Results 27,821-27,840 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Nuclear Safety (6 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: Between 1973 and 1992, the Nuclear Energy Board (NEB) was the organisation in Ireland responsible for matters relating to ionising radiation, including any radiation measurements taken in the aftermath of the Chernobyl incident. Those functions are now the responsibility of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the retention of specific records and their publication is solely a matter...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (6 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: This Government is committed to leading the way in reducing single use plastics and is working both at a national and European level to tackle this matter. The Government’s recent Climate Action Plan will step up ambition in this area and contains a specific action to scope a number of possible environmental levies including on single use plastics, as part of a review of the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Schemes (6 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1473 and 1474 together. The consultation/assessment process for both Projects NSAD-17-003 (Erriff Bank Protection) and Project SCF-17-0005 (Carrowniskey) included the following elements - A screening for Appropriate Assessment for the proposed works; - the submission of screening to the National Parks and Wildlife Service; and, - consultation with the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Schemes (6 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: A screening for appropriate assessment was carried out in relation to the proposed works included in project reference no. SCF-17-0026 (Crolly River). This assessment concluded that there would be no significant impact on the Natura Sites in the vicinity of the works. I can provide a copy of this assessment to the Deputy for his information. This assessment cost €2,398.50 including...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (6 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prepares inventories of past, and projections of future, greenhouse gas emissions for Ireland on an annual basis. Inventories and projections are compiled by the EPA according to international standards to meet EU and UN reporting obligations and to inform national policy development. The EU Effort Sharing Regulation, which entered into force on 9...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (6 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Climate Action 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 confirms that afforestation will have a key role to play in delivering emissions reductions and helping Ireland to achieve its 2030 targets. It commits, under Action...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (6 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: The South Dublin County Council Tallaght District Heating Scheme project is one of the seven successful projects under the first call for applications from the Climate Action fund. The Climate Action Fund is overseen by an Advisory Board which is chaired by my Department and includes representatives from the Department of Housing Planning and Local Government; the Department of Transport,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Ministerial Advisers Data (6 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: This information is published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on their website.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Mining Licences (6 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1480 to 1483, inclusive, together. It is the policy of my Department not to issue Prospecting Licences (PL) within the boundaries of National Parks as published by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). My Department has redrawn the boundaries of existing Prospecting Licences so that they do not overlap with National Parks’ boundaries. As...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Inland Fisheries (6 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1484, 1506 and 1507 together. The existing Bye-law No. 806 of 2006 provides for persons to take and kill up to 4 coarse fish per day. These provisions apply throughout the State. There is no reference in secondary legislation related to inland fisheries to “Statutory Instrument 906”. However, I assume the Deputy is referring to Bye-law...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electric Vehicles (6 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1485 and 1518 together. The following table provides data on new vehicles licensed for the first time over the last ten years in Ireland which is available from the Central Statistics Office. The data shown include the total number of new vehicles, the number of new battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and the number of new plug-in hybrid electric vehicles...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Heat Incentive (6 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Support Scheme for Renewable Heat has been developed to financially support the adoption of renewable heating systems by commercial, industrial, agricultural, district heating and other non-domestic heat users not covered by the EU Emissions Trading System. The first phase of the scheme, an installation grant for heat pumps, opened for applications in September 2018. Following EU...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Warmer Homes Scheme (6 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Warmth & Wellbeing Scheme is a joint policy initiative between my Department and the Department of Health under the Government’s Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty and the Healthy Ireland Framework. The main aim of the Scheme is to validate, in an Irish context, the strong international evidence that making homes warmer, drier and more energy efficient can have a positive...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Warmer Homes Scheme Waiting Times (6 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme provides energy efficiency upgrades to the homes of people living in or at risk of energy poverty. These upgrades are provided free of charge to the homeowner. The Scheme is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department. The initial Warmer Homes Scheme budget allocation for 2019 was €24 million....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Television Licence Fee Collection (6 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Broadcasting Act 2009 provides for both civil and criminal enforcement powers to tackle TV licence fee evasion. The legislation is being amended to provide for a public procurement process for licence fee collection. A tender will issue as soon as the enabling legislation has been enacted. It is intended that the successful bidder will have a fixed term contract of 5 years which will...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Prospecting Licences (6 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1490 and 1550 together. A Prospecting Licence application was made to my Department by MOAG Copper Gold Resources on 27 November, 2018. The application requests consent to prospect in a number of townlands in County Galway. This application was published in the Connacht Tribune on 6 June 2019 and was open for public consultation for a period of 30 days. ...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Data (6 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: The NBP process has, by its nature, involved a significant level of interaction with each of the bidders that participated in that process since Competitive Dialogue commenced in July 2016. This has included over 800 hours of meetings with all bidders since that date. This procurement process is ongoing, with continued meetings with the Preferred Bidder to ensure all necessary financial and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (6 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: The premises referenced by the Deputy is in the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map, which is available on my Department's website at . The AMBER areas represent the target areas for the proposed State led Intervention under the NBP.This intervention is the subject of the procurement process to engage a company to build, operate and maintain the NBP State...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Data (6 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: As I advised the Deputy in reply to Question No. 2280 on 23 July last, the NBP process has, by its nature, involved a significant level of interaction with each of the bidders that participated in that process, including more than 300 meetings to date between the NBP Procurement Team and representatives of the Preferred Bidder since Competitive Dialogue, which forms part of the procurement...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (6 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: My Department keeps appraised of new technology advances on an ongoing basis through regular industry engagement, expert advice and international industry conferences. The recent emergence of Low Earth Orbit satellites as a technology is being monitored by my Department.