Results 27,721-27,740 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Housing Issues (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: I welcome the publication of the Engineers Ireland review of housing and infrastructure in Ireland. While housing and housing standards are issues that fall under the remit of the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, a number of recommendations do have relevance for programmes and initiatives on which my department leads. Improving the energy efficiency of a home, in line...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Adaptation Plans (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 389 together. I published the Government's Climate Action Plan on 17 June. The plan sets out, for the first time, how Ireland can reach its 2030 targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and also put Ireland on the right trajectory towards net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Plan represents a significant step-up in ambition, with a target abatement...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: In accordance with the April 2017 Commitment Agreement signed between eir and my Department, my officials engage regularly with eir in relation to its ongoing rural fibre deployment of high speed broadband to 300,000 premises. According to Quarter 1 2019 figures verified by my Department, the company has passed 250,965 premises as part of this deployment. According to information provided by...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Wind Energy Generation (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: Ireland has some of the best offshore renewable energy resources in Europe at 900,000 square kilometres. Because of Ireland’s location at the Atlantic edge of the EU, it has more offshore energy potential than most other countries in Europe. There is enormous potential for Ireland to utilise these resources to generate carbon free renewable electricity. The Climate Action Plan launched...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Adaptation Plans (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: I published the Government's Climate Action Plan 2019 on 17 June. The plan sets out, for the first time, how Ireland can reach its 2030 targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and also puts Ireland on the right trajectory towards net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Plan has been strongly informed by the ground-breaking work of the Citizens Assembly and the work of the All Party...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: The purpose of the National Broadband Plan is to ensure that over 1.1 million of our citizens in rural Ireland have the same opportunity to participate in the digital society as citizens living in urban areas. The availability of ubiquitous high speed broadband will bring significant benefits in areas of enterprise, employment, e-Health, e-Education, smart farming, regional development and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Competition Law (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment has no function in this regard. Enforcement of Competition Law in the European Union is a matter for the European Commission in the first instance. At national level, where there is a suggestion that an entity is abusing a dominant position, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has responsibility for enforcement.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Offices (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: There are a total of 86 bike parking spaces in my Department's two Dublin offices. Staff in the Department's Wexford office share bike spaces with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government staff who are the main tenant for that office. Locker and shower facilities are available in each of these offices. The number of bike and locker spaces is kept under review and will be...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Ministerial Transport (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: The car I use in the performance of my duties is a Hyundai Ioniq, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV). This car is a private car which is not owned by the state.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 394 and 402 together. The renewable energy sector has undergone a considerable transformation over the last 10 years, with the share of renewable electricity generation more than doubling to 30.1% in 2017. However, we must step up the scale of our ambition even further in order to meet our climate ambitions. In the Climate Action Plan, I have set a target of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Usage (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 395 and 400 together. The average daily electricity demand requirement in Ireland is approximately 79 GWh (gigawatt hours). In the period from May 2018 to April 2019 non-fossil-fuel renewables (including hydro) accounted for approximately 33% of our total electricity demand. This information is available on EirGrid’s website and updated on a monthly...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Generation (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: In 2018, approximately 20,751 GWh of electricity was generated in total from fossil fuels (including non-renewable wastes) and this represented 67.5% of electricity generated. As set out in the All of Government Climate Action Plan which I have recently launched, Ireland is committed to reducing CO2 emissions from the electricity sector by 50–55% relative to the projections under...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Wind Energy Generation (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Climate Action Plan launched recently sets out the necessary policy measures to help meet our 2030 targets, cut our reliance on fossil fuels and put Ireland on a clear pathway to meeting our 2050 objectives. The Climate Action Plan includes a suite of actions to decarbonise the electricity sector and boost the quantity of renewable generation in order to meet our target of 70% of demand...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Efficiency (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Climate Action Plan has identified a target carbon abatement range for each of the key sectors that contribute to Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions: Electricity, Enterprise, Built Environment, Transport, Agriculture, Forestry and Land Use, Waste and the Circular Economy, and the Public Sector. The Built Environment will reduce its carbon emissions through a range of measures...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: In the Climate Action Plan I have set a target of 70% for renewable electricity by 2030, to make Ireland a leader in responding to climate change. Analysis and modelling to underpin the Plan had regard to Marginal Abetment Cost Curve analysis and comparative international data. The Plan identifies a range of technical, regulatory, legislative and economic factors that arise in going to this...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) have estimated that, in 2018, approximately 9,289 GWh of electricity was generated in total from non-fossil fuels (excluding hydro) and this represented on a normalised basis 30.8% of gross final consumption of electricity. In the All of Government Climate Action Plan which I have recently launched, Ireland will be stepping up ambition in the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: The National Broadband Plan aims to ensure that every home, school and business in Ireland has access to high speed broadband. Since December 2015, the number of premises with access to high-speed broadband in Co. Kildare has increased by 10,409. In total, the number of premises in Kildare with access to high speed broadband is now 78,421, which equates to 84% all premises in the county....

Seanad: Climate Action Plan: Statements (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Senators for tabling this debate. I do not need to tell people in the House that it is probably one of the most important challenges that face humanity. As we reflect on a decade during which the country has achieved extraordinary things, as we reformed our Constitution, changed our outlook and brought an economy from bankruptcy back to full employment, which were fantastic...

Seanad: Climate Action Plan: Statements (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: I thank all the Senators for participation in the debate. I will respond to their points as best I can. Senator Leyden suggested electrifying rail lines. We will examine all technologies, but the point I tried to make at the outset is that we have looked at technologies based on what we know of them and how they will evolve over the next ten years and picked those that are most cost...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electric Vehicles (9 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: There are currently over 650 standard public charge points and 78 fast chargers as a part of the ESB eCars network. A map showing these charge points, including their status and availability, is available on the ESB's website at . The operation and maintenance of charge points is a matter for ESB eCars and therefore not in the remit of this Department. However, Department officials have...