Results 26,901-26,920 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2023: Second Stage (25 Oct 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I will finish on this. ESB Networks will also, on the effective dates, notify suppliers of the sums they will transfer to them for the purposes of the scheme.

Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2023: Second Stage (25 Oct 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I very much regret that I had to leave briefly to attend to other business but I am very glad to have heard a good number of Deputies from the Opposition and Government benches. I very much appreciate what I sense is their support for this Bill. While recognising that it is a very speedy process, where we were not able to have pre-legislative scrutiny on the Bill, I believe the public would...

Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Oct 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I move amendment No. 5: In page 7, line 9, to delete “assigned”. I will address amendments Nos. 5 to 7. Following publication of the Bill, an anomaly was found within the text of section 4 "functions of the distribution system operator" in relation to this No. III scheme. This amendment is required to enable the distribution system operator, DSO, to notify each supplier...

Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Oct 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I move amendment No. 6: In page 7, line 11, to delete “and”.

Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Oct 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I am afraid I cannot accept proposed amendment No. 10, which relates to section 6 of the Bill and the review by electricity suppliers for customers who did not receive payment under the scheme. While I very much thank the Deputy for the suggested additions, I do not intend to accept them. The proposed amendments of Part 3 and Part 4 seek to include a limit of 28 days for a supplier to...

Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Oct 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I thank Deputy O'Rourke. Section 10 of the Bill requires the CRU to report to me as Minister on the performance of the distribution system operator and electricity suppliers in their respective functions under the legislation. We also intend to have a post-enactment scrutiny report, to be published approximately 12 months after the passing of the Bill. Under the energy poverty action plan...

Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Oct 2023)

Eamon Ryan: Yes. It was the shock.

Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Oct 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I thank the Deputies opposite for allowing the speedy passage of the Bill. Irish householders will be appreciative of it. While the Leas-Cheann Comhairle was reading out the Title I was watching how the officials were literally following the letter of the law because that is what we are drafting. This legislation is not insignificant. It is a €1 billion payment to the Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Consultations (25 Oct 2023)

Eamon Ryan: My Department has not facilitated any briefings from the organisations listed during the period indicated. The information requested regarding the agencies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for each Agency. I will request the relevant bodies to reply directly to the Deputy with the information requested in respect of their organisation.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Air Quality (25 Oct 2023)

Eamon Ryan: The national air quality monitoring stations are operated, maintained, and monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme. My Department has provided funding for a significant upgrade to the network in recent years and, as a consequence, the number of monitoring stations has increased from 29 in 2017 to 114 today. The expansion will...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Forestry Sector (25 Oct 2023)

Eamon Ryan: There is no contradiction between the replies of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and myself as cited by the Deputy. Both responses, on the basis of the information provided, were correct at the time they were made. The first response was issued in August 2022 and was in relation to the planting of native trees in special protection areas (SPAs) under the previous forestry...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (25 Oct 2023)

Eamon Ryan: The independent review by Mr Dermot McCarthy into the circumstances requiring emergency measures to be introduced to secure electricity supply has been received and is under consideration by my Department. An initial draft of the report was received in November 2022, and a final version submitted to my Department in January 2023. Given the progress on related work programmes to address...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Schemes (25 Oct 2023)

Eamon Ryan: The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme (WHS) delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to homeowners who receive certain welfare payments, which make them vulnerable to energy poverty. Delivering free energy upgrades to these households as quickly as possible is a top priority for my Department and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). There are a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Schemes (25 Oct 2023)

Eamon Ryan: The Domestic Solar PV grant scheme under the Micro-generation Support Scheme (MSS) is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. The scheme came into operation in February 2022 and built on the success of the previous pilot version of the grant scheme. Since 2018, the SEAI has supported the installation of Solar PV systems for over 29,456 homes, with demand for the domestic...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Schemes (25 Oct 2023)

Eamon Ryan: The Domestic Solar PV grant scheme under the Government's Micro-generation Support Scheme (MSS) is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). The grant is available to applicants who own houses built prior to 2021. The scheme came into operation in February 2022 and built on the success of the previous pilot version of the grant scheme. As part of the transition...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Schemes (25 Oct 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 42 to 44, inclusive, together. Through the Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Schemes I and II, payments of €176.22 (exclusive of VAT) and €550.47 (exclusive of VAT) respectively, were paid to domestic electricity accounts between January 2022 and April 2023. In relation to the first scheme, €379,347,208.02 was transferred to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Functions (25 Oct 2023)

Eamon Ryan: The National Parks and Wildlife Service within the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has the primary responsibility for nature conservation, wildlife protection and the presentation and preservation of our National Parks and Nature Reserves. My Department is responsible for setting the policy and legislative framework within which the key environmental regulators, the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Consultations (25 Oct 2023)

Eamon Ryan: To date, my Department has not received any briefings on any issue from the above organisations. I have asked the aegis bodies to respond directly to you on this matter and if you do not hear from them within 10 days you should contact my office.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (25 Oct 2023)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. In both of those areas there have been significant developments since this Government came into office, with last year's publication of a new Sustainable Mobility Policy and its five-year action plan providing strong policy support to the continued expansion and enhancement of bus...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (25 Oct 2023)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in...