Results 27,901-27,920 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: Under Article 15 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action, Member States are required to prepare, by 1 January 2020, a Long-Term Climate Strategy. This strategy is to have a perspective of at least 30 years and shall include emission reduction pathways in individual sectors.Action 1 under the Climate Action Plan, which I published in June of this...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: The bidder in the NBP was required to demonstrate its capacity to meet the economic, technical and financial pre-qualification criteria as set out in the Project Information Memorandum. In addition, as with other procurement processes, the bidder was required to confirm it has the legal capacity and is not otherwise constrained (including constraints imposed by funders and/or other...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: National Broadband Ireland (NBI) has indicated that the NBP State intervention will take an estimated 7 years from the beginning of deployment. A deployment plan can only be made available by NBI once a contract is signed. As outlined in the Deputy's question NBI is aiming to pass 133,000 premises at the end of the second year, with 70-100,000 passed each year thereafter until roll out is...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 553 to 556, inclusive, together. Successive Governments have underlined the commitment to move from a fossil fuel-based electricity system to a low-carbon power system. Almost two thirds of renewable energy used in Ireland comes from renewable electricity. The Government has published and started implementing the Climate Action Plan, which sets out...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Oireachtas Joint Committee Recommendations (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: Better management of peatlands and soils under Actions 131 to 134 in the Plan will support the protection and enhancement of the carbon sink function of peatland landscapes, including through assessment and implementation of mitigation options on post-production, peat extraction sites, and the implementation of measures for peatlands conservation. The Plan recognises the current position that...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Commission for Regulation of Utilities Remit (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 558 and 559 together. Responsibility for the regulation of the gas and electricity markets is a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU). It is an independent statutory body, solely accountable to a committee of the Oireachtas for the performance of its functions. The Electricity Regulation Act (ERA), 1999, as amended, sets out the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Postal Codes (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: Eircodes are assigned to new property addresses using a valid postal address and verified geo-locations. An Post collects information on new and existing buildings, as well as changes to existing addresses and Ordnance Survey Ireland provides the geo-locations for these buildings. An Post GeoDirectory issues a new release of the GeoDirectory database file on a quarterly basis to Capita...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electric Vehicles (17 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: The All of Government Climate Action Plan, which I launched in June this year, sets out a range of actions to support the delivery of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. These actions include: - introducing a capital support that will be provided to Local Authorities for the development of on-street public chargers; - commencing the ESB Electric Vehicle High Power Charging...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Brexit Preparations (18 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Government has made no decision to move the State’s strategic oil stocks held in the United Kingdom back to Ireland. The National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA) manages Ireland’s strategic oil stocks. Currently, 62% of Ireland’s stockholding is held in Ireland, 14% in the UK (including Northern Ireland) and 24% within other EU member states. NORA’s preference to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Disposal Charges (18 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: My Department has engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representative organisations and public bodies, in an effort to see how best to provide a financial support to persons with long-term incontinence with respect to the disposal of medical incontinence wear. One of the difficulties associated with efforts to deliver a support to date has been trying to accurately estimate the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Better Energy Homes Scheme Administration (18 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: My Department funds the Better Energy Homes scheme which is administered by the SEAI. Works that are grant funded under the scheme, such as the installation of fully integrated heating controls, must be carried out by an installer listed on SEAI’s register of contractors. As Minister I have no function in relation to the registration of contractors. In order to be listed on the SEAI...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Disposal (18 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I have no legislative power to compel a private company to provide a service to specific properties. The obligations on local authorities in relation to collecting household waste are set out in section 33 of the Waste Management Act 1996, as amended. In summary, it provides that each local authority shall collect, or arrange for the collection of, household waste within its functional...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Planning Issues (18 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy is aware Bord na Móna has been an integral part of the commercial and social development of the Midlands for decades, creating significant employment in the region. The company provides approximately 1,000 direct jobs at present, which in turn supports at least another 1,000 indirect jobs. In its strategy to exit peat, Bord na Móna envisages the development and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: EU Programmes (18 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Platform for Coal Regions in Transition was launched in December 2017, as part of the Coal and Carbon-Intensive Regions in Transition Initiative of the Clean Energy for All Europeans Package. The aim of the Platform is to provide support for regions heavily involved in fossil fuel industries and provide opportunities for national, regional, and local representatives and EU staff to...

Climate Change: Statements (19 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I welcome this debate on climate change, which is coming at an appropriate time as thousands of young people in Ireland will mobilise tomorrow in order to raise awareness and demand climate action. The influence young people are having on this debate, in building momentum among older generations to take seriously the scale of the challenge, cannot be underestimated. They are a constant...

Climate Change: Statements (19 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I spoke at length earlier.

Climate Change: Statements (19 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I never write out my speeches.

Climate Change: Statements (19 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: It is perfectly in keeping with the established practice that Ministers can speak to a debate without circulating notes.

Climate Change: Statements (19 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: This is a live show.

Climate Change: Statements (19 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: It will be very difficult to do justice to the many contributions in the space of five minutes. I will start with Deputy Lawless. He criticised Government for what he described as reviews. The last thing the climate action plan should be described as is a review. This is the first time we have had a plan. We have set up an implementation group centrally within the Department of the...