Results 561-580 of 28,135 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Conservation (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department funds a number of grant schemes, administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), to support homeowners improving the energy efficiency of their buildings, and to promote the adoption of renewable energy systems. These schemes include grants for the fabric upgrade of buildings (e.g. insulation), as well as solar PV and heat pump installation. The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Just Transition (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: In total, over €29.2 million under the EU Just Transition Fund has been allocated to projects that are fully or partially based in County Laois. Of this, almost €3.6 million has been approved for projects underway solely within County Laois, while over €25.6 million has been approved for projects across several counties including County Laois. The specific details...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Environmental Policy (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Environmental Protection Agency is not only a key regulator in terms of protecting and improving our environment, it also plays a significant role in providing environmental evidence and statistics to inform policy and decision making as well as advocating for environmental sustainability and protection. As a regulator, the Agency has significant powers under a suite of legislation...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Conservation (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 154 and 155 together. The Warmer Homes Scheme aims to improve the energy efficiency and warmth of homes owned by people in energy poverty by providing fully-funded retrofits. The scheme is operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department and is funded through the carbon tax receipts and the European Regional...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Conservation (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Warmer Homes Scheme aims to improve the energy efficiency and warmth of homes owned by people at risk of energy poverty by providing fully funded retrofits. The scheme is operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department and is funded through carbon tax receipts and the European Regional Development Fund. Last year saw a record spend of almost...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Conservation (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The National Heat Study, published by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), contains detailed analysis that is being used by my Department to inform the development of policies and measures to decarbonise Ireland’s heating and cooling sectors by 2050. The study considered a number of potential decarbonisation options for a wide range of dwellings and business premises....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Generation (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Government remains committed to the development of 5GW of offshore wind capacity with projects in construction by 2030 and energised as soon as feasible thereafter. Ireland's 5GW target will be met through a combination of projects from Phase One and from within the South Coast DMAP. Five offshore wind projects are presently in development off our East Coast. These projects account for...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Fire Safety (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA), including light rail. As the Deputy will be aware, a fire severely damaged the George's Dock bridge in...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Éireann (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government (PfG) has committed to "Work to enhance and support the delivery of a skilled workforce to maintain and operate public transport vehicles". My Department chairs the Public Transport Workforce Taskforce which aims to progress this PfG commitment and to identify options to assist with resolving challenges regarding the recruitment of...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned....

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Safe Routes To School Programme was launched by my Department in March 2021 with the aim of supporting walking, scooting, and cycling to primary and post-primary schools, and creating safer walking and cycling routes within communities, through the provision of infrastructure interventions. This should help alleviate congestion at school gates and increase the number of students who...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on these roads are funded from Councils’ own resources and supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for the local authority....

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Data (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned....

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Procurement Contracts (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 201 and 202 together. Q1 & Q2 2025 reports are published and available web links www.gov.ie/en/department-of-transport/organisation-informati on/departmental-purchase-orders-greater-than-20000/. Publication of the Q3 report will be prioritised post migration to the Financial Management Shared Service centre and is scheduled for end December 2025.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Procurement Contracts (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Deputy, Following the move to the gov.ie domain, data from 2018 and later has been published - purchase order data prior to 2018, are available through the National Library of Ireland's capture of the old DTTAS website: wayback.archive-it.org/org-1444/*/http:/www.dttas.ie/.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Fuel Prices (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Renewable Transport Fuel Policy 2025-2027 provides future certainty to fuel suppliers on the projected biofuel blending obligation in road transport fuel to meet 2030 decarbonisation and renewable energy targets. The Policy informs commercial planning and management of any associated market costs by fuel suppliers, potentially mitigating against wholesale price spike impacts on consumer...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Fuel Prices (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Renewable Transport Fuel Policy 2025-2027 sets out a pathway to incentivise supply of renewable fuel in transport through annual increases in the renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO) rate to 2030 to achieve Climate Action Plan biofuel targets and European targets for renewable energy in transport as set out in the Renewable Energy Directive, as well as ensuring EU sustainability and...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Córas Iompair Éireann (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: From the outset I would like to clarify that I, as Minister for Transport, have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. As a commercial semi-state body, CIÉ are responsible for the provision of pension schemes for their employees - this is consistent with the pension arrangements of semi-state bodies. Regarding the recent engagement between...