Results 20,821-20,840 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (2 Jun 2022)

Eamon Ryan: "Yes" is the answer and we are providing additional resources to the CRU, including staff, and EirGrid. They are less constrained. They have an income stream that enables them to hire the resources they need and to bring in outside expertise as well. Critically, An Bord Pleanála needs additional staff resources. It is hard to get people with the planning and other skills that are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Prices (2 Jun 2022)

Eamon Ryan: My written response to this question is quite similar to one I gave to a previous question. If I may take that response as given, I will answer the Deputy's question more directly and provide some further information. First, electricity interconnection with other countries is a critical way of bringing down the price of electricity here and giving us security. As we move to very high...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Prices (2 Jun 2022)

Eamon Ryan: It is not my view that we should just grin and bear it. Not at all. The key problem we have is that some 50% of our power generation, including the power needed to run the lights in this Chamber, is coming from gas generation, when averaged out over a year. There are short-term and immediate actions around social welfare, taxation and other measures, as we discussed, that are needed to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Prices (2 Jun 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The Deputy referred to moving away completely from the market system and going with the Spanish approach. As I said, the European Council is not taking that approach. However, this does not mean we should not look at the market rules and mechanisms to see whether there are ways in which we can move away from gas being the defining price setter. We will work with the Commission and the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Prices (2 Jun 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I understand the development in question is heated by way of a local heating system, which is fuelled by natural gas. Gas and electricity retail markets in Ireland operate within a European regulatory regime, as we have just discussed, wherein those markets are commercial, liberalised and competitive. I am acutely aware of the impact current, internationally influenced, energy price...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Prices (2 Jun 2022)

Eamon Ryan: Absolutely. District heating is going to play an extremely important role in the decarbonisation of the heating sector. There are certain areas, especially where waste heat is available, where this approach will be the preferred solution compared to retrofitting or insulating buildings. It can have real advantages and offer protection for our country. There are slight variations and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Prices (2 Jun 2022)

Eamon Ryan: We need to switch away from every possible use of gas. It will, though, have an interim role to play in a variety of areas. Regarding heating in buildings, and especially in new buildings, I agree with Deputy Leddin about the need to switch away from using gas connections as the future of heating and towards a range of other options, such as electric, biomass and other alternative sources....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (2 Jun 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 commits Ireland to a legally-binding target of a climate neutral economy no later than 2050 and a reduction in emissions of 51% by 2030, compared to 2018 levels. Following the process set out in the Act, the carbon budget programme proposed by the Climate Change Advisory Council, CCAC, was approved by the Government on 21...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (2 Jun 2022)

Eamon Ryan: Yes, sorry, it was LNG. The Government's policy statement on the importing of fracked gas was approved by the Government and published in May 2021. The policy statement provides that, pending the outcome of a review of the security of energy supply of Ireland's electricity and natural gas systems currently being carried out by my Department, it would not be appropriate for the development...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (2 Jun 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I heard the Tánaiste state in this House not too long ago, and I agree with him, that the future in regard to Shannon is in hydrogen. Let us consider Cork Harbour and the Shannon Estuary, where much of our heavy industry is located. It is where much of our electricity generation, oil refineries and pharmaceuticals are based, all of which will switch to hydrogen. It is also the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (2 Jun 2022)

Eamon Ryan: In the provision of energy, we must get three things right. We must get the price right because we have to protect our householders. We must get the environment right and stop the planet from burning due to the local pollution that comes with a lot of fossil fuel use. We also must secure energy supply. I believe the development of hydrogen back-up power, storage and usage in power...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (2 Jun 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures Act 2022 established a scheme for the making of a once-off electricity costs emergency benefit payment to each domestic electricity account in 2022 having regard to the exceptional rise in energy prices. The credit of €176.22, excluding VAT, which suppliers began applying in April, will be applied to remaining...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (2 Jun 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The RTB is the best option, and the scheme was designed as such from the very start. In those cases, it is the local representatives working through the council who should make sure that they have it. There is a basic principle that every householder in the country, regardless of their tenancy arrangements, is due to get the credit. If there is a council, such as Wexford County Council,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (2 Jun 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The main reason coal use increased is because the price of gas went up so high that coal came in earlier on the merit order. We are also in a very tight situation in terms of power generation, not only because of data centres but also as a result of a variety of other issues. I attended and addressed at the EPA conference yesterday. I said that, critically, the response is in the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (2 Jun 2022)

Eamon Ryan: No one is saying that. The Deputy should recognise that no new data centres have been approved since September 2020. I have been very clear. EirGrid and the CRU have both recognised that in terms of the development of that industry. Digital industries here employ more than 140,000 people and we need to hold onto those jobs. The industry recognises that, as EirGrid, the CRU and I, as...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (2 Jun 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The Climate Action Plan 2021 sets out where we are going. The plan will be revised and assessed this autumn. We learn by doing. This will make for a better country. Waving fingers at or blaming people is no good. Doing this as a device of politics whereby someone is identified as being to blame or having responsibility does not work. This country is well placed to make the leap. One...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Wind Energy Generation (2 Jun 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The key measure for the development of offshore wind will be the acceleration task force that I mentioned in reply to the previous question. We have four or five key tasks to do in offshore renewables. We have to give the consent now for the first phase of the offshore wind projects, get them through planning - some of them will get through and others will not - and get them under contract...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Wind Energy Generation (2 Jun 2022)

Eamon Ryan: My understanding is that the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage recently announced the appointment of Captain Robert McCabe as chairperson of the seafood offshore renewable energy working group. This group will dovetail with this acceleration task force so, yes, it is starting its work. The scale and the speed required are beyond compare. In the context of these...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Wind Energy Generation (2 Jun 2022)

Eamon Ryan: This phase will not include offshore floating wind projects, but phase 2 and phase 3 certainly will. As we go into the western waters, where it becomes deep very suddenly, these facilities will have to be floating in order for them to work. Close to shore, there is not as much depth. There is real development-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Wind Energy Generation (2 Jun 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The consents in the phase 2 process must be agreed in the next two and a half to three years. That is the timeline so that we meet our 5 GW target by the end of the decade. The third phase, or the enduring regime, is where this really opens up. Returning to what we were discussing earlier, with many of these projects, the potential deployment of offshore renewables for hydrogen so...