Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

National Broadband Plan Implementation

Martin Heydon

72. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the roll-out of the national broadband plan to properties in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49039/17]

Energy Prices

Brian Stanley

73. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has the power to issue a policy direction to the regulator under the Electricity Regulation Act 1999; and if he has considered the use of this power to address rising electricity prices here. [49008/17]

Fisheries Protection

Peter Burke

74. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when funding can be drawn down for an eel fisheries hardship fund; the way in which funds will be allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49048/17]

Waste Management Regulations

James Lawless

75. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if under the current waste management framework or otherwise consideration has been given to mandating that the waste management companies add a collection for glass bottle waste to their operations, similar to the way in which compostable waste, recyclable waste and general waste are currently separated and collected from the home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49016/17]

Waste Disposal Charges

Richard Boyd Barrett

76. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the arrangements agreed with the waste management companies on the introduction of the pay-by-weight schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49102/17]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Brian Stanley

77. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the precise reduction or derogation that his Department is seeking on the 2020 targets. [49006/17]

Renewable Energy Generation

James Lawless

78. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if a support scheme for residential and-or community solar photovoltaic electricity will be introduced (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49015/17]

Post Office Network

Brendan Smith

79. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the measures he plans to implement to support the post office network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49038/17]

Energy Efficiency

Timmy Dooley

80. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the reason his Department continues to primarily fund shallow retrofits for homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49104/17]

National Mitigation Plan Implementation

Thomas P. Broughan

81. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the way in which his Department will progress the recommendations from the Citizens' Assembly on the subject of climate change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48978/17]

Offshore Exploration

Mick Wallace

82. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 195 of 8 November 2017, if the environmental impact assessment carried out prior to his approval in July 2017 for offshore drilling at the Druid Drombeg exploration field addressed the potential impact that the combustion of the fossil fuels stored at the site could have on the environment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49082/17]

Energy Efficiency

Aindrias Moynihan

83. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the way in which the funding of the energy efficiency programmes was spent between residential, commercial and public sector buildings since 2011 in view of the fact that the expenditure allocations for 2018 to 2020 document allows €35 million to expand the energy efficiency programmes; his plans to change the breakdown in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49086/17]

National Mitigation Plan Implementation

Bernard Durkan

84. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the degree to which he expects existing provisions and future proposals to narrow the gap between what is required and what is already proposed in regard to the report from the Citizens' Assembly; if he is in a position to quantify the precise extent of the requirements that need to be met over the specified period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49079/17]

Inland Fisheries

James Browne

85. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans for the 2018 fishing season on the River Slaney; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48679/17]

Bord na Móna

Brian Stanley

86. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he received reports on the developments of the horticultural sector of Bord na Móna. [49007/17]

National Broadband Plan Implementation

Thomas Byrne

87. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on whether rural communities and rural houses are being pitted against each other as a result of the way in which sites were selected for broadband upgrade; and his further views on the cherry picking nature of a company (details supplied) in selecting the best sites. [49081/17]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Paul Murphy

88. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to the recent study by an organisation (details supplied) on the use of gas and other fossil fuels in the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49090/17]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Clare Daly

89. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to the publication of a warning letter by a group (details supplied) highlighting the lack of adequate steps being taken by governments to safeguard the biosphere and prevent catastrophic climate change; his plans to review the national mitigation plan in order to address these concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49013/17]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Maureen O'Sullivan

90. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the way in which Ireland will address poor performance in comparison with other EU states on reaching climate change targets; and the way in which he plans to address this going forward. [49084/17]

Seanad Reform

Micheál Martin

91. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his Department's statement of strategy on implementing in full the Manning report on Seanad Éireann; and the status of same. [48744/17]

Strategic Communications Unit

Micheál Martin

92. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the detail the director and staff in the strategic communications unit sought and were provided with when they consulted with their counterparts in the UK and the Netherlands regarding strategic communications; the format the consultation took; and if meetings took place. [48745/17]

Strategic Communications Unit

Micheál Martin

93. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the six procurement contracts issued in respect of the strategic communications unit; and the status of same. [48746/17]

Strategic Communications Unit

Micheál Martin

94. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the Cabinet committee under which the remit of the strategic communication unit falls. [48747/17]

Commissions of Investigation

Micheál Martin

95. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the status of an inquiry (details supplied). [48750/17]

Departmental Staff Training

Catherine Murphy

96. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Taoiseach the cost of providing external coaching and-or training services for staff development in his Department over the past five years and to date in 2017, by cost per year, in tabular form; and the company that delivered the training courses. [48813/17]

Departmental Contracts

Catherine Murphy

97. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Taoiseach the names of the companies renting a fixing and-or space on telecoms and-or communications masts from his Department; the income received for each of the past five years for same, in tabular form. [48847/17]

