Results 25,841-25,860 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Policy (15 Jun 2023)

Eamon Ryan: We are not going to go outside the EU regulation. We are always best legally and in every which way to work in tandem with EU regulations. On the flexibility allowed under those regulations, can the Deputy show me a country that has put a higher rate on the market cap mechanism?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Policy (15 Jun 2023)

Eamon Ryan: No. Our rate is significantly higher. It is based on very good analysis. Our wind resource tends to be stronger than that of any other jurisdiction.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Policy (15 Jun 2023)

Eamon Ryan: We have gone further than any other government in looking to derive revenues from this. However, I have to say one thing. We should not have any false expectations as to the scale of the revenues involved or their impact on the overall area of energy policy.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Policy (15 Jun 2023)

Eamon Ryan: When this was originally established by decisions in Europe and by our own Government, gas market prices were at a level at which we might have expected much larger revenues. As the Deputy said, since then and in the first six months of this year, the price of gas on the wholesale market has fallen dramatically. That will see a much lower level of revenue from what was always designed as a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Policy (15 Jun 2023)

Eamon Ryan: We are working under the European regulation.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Wind Energy Generation (15 Jun 2023)

Eamon Ryan: The national marine planning framework was adopted by Government in 2021 as Ireland's first marine spatial plan. Later in 2021, the Maritime Area Planning Act was enacted. Under the Maritime Area Planning Act, a new maritime area consent, MAC, regime for offshore energy projects was developed over the course of 2022 by my Department. I awarded MACs to seven phase one projects in December...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Wind Energy Generation (15 Jun 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I believe we can, and will. It is not just 2030 that is the key milestone. The reality is that the real big prize is a significant development on the west, north-west and south-west coasts, in our sea areas and sometimes our land areas, where we have some of the highest wind speeds in the world. The development of these coasts are very important. We need that to help power our economy and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Wind Energy Generation (15 Jun 2023)

Eamon Ryan: We are not alone in this complex issue. When I talk to my German, Dutch, Belgium and British colleagues, every one of them faces the similar constraint issue. They also have the issue of the optimisation of various competing environmental objectives. The European Commission increasingly recognises that. We have to optimise where we develop offshore wind and ensure the wider environment is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (15 Jun 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I will not repeat the written response I read earlier. More widely, we live in a time when people are naturally very concerned. Looking at what is happening in the global weather climate system at present, there is much real concern at the dramatic increase, outside any historic precedent, of the temperatures in the north Atlantic. The ongoing degradation of the Antarctic and Arctic ice...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (15 Jun 2023)

Eamon Ryan: It is very challenging because it is very complex. In response to an earlier question I made the point that there is good news from Brussels today in that the European environment committee has voted through the nature restoration law. I expect that at the Council meeting next Tuesday, when we will be there representing the Irish position, it will also go through. It will then go through a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (15 Jun 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I agree with this. It is exactly in line with what I was saying. We cannot be punitive or point the finger. It has to be remunerated, supported and voluntary. I will give several more examples. An area where I see real progress is in the work done by Bord na Móna and others on State land where we are rewetting up to 30,000 ha. We will do this in the lifetime of the Government....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (15 Jun 2023)

Eamon Ryan: In fairness to Deputy Ó Murchú he has been very assiduous and diligent on following this issue. The SEAI-led national heat study found that district heating can deliver enough decarbonised heat to meet a significant portion of Ireland's renewable heat targets. In this context district heating schemes are large-scale systems that are supplied by one or several centralised or...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (15 Jun 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I will have to wait for the completion of the report. I do not want to second-guess it. The independent group has to conclude its work. As I said, there is a distinction, which we discussed earlier, between group central heating systems and district heating. We will, in all likelihood, need both. In my mind, the real large-scale development is on the district heating side. The real...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (15 Jun 2023)

Eamon Ryan: We have to be careful. There are real benefits and advantages to many communal heating systems. I was at the SEAI energy show a number of months ago. It was interesting to see how it is evolving, including new ground-sourced and air-sourced heat pumps. A whole range of different technological innovations are happening.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (15 Jun 2023)

Eamon Ryan: There can be real benefits from communal heating systems as well as from district heating. We just have to make sure-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (15 Jun 2023)

Eamon Ryan: If there are particular circumstances where market price volatility really seems to be shooting up, I think communal heating systems as well as district heating can be designed in a way that gives some of that stability. We have to be careful we do not throw the baby out with the bathwater. There are real benefits of communal heating systems. We just need to get the design and technology...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Electricity Grid (15 Jun 2023)

Eamon Ryan: Work is under way on a number of initiatives in this vein as outlined in Climate Action Plan 2023, CAP23. That plan includes a commitment to carry out a public consultation on private wires, and a deadline for publication of quarter 4 of 2023 has been set. The policy area of private wires is broad in nature and, as such, detailed consideration must go into formulating the consultation to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Electricity Grid (15 Jun 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I met EirGrid, the ESB and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities recently. Therefore, this issue is at the top of our agenda and minds at the moment. The Deputy is right that the grid is key in this transformation. Having a flexible grid of a sufficient scale is vital. I will pick out three examples of what we are learning from that. First, I have huge confidence in EirGrid. We...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Electricity Grid (15 Jun 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I expect it to be concluded before the end of this year. I will have to come back to the Deputy on exactly how long it will take to put in the regulatory systems. I will finish on the third point I was going to raise, which addresses the Deputy's question, in a sense. It comes out of recent conversations with EirGrid on its shaping of our electricity 2.0, as it were. Very good work has...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (15 Jun 2023)

Eamon Ryan: Significant work has been undertaken over the past two years to develop the regulatory framework to enable the construction and operation of offshore wind farms and associated infrastructure. The national marine planning framework was adopted by the Government in May 2021 and is Ireland’s first marine spatial plan. The Maritime Area Planning, MAP, Act was enacted in December 2021 and...