Results 3,501-3,520 of 6,812 for speaker:Darren O'Rourke

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

Darren O'Rourke: Does anyone have that figure?

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

Darren O'Rourke: I thank Mr. Randles. I have been contacted by people who are engaging with the better energy communities scheme, particularly for businesses that want to use solar energy to reduce their energy bills. There are questions about what they see as shifting goalposts in respect of the guidelines that are coming in. Are the witnesses aware of that issue? Has it been resolved? Has there been a...

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

Darren O'Rourke: Okay.

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

Darren O'Rourke: I thank Mr. O'Mahony. I have his point.

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

Darren O'Rourke: I am tight for time but I have Mr. O'Mahony's point. What is the total number of households in the private rental sector that have availed of SEAI retrofit grants this year? I expect that there are particular challenges for the private rented sector. What is that figure? Are there plans to improve on it?

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

Darren O'Rourke: I see that as a problem in and of itself. Since the introduction of these schemes, one of the concerns has been that renters will be left behind. Dr. Byrne mentioned earlier that SEAI has every level of detail. That is fundamental information that would need to be captured in applications. I see a number of themes in the questions asked by both the Government and the Opposition. Some...

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

Darren O'Rourke: The question is about the targeting of the resource and delivering efficiently and effectively. The point has been repeatedly made about the low-hanging fruit of shallow retrofits. All the incentives are to move into deeper retrofits that are incredibly slow.

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

Darren O'Rourke: I have a number of quick questions. The case has been made on delivery, picking up on a number of points already made, that if we got the plan-led approach in district heating on residential and commercial planning, that we could deliver homes more cheaply and more quickly. Industry has said that if it took that approach with district heating, homes could be delivered more cheaply, and 14...

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

Darren O'Rourke: This will also be in respect of delivering new homes and local area plans. If we employed district heating for the new homes to be built, they could then be delivered more cost effectively and in a quicker timeframe because one is then taking a plan-led approach as opposed to repeated individual connections.

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

Darren O'Rourke: Returning again to that point of low-hanging fruit and achieving quick results, I am minded that both the Climate Change Advisory Council and others such as Friends of the Earth have said that at this point in time, we need to get attic and wall insulation, in particular, delivered at scale for this winter. They talked about the need to provide not 80% but 100% grants. Is that a case that...

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

Darren O'Rourke: SEAI has heard from them then.

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

Darren O'Rourke: I thank Mr. O’Mahony for that answer. My final question is on the emissions reductions savings. That is what this is all about, as has been articulated by SEAI. Of the retrofits that have been carried out this year, particularly the ones to B2 level, has the SEAI an assessment of the emissions reductions savings that have been made on those? I believe that there will be 3,200 such...

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

Darren O'Rourke: That would be helpful. On that point and in returning to earlier points, I note that there is not a scheme directly targeted at homes with solid fuel. Should there be one? We have had a conversation on turf and on the sector emission ceilings which specifically say that there should be a targeting of that cohort of people. Has the SEAI considered the quickest way to get the maximum amount...

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

Darren O'Rourke: I thank Dr. Byrne and the Chairman.

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

Darren O'Rourke: That is 231 out of 3,200. Why is the number so low in that group?

Communications Regulation Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I will be sharing time with colleagues. The Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg, has been operating with one hand tied behind its back, which has allowed poor standards and customer service problems to go unaddressed. As in the energy sector, the Government established an independent regulator but left it without the teeth needed to enforce standards of quality properly. At the...

Communications Regulation Bill 2022: Second Stage (5 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. The Communications Regulation Bill is a technical piece of legislation but one with important implications for telecommunications providers and their customers. The primary aim of the Bill is to transpose the European electronic communications code and the EU-wide regulatory framework for the telecommunications sector. This Bill aims...

Public Transport: Motion [Private Members] (5 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I am sharing time with colleagues. If it was only Donegal that did not have rail, we might be in a far better starting position. Unfortunately, there are many other counties in the same boat as Donegal. Many people will be familiar with the map that compares the rail network today with the rail network 100 years ago. It is an incredible shame that we are where we are now and have lost...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Conservation (5 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: 57. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the further retrofitting funding measures that are included for Approved Housing Bodies in Budget 2023. [48788/22]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Budgets (5 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: 62. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will outline the capital, current and total 2023 budget allocation for the Energy Transformation Programme; the capital, current and total 2022 budget allocation for the Energy Transformation Programme, and the percentage difference compared to the Budget 2023 allocation; the capital, current and total allocation...