Results 28,601-28,620 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Nature Restoration Law: Statements (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The timelines are roughly similar. To go back to what the Minister of State said, this review of land is not to tell an individual farmer or forester this is what they must do or else. It is to try to get an assessment of what is happening and to try to make sure we align our incentives with rural development, the future of farming and the protection of the natural world and system. The...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Air Quality (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: National air quality monitoring stations are operated, maintained, and monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme (AAMP). My Department has provided funding for a significant upgrade to the network in recent years, and the number of monitoring stations has increased from 29 in 2017 to 116 today. At present there are no plans...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: On 13 December 2022 Government approved a new Energy Poverty Action Plan. The Plan is available at www.gov.ie and sets out a range of measures to ensure that those least able to afford increased energy costs are supported and protected to adequately heat and power their homes. The implementation of the Action Plan is being monitored by a cross-departmental inter agency Steering Group, chaired...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: A new plan-led approach to offshore renewable energy was adopted by Government and approved by the Oireachtas in May 2023. Central to this plan-led approach is the requirement that all future offshore wind developments in Ireland, not already granted a Maritime Area Consent, must be situated in marine areas identified by the State for the purpose of generating energy, and located within...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The most recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inventory figures show that Ireland's emissions fell by 1.9% between 2021 and 2022. While the EPA will not publish its inventory figures for 2023 until later this year, emissions are expected to have fallen once again. These emissions reductions demonstrate Ireland's ability to reverse emissions growth and to build momentum towards meeting...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Offshore Exploration (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Under the Government’s policy on Petroleum Exploration and Production, published in August 2022, those holding existing authorisations can continue to apply to progress through the standard licensing lifecycle stages towards a natural conclusion, which may include expiry, relinquishment production or rejection. On the 6 October 2023, Europa Oil and Gas (Inishkea) Limited...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The upcoming offshore renewable energy (ORE) Future Framework Policy Statement is the long-term model and vision for Ireland’s plan-led approach to offshore renewable energy. It maps out how Ireland can create a flagship offshore renewable energy sector to achieve our climate and energy targets beyond 2030, while also bolstering the energy security and prosperity of the State. The...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Recycling Policy (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: A national Deposit Return Scheme or DRS has been introduced for single use PET plastic bottles and aluminium and steel cans. DRS aims to boost the recycling rate for these beverage containers by charging a small, refundable deposit to customers at the point of sale. Materials included in the DRS are those for which Ireland faces immediate, challenging EU recycling targets. The EU Single...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Government approved and published the 'Energy Security in Ireland to 2030' report, its supporting Annexes and work programme of 28 actions last November. The comprehensive report concludes that Ireland’s future energy will be secure by moving from a fossil fuel-based energy system to an electricity-led system, maximising our renewable energy potential, flexibility and being...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action Plan (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The National Dialogue on Climate Action (NDCA), led by my Department, is the central vehicle to engage, enable, and empower people to participate in taking climate action and inform climate policy. Populations vulnerable to the transition to carbon neutrality, including specific groups with persons with disabilities, are actively engaged through the NDCA via focus groups and workshops as...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action Plan (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Local government has a key role to play in implementing mitigation and adaptation measures to meet Ireland’s national climate targets. Local authorities have been given an expanded mandate to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions through the statutory requirement to prepare Local Authority Climate Action Plans (LA CAPs). The LA CAPs represent a new opportunity to further embed...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Recycling Policy (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Re-turn, the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) operator, has introduced an end-to-end IT system to support the DRS and provide real-time data on how the scheme is operating. Data being collected by Re-turn from reverse vending machines includes information on rejections and this is being closely monitored to understand the reasons why containers are being rejected and to ensure any issues are being...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Illegal Dumping (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Codes of Practice were formally approved on the 14th December 2023 by my colleague Ossian Smyth TD, Minister of State at the Department of Environment, Climate & Communications. The relevant sections of the Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act allowing for the use of CCTV under the Waste Management Act and Litter Pollution Act and the use of other Mobile Recording...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Recycling Policy (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Producing or attempting to produce counterfeit barcodes or labels is against the law and will be treated as attempted fraud, with any evidence passed to the relevant authorities for further investigation. Re-turn, the DRS operator, works alongside producers and retailers to ensure the integrity and smooth operation of Ireland’s Deposit Return Scheme. In the specific case of a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Defective Building Materials (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Homeowners eligible for works under the Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) scheme may apply for energy upgrade grants administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Homeowners’ whose applications are in line with the existing SEAI Scheme criteria and guidelines can access SEAI grants in line with the usual application processes that apply. Further information in that...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Strategies (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Ireland’s strategic approach to the Circular Economy is currently set out in the Whole-of-Government Circular Economy Strategy 2022-2023. The Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022 provides a statutory basis for future iterations of the Strategy, and also requires that such iterations include sectoral targets aimed at promoting circularity in relation to the following...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Air Quality (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Air Pollution Act 1987 (Solid Fuels) Regulations 2022 (S.I. No. 529 of 2022), which took effect from 31 October 2022, introduced minimum quality standards that apply to all solid fuels distributed throughout the State. This is to ensure that the most polluting fuels can no longer be made available on the Irish market and to assist the public in transitioning to less polluting...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: In December 2022, my Department published Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy which supports the ambition outlined in the National Digital Strategy and sets out a number of ambitious targets, including that: all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028 all populated areas will be covered by 5G no later than 2030, and digital connectivity...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: In December 2022, my Department published Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy which supports the ambition outlined in the National Digital Strategy and sets out a number of ambitious targets, including that: all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028; all populated areas will be covered by 5G no later than 2030, and digital connectivity...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Grid (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The National Smart Metering Programme will roll out and install 2.1 million meters by 2025 and in the process make available new products and services to energy consumers. It is co-ordinated by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) with ESB Networks (ESBN) delivering the electricity meter rollout on the ground. The meter replacement programme is taking place on a phased basis and...