Results 1,081-1,100 of 27,055 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Litter Pollution (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Litter Pollution Act, 1997, the primary responsibility for management and enforcement responses to litter pollution lies with local authorities. It is a matter for each local authority to determine the most appropriate public awareness, enforcement, and clean-up actions in relation to litter taking account of local circumstances and priorities. Since January 2023, all producers...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Litter Pollution (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Local authority staffing is a matter for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Under the Litter Pollution Act, 1997, the primary responsibility for management and enforcement responses to litter pollution lies with local authorities. It is a matter for each local authority to determine the most appropriate public awareness, enforcement, and clean-up actions in relation...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 22 together. My Department is now preparing a draft Social Climate Plan in consultation with relevant Departmental stakeholders and with the European Commission. A variety of targeted measures aimed at providing long-term solutions to reduce fossil fuels reliance and effectively help vulnerable groups impacted by the rising price of carbon are being...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Cybersecurity Policy (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Ireland’s National Cyber Security Strategy, published in 2019, came to a close at the end of 2024 and preparations for the successor strategy are underway. The 2019 strategy set out 20 collaborative measures to enhance the cyber security and resilience of public bodies, providers of essential services, businesses and households, to support the continued development of the cyber...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Cybersecurity Policy (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The National Cyber Security Bill is the legislative vehicle which transposes the revised Network and Information Security Directive (NIS2) and provides the provisions that places National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on a statutory footing. Substantial work has been completed by my Department on the transposition of the NIS2 Directive. NIS2 is a complex piece of legislation requiring a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Bord na Móna (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Bord na Móna (BnM) is a commercial State body under the aegis of my Department, established under the Turf Development Act 1998. BnM is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department. The Board and management of BnM are accountable for the strategic direction and management of the organisation. My Department is responsible for the corporate governance oversight of BnM,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: 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 Development Fund. Last year saw a record spend of almost...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27, 28, 35, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 68, 69, 73, 79, 80, 81 and 82 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 29, 31, 32, 33 and 39 together. The tables below sets the cost budget over the next 5 years, based on the current allocated funding of €69m for 2025, as the base value. This is purely a mathematical exercise based on the parameters set out by the Deputy and does take account of customer demand, the capacity of the market to deliver or any other...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Microgeneration Support Scheme (MSS) was approved by Government on 21 December 2021, to support Ireland’s ambitious targets for micro-generation installations, under the Climate Action Plan. The MSS provides supports to both domestic and non-domestic applicants, in the form of grants for Solar PV installations, up to a maximum of €1,800 in 2025 for household installations....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: South Dublin District Heating Company was set up in 2020 as Ireland’s first not-for-profit energy utility. It is fully owned and operated by South Dublin County Council. The associated district heating project uses waste heat generated by the nearby Amazon data centre (the heat is provided at no cost by Amazon as part of their zero-carbon commitment) to supply heat to public and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 40 and 41 together. The Climate Action Fund (CAF) does not receive an annual Voted allocation, but rather receives income from various sources including the National Oil Reserve Agency (NORA) Levy and from Government flight emissions offsets. The NORA Levy is a levy charged on disposals of petroleum products. It is collected by the National Oil Reserve...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: State Bodies (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The information sought in the Question is an operational matter for the State body concerned and, as such, it is not information held by my Department. It is suggested that the Deputy contact the Body directly in relation to this matter. Contact details for the body is as follows: oireachtas@cru.ie.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 43, 45, 46, 47 and 67 together. The Renewable Energy Support Scheme (RESS) Community Enabling Framework was launched in 2022. It provided a range of supports, including grant funding of potentially up to €180,000, offered from SEAI to community renewable energy projects, to help them participate in the RESS. To date, two community projects (both under...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government commits to promoting the Small-Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (SRESS) to simplify market access for community owned solar and wind projects and to supporting communities to secure grid access for local renewable projects. Seven community projects were successful in the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme 1 (RESS 1) auction, (five solar and two wind...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: State Bodies (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The assignment of staff to particular work areas is an operational matter for the SEAI. I have asked the SEAI to respond directly to you to provide the specific data sought as soon as possible.Additionally, the SEAI has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members so that such queries can be addressed promptly, in line with the SEAI’s objective to deliver...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Just Transition Commission, established on an administrative basis by Government, will provide impartial, strategic, and evidence-based advice to Government to inform policy planning related to just transition across different sectors. It will also provide advice to support the Government and wider societal stakeholders in managing this transition. The chair and members of the Just...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme (CEIGS) is funded from the Circular Economy Fund and was first launched in 2021. This multi-annual scheme directly supports the growth of the circular economy in Ireland and provides high-profile examples of best practice to inspire others. A key objective is delivering innovative projects that will have a direct impact on operating environments,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (28 May 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 total...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: National contributions to the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) annual budget are calculated pro rata based on the United Nations scale of assessment. Ireland's 2024 subscription to the ECT was €44,708.