment to a motion passed in Dáil Éireann in February 2018. [23938/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

The Government's National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure high speed broadband access to all premises in Ireland, regardless of location.  The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector. Today, 7 out of 10 of the 2.3 million premises in Ireland have access to high speed broadband. By 2020, 9 out of 10 premises will have access to a high speed broadband connection. This is being achieved via a combination of commercial investment and a State led intervention. The state led intervention is targeting those premises that will not be served with a high speed broadband service by commercial operators. Decisions made by private telecommunication operators relating to the rollout, siting and extension of infrastructure to provide high speed broadband services throughout Ireland are undertaken on a commercial basis by competing service providers operating in a liberalised market. I have no statutory role or function to intervene in the commercial decisions of private operators, and therefore cannot direct operators regarding infrastructure installation or delivery of services.

For those premises currently awaiting access to high speed broadband, practical initiatives will continue to be addressed through the work of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce to address obstacles and improve connectivity in respect of existing and future mobile phone and broadband services.

Under this Taskforce, engagement between telecommunications operators and local authorities through the Broadband Officers is continuing to strengthen.  These Broadband Officers are acting as single points of contact in local authorities for their communities.  The appointment of these officers is already reaping rewards in terms of ensuring a much greater degree of consistency in engagements with operators and clearing obstacles to developing infrastructure. The Department of Rural and Community Development maintain a list of Broadband Officers, a link to which is available on my Department's website at https://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/communications/topics/Broadband/national-broadband-plan/latest-news/Pages/Broadband-Officers-Workshop.aspx.

Renewable Energy Generation Targets

Ceisteanna (31)

Timmy Dooley

Ceist:

31. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if Ireland is on target to meet binding European Union 2020 renewable targets; the fines that will be realised if they are not achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23960/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

The EU Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28/EC set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy demand from renewable sources by 2020. This represented a 12.9% increase on Ireland's reference starting point of 3.1% in 2005, and is the third highest increase assigned to any of the 28 Member States of the European Union. 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 transport target also being legally binding.

Provisional data from the SEAI indicates that 30.1% of electricity, 6.9% of heat and 7.1% of transport energy requirements were met from renewable sources at end 2017. Overall, SEAI analysis shows that 10.6% of Ireland’s energy requirements in 2017 were met from renewable sources, with an expectation that Ireland will achieve at least 80% of its 16% renewable energy target by 2020.

The Renewable Energy Directive provides a comprehensive framework for Member States to work towards achieving individual and EU renewable energy targets, including mechanisms for countries to work together such as statistical transfers, which allow Member States to meet their targets by purchasing credits from Member States that overachieve on their renewable targets.

In the absence of an established market mechanism, estimates of the cost of using instruments such as statistical transfers are necessarily tentative. Work undertaken by the SEAI in 2016 indicated that the cost to Ireland of not meeting our overall renewable energy targets may be in the range of €65 million to €130 million for each percentage point Ireland falls short of the overall 16% renewable energy target.  Costs per percentage point for statistical transfers could be below the lower end of the range suggested by SEAI but this will depend on market conditions when and if purchases are made. Present indications – based on trades agreed by Luxembourg late last year - are that the costs per percentage point for statistical transfers could be below the lower end of the range suggested by SEAI.

While the focus of my Department remains firmly on meeting our 2020 target and on implementation of renewable energy measures, including a new  Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) and a new Support Scheme for Renewal Heat (SSRH), contingency planning has commenced to explore the potential extent, mechanisms and cost of addressing our target within the framework of the Directive.

Any requirement for statistical transfers to meet compliance would be undertaken against a background of discussions by the Irish authorities with the EU Commission and relevant Member States. As any purchases arising would be made over a number of years, the costs to the Exchequer of acquiring statistical transfers to meet any potential shortfall would be spread over a period of time and in any event the cumulative costs would not be known until 2021, the deadline for completion of all purchases.

Renewable Energy Generation Targets

Ceisteanna (32)

Catherine Martin

Ceist:

32. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his target for the percentage of the energy derived from renewable energy by 2030; and the target percentage of renewable power he is suggesting for Europe as part of the new EU clean energy legislative package. [23966/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

The Energy White Paper presents a long-term strategic vision that is intended to guide the direction of Irish energy policy from now until 2030. It identifies the long-term strategic importance of diversifying Ireland's energy generation portfolio and largely decarbonising the energy sector by 2050.  It does not set out targets for specific renewable technologies; rather it provides a framework to guide policy between now and 2030.

