Results 25,121-25,140 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Prices (26 Apr 2023)

Eamon Ryan: Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1854 on an emergency intervention to address high energy prices came into force in October 2022. This Regulation seeks to address windfall gains in the energy sector through a temporary solidarity contribution based on taxable profits in the fossil fuel production and refining sectors and a cap on market revenues of specific generation technologies in the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Prices (26 Apr 2023)

Eamon Ryan: The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) was assigned consumer protection functions under the 1999 Electricity Regulation Act and subsequent legislation and has statutory responsibility for the compliance by energy suppliers with their consumer protection obligations. The electricity and gas retail markets in Ireland operate within a European Union regulatory regime wherein...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (26 Apr 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I last met with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities on the 2nd of March. A wide range of issues were discussed, including the decarbonisation challenge, energy security, as well as electricity and gas sectoral issues.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Prices (26 Apr 2023)

Eamon Ryan: On 31 August 2022, the CRU presented to the Energy Security Emergency Group results of modelling on hypothetical retail electricity price scenarios. These scenarios examined the possible impact on Estimated Annual Bills (EAB) that a household may face from a theoretical supplier across Q4’ 2022 to Q3’ 2023, given the increased volatility in wholesale gas prices following the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (26 Apr 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 65 together. 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 the provision of bus stops and bus shelters. Noting the NTA's responsibility in the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (26 Apr 2023)

Eamon Ryan: 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 the procurement of the national bus fleet. Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Prices (27 Apr 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I thank the Deputy for the question. Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1854 on an emergency intervention to address high energy prices came into force in October 2022. This regulation seeks to address windfall gains in the energy sector through a temporary solidarity contribution based on taxable profits in the fossil fuel production and refining sector and a cap on market revenues of specific...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Prices (27 Apr 2023)

Eamon Ryan: The systems we have in place, including the CRU, are designed to protect consumers exactly in the way the Deputy outlined. In recent years, where there were instances of bill amounts not being correct, refunds were given to the customers involved as soon as the errors were discovered. The CRU's regulatory context, like those of so many of our other regulatory bodies, has been dramatically...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Prices (27 Apr 2023)

Eamon Ryan: We will look at every option, but whatever we do must be within European law. We cannot enact measures-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Prices (27 Apr 2023)

Eamon Ryan: We will look and see, as I said, at what other governments have done. We must ensure that what we do is within European law. To answer the Deputy's first question, I met representatives of every one of the 13 supply companies we have over the past year of this crisis, and paid particular attention to what they were doing to protect their most vulnerable customers. People at risk of being...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Prices (27 Apr 2023)

Eamon Ryan: As I said, if there are any instances of that happening, where a bill has not been received, it is the job of the regulator to ensure that those companies do meet their commitments and statutory requirements, which the CRU does regulate.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Policy (27 Apr 2023)

Eamon Ryan: In May 2021, the Government published its policy statement on the importation of fracked gas. This policy sets out that, pending the outcome of the review of the security of energy supply of Ireland’s electricity and natural gas systems, it would not be appropriate for Ireland to permit or proceed with the development of any LNG terminals. Until the review has been completed, this is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Policy (27 Apr 2023)

Eamon Ryan: There has been no change of policy and there is no intention to open any doors or change any previously held position in any way. What I said was true. The war in Ukraine has changed the world, and the issue of having storage as security backup for our country is something that cannot be ignored. That does not mean that we import fracked gas, or do not live within our climate limits and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Policy (27 Apr 2023)

Eamon Ryan: We will have no new fossil fuel infrastructure in this country that sees us breaching our climate limits. We are currently building emergency gas-fired generation, which is new fossil fuel infrastructure, but it is only being agreed on and provided for on a security basis as long as we know it will not lead to us breaching our emissions limits. I would argue that there is an issue around...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Wind Energy Generation (27 Apr 2023)

Eamon Ryan: There are already and will be seven turbines in place at the Arklow wind bank, which have been in place for almost 20 years. Under the climate action plan 2023, the Government has committed to a target of a further 5 GW of installed offshore wind capacity in Ireland’s maritime area by 2030 and a further 2 GW from wind farms, which will be developed for conversion to other power uses....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Wind Energy Generation (27 Apr 2023)

Eamon Ryan: The critical thing in the lifetime of this Government is getting those phase 1 projects, of which there are six on the east coast and one on the west coast, through the auction process and subject to their qualifying on that, into the planning system this year. The timelines depend on An Bord Pleanála, but we are conscious we are in a race with other European countries, or with the US...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Wind Energy Generation (27 Apr 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I very much agree with the Deputy's vision of where we need to go. We were one of the initial leaders in offshore wind and then other countries, as the Deputy says, such as the UK, Germany, Holland and Belgium developed much quicker and much faster. However, we also developed renewables onshore. Within in a European context, we are in the top three countries in integrating new variable...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: International Agreements (27 Apr 2023)

Eamon Ryan: Ireland has expressed strong views within the EU on the compatibility of the Energy Charter Treaty with the Paris Climate Agreement, especially the charter treaty's dispute resolution mechanism. We continue to express our strong views within the EU on these issues. We believe it carries more weight in international negotiations to advocate them as part of the European Union. In 2017,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: International Agreements (27 Apr 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I had meetings last week with some of the nine countries the Deputy mentioned. They were very appreciative of our support and our co-ordinated work with them within the European Union to seek to deliver a withdrawal from the treaty. We are best placed and have most influence in that European Union process to achieve that objective rather than acting unilaterally. However, as I said in my...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: International Agreements (27 Apr 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I do not disagree with the criticisms the Deputy outlined in the first part of her last contribution. However, we are also in the middle of negotiations and discussions with the European Commission on the issue. Various Commission papers are being circulated. It would not be right for us to abandon that process and-----