Results 26,561-26,580 of 26,787 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Select Committee on Transport: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (25 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: That will be a controlled area in Dublin. It will be across bus, rail and Luas. It will be tested across the three different services. When I say rail, I am including DART and commuter rail. That is aimed for and is the best advice I have now. When the Deputy brought forward his Private Member's motion we discussed this at some length. That is the phase one piece of the in-use testing...

Select Committee on Transport: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (25 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: That will follow in July. It will probably be the end of July. When I agree a final settlement on behalf of the Department of Transport, that will be an overall figure that we will transpose and will filter down into the Vote. By the time we see it, it is hoped in July, we will know the overall figure for the Department in capital and current funding, subject to us getting the agreement...

Select Committee on Transport: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (25 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: They receive that from the Department of Transport.

Select Committee on Transport: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (25 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Not to my current knowledge. I have been down in Adare and at many of our roads projects. I have gone down and visited the teams and been very impressed with what is being done there. BusConnects, by the way, will be critical. We will start one or maybe two of those projects. They will be going into construction this year. It is really significant because it will show that...

Select Committee on Transport: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (25 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: This has not been raised directly with me yet. I welcome that the committee is meeting the road hauliers. For the next bilateral meeting we have at transport level, which will be in the autumn, it might be helpful, after the committee meets the hauliers, to write to me formally. I will raise it. There is a certain process to getting things on the agenda at bilateral meetings. The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Meetings (1 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has established the National Energy Affordability Taskforce with the objective of identifying, assessing and implementing measures that will enhance energy affordability for households and businesses, operating within the broader policy context set by the Programme for Government and the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021. I chaired the first...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Data (1 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, I am the competent authority for the purposes of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive. This authorises me as Minister to prepare Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP) proposals and make DMAPs. Section 20 of the Maritime Area Planning Act, 2021 specifies the process for the designation, by me as the Minister, of other public bodies to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Sustainable Development Goals (1 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Preparations are underway for the upcoming High-Level Political Forum taking place shortly at the UN Headquarters in New York. This year’s theme for the Forum is “Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda and ensuring that no one is left behind.” An outcome of the UNHLPF will be the Ministerial Declaration, to be...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Meetings (1 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: To assist in the achievement of our national and EU climate and energy targets, the Government has committed to supporting the production of up to 5.7 TWh of indigenously produced biomethane annually by 2030. A first step to realising this ambition was the publication of the National Biomethane Strategy, which sets out 25 key strategic actions and outlines the necessary supports needed to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Environmental Policy (1 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: In line with the agreed sectoral emissions ceilings, Government has committed to supporting the production of up to 5.7 TWh of indigenously produced biomethane annually by 2030. A first step to realising this ambition was the publication of the National Biomethane Strategy which sets out 25 key strategic actions and outlines the necessary supports needed to drive growth across the biomethane...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Environmental Policy (1 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: To assist in the achievement of our national and EU climate and energy targets, the Government has committed to supporting the production of up to 5.7 TWh of indigenously produced biomethane annually by 2030. Delivery of this target, and the use of biomethane within our energy system will have multiple cross-sectoral benefits for Ireland’s economy, energy security and emissions...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Meetings (1 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I have not, as yet, had the opportunity to hold a meeting with the National Biogas Concern Group.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Meetings (1 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I can confirm that I have had the following engagements with the Environmental Protection Agency since my appointment. I met with EPA Director General Laura Burke, Director Eimear Cotter and Programme Manager Mary Frances Rochford on Monday 3 March 2025. I also met Eimear Cotter, Mary Frances Rochford and EPA Inspector Suzanne Monaghan on Wednesday 21 May 2025. Officials from my...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (1 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: All Phase One offshore wind projects have submitted applications for planning consent to An Bord Pleanála. I am aware that three of these projects have received requests for further information from An Bord Pleanála. The timeline for determinations on planning applications is a statutory function of An Bord Pleanála in accordance with the Planning and Development Acts. On...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Contracts (1 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has one contract which falls within the category specified by the Deputy. Supplier Contract Value Contract Expenditure (Inc VAT) Term Expiry Date Discontinued PHD Media (Ireland) Ltd. €20,000,000 €11,644,553 3 years 07/12/2024 No The information...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Data Centres (1 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Environmental Protection Agency have provided estimates of the annual emissions generated by all existing data centres currently operating in the State in each of the past ten years, in tabular form (available in the attached excel table). These estimates are based on the latest information available to the Environmental Protection Agency which are from two sources:EU Emission Trading...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fishing Industry (1 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has spent a great deal of time in the preparation and drafting of Heads of Bill for our new Inland Fisheries (Consolidation) Bill. It is not possible, however, to estimate precisely the number of hours spent on this Bill due to turnover of staff and restructuring of work areas that deal with this project since 2013. The new Inland Fisheries (Consolidation) Bill is highly...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Invasive Species Policy (1 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister, I am concerned with the threat posed by the presence and spread of all non-native invasive fish species in Irish waters including those in Lough Inagh, County Galway and Lough Melvin, County Leitrim and the impact they pose to our native fish population species and our ecosystems. The management of any species in a particular fishery is an operational matter for Inland...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fishing Industry (1 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I do not accept the Deputy's characterisation of inland fisheries policies. As a matter of fact it is a time of enormous opportunity for the inland fisheries section of my Department and for Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) more generally. My Department is progressing the development of a draft policy framework for the Inland Fisheries sector, while IFI is also progressing its 2026–2030...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fishing Industry (1 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer the Deputy to the written response given to Question 136 on Tuesday 22 October 2024, which stated: Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is currently reviewing the Conservation of and Prohibition on Sale of Coarse fish Bye-Law No. 806 of 2006 and the Conservation of Pike Bye-Law No. 809 of 2006 as part of an extensive work programme on relevant Bye-Laws that are in existence for over 10...