Results 30,661-30,680 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Natural Gas Grid (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The key document here is our energy security paper from November last year, which looked at a whole range of different risks to energy security. That is the place where we say that the only facility we could or would introduce is one that is purely temporary, strategic and security oriented. In those circumstances, where the project is State-led, I believe conditions could be set as regards...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Natural Gas Grid (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I take the Deputy's point that LNG potentially has the same emissions as coal. We will not be increasing our importation of LNG gas. That is agreed. We are not going to breach our climate change targets through any of this. That is an absolute given. That will hold firm in any court, in any debate and in any government, whether a future government or this Government. With a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Regulatory Bodies (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Under section 9F of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999, as amended, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities is responsible for the regulation of gas installers with respect to safety. I refer the Deputy to the CRU, as a statutorily independent regulator, for updates and timelines on this matter in the first instance. The CRU will shortly seek to introduce a statutory instrument to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Regulatory Bodies (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I am reassured by Deputy O'Rourke's comments that some of those concerns may have been addressed. This development has been under consideration for ten years, going right back to 2014 when it was first proposed. In the intervening years, the CRU has carried out a lot of consultation. I can understand why people would be concerned about the implications of any change in their industry but I...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Regulatory Bodies (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Those domestic areas have already been regulated for some time. Deputy Ó Murchú has been consistent in representing his constituents who, during the gas price spike, found themselves facing huge increases, so I am familiar with that. To answer Deputy O'Rourke's question, the options he mentioned, particularly the likes of heat pumps or other renewable sources to provide more...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The programme for Government commits that carbon tax revenues will be used to ensure carbon tax increases are progressive by spending €3 billion on targeted social welfare and other initiatives to prevent fuel poverty and ensure a just transition; to provide €5 billion to part-fund a socially progressive national retrofitting programme; and to allocate €1.5 billion to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I believe we can meet our climate obligations and targets, which we need to do to protect our people from the incredible damage that will be done if we do not stop runaway climate change. The fact that last year, our emissions dropped by 6.8% shows it is possible. It is not just for environmental reasons. There are many social benefits as we make this switch to green. There are also,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I fear that the Deputy's words may be stoking suspicion and are not a true reflection of what is actually happening. First, we will likely meet our target for the number of electric vehicles on the road by the end of next year. I would like to see it higher and faster but we are on track. We are providing infrastructure. This summer, we agreed major investment, which is actually happening...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: We changed the tax code 15 or 20 years ago because we wanted to support lower emissions vehicles.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Thirty-five years ago we read and understood the science of climate change and the need for action.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I would like to see Deputy Murphy supporting-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: What I would love to see Deputy Murphy supporting, as part of this new investment to a green economy, is the investment in Rosslare Harbour. It is at the centre of a new, cleaner way of doing things, including the reintroduction of rail freight and the restoration of the rail line from Wexford to Waterford-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: -----to revitalise both.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: That is the future. It is going green.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Ireland’s all-of-government international climate finance roadmap, published in July 2022, sets out the strategy for achieving our international climate finance targets, which involve more than doubling our funding for developing countries to €225 million annually by 2025. This commitment was made in 2021 by my colleague the Tánaiste at COP26 in Glasgow. Since 2020, we...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: This is very rare, but I disagree with the Deputy. Climate finance is overseas development aid. It fits absolutely within international definitions as well as the rules and spirit of what overseas development aid is about. It is about protecting the most vulnerable. It is, as the Deputy said, bottom up. It is about building resilience. We are good at it in this country because we have a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I agree with the Deputy's latter point. Public finance will be important, but it is going to be challenging because we in the developed world have to extend more and there should also be a broadening of contributors to that. We should be very careful here. Last Friday, I spoke to one of the leaders of one of the African states who is a real expert and a brilliant leader in the area. He...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Conservation (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The community energy grant scheme is part of the Government's national retrofit programme. It aims to upgrade groups of buildings to high energy efficiency and renewable energy standards across communities in an efficient and cost-effective way. Capital funding of €45 million is provided for the scheme this year. The primary objective of the scheme is to support and maximise the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Conservation (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I hear the Deputy's concerns. They are reflected in fact that with an AHB or some similar multi-apartment model, it is a 50% grant, whereas if it is dealing with a commercial rental organisation, REIT or others, it is a 30% grant. I am not so certain about the risks. The benefit is that it will mean lower cost for the tenant. We have a real difficulty in the rental sector. Tenants do not...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Conservation (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I take both recommendations. It is a valid point. We need to monitor, measure and continually adapt. If there are signs that retrofitting is leading to big rent increases, increased evictions or any other such measure, obviously we would have to adjust and see what can be done. It is right to start going into the rental sector, however, and make sure it is not left behind. We need to...