Results 31,561-31,580 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with Chairperson of the Health and Safety Authority (25 Oct 2023)

Richard Bruton: I congratulate Ms Byron on her appointment and on her work in the public service over a long period. She mentioned the importance of an evidence base. How do we compare internationally, either sectorally or globally, particularly in the problem sectors like construction and agriculture? Should we be doing better in some of these spheres and are there lessons to be learned? Undoubtedly,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with Chairperson of the Health and Safety Authority (25 Oct 2023)

Richard Bruton: There is the question of interrogating this issue of balance. We can have a perfect standard that can only be reached in a pristine environment using virgin material. We can have that standard and say it is the Rolls Royce standard. However, if we want to reuse material and bring it into a workshop, ipso facto, we cannot get that Rolls Royce standard. We are in a different environment. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with Chairperson of the Health and Safety Authority (25 Oct 2023)

Richard Bruton: I am thinking about the waste stream and building is a good example. Only 11% of material thrown out is even recycled let alone recovered into reuse streams. Reuse is something less than 1%. Unfortunately we do not have a high health and safety standard in construction. As far as materials handling goes, we might have good practice but it is not a sustainable practice. This is not a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with Chairperson of the Health and Safety Authority (25 Oct 2023)

Richard Bruton: Does Ms Byron want to comment on remote working? It is a real and present issue. We are all working in home environments now. Who has responsibility? What is the role of the HSA? It is hardly going into a home.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with Chairperson of the Health and Safety Authority (25 Oct 2023)

Richard Bruton: How is the HSA tackling it now?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with Chairperson of the Health and Safety Authority (25 Oct 2023)

Richard Bruton: Are we in a good place or are we in a catch-up?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with Chairperson of the Health and Safety Authority (25 Oct 2023)

Richard Bruton: I think I have exhausted my time. If I may ask two final questions, what are the HSA's KPIs? I do not mean for Ms Byron to go through them now but I would be interested to see what KPIs the authority follows. On the issue of high-risk settings, how does the HSA deploy its inspectors to make sure it is going to them? Is there a fairly sophisticated model of risk assessment and deployment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with Chairperson of Enterprise Ireland (25 Oct 2023)

Richard Bruton: First, I congratulate Mr. Carey on his appointment and wish him very well. Like Deputy Stanton I thank him for bringing his very substantial range of skills to bear on this. I would also like to join Mr. Carey in thanking Terence O'Rourke for his service before him. According to the back of my envelope, in his time, employment in Enterprise Ireland companies went from 140,000 to 220,000,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Engagement with Chairperson of Enterprise Ireland (25 Oct 2023)

Richard Bruton: Food production, Mr. Carey's own sector, may not have a name for having a high impact but if we look at food waste, the food supply chain and methods of food production, the truth is it has a much greater impact on biodiversity, climate and so on than is often thought. We need to look at these supply chains and consider original strategies and good opportunities to ask how sustainable our...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (26 Oct 2023)

Richard Bruton: 8. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform what programmes of public expenditure will be subject to evaluation in the coming year; and whether this process needs to be reformed [46962/23]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Expenditure Policy (26 Oct 2023)

Richard Bruton: 14. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform whether the budgeting process operated by his Department promotes innovation to a sufficient extent. [46963/23]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Climate Change Policy (26 Oct 2023)

Richard Bruton: 63. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline the top priorities in 2024 for carbon emission abatement in agriculture, in marine and in forestry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46964/23]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Functions (26 Oct 2023)

Richard Bruton: 83. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline the environmental standards and nature protection provisions his Department oversees; the level of activity of enforcement in each case, covering inspections, issuing of notices and prosecution; and if he plans to step up activity. [46965/23]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Infrastructure (26 Oct 2023)

Richard Bruton: 121. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the standards that apply to radiation emissions from telecommunication masts; if different standards apply where they are in close proximity to residential areas, and if the standards applied are updated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47120/23]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Chair and our witnesses for the presentations, which were excellent. The fourth of the citizens' assembly's recommendations reads, "The responsibility for the implementation and enforcement of biodiversity related legislation, directives and policies by all state bodies and agencies must be made clear, with each body/agency held publicly accountable for their performance." Which...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: Does that mean that they are being held publicly accountable? The assembly certainly took the view they are not being held publicly accountable to an adequate standard. I am asking. I do not who the person is who ought to be-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: How does the EPA compare with its counterparts in other jurisdictions? In other jurisdictions that are more effective, are there greater powers in respect of local authorities, farm inspectors or whoever it is the EPA here feels ought to be pulling up their socks? Are there more powers in other jurisdictions than the agency has here? It seems as though the EPA is saying more should be...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (7 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: 49. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress made to date in rolling out a capital programme for childcare and putting in place a development agency for the sector. [48354/23]