Results 25,321-25,340 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Seanad: Energy (Biofuel Obligation and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (3 Jun 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I welcome the support of both Senators. I agree with them that this is an area in which we must innovate, take risks, experiment and use scientific research to develop new, alternative, home-grown fuels.

Seanad: Energy (Biofuel Obligation and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (3 Jun 2010)

Eamon Ryan: Amendment No. 28 is included to ensure the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is also included in the list of those to be consulted when regulations are being made under the Bill in regard to bio-fuel standards, as per a suggestion made in this House. Amendments Nos. 29 to 31, inclusive, are consequential technical amendments arising from the insertion of amendment No. 28. I...

Written Answers — Energy Resources: Energy Resources (2 Jun 2010)

Eamon Ryan: In Budget 2006 a further package of excise relief on biofuels valued at over €200 million over a five year period was approved by the Minister for Finance. The Biofuel Mineral Oil Tax Relief (MOTR) Scheme II was advertised by my Department as a competitive call for proposals open to anyone who could fulfil the criteria for the scheme. An assessment panel was established to review the...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (2 Jun 2010)

Eamon Ryan: Under the terms of the Renewable Energy Feed-in-Tariff scheme (REFIT), a new renewable generator accepted into REFIT must enter into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with a supply company. Under the terms of the PPA, the supply company agrees to purchase RES-E from the new generating station at a fixed price irrespective of the supply company's commercial concerns about the alternative open...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (2 Jun 2010)

Eamon Ryan: There is currently 1379 MW of wind generation capacity connected to the grid. This includes over 100 wind farms. Information on the wind farms that are currently connected to the grid is available on the EirGrid website. Information is provided on the number of wind farms awaiting approval for access to the grid and the breakdown by county on the EirGrid website. In terms of progress in...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (2 Jun 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The recently announced Renewable Energy Feed In Tariffs (REFIT) for biomass technologies will assist the development of a sustainable biomass supply sector in Ireland. They will ensure that there is a ready demand for biomass and will build on the measures already in place including the REHEAT programme and the Energy Crop grant schemes run by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (2 Jun 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I shall try to leave some time for Deputy Byrne, if I cannot share it with him. I welcome the opportunity to have a debate in the House on the crucial issue of competitiveness and how to achieve it. We must be careful that we do not become populist and grab easy headlines but must work through what will work in a proper policy driven way. In my area of responsibility competitiveness is an...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (2 Jun 2010)

Eamon Ryan: -----and the third largest reduction in electricity prices for both business and householders. We benefited most and got the biggest reduction. In the process, having brought in all the energy companies, having listened to everybody and talked to them in great detail, it became absolutely clear to me that we now have a competitive market in electricity supply. For some years we have had...

Television Broadcasting Rights (1 Jun 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I welcome the chance to engage further in this debate. I intended to listen to the priority question which was asked today and I am again called to respond to this issue because of the nature of our Adjournment debate. I am happy to do that. If the Deputy would like, I might respond to him by throwing back a number of questions to aid his consideration. Taking his points, if I can, the...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (1 Jun 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Question Nos. 30, 32 and 75 together. The Government has set the renewable electricity target at 40% by 2020. The 40% electricity target is consistent with the EU target addressed to Ireland under the Renewable Energy Directive, which requires Ireland to meet the target of 16% renewable energy in all energy consumed (encompassing electricity, transport and heating) by 2020....

Written Answers — Electric Vehicles: Electric Vehicles (1 Jun 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Question Nos. 31 and 54 together. The Government has set a target of 10% of all vehicles to be powered by electricity by 2020, which equates to around 225,000 vehicles. On 24 May I signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Mitsubishi which will ensure that Ireland will be one of the first countries in the world to be supplied with Mitsubishi electric cars. Under the...

Written Answers — Energy Saving Schemes: Energy Saving Schemes (1 Jun 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Question Nos. 33 and 68 together. The Home Energy Saving scheme (HES), which is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), has a capital budget allocation of €24.3 million this year. In addition, a further €46 million has been allocated to a national retrofit programme, with a substantial portion assigned to HES. In total expenditure of €21.3...

Written Answers — Semi-State Bodies: Semi-State Bodies (1 Jun 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I have never called for a partial break up of Bord Gáis Éireann. The Deputy may be referring to the requirements under the EU Third Energy Package, to separate customer and energy supply from the transmission and distribution networks in vertically integrated energy utilities. The EU Third Energy Package entered into force on 3 September 2009 and the various Directives will be transposed...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (1 Jun 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 37, 39, 49 and 63 together. The telecommunications market, including the provision of fibre based next generation networks, is fully liberalised and subject to both EU and national competition and regulatory rules. Government policy on the development of the electronic communications market in Ireland is set out in "Next Generation Broadband – Gateway to a...

Written Answers — Energy Prices: Energy Prices (1 Jun 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I welcome the decision by the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) on the roadmap for electricity price deregulation. This is an important step on the path to developing a fully competitive electricity market in Ireland. This decision demonstrates that Government policy to encourage competition is paying dividends through lower prices and greater choice for Irish homes and businesses. The...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (1 Jun 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 40, 42 and 71 together. My Department entered into a contract with "3", a Hutchison Whampoa company, for the delivery of the National Broadband Scheme (NBS) in late December 2008. Since then, 3 has progressed its network rollout and NBS broadband services are now available in more than 65% of the 1,028 designated Electoral Divisions (ED) to be covered under...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (1 Jun 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) has statutory responsibility for grid connection offers and for oversight of EirGrid's grid connection process including the Gate process for renewable energy. The CER Gate 3 process which sets out to facilitate connection of around 4,000 MW of additional renewable capacity is currently underway. Once the level of take up of Gate 3 offers becomes...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (1 Jun 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The Government is giving high priority to supporting the development of Ireland's ocean energy potential. Not only will ocean energy contribute to Ireland's renewable energy targets, it has considerable potential for inward investment and enterprise activity in support of economic renewal. The research activities of the Hydraulics and Maritime Centre at University College Cork are a key...

Written Answers — Energy Resources: Energy Resources (1 Jun 2010)

Eamon Ryan: I look forward to working with the new Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Chris Huhne on all matters of mutual interest including energy security. I met Minister of State Charles Hendry at the Energy Council yesterday 31st May during which we touched on a number of bilateral energy issues including gas security and emergency planning. I am hoping to have a bilateral with Secretary Huhne...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (1 Jun 2010)

Eamon Ryan: The development of fourth generation (4G) electronic communications services that use the radio spectrum is not dependant on the Digital Dividend that arises from the switching-off of analogue television broadcasting services. 4G services will be provided using multiple aggregated bands of the radio spectrum. The Digital Dividend will release additional spectrum, some of which will be made...