The National Mitigation Plan 2017 restates the Government’s commitment to move from a fossil fuel-based electricity system to a low-carbon power system. Investment in further renewable generation will be incentivised. Natural gas will continue to play a key role as a transition fuel. 

The National Development Plan 2018-2027 sets out clear measures towards decarbonisation, including the upgrading of 45,000 homes every year from 2021 to make them energy efficient, up to 4,500MW of renewable electricity generation, roll-out of the support scheme for renewable heat, and commitments on electric vehicles and low-emission public transport. However, in the transition, the lowest CO2 emitting fossil fuel is still required to ensure a safe, secure and competitive path towards sustainability. In addition to this the planned closure of Moneypoint by 2025 and the ending of peat for electricity generation in advance of 2030 will have a positive impact.

In regard to future electricity demand, EirGrid have modelled a number of scenarios in their 2017 publication “Tomorrow’s Energy Scenarios". Each scenario predicts a different possible future for the generation and consumption of electricity out to 2040. A link to the document is available at 

http://www.eirgridgroup.com/site-files/library/EirGrid/EirGrid-Tomorrows-Energy-Scenarios-Report-2017.pdf .

At the December 2017 Energy Council, the General Agreement reached by the Member States on the Clean Energy Package set out an EU level 2030 target of 27% for Renewable Energy and 30% for Energy Efficiency.  There were also a number of flexibilities agreed by the Council across a number of the proposals. Trilogues with the EU Parliament are ongoing with the Parliament seeking a 35% renewable energy target, a  35% energy efficiency target and also seeking to limit the flexibilities in the proposals. 

The level of Ireland's renewable energy ambition post-2020 will have regard to our obligations under the Renewable Energy Directive and the Governance Regulation as may be agreed under  the Clean Energy Package. It is important that our contribution to the overall goals can be met in a cost efficient way, that is fair and technically achievable, and takes account of our specific economic circumstances and geographical position on the periphery of Europe. 

Electricity Transmission Network

Ceisteanna (33)

Eamon Ryan

Ceist:

33. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has had discussions with the ESB regarding the potential use of the electrical grid network to deliver fibre broadband to homes as part of the national broadband plan; and the way in which the process would cater for such a possibility. [23964/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

The Government's National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure high speed broadband access (minimum 30 megabits per second) to all premises in Ireland, regardless of location.  The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector. Today, 7 out of 10 of the 2.3 million premises in Ireland have access to high speed broadband. By 2020, 9 out of 10 premises will have access to a high speed broadband connection. This is being achieved via a combination of commercial investment and a State led intervention.

My Department is in a formal procurement process to select a company who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network in the Intervention Area. The National Broadband Plan State Intervention does not limit or prescribe the type of infrastructure that can be used for the purposes of the roll out. It encourages the re-use of existing infrastructure where appropriate, which is viewed as critical having regard to the need for efficiency, value for money and minimisation of any potential environmental impacts. This approach is consistent with the Broadband State Aid Guidelines.

While the selection of the most appropriate infrastructure to use as part of the rollout of the network is a matter for the Bidding Consortium, my Department continues to encourage engagement with infrastructure owners including ESB and those on the DCCAE Register of Infrastructure which is available at: https://www.dccae.gov.ie/documents/Register%20of%20Infrastructure%20Owners.pdf.

Question No. 34 answered with Question No. 15.

