Results 801-820 of 25,713 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (20 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The driver certificate of professional competence (CPC) process is based on European Union Directive 2022/2561, which concerns the initial qualifications and periodic training of drivers of vehicles carrying goods or passengers. The Directive was transposed into Irish law by the European Communities (Vehicle Drivers Certificate of Professional Competence) (No. 2) Regulations 2008 (SI 359 of...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (20 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I can confirm that verification of a licence is not sought by the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS), where it was previously verified within six months of the driving licence exchange application as part of a work permit application. I have been informed by the Road Safety Authority that applications for exchanges of South African driving licences are processed in a timely manner...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Staff (20 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Secondments to the Department are only available to established Civil or Public Servants and there have been no secondments from consulting firms to this Department in this period.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Air Navigation Orders (20 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The examination, by my officials, of the current legislation in relation to the carriage of munitions of war on civil aircraft in Irish sovereign airspace is ongoing and I expect to be briefed in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Test (20 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the National Driver Testing Service. This includes restoring the service to its service level agreement target wait time of 10 weeks and developing the plan for doing so, which, as the Deputy notes, was a condition of the September 2024 staffing sanction. I am informed that the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (20 Mar 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 responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure, including ticketing and technology projects. The NTA's Next Generation Ticketing project is to provide for an upgraded ticketing system to facilitate a...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Sector Pensions (20 Mar 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. However, issues in relation to CIÉ pension schemes are primarily a matter for the trustees of the pension schemes, the CIÉ, Group and their employees. As a commercial semi-state body CIÉ are responsible for the provision...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Contracts (20 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Following consultation with my officials, I wish to confirm for the Deputy that my Department has had no engagement with the Hotel referred to in his question during the time period specified. Noting the relevance of the Deputy's question to the Agencies under the remit of my Department, I have referred his question to them for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Services (19 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: No research has been carried out by my Department into the merits of creating a single international dial code for the island of Ireland. The reservation, assignment and reclamation of international dialling codes are matters for the International Telecommunications Union, the United Nations specialised agency for information and communication technologies.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Services (19 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has overall responsibility for radio spectrum policy whereas the Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg, is charged with the day to day management of spectrum on behalf of the State. ComReg is statutorily independent in the operation of its functions. In its remit of management of spectrum and to ensure alignment across the Island or Ireland, ComReg allocates radio...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Data Centres (19 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Government policy on data centres is articulated in the July 2022 ‘Government Statement on the Role of Data Centres in Ireland’s Enterprise Strategy’. The statement makes clear the Government’s preference for data centre developments that are decarbonised by design and can demonstrate the additionality of their renewable energy use in Ireland. It clearly states...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (19 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department welcomes the recent announcement that the Council presidency and European Parliament representatives reached a provisional agreement on the targeted revision of the Waste Framework Directive with regard to food waste and textiles. It will set EU targets for food waste reduction by 2030 and introduce measures towards a more sustainable textile sector. I note that the agreement is...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (19 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the Government's initiative to deliver high speed broadband services to all premises in Ireland. The Programme for Government – Securing Ireland’s Future published in January 2025 sets a number of targets which include the completion of the infrastructure to allow access to a high-speed fibre broadband to 1.1 million people, including...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Pension Provisions (19 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I can confirm to the Deputy, further to Parliamentary Question No. 78 of 11 June 2024, that officials in my Department received correspondence from the legal representative of the persons concerned and the matter is under review.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action Plan (19 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: A full list of the members of the Delivery Board and its terms of reference are available on the CADB website at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/24f0c-climate-action-delivery-boar d/. Further information available on the website are the minutes of CADB meetings, as well as recent work undertaken to review climate action capacity in the civil service. Quarterly progress reports on the Climate...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (19 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 144 to 146, inclusive, 149, 150 to 154, inclusive, 160, 161, 164, 171, 186, 208 and 210 to 213, inclusive, together. As outlined in the Programme for Government, the Government is committed to taking decisive action to radically reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and to achieve a 51% reduction in emissions from 2018 to 2030, and to achieving net-zero...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Usage (19 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Gas Networks Ireland is a statutory public body under the aegis of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. It owns, operates, develops and maintains the natural gas network in Ireland. Gas Networks Ireland has provided the following data table which includes:Historical gas demand by sector to 2024 inclusive.Forecast gas demand by sector for 2025 to 2029 inclusive. The...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Natural Gas Grid (19 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My officials have engaged with Gas Networks Ireland (GNI) and while forecasts are not available for each of the next 10 years, I am advised by GNI of the following information in relation to the estimated additional volume requirement of natural gas for electricity generation and data centres for each of the next 8 years: For the purposes of this Question, GNI have extracted data from their...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Services (19 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 155 and 156 together. I am aware of expected price increases by some broadband and mobile service providers in the coming weeks and months. The pricing levels set by telecommunications services providers are a matter for those providers operating in a fully liberalised market. However, providing better protection for consumers is a priority for the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Staff (19 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has established procedures to ensure that all persons recruited to work in this Department are fully vetted before they are employed, either directly by staff of my Department in the case of roles filled through direct recruitment or through the Public Appointment Service (PAS), who conduct vetting as part of their centralised recruitment of...