Results 30,121-30,140 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (24 Mar 2022)

Richard Bruton: Some of my questions have been touched on but I will clarify Senator Daly's point. Teagasc has had a look at various technologies and actions by farmers that could reduce emissions. It has shown what they cost and whether they have a positive benefit for farmers - in other words, whether they are a net gain for the farm, whether they are more efficient and whether everything is better -...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (24 Mar 2022)

Richard Bruton: The whole point of a MAC curve is to show the investments people could make that give the best returns. I do not quite see the logic of dismissing the MAC curve and saying this is automatically good value for money. We need to see the metrics. Our last presentation said it was all about metrics. We need to see what carbon credits, or whatever one likes to call them, this delivers,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (24 Mar 2022)

Richard Bruton: I hear what Mr. Earls is saying. I think the solution is to accelerate Teagasc's work in order that we can make an informed decision but I hear what Mr. Earls is saying.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (24 Mar 2022)

Richard Bruton: I thank Mr. Price very much for the presentation. He is saying that what is happening now is wrong and that it is up to us, as policymakers, to create a new vision. It seems, however, that if we are to deliver the Paris commitments, the political challenge will be to bring communities on board. He seems to be saying that we must set a target to cut the herd, but he is not saying that we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (24 Mar 2022)

Richard Bruton: The short-term impact of methane is very high. In that context, is there not a strong argument for paying a premium for methane reduction? I accept that there is an issue around verification, but is it not a valid vision to suggest that we should pay farmers for methane reductions and that they should decide how they want to achieve them? I accept that farmers who have already engaged in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Challenges: Discussion (29 Mar 2022)

Richard Bruton: I thank the witnesses for the presentations, which were fascinating and go to the heart of many of the challenges we are facing. My first question is to the CRU. At the previous hearings, we heard quite trenchant criticism that the market signals now being provided were not allowing us to develop battery storage, demand management approaches, incentivisation of better use of data centres...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs (5 Apr 2022)

Richard Bruton: 248. To ask the Minister for Finance if the help-to-buy scheme is being extended to persons whose marriages have broken down as well as to first-time buyers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17881/22]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Registration Certificate (5 Apr 2022)

Richard Bruton: 530. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has received a report from the HSE in respect of the backlog in making appointments for marriage notification which have to take place three months in advance; and if she plans to modify the legal obligation or make other changes to tackle this serious problem. [18203/22]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Economic Policy (7 Apr 2022)

Richard Bruton: 9. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the way that his Department is preparing to implement the circular economy ambitions of the Government. [18475/22]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Economic Policy (7 Apr 2022)

Richard Bruton: When the Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022 was published recently, it was disappointing to discover that no obligation will be placed on other Ministers to develop a strategy. It is left to the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, to develop a programme. The Tánaiste is very interested in seeing circular economy thinking...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Economic Policy (7 Apr 2022)

Richard Bruton: While I welcome those general approaches, which are largely EU driven, the reality is that we have the lowest circularity rate in Europe at approximately 1.6%. The average is 11.8%. Only 10% of waste is recovered in the construction sector for any sort of useful approach. If we do not start to dig into the sectors and see what is wrong within them, we will fail. Timber use in construction...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Economic Policy (7 Apr 2022)

Richard Bruton: Would the Government consider supporting an amendment to the Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022 to place an obligation on individual Ministers to report on progress on sectoral strategies under the circular economy heading? It is notably absent from the Bill, even though it is at the heart of the Climate Action and Low Carbon...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Personal Injuries Assessment Board (7 Apr 2022)

Richard Bruton: I congratulate the Minister of State on the progress made on this proposed legislation. PIAB fixes cases in half the time and at one twentieth of the legal cost. Therefore, it is a worthwhile venture. A worrying trend, however, has seen the number of PIAB cases accepted fall from over 50% to 37%. This suggests people are testing the courts and their willingness to implement the quantums...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Recycling Policy (7 Apr 2022)

Richard Bruton: On Deputy Hourigan's point as to whether the Minister of State is willing to strengthen the Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022, I agree that we need a fundamental shift in a series of sectors, including the food sector, but there is no provision in the Bill for imposing any responsibility on Ministers other than the Minister for the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Personal Injuries Resolution Board Bill 2022: Discussion (30 Mar 2022)

Richard Bruton: Will mediation become almost a new route potentially undermining the quantum of damages approach? Will it serve to see an upward drift? Will it be a bit like litigation-lite?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Wind Energy Generation (7 Apr 2022)

Richard Bruton: The Minister will be aware that there has been lively debate on this matter within the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action under its Chairman, Deputy Leddin. I would like to ask the Minister a couple of questions. When does he believe it will be appropriate to have a protected auction for floating wind energy generation capacity? When does he think it would be appropriate for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: General Scheme of the Personal Injuries Resolution Board Bill 2022: Discussion (30 Mar 2022)

Richard Bruton: I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Maher and his staff on bringing forward the Bill. It is important that PIAB becomes more mainstream. As was outlined, cases are settled in half the time and at one-twentieth of the legal costs of other routes. I read reports in yesterday's newspapers that the number of cases being accepted in the PIAB process fell recently from over 50%...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (7 Apr 2022)

Richard Bruton: I add my voice to those wishing Teresa, Noel and Liam well. I have the privilege of representing two of them, so I pass on particularly good wishes to them. I welcome the offsetting measures the Tánaiste has indicated in the context of the May increase in carbon tax. I ask him to look at other measures that could be implemented far more effectively than the bogus and unsustainable...

Sick Leave Bill 2022: Second Stage (7 Apr 2022)

Richard Bruton: I welcome the Bill. The response from some in the Opposition to what we are achieving here is less than fair. Almost 1 million workers in Ireland are without either a sick pay or pension scheme, and this year we will move to remedy in our legislative code both those elements. One thing we have learnt from Covid is how many very important and strategic workers are in precarious positions....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Air Quality (6 Apr 2022)

Richard Bruton: 9. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the Clean Air Strategy; and if it is planned to increase the monitoring of air quality under the strategy. [18568/22]