Results 161-180 of 32,399 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (27 Jun 2024)

Richard Bruton: More than 8 million people are displaced in Sudan, which is the same number as have been displaced from Ukraine. The country is on the brink of famine. There are widespread allegations of war crimes. The siege of Al-Fashir is now looking very like what we are seeing in Rafah. I am interested to hear what Ireland and the international community are doing in this sphere.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Middle East (27 Jun 2024)

Richard Bruton: 39. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the initiatives within the European Union to achieve a ceasefire, humanitarian aid and a lasting settlement in the Israeli/Palestine conflict; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27586/24]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: National Strategic Roadmap for the Digital Decade: Discussion (26 Jun 2024)

Richard Bruton: I would like to go into a little more detail on what Deputy Stanton discussed, specifically the conflict between our ambitions in digital and our ambitions on climate. At EU level, a distinction is drawn between the emissions trading system and where national targets must be met. However, our climate Act has merged those two elements so we do not draw a distinction. The data centres are in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: National Strategic Roadmap for the Digital Decade: Discussion (26 Jun 2024)

Richard Bruton: I am on the climate committee at which the conversation frequently revolves around how we would meet our targets if only farmers would do X and the data centres would be constrained. That is the narrative, and it is as simple as that. We have hitched our wagon to these two sectors, but we have not evolved a long-term vision for them that is compatible with our climate ambitions. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: National Strategic Roadmap for the Digital Decade: Discussion (26 Jun 2024)

Richard Bruton: The bigger question is do we need to be scared of AI? How is Ms Carberry's Department involved in the risk assessment the platforms are supposed to do of risks to things like human rights, democracy, mental health or whatever? Where are we on, as Ms Carberry said, making sure it is safe? What is the official role of the Department? It seems to me the EU model puts the responsibility on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: National Strategic Roadmap for the Digital Decade: Discussion (26 Jun 2024)

Richard Bruton: It seems to me the technology is moving at 100 mph and all that work Ms Carberry is describing is moving at 20 mph, or am I wrong?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: National Strategic Roadmap for the Digital Decade: Discussion (26 Jun 2024)

Richard Bruton: In terms of the risk assessment to protect citizens, what are the domains of that? A lot of us are concerned about the impact on mental health and on younger people. A lot of us, certainly in politics, feel deliberative democracy is under threat from these instantaneous conclusions that people can reach in this very mobile world. What are the actual dimensions where risk assessment needs...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: National Strategic Roadmap for the Digital Decade: Discussion (26 Jun 2024)

Richard Bruton: Does life fit into those neat bundles? Things that might upset a person's mental health might not be in the health sector. While this may be too profound, I wonder if this can be managed by saying health and anything which concerns medical records and so on is high risk. The risk under the well-being head could come from quite a range. It seems to me this risk assessment approach is the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: National Strategic Roadmap for the Digital Decade: Discussion (26 Jun 2024)

Richard Bruton: It probably goes well beyond the remit of this committee and I do not wish to hold it up. Someone suggested to us there should be a committee of the Oireachtas looking solely at digital technology and its impact because it is such a complex area. I will leave it for the time being. I thank the witness.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (26 Jun 2024)

Richard Bruton: 26. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to consider making arrangements whereby Irish people with driving licences obtained while living abroad could avail of some form of recognition or fast track to certify their competence. [27503/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Artificial Intelligence (25 Jun 2024)

Richard Bruton: 57. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has assessed the role that artificial intelligence should play in shaping the future of further and higher education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27049/24]

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Further Revised Estimate) (25 Jun 2024)

Richard Bruton: I welcome the substantial increase in the allocation for the just transition under subhead A8. This shows there is progress in getting good projects off the ground. The Minister mentioned the significant overall investment of €169 million in the midlands. Is provision being made under this subhead for the establishment this year of the just transition commission? The deadline for...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Further Revised Estimate) (25 Jun 2024)

Richard Bruton: I do not know the programme under which it falls. The Minister mentioned that the land use review is being funded under programme A. I am interested in an update on where we are with setting targets for land use, land use change and forestry, LULUCF. The estimation has jumped around quite radically as to what the environmental impact will be of land use and land use change. The review...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Further Revised Estimate) (25 Jun 2024)

Richard Bruton: Yes. It was remiss of me not to wish the Minister well on his decision not to contest the next election, like me. We will probably wash up on other shores. I hope so. He has done some wonderful work in the Department, which I think has been acknowledged in the media. One recurring theme for me is these outputs and outcomes that are being published as part of the RES. I just do not...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Further Revised Estimate) (25 Jun 2024)

Richard Bruton: May I ask the Minister about the energy poverty programmes? I see they are moving along around the 6,000 mark, and I know that much deeper retrofits are being done than used to be done, but has the Department commissioned any research to see where we are with the number of people who are eligible under the national fuel scheme, how many have been reached and what sorts of homes people who...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Further Revised Estimate) (25 Jun 2024)

Richard Bruton: Going back to the circular economy strategy, we have had legislation and the Minister has commissioned work, which I think is called a gap analysis. However, we are two years from that legislation and I am concerned that the creation of circular economy strategies for each sector is quite delayed. I have always advocated here and elsewhere that we should bring the sectors together already,...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Further Revised Estimate) (25 Jun 2024)

Richard Bruton: Even now we could not convene groups that would take on this discussion within food, construction and the key sectors we are interested in. It will be tricky for the Minister to set specific reuse targets for construction, for example, because there are a lot of moving parts. However, the need to have the sector thinking about how it can adopt more circular approaches is urgent. We still...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Further Revised Estimate) (25 Jun 2024)

Richard Bruton: On the climate action fund, is it correct that a surplus of between €250 million and €260 million is being carried over into this year? Is a call for funds expected if there is a significant build-up of reserves to initiate some new thinking in climate action?

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Further Revised Estimate) (25 Jun 2024)

Richard Bruton: I would not like to see the elimination of the concept of calls. With projects being stalled, the Minister sees this as removing barriers, which is appropriate and I understand the reason for that. However, it is desirable to keep some element of the idea of issuing calls and forming groups of councils, enterprises, and whoever else, to initiate some projects.