Results 14,841-14,860 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Warmer Homes Scheme (4 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The SEAI Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to low income households vulnerable to energy poverty.  In 2020, the average value of the energy efficiency measures provided to a household under the Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme was over €14,800. Work in relation to recommendations on the implementation of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (4 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Government is committed to an average 7% per annum reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions from 2021 to 2030, equivalent to a 51% reduction over the decade, and to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Further clarity on how this ambition will be spread across the decade will be delivered through the provisions of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment)...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Natural Gas Imports (4 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Programme for Government recognises that as Ireland moves towards carbon neutrality, it does not make sense to develop LNG terminals that import fracked gas and commits to developing a policy statement to establish that approach. My Department is in the process of developing the policy statement, which includes consideration of any necessary legal and regulatory provisions. This includes...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Data Centres (4 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I have no function in relation to risk to the state or local authorities in the development of data centers through special purpose vehicles or other means.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (4 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract to roll out a high speed and future proofed broadband network within the Intervention Area which covers 1.1 million people living and working in the over 544,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with 695 schools.Surveying is the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Córas Iompair Éireann (4 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport in Ireland. The CIÉ Group has two pension schemes, namely the Regular Wages Scheme (“RWS”) and 1951 superannuation scheme (“1951 Scheme”). Issues in relation to CIÉ pension schemes are primarily a matter for the trustees of the schemes, the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects (4 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of the relevant local authority in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from Council's own resources supplemented by State road grants, where applicable. In this context, the consideration of transport options is a matter for the relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (4 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 to 31, inclusive, together. As the Deputy is likely aware, the Public Spending Codesets out the requirements for the evaluation, planning and management of public investment projects in Ireland and the Code applies to all public bodies and to all bodies whose projects are supported by Exchequer capital funding. The Codesets out a number of Decision Gates in...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Transport Authority (4 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: As the Deputy is aware, the National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure and services in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) and the making of a transport strategy for the region is a core function of the NTA. The Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2016-2035, which was adopted in 2016, sets out a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Consultation on the National Development Plan (Resumed): Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, and for Transport (9 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I thank the Chairman for the opportunity to discuss the review of the national development plan, NDP. I offer my apologies for being unable to appear two weeks ago due to an extended Cabinet meeting. I understand the committee had a very informative meeting with the Secretary General and officials of one of my Departments. I am pleased to be present today to discuss the NDP further with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Consultation on the National Development Plan (Resumed): Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, and for Transport (9 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The overall roads programme in the existing national development plan, NDP, is very significant, with a huge variety of roads. Many of them may have been committed in the existing NDP without the funding necessarily being clearly available. We will have to face choices in the prioritisation of a variety of transport options because if we were to build everything that is in design or in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Consultation on the National Development Plan (Resumed): Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, and for Transport (9 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Both road projects and public transport. The example the Deputy raised is good. According to the details I have on the road project between the Rath roundabout and Kilmoon Cross, it is estimated to cost between €60 million and €70 million and is yet to go to preliminary business case approval, so it is not at the detailed design stage. The cross-section is a 6 km road, as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Consultation on the National Development Plan (Resumed): Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, and for Transport (9 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Deputy's example was good in the context of what we should prioritise. I might return to the issue of the NTA and TII. We have to review their respective roles continually. TII has great skill at delivering projects. As an example, at a recent meeting we discussed the area of active travel and TII might take a stronger role in that, not just in terms of the regional design offices...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Consultation on the National Development Plan (Resumed): Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, and for Transport (9 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I agree that better regional balance is the key to the national planning framework. I keep coming back to the fact that my first priority is investment in the public transport infrastructure in Limerick, Cork and Waterford. It is critical that the cities outside Dublin have the ability to scale up to counterbalance the excessive development of the east coast versus the south west, the north...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Consultation on the National Development Plan (Resumed): Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, and for Transport (9 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I am glad to hear the Deputy's views on the chairmanship of the Shannon development project. I am nervous about broadening it out too much and having meetings with a variety of different actors or agents because, to be honest, sometimes it is better to listen and talk to people directly. That is what the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, and I have been doing. It is critical that Shannon...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Consultation on the National Development Plan (Resumed): Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, and for Transport (9 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I beg your pardon?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Consultation on the National Development Plan (Resumed): Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, and for Transport (9 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Heritage sites will be an important part of development. They may be matters where local authorities take on a role.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Consultation on the National Development Plan (Resumed): Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, and for Transport (9 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The OPW is an option. My instinct is that the local councils might be a better home for the development of heritage centres but that is the sort of issue that a chairperson and the board will have to decide and act on. The Deputy is right that connectivity for Aer Lingus to the likes of London Heathrow and the east coast of the US is key. My sense of how this will work is that the key...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Consultation on the National Development Plan (Resumed): Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, and for Transport (9 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: They are not small questions. The key thing might be to look at other State services that we could develop through our post office network. Perhaps we could look at other finance instruments, investment, savings or other instruments. The real strength of the post office network is that post offices are trusted intermediaries in local communities. If I correctly recall a Dáil debate,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Consultation on the National Development Plan (Resumed): Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, and for Transport (9 Mar 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The national broadband plan is critical infrastructure. It was obviously affected by the onset of Covid-19 last year and also during the first months of this year. There have been a variety of difficulties, including with contractors coming over from the UK and workers being out because they have tested positive or have been close contacts of someone else who has tested positive....