Results 27,541-27,560 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (12 Dec 2023)

Eamon Ryan: Through the first two Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) auctions, my Department has provided pathways and supports for communities to participate in renewable energy projects through the application of a community projects category and also through the requirement of a mandatory community benefit fund for all RESS projects. Through my Department’s continued engagement...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Grid (12 Dec 2023)

Eamon Ryan: Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity market is a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) which is an independent regulator, accountable to a committee of the Oireachtas and not the Minister. The CRU was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the Irish electricity sector following the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act, 1999 (ERA) and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Grid (12 Dec 2023)

Eamon Ryan: Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity market is a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) which is an independent regulator, accountable to a committee of the Oireachtas and not the Minister. The CRU was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the Irish electricity sector following the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act, 1999 and subsequent...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Schemes (12 Dec 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I refer to the reply to Question Nos 110 of 28 November 2023 and 23 of 29 November 2023. The project specified is part of the Renewable Energy Feed In Tariff (REFIT) Scheme, which closed for new applicants in 2015; this scheme does not include a specific requirement to establish a Community Benefit Fund. The current Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS), which commenced in 2020,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Data (12 Dec 2023)

Eamon Ryan: The EU Single Use Plastics (SUP) Directive, adopted in July 2019, obliges Member States to establish Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Schemes for a range of single use products, including tobacco filter products containing plastic. The Single Use Plastics Regulations (SI No 516 of 2021) were signed in October 2021, completing the transposition of the SUP Directive. Under these...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Contracts (12 Dec 2023)

Eamon Ryan: Capita Business Support Services Ireland, trading as Eircode, was awarded the contract to develop, implement, maintain and promote the National Postcode System "Eircode" on an initial ten-year period which is extendable at the discretion of the Minister for a further five years, in December 2013. Minister Ryan wrote to Capita in March of this year notifying them of his decision to extend the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Bodies (12 Dec 2023)

Eamon Ryan: An integral part of the Land-use Review is consideration of how land users and other relevant stakeholders should be engaged with in the on-going production of the knowledge base; the co-creation of a shared vision of the transition in land use; the formulation of priorities that will inform a national land-use strategy; and the design of evidence-based and collaborative plans and actions. ...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Legislative Programme (12 Dec 2023)

Eamon Ryan: Ireland ratified the Aarhus Convention in 2012 and over 60 pieces of legislation have been used to implement this. The Convention governs environmental justice rights, and is formed by three aspects, or ‘pillars of the Convention’ namely, Access to Information on the Environment; Public Participation in Decision-Making in Environmental Matters; and Access to Justice in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Policies (12 Dec 2023)

Eamon Ryan: In accordance with the Public Service Management Act 1997, my Department will provide an Annual Report for 2023 in the first half of 2024 which will set out key policy achievements and initiatives undertaken during 2023. This will be published on gov.ie when available. In the interim, information on policy achievements and initiatives across the broad remit of my Department throughout 2023...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Just Transition (12 Dec 2023)

Eamon Ryan: Funding of €1 million was awarded to the project concerned under the National Just Transition Fund, on condition that matching funding of €2.1 million, or 68% of the total project cost, be secured. The grant agreement with this project, concluded in January 2022, anticipated a final completion date for the project as 31 December 2023, with final payment drawdowns facilitated...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (12 Dec 2023)

Eamon Ryan: Under the Climate Action Plan 2023, Government has committed to generating 80% of our electricity demand from renewable sources by 2030, which includes achieving at least 5 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030. To date, Ireland has one operating offshore wind farm, Arklow Bank Phase 1, which was commissioned in 2004. As major capital infrastructure projects, offshore wind farms...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (12 Dec 2023)

Eamon Ryan: According to estimates from EirGrid and ESB Networks (the System Operators), 186 MW of onshore wind and 488 MW of solar energy generation capacity has been delivered so far in 2023. The System Operators regularly publish information on the renewable installed capacity (MW) connected per month at the following links: www.eirgridgroup.com/customer-and-industry/general-customer-...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Invasive Species Policy (12 Dec 2023)

Eamon Ryan: The upcoming Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2023will be confined to providing for relevant matters relating to the native Atlantic salmon. Officials from the Environmental Protection Division in my Department and IFI are continuing to consider the position regarding the regulation of pink salmon in this jurisdiction.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Data (12 Dec 2023)

Eamon Ryan: The Deputy will note that it was proposed to have such a meeting in July 2023 but due to the limited availability of many of the participants to attend at this time, it was therefore deferred to September.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Conservation (12 Dec 2023)

Eamon Ryan: In order to assist with the achievement of our retrofit targets, the Programme for Government, Climate Action Plan and the National Retrofit Plan committed to the introduction of a new residential retrofit low-cost loan scheme. The Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme was developed by my Department in conjunction with the Department of Finance, the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Legislative Measures (12 Dec 2023)

Eamon Ryan: Directive (EU) 2022/2555 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2022 on measures for a high common level of cybersecurity across the Union, amending Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 and Directive (EU) 2018/1972, and repealing Directive (EU) 2016/1148, also known as the NIS 2 Directive was agreed last December and published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 27...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Data (12 Dec 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 to 136, inclusive, and 166 together. The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to low-income households vulnerable to energy poverty. The budget allocation for the Scheme this year is €148.5 million (full details of the annual capital allocations and expenditure under the Scheme since 2020...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Data (12 Dec 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 137 and 138 together. The Climate Action Plan and National Retrofit Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2 and to install 400,000 heat pumps in existing buildings by the end of 2030. In February 2022, the Government approved a package of supports to make it easier and more affordable...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Data (12 Dec 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 139 and 159 together. The Microgeneration Support Scheme (MSS) was approved by Government on 21 December 2021, to support Ireland’s ambitious targets for micro-generation installation under the Climate Action Plan 21. The MSS provides supports to both domestic and non-domestic applicants, in the form of grants for Solar PV installations, which are...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Data (12 Dec 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 to 142, inclusive, together. The Climate Action Fund (CAF) does not receive a Voted allocation. It receives income from multiple sources as set out below. Increases in revenues paid into the CAF are dependent on external factors. For example, income from the NORA Levy would require either an increase in the levy rate or an increase in oil use across the...