Results 2,521-2,540 of 9,563 for speaker:Jack Chambers

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Tourism Industry (13 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: The number of cruise ships that have visited and berthed at individual ports in Ireland in the last ten years is set out in the following table: Irish Ports Statistic 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2022 Bantry Bay Cruise Ships Visits 6 6 1 2 3...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Policy (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: The law requires that three paper discs are displayed on most motorised vehicles using the public roads. Section 73 of the Finance Act 1976 requires the display of a valid motor tax disc on a vehicle. NCT test results must be displayed on a test disc on the vehicle, as required by S.I. No. 415/2017 - Road Traffic (National Car Test) Regulations 2017. Regulation 12 of these regulations...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Seirbhísí trí Ghaeilge (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: Is é an tÚdarás um Shábháilteacht ar Bhóithre, trí mheán na Seirbhíse Náisiúnta um Cheadúnas Tiomána, atá freagrach as ceadúnú tiomána. Tuigtear dom go bhfuil sé leagtha amach i gconradh oifig thosaigh na Seirbhíse go mbeadh teacht ag an bpobal ar sheirbhísí trí Bhéarla nó...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Electric Vehicles (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: The Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 introduces a new class of vehicles, powered personal transporters or PPTs. E-scooters will be classified as PPTs and will become legal to use on Irish roads when regulations governing their use and technical specifications, including power, weight and speed, are in place. This is expected to be in Q4 2023. The issue of e-scooters being dangerously...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Legislative Programme (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: The Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 was recently signed into law by the President on 23 June 2023. This is a large piece of legislation which covers a multitude of topics. In the Programme for Government, we committed to addressing a number of concerns, such as the use of e-scooters, variable speed limits, rollout out of zero to low emissions vehicles and the necessary infrastructure,...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Fishing Industry (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: Ensuring that fishing vessels are sufficiently manned and that the crew working on board are appropriately trained are crucial for safety purposes. As referred to by the Deputy, I recently signed the European Union (International Labour Organisation Working in Fishing Convention) (Safe Manning) Regulations 2023 (SI 315/2023) which aim to achieve that objective. Importantly, the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: I thank the committee for its invitation to discuss our decarbonisation strategy for the shipping and aviation sectors. Both are vital to our island’s international connectivity and competitiveness but their decarbonisation is highly complex and both are rightly recognised as hard-to-abate sectors. Opportunities for significant emissions abatement will ultimately rely on alternative...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: The Senator's first question is very pertinent. In the wider environmental and climate action context, as an island economy we need to ensure that we maintain and strengthen international connectivity within Dublin, which the Senator is close to, and our regional airports. Our wider aviation policy speaks to that. It is about keeping the central economic context of aviation as a core...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: At the moment, we have no production and all aviation fuel is imported. It is too early to say whether the recommendations from the group in the short- to medium term will be on looking at the consumption piece to incentivise greater use or whether they will be to incentivise production early and develop a greater production capacity. This is very much about getting that rounded view....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: Yes, it is all connected. I thank the Senator for his remarks. On his first question on the Ennis to Kilrush piece and the rail network, as part of that Shannon Estuary task force, there will be an integrated transport planning framework which must evolve from that. A wider review will take place of current plans. That is one of the actions which has been taken from the Shannon Estuary...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: International aviation accounts for between 2% and 3% of emissions. That is the international position.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: Yes. Internationally, aviation accounts for 2% to 3% of emissions. Inland domestic aviation accounts for less than 0.2% of greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: Yes. The Deputy asked about green hydrogen. At the moment, the European file on FuelEU Maritime is technologically neutral. The purpose of that is to offer potential for and allow industry to navigate the most consistent path to reaching its greenhouse gas emissions target. For example, there are opportunities potentially around ammonia, methanol, various biofuels and blends of e-fuels....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: Yes, as per the EU file. It is important to note that in the wider picture, shipping is much more carbon efficient compared with other modes of transport.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: I can give the Deputy some domestic context regarding the Irish flag and Irish ships. They have been very proactive in complying with current regulations and future-proofing their new-build ships for technical efficiency. The average age of ships linked to the Irish flag is under ten years old. The younger vessels tend to be much more energy efficient and can last between 25 and 30 years....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: In the economic analysis, the expectation is that the cost will come down as production scales up. That is why there is huge ambition in the regulatory signals the EU file has offered. There is a number of big players in the European market that are developing SAF production. We just need to make sure from an Irish context that we are involved. However, it is broader than that. For...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: It is much more. It is three to ten times as much.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: That is why the US Government has provided a price incentive on production and on consumption and through taxation interventions. Europe has tried a wider regulatory signal, but taking the current European file, the minimum share of SAF will start at 2% in 2025, so it is starting at a low base. The challenge between now and 2025 is in production capacity within Europe.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: Yes, I think that is a challenge. The European Commission has said it will have to have an ongoing review of this and its wider implementation. It is good there is ambition and that we give the signal to industry that, as we scale production, costs should reduce. Then there is potential in other inputs in how SAF is made which are undergoing research and development. The airlines...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: Probably.