The Greens in the Dail

Deputy John Gormley: I congratulate the Tánaiste on the presentation of the budget. He has demonstrated a clear pathway forward for the sound financial management of the economy. He has taken a balanced and constructive approach to the challenges that lie ahead. I particularly welcome the strong defining theme in his Budget Statement highlighting the Government’s environmental agenda. My party fully endorses the principles he has enunciated and we will work to deliver on compelling environmental polices side by side with maintaining growth and competitiveness in our economy.

Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding the review of the cost effectiveness and performance of the MANs; when he will decide on the progression of a further phase of the MANs; the amount a further phase of the MANs will cost; if the Government will sell the MANs to Eircom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28966/07]

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Deputy Eamon Ryan): My Department is continuing to undertake a Value for Money and Policy Review on Phase I of the Metropolitan Area Networks Programme. The review is being carried out in close cooperation with the Department of Finance. This Review, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2007, along with other policy analyses being undertaken, will help to inform my decisions on future investment in broadband infrastructure.

The open access, high speed, fibre optic Metropolitan Area Networks continue to play a vital role in facilitating and encouraging competition and innovation in regional telecommunications markets and I have no plans to sell them or to change the existing open access, carrier neutral model of the Metropolitan Area Networks programme. The positive impact of competition, in terms of consumer choice, quality and price of services, is significant.

Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the steps being taken to pursue the option of carbon capture and storage; if he has any legislative proposals to advance this method of addressing CO2 emissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28981/07]

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Deputy Eamon Ryan): The assessment of the prospects for geological storage of carbon, in Ireland is at a relatively early stage. A study by Sustainable Energy Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Geological Survey of Northern Ireland and Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) is examining the potential for such storage on the island of Ireland. An EPA-GSI project in the next 2 years will evaluate the prospect for potentially favourable sites in the Moneypoint region. Research under the Griffith Geoscience Research Awards has just begun which will document the subsurface characteristics of potential sites in this region. However, we are some very considerable distance from implementing any storage solution, even if all these studies have positive results. GSI intends to affiliate to an active European network on geological storage of carbon to ensure we are fully aware of best practice on technical options relevant to Ireland.

My Department is also participating in other EU and international fora where the potential for carbon capture and storage is being progressed. The question of legislative underpinning for geological storage of carbon will be kept under review in light of developments.

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Deputy Eamon Ryan): The National Postcode Project Board was established in 2005 to recommend the most suitable postcode for Ireland. As part of its work on the project, the National Postcode Project Board’s technical and economic advisors carried out an extensive consultation with stakeholders, both within the postal sector and outside it with a view to arriving at a postcode model that best meets the needs of the stakeholders. These consultants also measured the likely costs and benefits of the introduction of such a postcode along with a detailed implementation plan including the levels of funding required and how those funding requirements should be met.

The cost of establishing a postcode address database and implementing and promoting the postcode was estimated to be in the region of €15m. There would also be ongoing annual maintenance costs but these could be met from revenues generated by the postcode manager. After consideration of the matter earlier this year, the Government decided that further analysis and quantification of the wider economic and societal benefits of postcodes would be required. Some of the public sector benefits identified by the consultants included better targeted service provision, improved policy formulation, implementation and evaluation, and better profiling of public expenditure.

The commitment to introduce a postcode system in Ireland is contained in the Programme for Government and I am currently considering the issues involved in order to progress the project to the implementation stage.

As I have already explained in detail to the House, the recent coverage in the media with regard to potential performance problems at three ESB plants located at Poolbeg, Great Island and Tarbert underlines the necessity to ensure adequate capacity margins on the generation system. EirGrid’s 2007 Winter Outlook Report forecasts that electricity generating capacity will be sufficient to meet demand this winter. Eirgrid has indicated that the developments potential outages could lead to reduced capacity margins during the winter peak period, it is still EirGrid’s assessment that there will still be sufficient capacity on the system to ensure security of electricity supply this winter.

The report assumes a peak demand this winter of 5,250 megawatts (mw). This compares with the peak demand last winter of 5035 mw. EirGrid calculates that generating capacity of 5930 mw will be available. This includes the new 400 mw facility at Huntstown, which is now in service. This compares favourably with a peak generating capacity of 5,836 mw last year. It is also expected that connected wind capacity will reach 900-1000 mw by year end, which will represent a very significant and welcome increase of over 25% of installed wind capacity since the start of the year.

As with any power generation system, it is not possible to give definitive guarantees that generation adequacy will always be maintained. By their nature, high level forced outages on the system cannot be predicted. Plant outage, whether planned or unforeseen, must at all times be critically managed to maintain security of supply. EirGrid operates a range of demand control measures to assist in managing demand at peak times. These include reducing demand by agreement with large users in the interests of ensuring domestic customer supply is maintained.

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Deputy Eamon Ryan): Section 28(2)(b) of the Broadcasting Act, 2001 mandates RTÉ to provide programmes of news and current affairs in the Irish and English languages, including programmes that provide coverage of proceedings in the Houses of the Oireachtas and the European Parliament. In addition section 45(4) of the Broadcasting Act 2001 mandates TG4 to provide programmes, primarily in the Irish language, of news and current affairs, and to provide coverage of proceedings in the Houses of the Oireachtas and the European Parliament.

Both RTÉ and TG4 devote resources and efforts, within the constraints of their programming schedules, to coverage and commentary of the proceedings of the Houses of the Oireachtas. I would agree that there is a need for direct public access to live proceedings of both Houses and to the work carried out by committees of the Oireachtas. In line with the commitments set down in the Programme for Government, and in the light of the opportunities offered by the introduction of digital terrestrial television, I propose to work with the Houses of the Oireachtas, and in particular with the Joint Administration Committee, to explore the possibilities for the introduction of programming carrying live broadcasts of Oireachtas business.

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Deputy Eamon Ryan): There were 653,000 broadband subscribers (excluding mobile) in Ireland at end of quarter two of 2007 according to official figures from Commission for Communications Regulation ComReg. This figure comprises broadband connections through “DSL” — 472,700, “Cable” — 68,900, “Fixed Wireless” — 102,500, “Other Technologies” such as Satellite and Optical Fibre — 8,900. Additionally, there were 45,000 mobile broadband subscribers in Ireland at the end of June 2007 giving a total of 698,000 subscribers. The 698,000 figure represents a penetration rate of 15.4 subscribers per 100 of population.

Ireland’s growth in broadband penetration is exceptional. Last week’s report from the OECD shows that we have the strongest per capita subscriber growth in the OECD. Moreover, Ireland has narrowed the gap behind the EU average. At the end of Quarter 2 06 the EU-25 average was 14 subscribers per 100 of population and our rate was 8 subscribers. At the end of Quarter 2 07, the EU-25 Average was 18.2 subscribers per 100 of population and our rate was at 15.4. If the estimated 45,000 mobile broadband subscribers are included, then the penetration figure increases to 16.48 subscribers. It might be noted that the OECD assessment understates Ireland’s competitive position as regards broadband access due to the larger size of households in Ireland.