Building Energy Rating Administration

Ceisteanna (35)

Eamon Ryan

Ceist:

35. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the way in which he plans to meet the objective of 45,000 houses retrofitted in 2021 as outlined in the National Development Plan 2018-2020; the number of those 45,000 that will be classified as deep retrofits; and the plans or schemes he is putting in place to achieve this deep retrofitting. [23965/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

The National Development Plan (NDP) 2018 -2027 recognises that improving the energy efficiency of the built environment is a central plank of Ireland’s action on climate change. Energy efficiency will also realise benefits for air quality, health, social inclusion, business competitiveness and better public services, all of which will make a real and positive impact on people’s lives. Exchequer investment of €4 billion, along with taxation and regulatory measures, are provided for under the NDP. This will be necessary to drive the step change in energy performance in the residential sector. The ambition is to increase grant supported energy efficient renovations from 30,000 homes per annum to circa 45,000 from 2021, while driving the demand for a higher energy performance standard.  Ireland’s White Paper on Energy Policy, Ireland's Transition to a Low Carbon Energy Future 2015-2030, National Mitigation Plan (NMP) and Long Term Renovation Strategy (LTRS) all recognise the fact that extensive renovation of our building stock will need to take place in order to meet both national and international targets for energy savings and emissions reduction by 2050. A number of actions which are outlined in the NMP and LTRS are already underway to achieve these levels of retrofit and promote deep retrofit of buildings across all building types and tenure. Those actions which relate specifically to homes are outlined below.

- The Deep Retrofit Pilot Scheme is investigating how to create a scalable offering for the deep retrofit of Ireland’s housing stock to an A3 Building Energy Rating (BER), while building consumer demand and contractor capacity for deep retrofit. Under the scheme Government is funding up to 50% of the total capital and project management costs for homes that achieve an A3 Building Energy Rating post retrofit. This will inform a model that can make deep retrofit available to individual homeowners on a larger scale post 2020, and critically will help Ireland move away from fossil fuels to clean renewable heating systems, such as solar and heat pumps.

- The Better Energy Homes Scheme provides grant aid to homeowners who wish to improve the energy performance of their home. Fixed grants are provided towards the cost of a range of measures such as insulation, heating controls and solar thermal technology. I recently expanded this scheme to support the transition away from fossil fuels, and achieve greater energy savings and emissions reductions, by providing a grant for heat pumps and increasing the funding for external insulation.

- The Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to low income households vulnerable to energy poverty. I recently announced the expansion of the scheme to include internal and external wall insulation in order to increase the number of people that can receive upgrades and increase the energy savings and emissions reductions the scheme can achieve by enabling fuel switching.

- The Better Energy Communities scheme allows groups of buildings to apply for funding to improve their energy efficiency. This scheme has resulted in innovative approaches to renovation being developed, while also contributing to the overall reduction of energy usage and emissions from our building stock.

- The Warmth and Wellbeing Pilot Scheme, funded by my Department, is a joint policy initiative with the Department of Health, and is operated by SEAI and the HSE. It will measure the health and wellbeing impacts associated with improved energy efficiency. Increasing awareness of the multiple benefits of energy efficiency is critical to encourage people to invest in and make their contribution to action on climate change.

Broadcasting Sector

Ceisteanna (36)

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

36. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to implement the recommendations of the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources to ensure greater investment in independent television production; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20007/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

I requested the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment to examine the longer term issue of the future funding of public service media. The Committee published their report at the end of November 2017. The findings of the report were debated in the Dáil on 29 March, 2018. Both Public Service Broadcasters spend millions of euro each year on independently produced programming. This is vital in supporting a vibrant independent sector, including in the regions. As the Deputy may be aware, Section 116 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 provides that RTÉ make specific amounts available each year for the commissioning of television and radio programmes from the independent production sector. In 2017, RTE  spent €39.7m on independent productions. A total of 726 hours (251 radio, 475 television) were commissioned across a range of programme categories. In addition, TG4 commissions the majority of its Irish language programmes from independent production companies throughout Ireland. In 2017, the broadcaster spent over €21.6m on independent productions, which was 88% of its annual programme budget for that year. I intend to bring proposals to Government in response to the Committee's report shortly.

Question No. 37 answered with Question No. 15.

