Results 17,721-17,740 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Air Quality (4 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Local Authorities will be responsible for enforcing the provisions of the new enhanced solid fuel regulations within their functional areas and will have significant powers available to enable them do so effectively. The Programme for Government also includes a commitment to develop a regional approach to air quality enforcement and an increase in multi-agency operations in order to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Schemes (4 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2, cost optimal or carbon equivalent and to install 400,000 heat pumps in existing buildings over the next 10 years. A new National Residential Retrofit Plan will be published shortly. The Plan is designed to address barriers to retrofit...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Public Service Obligation (4 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 70 together. As previously advised, there are no plans to bring forward a public service obligation at this time. An Post is a commercial semi-state company and it is longstanding Government policy that postal services will not be directly subsidised by the taxpayer. The Government remains fully committed to a sustainable An Post and post office...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Fuel Sales (4 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The new solid fuel regulations are currently being drafted, so it would not be appropriate to provide a detailed account of the legal mechanisms that are being considered regarding sale and supply. The same enforcement procedures will apply to all solid fuels regardless of how they have been placed on the market in Ireland, including through online sales or other forms of advertising....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (4 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Community renewable energy projects will play an important role in delivering up to 80% renewable electricity on the grid by 2030. The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) is the main Government support to help deliver on this target. RESS supports communities in a variety of ways including through a separate category for community projects and a mandatory community benefit fund for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Circular Economy (4 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: In March 2020, the European Commission adopted its new Circular Economy Action Plan. The Plan aims to establish a strong and coherent product policy framework that will make sustainable products, services and business models the norm across the EU, and transform European consumption patterns so that no waste is produced in the first place. As part of this process the Commission intends to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Exploration Industry (4 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: On 30 July 2021 my Department published a Draft Policy Statement on Mineral Exploration and Mining and associated Strategic Environmental Assessment Environmental Report and Appropriate Assessment Natura Impact Statement for public consultation. The deadline for making submissions was 15 October 2021. A number of submissions were received and these are now being considered by my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (4 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) supports communities in a variety of ways including a separate category for community projects and a mandatory community benefit fund for every project supported in the scheme. These supports were developed following a comprehensive research report by Ricardo Environmental Consultancy published in 2017 as an evidence base to support the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Schemes (4 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to low-income households vulnerable to energy poverty. To date, over 143,000 homes have received free upgrades under the scheme. In the first six months of 2021, the average value of the energy efficiency measures provided per household was approximately €17,100. There are...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (4 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 was signed into law in July of this year and commits Ireland to reach a legally-binding target of net-zero emissions no later than 2050, and a cut of 51% by 2030 (compared to 2018 levels). Further to the enactment of the Climate Act, the Climate Change Advisory Council has recently advised proposed economy-wide carbon...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Schemes (4 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Local Authority finance falls under the remit of the Department for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Local Authorities themselves. I have had no engagement with Minister Donohoe on Local Climate Bonds. However, since 2018, my Department has made a five year financial commitment totaling €10 million to establish and operate four Climate Action Regional Offices...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (4 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The recently published UN Emissions Gap Report 2021 includes a chapter examining net-zero emissions targets. The report notes that the increase in net-zero pledges needs to be treated with caution, because as they have become more widely adopted, they have varied in robustness. The UNEP Report states that the scope and convergence of net-zero targets; the existence of implementation plans,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Generation (4 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Operational decisions pertaining to the power station referred to are a matter for the ESB and I have no function in the matter. The quantity of electricity produced by any individual power station is determined primarily through the operation of the wholesale electricity market for Ireland and Northern Ireland, the Integrated Single Electricity Market (I-SEM), which is governed by the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (4 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport, nor decisions on fares. Following the establishment of the National Transport Authority (NTA) in December 2009, the NTA has responsibility for the regulation of fares charged to passengers in respect of public...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (4 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 122 together. As Minister for Transport, I am responsible for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. However, I am not involved in day-to-day operational matters. The Free Travel Scheme is a non-statutory scheme administered by the Department of Social Protection. The query raised appears to relate to Bus Éireann's...

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

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter...

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

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 110, 147, 152, 234, 236, 240 and 241 together. As the Deputies will be aware, the Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area,...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (4 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport, nor decisions on fares. Following the establishment of the National Transport Authority (NTA) in December 2009, the NTA has responsibility for the regulation of fares charged to passengers in respect of public...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Policy (4 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Programme for Government sets out the need for research and development of hydrogen from renewable sources, known as ‘green hydrogen’, for use as a fuel for power generation, manufacturing, energy storage and transport. A Hydrogen Interdepartmental Working Group led by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications was established to inform Ireland's future...

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

Eamon Ryan: As the Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. However, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations and maintenance of public transport. services. As the issue raised is an operational matter for Iarnród Éireann, I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the company for direct reply. Please advise my...