Results 2,781-2,800 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: North-South Interconnector (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 119 together. The North-South Interconnector is an essential infrastructure project that will link the electricity transmission networks of Ireland and Northern Ireland — leading to a more secure, affordable and sustainable supply of electricity across the island. It will facilitate the connection of 900 MW of renewable generation, enough to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Just Transition (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Government is committed to a just transition in order to ensure that nobody is left behind as we work to transition to a climate neutral economy by no later than 2050. In relation to the Midlands region, the Government continues to support workers, companies and communities affected by the closure of the peat-fired power stations and the ending of peat harvesting by Bord na...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Recycling Policy (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will primarily operate on a return-to-retail model, where consumers bring empty containers back to a retailer to recoup their deposit. The DRS scheme also allows for other, non-retail operators to provide take-back facilities. Developing these facilities will commence following the go-live phase of the scheme. My Department has engaged with the local...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Production (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Climate Action Plan 2023 (and 2024) seeks to transform Ireland into an international leader in the development and generation of high-quality renewable energy. The Plan includes a series of measures to support our renewables programme, including the accelerated delivery of onshore wind, solar, and offshore wind generation, through a competitive framework, where appropriate, to reach 80%...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Recycling Policy (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) launched as planned on the 1st February last and has been in operation for just over a month. Both the Department and Re-turn, the DRS operator, are monitoring the scheme closely and I receive regular updates on its performance. To date: - 199 producers have registered with Re-turn. These producers have registered 5,900 products with the DRS scheme. -...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Prices (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Budget 2024 introduced a third Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Scheme, through which three payments of €150 (including VAT) are being made to over 2.2 million domestic electricity accounts between December 2023 and April 2024, at a cost of just over €1 billion. The Government also provided for a suite of once off Social Welfare financial supports to assist people with the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Conservation (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Warmer Homes Scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to low income households vulnerable to energy poverty. In recent years, the Scheme has delivered a greater volume of deeper and more complex upgrades. This is reflected in the average cost of upgrades which have seen an almost tenfold increase from €2,600 in 2015 to just under €25,000 in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Constitutional Amendments (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I welcome the discussion on enshrining the rights of nature in the constitution. I am supportive in principle of protecting nature and the rights of nature as part of our constitution. Further detail and assessment would be required on the exact wording of how these rights would be protected before any definite answer could be given to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Ireland has seen tremendous progress in terms of the deployment of electricity storage in recent years and it is already playing an important role in supporting Ireland’s energy transition, with more than 700MW of battery storage and 292MW of pumped hydro storage (Turlough Hill) active on the system at the end of 2023. A policy framework for electricity storage is currently under...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Nuclear Waste (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Ireland has a close working relationship with the UK on radiological issues and engages, as appropriate, with the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the relevant UK Regulators through the UK-Ireland Contact Group on Radiological Matters, which meets bi-annually. At a technical level, the Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA), also engages with the UK nuclear regulators,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Conservation (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Curtailment refers to the reduction in output of generation units because of system wide issues. Curtailment is one element of dispatch down, which also includes constraint, local issues, and oversupply, generation exceeding demand. Manging dispatch down is a priority as we seek to integrate more renewable electricity onto the grid. As Transmission System Operator, EirGrid have responsibility...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: In order to assist with the achievement of our retrofit targets, the Programme for Government, Climate Action Plan and the National Retrofit Plan committed to the introduction of a new residential retrofit low-cost loan scheme. The Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme was developed by my Department in conjunction with the Department of Finance, the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland, the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Building Energy Rating (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) operates the Warmer Homes Scheme on behalf of my Department. Delivering free energy upgrades to low-income households and reducing the waiting times for the Warmer Homes Scheme is a top priority for my Department and the SEAI. Last year, almost 5,900 homes were upgraded under the Scheme with an average spend of €25,000 per home and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waterways Issues (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Inland Fisheries Ireland, as the statutory body tasked with the protection, management and conservation of the inland fisheries resource, has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members so that queries in relation to operational matters can be addressed promptly, in line with IFI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards. The email address is...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The European Union (Household Food Waste and Bio-Waste) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 require all household waste collection companies to provide their customers with a brown bin collection service, however, they do not require this additional service to be provided free of charge. Private waste collectors operate under a waste collection permit issued by the National Waste Collection...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2021 commits Ireland to a climate neutral economy no later than 2050 and a reduction in emissions of 51% by 2030. Climate Action Plan 2024 (CAP 24) was approved by Government in December. The plan and its accompanying annex of actions are open for public consultation until 5 April. If anyone wishes to make a submission or observation on it or...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Climate change is expected to have diverse and wide-ranging negative impacts on Ireland’s environment, society, and economic development, including on the built environment, managed and natural ecosystems, water resources, agriculture and food security, human health, and coastal zones. Climate adaptation is the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate change and its...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2021 commits Ireland to a climate neutral economy no later than 2050 and a reduction in emissions of 51% by 2030. Following the process set out in the Act, the agriculture sector has been set the target of a 10% reduction in emissions by 2025 and a 25% reduction by 2030. Responsibility for meeting this sectoral target sits with the Minister...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Ireland has made considerable progress in decarbonising our electricity sector over the last decade, with a major reason for this being the construction of renewable generation sources and their successful integration onto the electricity grid. 2023 was another successful year for renewable electricity in Ireland. According to figures published by the Sustainable Energy Authority of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Services (7 Mar 2024)

Eamon Ryan: In relation to concerns around mobile phone coverage, the roll-out of infrastructure for mobile telecommunications services in Ireland is primarily a matter for private mobile network operators, operating on a commercial basis in a liberalised market, regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). ComReg is statutorily independent in the exercise of its functions in...