You ask the questions ...

In our continuing series where readers get to grill senior politicians on issues of the day, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan, jumps into the hot seat.

Do you envisage that within the next 10 years and with enhanced communication it will be possible that most office-based workers could indeed do most of their work from home?

H VERWEY, Cobh, Co Cork.

We are definitely heading in the direction where working from home will be an option open to most of us. Increased broadband availability and the development of new digital applications will speed up this process.

There are obvious benefits in terms of time saved, easing congestion, reduction in our carbon emissions and a happier, more flexible workforce.

Pylons are an eyesore, a health risk and a dated way to deliver key needs to the infrastructure of a community, and yet it is this solution that is being proposed. Why is it a priority to save the nation’s health by banning smoking when you are putting it at risk in other ways?

J MCDERMOTT, Kilskyre, Co Meath.

There is no question of the Government or the state-owned transmission company EirGrid putting lives at risk.

We need to upgrade our electricity transmission system to ensure we have a secure and reliable supply of electricity nationwide. Doing so will increase competition in the electricity market in Ireland, facilitate renewable energy and keep our national electricity lines up to the standard required.

The current global standard for such upgrades are overhead transmission lines, such as the ones proposed by EirGrid in the north-south interconnector.

You are right when you say that Ireland leads many nations in our revolutionary approaches to technologies and services. One of the new technologies is underground cables. I commissioned a study into the relative merits of overhead lines versus underground cables to establish which was the better option.

The report by international consultants (Ecofys and Golders Associates) found that found that the technology as it currently exits does not compare to overhead lines in terms of adequacy of the electricity system and security of supply.

As regards health impacts, the report found that all of Ireland’s current and proposed electricity lines meet the UN’s World Health Organisation’s guidelines.

Why is free-to-air Digital Terrestrial Television now to cost €9.99? Surely free-to-air is free-to-air?

M O’CONNOR, Co Cork.

Ireland and the rest of Europe are moving to Digital Terrestrial Television. It is cheaper to transmit than the analogue system, offers higher quality picture and sound and greater channel choice to the viewer. We will be switching on this new digital TV system in the autumn of next year in preparation for the European analogue switch off in 2012.

This Digital Terrestrial Television will remain free-to-air as RTÉ 1 and 2, TV3, TG4 and others are now. Some viewers will, however, have to make a once-off purchase of a set-top box for their television sets.

In addition to the free-to-air channels such as RTÉ and TV3, this new digital TV platform will bring an Oireachtas TV channel which will show political content from Ireland, the European Union and other houses of parliament from around the world. We will also have an Irish Film Channel which will show the best of Irish and global cinema.

I believe digital television will bring higher quality and greater choice to the Irish viewer.

Mr Ryan, what is your favourite television programme?

I’ve recently taken to watching YouTube on the internet but I always like to watch “the match” on television. My wife says that there’s “the match” on every week.

Mr Ryan, what sort of a student were you at school?

I had more of a head for ideas than for exams.

Mr Ryan, you recently said at a speech in Dublin (July 3) that Ireland requires “a truly national broadband infrastructure”. Is it really possible for the Government to deliver this level of broadband availability?

P WHOOLEY, Skibbereen, Co Cork.

Yes. This is exactly what we’re trying to do with our National Broadband Scheme. Starting in October of this year, we will begin roll-out of this scheme which will bring broadband to those areas of the country currently without access to broadband.

In tandem with this process, the Government will be working on increasing broadband speeds and reducing costs.

Considering it appears we can expect natural gas, a main source of electricity and heating, to increase in price up to 100% in the next year, when can we as consumers, employers, employees, elderly, etc, expect the Corrib gas field to be connected to the national grid to secure our future?

T SMYTH, Bishopstown, Cork city.

The Corrib gas field is about two-thirds the size of the Kinsale Head field and, if operational, would produce 60% of Ireland’s gas needs at peak production.

The consent process for the onshore pipeline of the Corrib gas project is still underway. An Bord Pleanála is currently assessing an application by Shell and a statutory consent process is continuing in my department.

Why do you think Brian Cowen is competent and able to lead Ireland through the current financial crisis when he was the previous minister for finance that led us into this current economic situation?

C FITZPATRICK, South Circular Road, Dublin 8.

I think that Taoiseach Brian Cowen’s experience in the Department of Finance and other ministries will serve him well in these different and challenging times. Having worked with him for this past year, I find that he is open to new solutions and has the vision and resolve to steer us through the tough economic times ahead.