Results 12,981-13,000 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Eamon Ryan: Yes, it is per energy unit that we are short.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Eamon Ryan: It is a direct payment. Certain countries will benefit. Those countries with a surplus, in other words that achieved more than what was set out in the European targets, will get a direct benefit from the Exchequer. It will bring us into compliance, and the focus must now be on meeting our climate emissions targets in the next decade so the same event does not happen again.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Eamon Ryan: We expect to have it paid before the end of the year. There is a small additional amount that might run into next year. It depends on the final balance, namely, on what our renewables achievement is this year. It is hard to be exact. We expect a much smaller amount, perhaps single figures, next year depending on the final outcome this year. We know that at least €50 million will...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Eamon Ryan: There was an increase in staff in the Department this year and there will be a significant increase next year. We need to increase the ability of our administration to deliver the targets we are setting ourselves, particularly in the area of energy. It will not just be in the Department but also in agencies such as the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, which needs a significant...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Eamon Ryan: The budget increased from €4.85 million in 2019 to €5.753 million in 2020. Across the Department, an additional 31 staff were recruited, 14 of whom were in the energy section and eight in the climate section. Regarding the two other areas with a big increase in demand in the Department, seven staff were taken on in respect of the national broadband plan and two in respect of...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Eamon Ryan: I remember this arising when I was in this job ten or 12 years ago. It became a significant issue in that a survey at the time showed very serious levels of poisoning and pollution from historic legacy mining in the area. If I recall correctly, the Avoca River had very high levels of cadmium, arsenic and other pollutants associated with mine sites. It was discovered that the mine shafts...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Eamon Ryan: The companies participating in the petroleum frontier exploration licences are required under the licensing terms for offshore oil and gas exploration, development and production of 2007 to pay an annual contribution to the petroleum infrastructure fund. The expanded offshore support group is in place to support the funding of research and applied research projects that have the aim of...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Eamon Ryan: The subhead provides for Ireland's subscriptions to a range of international organisations in the natural resources sector. It includes contributions to the International Lead and Zinc Study Group, Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, International Union of Geological Sciences and EuroGeoSurveys. I presume the International Lead and Sink Study Group is included because Ireland has one of the...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Eamon Ryan: I do not believe there was any contraction in the staff or activities of Inland Fisheries Ireland. It is a critical agency that manages our inland fisheries. It has quite a large staff complement. There is quite a large number of staff right across the country managing our inland waterways, policing the system and protecting the key salmonoid rivers, the great western lakes and other key...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Eamon Ryan: I am afraid I will have to ask my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, to come back to Deputy O'Rourke directly on this matter because it comes under the Minister of State's remit and the Department with responsibility for local government and heritage. On a related issue, and to update Deputy O'Rourke with information on current North-South co-operation, we had a good meeting...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Eamon Ryan: LAWCO?

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Eamon Ryan: I agree with Deputy Whitmore that Inland Fisheries Ireland is a hugely important agency. The quality of our fisheries is as good a marker and test as any of what we are achieving on water quality and biodiversity protection in a variety of different ways, the acidity of our water reflecting land use and forestry and so on. I suggest, with the arrival of a draft new corporate plan for...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Eamon Ryan: The landfill remediation grant programme was established in 2006 in recognition of the need to provide financial support to local authorities in addressing legacy landfill sites across the State. The programme aims to ensure the regularisation of historic and other identified landfill sites in order to militate against any potential harm posed by such sites to the environment and human...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Eamon Ryan: Where there are real difficulties, such as that one in Galway and the one in Kildare, that need remediation, the approach of the Department and this fund is to allow the State to be able to support and intervene. I understand it is primarily a matter for local authorities' management. Like the Deputy, I am aware of a number of cases. In my constituency, historically, we had a problem on...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Eamon Ryan: I do not have any information on that. I will ask the Department to revert to the Deputy if it is on the programme in any way.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Eamon Ryan: Since 2003, the Department has been engaged in this support. It has provided €115 million over that period of 17 years. It provided €5.7 million last year. It supports the provision of local authority waste enforcement staff under the local authority enforcement measures grant scheme. This grant scheme facilitates local authorities in enforcing national waste legislation...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Eamon Ryan: On subhead E3 and the EPA, it is total funding of €43 million for the EPA. It was the capital allocation the Deputy was referring to of €11.7 million. That covers a variety of different projects with which the EPA is engaged. On the issue of air quality, I ask the Deputy to bear with me a second.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Eamon Ryan: The Department is currently finalising Ireland's national clean air strategy. It is a policy framework which will recognise the positive impact of existing Government plans but will have to identify and promote additional integrated measures to reduce air pollution and promote cleaner air. It will involve the development of a regional approach to air quality and noise enforcement, and a...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Eamon Ryan: The fund of €10 million was to support the seven projects which were approved for funding up to €77 million. The shortfall arises because some of them have been delayed in planning or have taken longer than might have been expected. For example, the district heating scheme in Dublin has not advanced as quickly as we might have liked and neither has the use of district heating...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Eamon Ryan: There are plans to scale it up in a variety of ways. I refer, for example, to the action being taken in the midlands to deliver the just transition fund. The €6 million fund is divided into two phases. This year there was a series of projects. Typically, smaller projects were agreed and supported for funding in September. We expect to see a second round of larger projects agreed...