Commission for Regulation of Utilities Remit

Ceisteanna (38)

Brian Stanley

Ceist:

38. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to use his powers under the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 and issue a policy direction to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities concerning competition in the electricity supply market and its resultant affect on electricity prices for householders. [23937/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Responsibility for the regulation of the gas or electricity markets is a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU). One of its statutory functions is to carry out market monitoring to ensure that competition continues to develop and that customers benefit from competition. Two reports published by the regulator last year concluded that Irish energy markets are competitive, with the most recently available EU comparable electricity and gas supplier switching data also pointing towards a competitive Irish market. The CRU is an independent statutory body, and solely accountable to a committee of the Oireachtas for the performance of its functions. The regulation of retail market prices for electricity in Ireland ended in 2011 and for gas prices in 2014. The Government has no statutory function in the monitoring or setting of electricity prices, with the main thrust of Government policy on energy costs focused on the competitive market and supports for energy efficiency. Government policy has supported competition to drive down prices, and data from approved price comparison sites (www.bonkers.ie and www.switcher.ie ) shows that consumers can make significant savings by switching energy suppliers.

Consistent with European energy policy, the electricity and gas markets in Ireland are commercial, liberalised, and competitive. The position of successive Governments has been that competitive energy markets result in greater choice for consumers and businesses, in terms of suppliers, products and prices. Competition exerts downward pressure on suppliers’ prices.

Section 10A of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999, as amended, sets out the procedure under which the Minister may give “general policy directions”. The legislation sets out details on the tasks and inter alia timelines, consultation requirements with the independent regulator and Oireachtas, and identifies restrictions on the areas where such directions may not be given.

Energy markets in Ireland operate within a European regulatory regime in which member states must guarantee the independence of National Regulatory Authorities, which are expressively forbidden from taking direct instructions from government, or any public body, when carrying out their regulatory tasks. The regime also restricts policy directions in the form of general policy guidelines in certain areas that are prescribed regulatory duties and powers in the EU Third Energy Package, specifically in Directive 2009/72/EC concerning common rules for the internal market in electricity.   A policy direction in this matter is therefore not being considered.

Renewable Energy Generation

Ceisteanna (39)

Brian Stanley

Ceist:

39. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the specific actions which have been taken recently to develop a wider portfolio of renewable energy sources particularly offshore wind and solar to increase renewable energy production here. [23940/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

The Energy White Paper presents a long-term strategic vision that is intended to guide the direction of Irish energy policy from now until 2030. It identifies the long-term strategic importance of diversifying Ireland's energy generation portfolio and largely decarbonising the energy sector by 2050. It does not set out targets for specific renewable technologies; rather it provides a framework to guide policy between now and 2030.

My Department is currently developing a proposed new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) which will be designed to assist Ireland in meeting its renewable energy contributions out to 2030. The design of the new scheme included an extensive independent economic appraisal which compared the cost of supporting a range of commercial renewable technologies, at various scales to ensure that the new scheme delivers value for money for energy users whilst also delivering on the energy pillars of sustainability and security of supply. The assessment included analysis of the optimum financial support mechanisms for renewable technologies, in line with the 2014 EU State Aid Guidelines. The analysis indicates that a number of renewable technologies have converging and in some cases overlapping cost ranges, and I note with interest the continued falling costs of renewable technologies over the past year, such as offshore wind and solar PV. I expect to bring the final design proposals on the new RESS to Government shortly.

The 2014 Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP) sets out the Government’s policy for the sustainable development of our abundant offshore renewable energy resources.  The Strategic Environmental Assessment that underpinned the OREDP found that 4,500 MW of offshore wind and 1,500 MW of wave and tidal generation could be sustainably developed in Irish waters in the period to 2030.  An interim review of the OREDP was recently published on my Department’s website. The Offshore Renewable Energy Steering Group, which oversees the implementation of the OREDP will now consider the recommendations of the review and continue the work of implementing the actions and enablers set out in the Plan.

It is widely recognised that Solar PV has a role to play in Ireland's renewable electricity generation portfolio over the coming decade. Solar PV emerges as a significant renewable electricity generating technology in all of EirGrid's 'Tomorrow Energy Scenarios' and, as well as providing opportunities for Solar PV under RESS, my Department supports the deployment of Solar PV through the SEAI led Better Energy Communities and pilot Deep Retrofit schemes. Solar PV will also be supported under a pilot scheme to promote micro generation, due to be launched this summer.

Question No. 40 answered with Question No. 15.

