Results 16,401-16,420 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Air Pollution (10 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Urban Transport Related Air Pollution (UTRAP) group was established to: - examine transport-related air pollution; - raise stakeholder awareness of this pollution, its occurrence in urban contexts and its legislative framework; - review and identify best-practice measures to reduce transport-related air pollution in Irish cities and towns; and - develop an evidence-based national...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (10 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Over the last decade, Government has progressively strengthened the Building Regulations relating to the conservation of fuel and energy in new dwellings.  The regulations now require new buildings to be at “NZEB” performance levels which is the equivalent of an A2 Building Energy Rating for a typical dwelling.  This also encourages the use of renewable technologies...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (10 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Seventeen submissions were received in response to the joint public consultation on the 2021 National Implementation Reports for the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (the ‘Aarhus Convention’) and the Protocol on Pollutant...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (10 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The increased deployment of renewable energy, in combination with measures to improve energy efficiency, is one of the primary mechanisms to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Under Directive 2009/28/EC (‘the Renewable Energy Directive’) Ireland committed to meeting a target of 16% of the overall share of energy from renewable sources in gross final consumption of energy by...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Air Pollution (10 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Enforcement actions under the Air Pollution Act are a matter for Local Authorities and my Department does not compile statistics in relation to inspections undertaken or enforcement actions initiated. The latest Recommended Criteria for Environmental Inspection data collated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with respect to 2019 includes the following air enforcement statistics for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (10 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: There is currently no legislation in Ireland dealing specifically with environmental light pollution, and my Department has no role in this regard. I am advised that the amount of light that might emanate from a proposed development in terms of potential impacts on adjoining properties and protecting their residential amenity is considered in assessing individual planning applications on a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Advisory Council (10 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Section 8 of the Climate and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 established the Climate Change Advisory Council. The Council, which is independent in the performance of its functions, provides advice to Government in respect of climate matters. In view of the statutory five-year term of the current Council expiring; the need to facilitate the smooth functioning of the Council, including its...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Internships (10 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The information requested in relation to the bodies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for each body.  The Department will request the relevant bodies to reply directly to the Deputy with the information requested in respect of their organisations.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Efficiency (10 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2/cost optimal and to install 400,000 heat pumps in existing buildings over the next 10 years. The development of the national retrofit programme to achieve these targets is well underway.  Some €221.5 million in capital funding has been...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Production (10 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Geothermal is a secure, environmentally sustainable and cost-effective source of renewable energy. In particular, geothermal energy can help decarbonise our heating sector, which accounts for roughly a third of Ireland's energy consumption. Research has shown that resources suitable for district heating and other applications are most likely to be found in the East, Midlands and Southwest...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (10 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) is the main government support vehicle to deliver on Ireland’s 70% renewable electricity target by 2030 and it includes provisions for community participation and benefit. All projects successful in a RESS auction must establish a Community Benefit Fund.  The contribution for each project has been set at €2 per...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Legislative Measures (10 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I am keen to ensure that a modern, robust policy and regulatory framework is in place to support the increased use of geothermal energy in Ireland.  In this regard, I recently announced plans for developing such a framework for the sector. On 18 November 2020 my Department published two papers, available at gov.ie. - An Assessment of Geothermal Energy for District Heating in Ireland;...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (10 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The question refers to a premises located in the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website . The AMBER area represents the area to be served by the network to be deployed under the NBP State led intervention. I appreciate people's frustration when they are living so close to a fibre network but cannot get...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (10 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The High Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie, shows the areas which will be included in the National Broadband Plan (NBP) State-led intervention as well as areas targeted by commercial operators. The map is colour coded and searchable by address and Eircode. The BLUE area represents those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (10 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 188 and 190 together. A combination of commercial investment and the State led intervention under the National Broadband Plan (NBP) will ensure access to high speed broadband in every part of the country and no premises will be left behind, no matter how remote. Of the 2.4 million premises across Ireland, 77% of premises now have access to high-speed...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (10 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The National Broadband Plan (NBP) State-led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract to roll out a high speed and future proofed broadband network within the Intervention Area which covers 1.1 million people living and working in the over 544,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with 695 schools. The deployment plan...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Air Quality (10 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 191 and 192 together. The Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for monitoring ambient air quality and national emissions levels in Ireland.  The most recent report on Ireland’s air quality can be found at , and the most recent report on our annual emissions is available at .  These reports serve to inform the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (10 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 193 and 194 together. Climate change remains a trans-boundary challenge that can only be addressed through committed ambition and effective multilateral cooperation at the international level. The consequences of failure are catastrophic, particularly for some of the world’s most vulnerable people. The United Nations...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action Plan (10 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The EU Effort Sharing Regulation EU/2018/842 (ESR) established binding annual greenhouse gas emission targets for Member States for the period 2021–2030. These targets concern sectors outside of the EU Emissions Trading System, such as agriculture, transport, buildings and waste. The ESR sets Ireland a target of a 30% reduction in emissions by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. The...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (10 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The 2009 EU Effort Sharing Decision 406/2009/EC established annual greenhouse gas emission targets for the period 2013-2020 for Ireland. For the year 2020 itself, the target set for Ireland is that emissions should be 20% below 2005 levels. The latest EPA projections show that emissions from those sectors of the economy covered by our targets could be between 2-4% below 2005 levels. While...