Results 1,981-2,000 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Minimum Wage, Cost of Living and Low Pay Commission Report: Engagement with ICTU (12 Oct 2022)

Richard Bruton: -----for some vulnerable businesses. There is a balance that the Government is trying to strike. That may explain why phasing is an area. People are saying that we should walk out on the ice slowly to make sure that it holds us up.

Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Oct 2022)

Richard Bruton: I am saddened to hear the Rural Independent Group trying to sell snake oil to the Irish public. Its members are saying that the Government should write a blank cheque to foreign energy producers so that those exporting into our market would have their bills underwritten. That is an outrageous proposal.

Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Oct 2022)

Richard Bruton: We have seen the impact that has had in other countries. Furthermore, they want to ignore the impact of wholeheartedly embracing the burning of fossil fuels on the future of our planet.

Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Oct 2022)

Richard Bruton: That will simply damage the future of the people they represent.

Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Oct 2022)

Richard Bruton: I strongly advise people to ignore the sort of counsel being offered by the Rural Independent Group.

Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Oct 2022)

Richard Bruton: The truth is that the Government has struck the right balance in this. The Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, has said that the Government's measures in the recent budget will protect people who are at risk of going into energy poverty. They will be protected from that by the measures the Government has introduced. That is a fact and not something produced by the Government. Of...

Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Oct 2022)

Richard Bruton: The Government is approaching this in a prudent way. We are making sure to protect people, while also pursuing companies that have been making excessive profits. When the Government is deciding on the appropriate tax for the so-called solidarity contribution, I suggest to the Minister of State that we should go to the high end of the permitted scale, rather than down around the 33%. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Council for Special Education (11 Oct 2022)

Richard Bruton: 116. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way that the changes in the resources in the National Council for Special Education planned for 2023 will be deployed for the benefit of families. [49763/22]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (11 Oct 2022)

Richard Bruton: 132. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has adopted a strategy for improving leadership and performance evaluation in schools. [49766/22]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (11 Oct 2022)

Richard Bruton: 187. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has put restrictions on the work of obligated entities to support household energy upgrades; if he will identify these; and the reason that he has introduced those restrictions, particularly at a time when the European Union has demanded urgent and immediate reductions in energy use which can be most easily...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (11 Oct 2022)

Richard Bruton: 520. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person who was unaware of their entitlement to household benefits when over the age of 70 years can claim retrospection to the point at which they turned 70 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50264/22]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Retrofitting Schemes: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (11 Oct 2022)

Richard Bruton: I thank the witnesses for their presentation. We are now in an emergency situation, both in terms of the SEAI recording that our carbon emissions went up in 2021 - which is not surprising as we were coming out of Covid but, nonetheless, we want to see steady progress - and we have a price emergency. In that context, should we be leaning all the schemes offered by the SEAI much more towards...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Retrofitting Schemes: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (11 Oct 2022)

Richard Bruton: How many?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Retrofitting Schemes: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (11 Oct 2022)

Richard Bruton: Those numbers are quite striking. There is low-level opportunity. If we know an area comprises homes built before 1960, we know where they are. Why not use contractors to target every home in poorer energy estates to install cavity wall and attic insulation? It would be very cheap to do and there could be a demonstration effect in older estates by doing a lot of work at one time. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Retrofitting Schemes: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (11 Oct 2022)

Richard Bruton: I am running out of time. The issue for me is scale. We can do shallow retrofits at scale if we reorganise a little to drive them. Most of the aggregators the SEAI is putting together will do very expensive long-term projects. I worry a bit about the balance in the midst of the crisis we are in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Retrofitting Schemes: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (11 Oct 2022)

Richard Bruton: I would like to go back to the point Senator Boylan made about the hub controllers and their eligibility. Do the witnesses stand over the figure of a 36% for the reduction in heating need? That seems a very significant reduction for the very low cost that is involved. The witnesses referred to an 80% grant for attic and wall insulation, but if there is that sort of saving to be gleaned...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Retrofitting Schemes: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (11 Oct 2022)

Richard Bruton: I am sorry, but I do not understand the distinction between heat management and energy saving.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Retrofitting Schemes: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (11 Oct 2022)

Richard Bruton: Yes, I know, but if they were having that impact - and I do not have information on the capacity - they would certainly be in the 80% support. Only €250 would be 80% and if you could get that sort of saving, it would be a-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Retrofitting Schemes: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (11 Oct 2022)

Richard Bruton: Maybe the SEAI will come back on this. I did contact it before about this issue and I did not get to bottom it out satisfactorily, so I would appreciate a response on that. I presume that taking savings in comfort applies to everything.