Results 30,021-30,040 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Commission for Regulation of Utilities Strategic Plan: Discussion (15 Feb 2022)

Richard Bruton: I welcome the representatives of the CRU to the meeting. I am interested in a few issues. The first is smart metering. I understand that almost 1 million smart meters are now in place in the system. Why are customers not being offered the opportunity to avail of off-peak rates and to avail of charging when renewable energy is on the grid? That could spread peak load. Nearly 1 million...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Commission for Regulation of Utilities Strategic Plan: Discussion (15 Feb 2022)

Richard Bruton: How will we help to introduce it and promote it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Commission for Regulation of Utilities Strategic Plan: Discussion (15 Feb 2022)

Richard Bruton: I wish to return to the topic of smart meters again. We have close to 1 million of them in family homes or in other users. How many of those are currently delivering savings, where people are able to use off-peak electricity and renewable electricity? The impression I get is that it is a small number but maybe I am wrong. While there may be GDPR restrictions, it seems that we could...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Commission for Regulation of Utilities Strategic Plan: Discussion (15 Feb 2022)

Richard Bruton: The published figure is 720,000. However, I presume that if the programme is going on, it has gone well up ahead of that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Development of Indigenous Irish Enterprise: Discussion (16 Feb 2022)

Richard Bruton: I am delighted to hear the regional enterprise strategies, which I introduced when Minister, have had a positive impact. There was scepticism about the initiative at that time, but it has proved its value. In the years ahead, it will show that we can consolidate regional development on the basis of strong enterprise. I note from the LEO returns that they had a fantastic year, but...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (15 Feb 2022)

Richard Bruton: 927. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the difficulty in getting a general practitioner to accept new clients in some parts of the country; and if he will establish a system for ensuring cover for such persons who have been declined by their local services given it is essential for public health that there is universal access to a general practitioner for...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Harbours and Piers (15 Feb 2022)

Richard Bruton: 940. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the Howth harbour project; and the progress that will be delivered in 2022. [7599/22]

Citizens' Assemblies: Motion (22 Feb 2022)

Richard Bruton: I am grateful to have an opportunity to speak on this. I welcome the citizens' assemblies on these two very important topics. It is one of the innovations that Ireland has successfully introduced into policymaking. I do not need to remind the House of its path-breaking role in helping constitutional change to occur in this country and introducing climate legislation that puts us very much...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Code (22 Feb 2022)

Richard Bruton: 62. To ask the Minister for Finance if he has received preliminary returns from the local property tax which might shed light on the case for a tax on properties left vacant for a long period; and the issues to be considered in framing such a tax. [9458/22]

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Urban Development (17 Feb 2022)

Richard Bruton: 19. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the make-up of the tool kit for participants in town centre first initiatives; if it will include easy access to the relevant schemes of other Departments such as sustainable energy communities, sports capital grants, connected hubs and business improvement districts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8533/22]

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Urban Development (17 Feb 2022)

Richard Bruton: 37. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the new rapidly growing neighbourhoods developing around cities will be eligible for the town centre first initiative; if they will require a different toolkit from that appropriate to well-established towns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8534/22]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Prevention (17 Feb 2022)

Richard Bruton: 131. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the work to date in the three pilot community safety areas; the indicators that are being used to establish the success of the approach; if there are early findings; and when the lessons and approaches introduced will be seen more widely. [8538/22]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Drug Dealing (17 Feb 2022)

Richard Bruton: 150. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the way that the new policy approach for areas of severe disadvantage which are suffering the ravages of drug dealing has been progressing to date; the indicators being used to establish the success of the approach; if there are any early findings; and the further initiatives that are planned in her Department or across...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Industry (22 Feb 2022)

Richard Bruton: 26. To ask the Minister for Finance the insights that have been gleaned from the new data reporting on insurance claims; and if he has identified scope for adding new actions to the insurance plan based on this information. [9459/22]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Schemes (22 Feb 2022)

Richard Bruton: 138. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has considered the inclusion of standalone grants for windows and doors, which does not seem to be supported as part of a deep retrofit. [9549/22]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Schemes (22 Feb 2022)

Richard Bruton: 139. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if the low-interest loans and the one-stop shop are intended to support all energy upgrades or only those deep retrofits designed to get to a B2 BER rating. [9550/22]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (22 Feb 2022)

Richard Bruton: 435. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has plans to extend DEIS status to new schools; if so, the scale of the planned extension; and the manner in which new schools will be chosen. [9256/22]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Educational Disadvantage (22 Feb 2022)

Richard Bruton: 436. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has assessed the disadvantage status of a school (details supplied) which was one of the schools selected from among those not in the DEIS scheme for inclusion in the expansion of the free school meals; and if the school was close to being placed on the same scale as schools which now have disadvantaged status. [9257/22]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (22 Feb 2022)

Richard Bruton: 464. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to extend the uptake of computer science as a leaving certificate option in as many schools as possible; if there is a team working on developing requirements in terms of equipment and the upskilling of staff needed to deliver same; the extent to which Ireland’s base of leading-edge information and communications technology...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (22 Feb 2022)

Richard Bruton: 480. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her Department’s approach to discussion at the Workplace Relations Commission on the pay and conditions for school secretaries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9818/22]