Illegal Dumping

Ceisteanna (41)

Thomas P. Broughan

Ceist:

41. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to address illegal dumping under the anti-dumping initiative; his views on whether local authorities need strengthened legislation to combat this environmental vandalism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23212/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

My role, as Minister, is to provide the legislative and policy framework under which both local authority and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforcement action against illegal dumping is initiated. Local authorities have specific powers under sections 55 and 56 of the Act to require measures to be taken, or to take measures directly, to prevent or limit environmental pollution caused or likely to be caused by the holding, recovery or disposal of waste, and to mitigate or remedy the effects on the environment of any such activity.  

Penalties for serious dumping offences provided for under the Waste Management Acts are substantial. Persons who are found to be responsible for, or involved in, the unauthorised disposal of waste are liable to a maximum fine of €5,000 on summary conviction and/or imprisonment for up to 12 months, and to a maximum fine of €15M on indictment and/or imprisonment for up to 10 years.

Notwithstanding this, my Department encourages a multi-faceted approach to tackling the problem, incorporating enforcement, public awareness and education. As such, I introduced an Anti-Dumping Initiative in 2017 to work in partnership with local authorities and community organisations in identifying high risk or problem areas, developing appropriate enforcement responses and carrying out clean-up operations. Such was the response from across the country that I doubled the initial financial allocation with €1.3M overall being provided to support 200 anti-dumping projects throughout Ireland.

Building on from the success of last year, I confirmed increased funding of €2M for the 2018 Anti-Dumping Initiative and in April, I announced the projects nationwide that have been approved for funding with the full list available on my Department's website: https://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/environment/topics/waste/enforcement/anti-dumping-initiative/Pages/default.aspx.

The scope of the projects include:

- clean-up operations - removing illegal waste from across the country;

- household bulky waste initiatives – mattress/couch amnesties;

- awareness campaigns – social media campaigns and radio;

- preventative measures – installation of signage and fencing;

- surveillance operations – CCTV, drone and trail surveillance;

- SMART enforcement equipment and resources for waste enforcement officers.

In addition to the 200 plus projects that will receive funding from my Department, this year's Anti-Dumping Initiative includes a national pilot project undertaken by Sligo County Council aimed at tackling and addressing the source of illegal dumping through an Eircodes investigation while funding is also being made available to support the Connaught/Ulster Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authority in undertaking research on crime in the waste sector including an overview of the scale, cost and impact of waste crime in Ireland, and an assessment of illegal dumping identifying the socioeconomic and other factors leading to such activities. 

EU Directives

Ceisteanna (42)

Thomas P. Broughan

Ceist:

42. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the changes that have come into effect since 9 May 2018 under European Directive 2016/1148; the way in which these changes will affect the National Cyber Security Centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23213/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

European Union Directive 2016/1148 concerning measures for a high common level of security of network and information systems places a number of significant responsibilities on the State and on critical infrastructure operators in respect of cyber security. The State is required to identify key critical infrastructure operators in a range of sectors, including energy, transport, health, drinking water supply and distribution and digital infrastructure. These operators will be required to meet a set of binding obligations in respect of security measures and incident reporting. The Directive also requires the State to apply a new regulatory regime on Digital Service Providers (DSPs) in the areas of cloud computing, online search engines and online market places. The Directive also places other obligations on the State in terms of ensuring that States can co-operate and share information in the event of a large scale incident affecting several countries and to ensure that every State has significant capacity of its own. These requirements include the designation of a National Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) with responsibility for risk and incident handling and the designation of a National Competent Authority (NCA) and a Single Point of Contact (SPoC).

In Ireland, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in my Department, which will be the National Competent Authority, has been working on transposition of the Directive for some time and this has included extensive engagement with industry.  The NCSC has provisionally identified a set of critical infrastructure operators and has published a set of draft security measures which will apply to these operators. Regulations to transpose the Directive itself are at a very advanced stage. The NCSC has also been developing its own capacity internally, particularly with regard to the CSIRT which received international accreditation last year.

Question No. 43 answered with Question No. 15.

Question No. 44 answered with Question No. 19.

Question No. 45 answered with Question No. 28.

Citizens Assembly

Ceisteanna (46)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Ceist:

46. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will report on his plans to implement the recommendations from the Citizens' Assembly. [22708/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Deputy Denis Naughten)

I refer to the reply to Question No. 476 of 24 April 2018. The position is unchanged.

Question No. 47 answered with Question No. 16.