Appointments to State Boards

Mary Lou McDonald

98. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach the gender balance on each of the State boards under his remit, in tabular form. [48887/17]

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Micheál Martin

99. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he has spoken to Chancellor Merkel since the election in Germany in September 2017. [48888/17]

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Micheál Martin

100. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he has spoken to Prime Minister Rajoy since the October 2017 EU Council meeting. [48890/17]

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Micheál Martin

101. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his visit to Enniskillen on 12 November 2017; if he attended meetings while he was there; and the issues that were discussed. [48891/17]

RTÉ Revenue

Seán Fleming

102. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Taoiseach if the Central Statistics Office included the debts of RTÉ on the State balance sheet in view of the fact that the majority of income in RTÉ is received from the Government following collection of TV licence fees and that this has been the case for a number of years. [49020/17]

Central Statistics Office

Seán Fleming

103. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Taoiseach if the Central Statistics Office examined the accounts of each of the commercial semi-State organisations and other semi-State bodies that are in receipt of significant public funding as to whether the majority of their funding comes from public sources; and whether their debts should be included on the State balance sheet. [49029/17]

Departmental Communications

Jonathan O'Brien

104. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Taoiseach the domain names registered to or owned by his Department or through a third party company. [49061/17]

Parliamentary Questions Costs

Mattie McGrath

105. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Taoiseach the average costs associated with processing and answering written and oral parliamentary questions. [49131/17]

Exports Data

Maurice Quinlivan

106. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Taoiseach the number of businesses exporting to Britain; the number of persons employed by these businesses; and the value of this trade in 2015, in tabular form. [48517/17]

State Aid

Peadar Tóibín

107. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach the number of organisations in the State in receipt of State funding that have expended resources seeking the repeal of the eighth amendment; the amount of funding these organisations have received from the State in the past five years; the number of organisations in the State in receipt of State funding that have expended resources seeking the retention of the eighth amendment; and the amount of funding these organisations have received from the State in the past five years. [49298/17]

Ministerial Responsibilities

James Lawless

108. Deputy James Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation further to the former Taoiseach's statement in September 2016, the detail of the 11 areas of responsibility of the Minister of State, Deputy John Halligan; if responsibilities have been added or removed in the interim; and if she is satisfied with the way in which duties under each of the 11 areas have been carried out. [48751/17]

International Agreements

Peadar Tóibín

109. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to ratify the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances in the future; if there is a timeframe for doing so; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49032/17]

Retail Sector

Catherine Murphy

110. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation further to Parliamentary Question No. 556 of 22 November 2016, if she has had updates from or engagement with the groups the former Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation addressed at the retail consultation regarding a differential in euro and sterling in the context of retail sales here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48730/17]

Brexit Issues

Stephen Donnelly

111. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the preparations made in her Department in the event of no agreement being reached between the United Kingdom and the European Union on the terms of the UK's exit from the EU; and if such preparations involve the drawing up of detailed and specific contingency plans in the event of a hard Brexit and a trade regime based on WTO tariffs. [48770/17]

Departmental Expenditure

Catherine Murphy

112. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the cost of providing external coaching and-or training services for staff development in her Department over the past five years and to date in 2017, by cost per year, in tabular form; the company that delivered the training courses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48799/17]

Departmental Functions

Niall Collins

113. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if the social partners or employment policy experts were consulted before the decision was made to transfer labour affairs functions in her Department to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection; if her officials carried out an impact assessment of the transfer of functions; and if so, if she will publish same. [48822/17]

Brexit Issues

Micheál Martin

114. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the preparations her Department is making in the event of there being a hard Brexit, in particular following Michel Barnier's comments on same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48895/17]

Weather Events Response

Bríd Smith

115. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her views on whether the health and safety Acts need to be amended after Storm Ophelia in order that accidents commuting to and from work during severe weather conditions can be negated. [48909/17]

Job Creation

Niamh Smyth

116. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the status of a project (details supplied); the number of jobs that will be created as a result; the services that will be provided by this facility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48931/17]

IDA Ireland

Jackie Cahill

117. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation if she will engage with the IDA with regard to a site (details supplied) as a location for the construction of a major data centre; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48958/17]

Work Permits Applications

Peter Burke

118. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her views on a work permit delay (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49034/17]

Departmental Communications

Jonathan O'Brien

119. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the domain names registered to or owned by her Department or through a third party company. [49063/17]

Parliamentary Questions Costs

Mattie McGrath

120. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the average costs associated with processing and answering written and oral parliamentary questions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49117/17]

Employment Data

Dara Calleary

121. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the estimated value of the augmented reality and virtual reality industries here; the estimated levels of employment involved in these sectors; the number of companies based in this country operating in these sectors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49208/17]