Results 3,381-3,400 of 4,344 for speaker:Seán Canney

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Dormant Accounts Fund Grants (15 Jan 2019)

Seán Canney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1024 and 1025 together. The 2018 Dormant Accounts Action Plan, which was published in July, approved funding of up to €39.7 million for 45 different measures across ten different Government Departments. In line with the provisions of the Dormant Accounts Acts, the measures identified in the Action Plan target social, economic and educational...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Fishing Licences (19 Dec 2018)

Seán Canney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 464 and 465 together. Each of Ireland's 147 salmon rivers, river sections and estuaries has a genetically distinct salmon stock. Salmon stocks are, therefore, managed on an individual river basis with each river having a Conservation Limit (CL) which is scientifically assessed on an annual basis by the independent Standing Scientific Committee for Salmon....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Dormant Accounts Fund (19 Dec 2018)

Seán Canney: With regard to transfers to and from the Dormant Accounts Fund for 2018, the most recent information available to me from the NTMA covers the period to the end of November 2018. At that point €68.75 million had transferred into the fund from dormant accounts within relevant financial institutions for 2018. A total of €20.35 million had been reclaimed from the fund. Therefore,...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Inland Fisheries (18 Dec 2018)

Seán Canney: Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI, is the State agency responsible for the conservation, protection, management and development of Ireland’s inland fisheries and sea angling resources. It manages salmon stocks on an individual river basis as each of Ireland’s 147 salmon rivers, including river sections and estuaries, has its own genetically unique stock of salmon. It is supported...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Inland Fisheries (18 Dec 2018)

Seán Canney: I do not question the local knowledge of the Deputy or the fishermen. I have been approached by several local Deputies on the matter. There are issues the Deputy has raised about the science or the counters with which we must deal. However, the public consultation process has closed. I presume strong submissions were made on behalf of the anglers to whom the Deputy has referred on the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Food Waste (18 Dec 2018)

Seán Canney: To give the Deputy some figures, according to the EPA, 60% of food waste is avoidable waste, such as leftovers and gone-off fruit and vegetables, 20% is potentially avoidable, such as bread crusts and potato skins, and 20% is unavoidable, such as chicken bones and fruit and vegetable peelings. We need to educate in this regard. I note the following initiatives. Stop Food Waste, which is a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Food Waste (18 Dec 2018)

Seán Canney: Globally, one third of all food produced for human consumption is estimated to be wasted each year. Per household, food waste is thought to cost €700 per annum in Ireland. Our ambition is to halve that by 2030. In Ireland, we waste close to 1 million tonnes of food every year. About a third of that arises in retail and catering, with a somewhat smaller share of waste accounted for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Food Waste (18 Dec 2018)

Seán Canney: The agreements in place at the moment are effective. We have to keep monitoring them. When I visited the FoodCloud facility here in Dublin and saw the amount of food that is distributed from there every day, it opened my eyes to the amount of food that would otherwise be thrown in the bin. We will also be changing thinking, through education in both national and secondary schools, about...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Electricity Generation (18 Dec 2018)

Seán Canney: The other thing I want to say is that communities and small businesses are also being supported through schemes led by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland like the sustainable energy communities scheme and the better energy community scheme. They are for smaller communities like the communities Deputy Moynihan is talking about and the communities I know as well. Communities can...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan Implementation (18 Dec 2018)

Seán Canney: The national broadband plan aims to ensure that every home, school and business in Ireland, regardless of how remote or rural, has access to high-speed broadband. This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment throughout Ireland and State intervention in those mostly rural areas where commercial operators acting alone are unlikely to invest. Since December 2015 the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan Implementation (18 Dec 2018)

Seán Canney: As a Deputy from a rural part of the country, I understand the frustrations. Everyone accepts that broadband is essential, just like water, electricity and sewerage. Broadband is now essential in every home. The Government commitment is to provide broadband to every house. The tender process is coming to a conclusion. The final evaluation is taking place. It will be concluded in the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: National Broadband Plan Implementation (18 Dec 2018)

Seán Canney: Let us be exact about it. The final tender bid came in September this year. It is probably one of the largest tenders that we will have in the State for a long time. We want to ensure the evaluation process is correct, value for money is secured and it is a fair contract for everyone. That is the first step. Timing will be part of the tender and roll-out. I am not going to say to Deputy...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Electricity Generation (18 Dec 2018)

Seán Canney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 52, 57 and 92 together. I strongly support a route to market for citizens and communities to generate their own renewable energy and to receive a fair price for doing so. Indeed, Ireland has been involved in developing the EU's Clean Energy Package which entitles renewable self-consumers to receive remuneration for excess electricity...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Electricity Generation (18 Dec 2018)

Seán Canney: Microgeneration is a very small part of the overall plan. It is important for communities and that we do that in a way that will work. It is expensive and we need to make sure that whatever scheme we bring in will be cost effective. That is the reason the pilot has been done. It will be renewed this year and will be brought forward. We are looking at other schemes. As I said earlier,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Electricity Generation (18 Dec 2018)

Seán Canney: To respond to Deputy Moynihan first, 3,000 applicants have expressed an interest in the microgeneration pilot scheme currently in play but only 200 have looked for a rebate. We are not just walking; we are running.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Alternative Energy Projects (18 Dec 2018)

Seán Canney: The national mitigation plan published in July 2017 was an important first step. It signposted the direction in which Ireland must travel, while openly recognising that it was not a roadmap for delivery. The national development plan has provided a significant part of the roadmap. Specifically in relation to the decarbonisation of electricity, the plan envisages investments to support...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Alternative Energy Projects (18 Dec 2018)

Seán Canney: Investment is being made, including €30 billion provided in the national development plan. We have significant potential in this area, including offshore wind. However, this technology is costly to develop, especially on the west coast where there are deep seas and wind factors. Although prices are dropping in Europe, it is likely that subsidies will be required if there is to be...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Alternative Energy Projects (18 Dec 2018)

Seán Canney: The ESB is looking at potential energy sources for Moneypoint and working on this issue. The Deputy is right about the local authorities. Each one has a climate action officer and regional climate action offices are in place. A number of weeks ago, we launched a climate adaptation plan for local authorities to integrate climate action into their local area plans and planning processes....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Seán Canney: I thank the committee for inviting me to today's meeting. It is my first time participating in this committee which does much important work across a range of topics. I thank Deputy Bríd Smith for introducing the Bill. It has stimulated some very important debates on energy security, the use of fossil fuels and particularly their impact on the climate. The committee has heard from a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Seán Canney: I thank the Deputies and Senators for their contributions. Tackling the problem of fossil fuels is something we will do over time. It will not happen overnight. We talk about the potential of offshore energy projects. The fact is we do not have anything that is commercial at this stage. The issue is being looked at and there are projects ongoing, but they are at development stage. Until...