Results 27,921-27,940 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Climate Change: Statements (19 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: It is an entirely ideological position that is not a response to any of the demands we face, given that the Deputies had that position long before the demands appeared. They still have that position and will probably continue to have it in the years to come. Deputy Harty made a thoughtful intervention in indicating where there are true opportunities. There is no doubt we have ten times...

Just Transition (Worker and Community Environmental Rights) Bill 2018: Second Stage [Private Members] (19 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputies for presenting this Bill and I indicate to the House that I will not be opposing it on Second Stage. However, I will be pointing out a number of issues that will have to be closely considered before any money message could be granted for the Bill.

Just Transition (Worker and Community Environmental Rights) Bill 2018: Second Stage [Private Members] (19 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: The position in the climate action plan we have produced is that we recognise there are clear obligations on Government to lead, there is a need to have effective policies designed, there needs to be fairness in the transition and there needs to be citizen empowerment. Those are the four pillars on which the plan is built. They are interlocking and they are not to be siloed off into...

Just Transition (Worker and Community Environmental Rights) Bill 2018: Second Stage [Private Members] (19 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputies who participated in the debate. There is a great deal of consensus in the House to have proper systems of consultation; workers protected; evaluation of new opportunities in the decarbonised economy and enterprise agencies supporting those; development of appropriate skills and reskilling of people who need to be re-skilled; funding set aside to support not just...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Inland Fisheries (19 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 186 to 189, inclusive, together. I am advised by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) that they are not aware of a project with the reference no. NSADF-17-003. Project no. NSADF-17-014 provided funding for equipment for a youth angling initiative designed to facilitate access to angling activity. The project involved no physical works and therefore did not require...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Efficiency (19 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: The national project to upgrade our public lighting will greatly assist Local Authorities in meeting their energy efficiency objectives under the Public Sector Energy Efficiency Strategy and the carbon and higher energy efficiency objectives set under the Climate Action Plan. The Public Lighting Upgrade Project involves most of Irelands Local Authorities and is being steered by an advisory...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (19 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 191 and 192 together. Every home, farm, school and business in Ireland will have access to high speed broadband – no matter where they are located – following the Government’s decision to approve the appointment of a preferred bidder to the National Broadband Plan. Under this plan, Ireland will become one of the first countries in the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Staff Data (19 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 193 and 194 together. Under Section 4 of the Official Secrets Act, 1963 each civil servant is prohibited from communicating official information unless they are authorised to do so in the course of, and in accordance with, their official duties, or where it is their duty in the interest of the State to communicate it. Every Civil Service employee signs...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (19 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: Every home, farm, school and business in Ireland will have access to high speed broadband – no matter where they are located – following the Government’s decision to approve the appointment of a preferred bidder to the National Broadband Plan. Under this plan, Ireland will become one of the first countries in the world to ensure that those in rural areas have the same...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electric Vehicle Grants (24 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 399 and 426 together. The electric vehicle purchase grant, introduced in April 2011, provides grant aid of up to €5,000 towards the purchase of a new battery electric vehicle or new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. From the introduction of the scheme to the end of August 2019, grant support has been provided for the purchase of a total of over 8,000...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electric Vehicles (24 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 400 to 404, inclusive, together. There are currently over 650 standard public charge points and 90 fast chargers (the majority of which are operated by the ESB) in Ireland. A real-time map showing the ESB charge point locations, including the status and availability of these charge points, is available on the ESB's website at .The ESB has provided a breakdown...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Living Wage (24 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: My Department currently has 25 staff members who earn less than €12.30 gross per hour. The additional cost to my Department of implementing a wage of €12.30 per hour would be approximately €85,303 per annum inclusive of employers pay related social insurance (PRSI). The information requested in relation to the agencies under the aegis of my Department is an...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Illegal Dumping (24 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: My Department has introduced a number of measures to target illegal dumping and to strengthen efforts to improve waste enforcement generally. These include: - The provision of an annual waste enforcement grant of €7.4 million to support the recruitment and retention of 150 local authority waste enforcement personnel across the country; - The establishment of Waste Enforcement...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (24 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: Under the European Union (Household Food Waste and Bio-waste) Regulations 2015, household waste collectors are required to provide, or arrange for the provision of, a separate collection service for food waste from households in designated brown bin areas. In accordance with the Regulatory Impact Assessment prepared for these Regulations,the roll-out of the brown bin has been phased in on a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electric Vehicles (24 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: The analysis undertaken for the Climate Action Plan shows the need to switch from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles in tandem with decarbonising our electricity system in order to achieve our 2030 emissions reduction target. For this reason the Climate Action Plan includes a target of 936,000 electric vehicles on the road in Ireland by 2030 in addition to a target of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Disposal Charges (24 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: Waste Disposal Charges (24 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 410 to 416, inclusive, together. My Department does not hold up to date data on the numbers of persons being supported by the various schemes referred to by the Deputy as these schemes are not administered by my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Warmer Homes Scheme (24 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 417, 418, 427 and 428 together. The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme provides energy efficiency upgrades to the homes of people living in or at risk of energy poverty. The Scheme is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department. These upgrades are provided free of charge to the homeowner. This year I initially...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Better Energy Homes Scheme Expenditure (24 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 419, 421, 422, 429, 431 and 432 together. The residential energy efficiency schemes administered by the SEAI are funded by my Department. This year, I have allocated approximately €100 million to these schemes. The Better Energy Homes grants are available to homeowners for insulation, heating controls, heat pumps, solar PV and solar thermal hot water...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Schemes Data (24 Sep 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 420 and 430 together. On 31 July 2018, a new micro-generation scheme to support domestic customers who install solar photovoltaic panels in their homes was introduced. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) administer the Solar PV scheme. The available grant rate of support is indicated in the table below. System Support Maximum support Solar PV...