Results 26,341-26,360 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Adaptation Plans (23 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: In addition to contributing to decarbonisation of the heat, transport and electricity sectors, anaerobic digestion also has the potential to reduce emissions for the agriculture and waste sectors and reduce transport emissions by offsetting the use of fossil fuels. The REFIT3 support scheme, which is funded by the public service obligation paid by electricity consumers, has supported...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (23 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: I have recently received a mandate from Government to begin the preparation of a new All of Government Plan to bring about a step change in our climate ambition over the next decade, and beyond. My vision is that this new Plan will set out the actions which must be taken to make Ireland a leader in responding to climate change. It will have a strong focus on implementation, including actions...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Brexit Staff (23 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Government’s contingency planning for Brexit was initiated well in advance of the UK referendum in June 2016. As Minister for Communications, Climate Action, & Environment, I continue to oversee intensification of preparedness and contingency planning for the wide portfolio under my remit. Last month the Government published a Contingency Action Plan, setting out its...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Postal Services (23 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: An Post is a commercial State body with its own Board. Decisions relating to the commercial aspects of the business, including pricing strategies, are an operational matter for An Post.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (23 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: The 2015 Energy White Paper Ireland's Transition to a Low Carbon Energy Future sets out a road-map for Ireland to reduce its Greenhouse gas emissions by 80-95% by 2050. The strategy is clear that non-renewable energy sources will make a significant – though progressively smaller – contribution to our energy mix over the course of the energy transition. The National Mitigation...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: I welcome the opportunity to update the House on the status of the national broadband plan and the progress of this initiative towards its goal of ensuring high-speed broadband to all premises in Ireland, regardless of location. The Deputy will be aware that the national broadband plan, NBP, has both a commercial element and a State intervention element. The commercial element has...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: We are very clearly a lot further on. A detailed final bid was submitted in September. It is a comprehensive bid to deliver a broadband plan. The Deputy asks why my officials and I are taking so much time to evaluate this. I think he himself the other evening raised questions, as did numerous other Deputies, about issues such as the robustness of the technology, the deployment strategy,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: I am sure anyone would have preferred that the five bidders who originally entered into the process stayed right to the end, but as Deputy Dooley knows, the number reduced to three and, in turn, they reduced to one. That is the nature of any procurement process. Having just one bidder left required far greater due process by the State to ensure that the State interests are protected. That...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware, the procurement process to appoint a bidder for the State intervention network is now in its final stages, with the bidder's final tender with my Department officials for assessment. As I have noted in my previous response, the Government's priority is to bring the procurement process to a fair and impartial conclusion as quickly as possible and I will bring a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: It is important to bear in mind that it was open to any bidder to enter the process. As Deputy Stanley is aware, the ESB was previously part of a consortium. There is no sense in which anyone was excluded, State-owned or otherwise. It is also important to bear in mind that under state aid rules, state aid cannot be given to a commercial venture. State aid cannot be given to either a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: We are not as far away today as we were a year ago. The reality is that we have a final bid submitted by the bidder at the end of the process. I have heard various comments of concern and that is the reason I and my officials are taking the time to tease through this to make sure that any recommendation I make is made on the best advice possible. It is not true to say that the State was in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy missed earlier exchanges that might have answered some of his questions. I ask the House to forgive me if I am being repetitive. As I said in response to earlier questions, the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment has received a final tender submission from the bidder in respect of the ongoing procurement process for the national broadband plan. My...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: I have indicated that I will not be in a position to clarify costs until we have completed the process. The Deputy will understand that people who are considering tenders do not talk about those tenders ahead of a decision. That is normal practice. The Deputy has expressed concern about a change in the composition of the bidding consortium. There has been a very detailed pre-qualification...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy has to remember that we have had a competitive process. There was more than one bidder in the early stages. We have had to contend with the withdrawal of some of those who initially entered the process. That has been the reality. As a result of that, to meet the concerns that Deputy Mattie McGrath's constituents are expressing to him, which concerns were eloquently expressed...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Food Waste (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: Globally, it is estimated that one third of all food produced for human consumption is wasted each year. In Irish households, food waste is costing about €700 each every year. Ireland aims to halve food waste by 2030 in line with the United Nations sustainable development goals and the EU’s circular economy action plan. In Ireland, we waste nearly 1 million tonnes of food...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Food Waste (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: I am reviewing all of these matters to determine how we can enhance our performance here. A 50% reduction is going to require huge improvements. Food bins are not universally deployed currently which means that is one area to examine. There is significant contamination of bins currently. The relatively high rate of contamination can compromise the recyclability of materials. That is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Food Waste (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: We will certainly look at it if the Deputy has ideas as to how that could be dealt with. Over one third of waste is at the producer end which reflects practices like that. Whether the discards can be recycled into other material such as animal feed or whether they can get into the consumer chain, I am happy to look at any suggestion from players in the field. I intend to meet with...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Electric Vehicles (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 18 together. I thank the Deputy for the very relevant questions. Providing adequate charging infrastructure is critical to ensure the continued growth in the uptake of electric vehicles. There are currently 668 standard public charge points in the ESB's ecars network and a further limited number provided by local authorities and retail outlets....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Electric Vehicles (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: Heretofore, charging points have been free and unlimited but the ESB has signalled that this position will not continue to obtain indefinitely. As such, it is entering into consultations with stakeholders on the introduction of fees for fast chargers later in the year and for standard chargers in 2020. The expectation is that many more entrants will come into the market when the service is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Electric Vehicles (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: On the question of ownership, the Deputy is right that the regulator temporarily suspended ESB expansion of the network. That suspension has been lifted, however, and the ESB is undertaking a new expansion under a new dispensation from the CRU. The decision is one of an independent regulator and I am not aware of any requirement to divest. The Deputy is undoubtedly right about the...