Results 19,241-19,260 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Air Quality (23 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: Air quality in Ireland is protected by a range of legislation and policies, in line with EU and international policy. If required, legislation can also be introduced by the Minister under the Air Pollution Act (1987). There are no plans at present to introduce new legislation in relation to quarries. The Waste Management (Management of Waste from the Extractive Industries) Regulations 2009...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Recycling Policy (23 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The roadmap for the introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme for plastic bottles and aluminium cans in Q3 2022 was outlined in the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, published in September 2020. I continue to work towards meeting that deadline. In November last year, I signed the Separate Collection (Deposit Return Scheme) Regulations 2021, providing the legal framework for the scheme,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Illegal Dumping (23 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The Anti-Dumping Initiative (ADI) was introduced in 2017 to encourage a collaborative approach between local authorities, communities, and other State Agencies to tackling the problem of illegal dumping. Funding of over €12 million has been provided by my Department under the Initiative, which has supported the delivery of over 1,250 projects nationwide. Details of funding,...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Electric Vehicles (23 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The Deputy will be aware that Ireland has set an ambitious target of 936,000 EVs on our roads by 2030 that reflects the scale of the transformation needed to achieve its climate targets in the coming years. Under the National Development Plan €1bn has been allocated to specific carbon reduction measures, including vehicle electrification. The Government is fully committed to...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Greenways Provision (23 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to Greenways. The planning, design and construction of individual Greenways is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. It is important too that a proposed Greenway has the support of the relevant Local Authority as funding is...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Signage (23 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The legal framework for traffic signage is contained in a number of Acts and Regulations. These include the Road Traffic Acts, the Road Traffic (Signs) Regulations and the Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations. The legal responsibility for public roads is vested in the County Councils and City Councils. These local authorities, in discharging their road functions, are referred...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (23 Feb 2022)

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. It is the National Transport Authority (NTA) that has responsibility for the regulation of fares charged to passengers in respect of public transport services, provided under public service...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Action Plan (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I am happy to make that statement. In 2021, we saw a step-change in our approach to climate action, with the signing into law of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 and the publication of the national development plan, NDP, and the Climate Action Plan 2021. The significantly strengthened legally binding framework established under the climate Act with clear...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Action Plan (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: Finance is not the key obstacle. It is one of the elements we need to have in place but it is not the biggest constraint. The biggest constraint is that we all - public and Government - must engage in a form of system change that takes time, especially with transport, agriculture and energy. With energy, there is probably a clearer, more certain path. All the finance in energy is going to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Action Plan (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The question I come back with is: where are those resources going to come from?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Action Plan (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: Yes, and my answer to that is much of the private finance is already going in this direction. What I say to the food industry and the farmers behind it is if they think that industry is going to be able to survive in this decade if it does not start addressing the ecological crisis we are in then they are badly mistaken because that funding will disappear. It is the same for forestry. We...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Cybersecurity Policy (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The programme budget for cybersecurity in my Department's Vote for 2022 is €5.1 million. That is broken down into €2.5 million in current expenditure and €2.6 million in capital expenditure. While this is the same funding allocation as 2021, it represents a trebling of the budget when compared with 2020. In addition, provision has been made in the Department's Estimate...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Cybersecurity Policy (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I am glad that the Deputy acknowledged that the appointment of Mr. Browne as director of the NCSC was a key appointment. Mr. Browne is well qualified and was centrally involved during the HSE attack last May. I can confirm that we have already brought on board many of the people we want. The NCSC is being moved to new offices that are fully equipped and secure. Further down the line as my...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Cybersecurity Policy (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I agree with the Deputy on the risks in terms of crime as well as national security. It is vital that the Garda cyber unit, the NCSC and our Defence Forces cyber capabilities work. Each has a separate but co-ordinated role. The central co-ordinating role lies with the NCSC. It has to have the best expertise and contacts with international networks in order to assess risks and share...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Prices (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: It is important that we help our people through what is, unfortunately, an historic period of high international fuel prices caused by international events - not just what we now see as the war in Ukraine, but a variety of factors that are outside our control. At the start, the Government's response was to monitor the situation constantly. This year's budget contains significant increases...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Prices (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The Bill to allow for the payment of the credit still has to come back to the Dáil. It was amended in the Seanad this week. Subject to it being able to return to the Dáil, which I presume will be next week, the Business Committee will have to decide. That would bring us into early March. It will have to be signed by the President and the various regulations will have to be put...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Prices (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: On the regulations, my understanding is that they were to be ready in weeks rather than months. I will have to check that and revert to the Deputy. He is correct that our response in reducing our emissions and our dependency on imported gas, regardless of where it is from, has to be in every different location and every school building. We have to avail of every opportunity to make the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Legislative Measures (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: My Department published the general scheme of the circular economy Bill 2021 on 15 June last. It is my intention under this Bill to facilitate not only the use of CCTV but the use of a broad range of audiovisual recording, AVR, equipment to assist local authorities in their efforts to combat litter and illegal dumping. Drafting of the Bill is well advanced and the final report of the Joint...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Legislative Measures (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I agree. In that regard, the circular economy Bill, which will be published within weeks, will be critical. My understanding is that alongside that it is proposed to implement mandatory codes of practice that will ensure relevant data protection legislation is complied with by any local authority. The combination of legislation, non-statutory guidance and the use of mandatory codes of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Legislative Measures (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: That is what we need. An Garda Síochána and the local authorities have been hindered previously for the lack of legislation that provided real clarity on data protection and privacy protection and, at the same time, allowed for enforcement. As I said, the combination of legislation and the codes of practices we propose to introduce will resolve that problem.