Results 3,541-3,560 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Fisheries Protection (17 Jan 2024)

Eamon Ryan: In December of each year a suite of secondary legislation – including the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations (WSSTTSRs) – is made by my Department to set out the fisheries management regime for the following year. This is based on the individual annual assessments of Ireland's salmon rivers carried out by the independent Technical Expert Group on Salmon (TEGOS)...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Conservation (17 Jan 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Warmer Homes Scheme delivers free energy upgrades for eligible homeowners in low-income households who are most at risk of energy poverty. Since the start of the scheme in 2000, over 150,000 free upgrades have been supported by the scheme. The objective of the scheme is to make eligible homes warmer, healthier and cheaper to run by providing suitable energy efficiency upgrades from the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Expenditure (17 Jan 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The total allocation for SEAI residential and community energy upgrade schemes in 2022 was €321.495 million. This includes funding from the Vote, the Energy Efficiency National Fund and a deferred surrender. Of this amount, total expenditure by SEAI on residential/community energy upgrade schemes was over €200 million with a capital spend of €192.6 million. This capital...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Data (17 Jan 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 58 to 60, inclusive, 72, 92 and 93 together. The Climate Action Plan and National Retrofit Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2/cost optimal and the installation of 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes to replace older, less efficient heating systems by end-2030. To promote and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Data (17 Jan 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Climate Action Plan and National Retrofit Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2/cost optimal and the installation of 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes to replace older, less efficient heating systems by end-2030. Retrofitting fossil fuel heated homes and replacing the heating systems with heat pumps and renewable...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Conservation (17 Jan 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Climate Action Plan and National Retrofit Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2/cost optimal and the installation of 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes to replace older, less efficient heating systems by end-2030. The 2021 report of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs titled ‘Skills for Zero...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Schemes (17 Jan 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 63 and 67 together. The Climate Action Fund, which is administered by my Department, is providing funding to the Department of Education for the Schools Photovoltaic Programme. The Department of Education is managing the programme and has made detailed guidance documentation for schools and contractors available on the gov.ie website. Schools applying for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Wind Energy Guidelines (17 Jan 2024)

Eamon Ryan: In the coming years, a significant number of onshore wind turbines are expected to reach the end of their service life. Approximately 90% of a turbine's components are made of steel or iron material, which is readily recyclable. However, wind turbine blades do represent a challenge, as current designs cannot be melted or re-moulded. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland participates...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Conservation (17 Jan 2024)

Eamon Ryan: My Department funds a number of grant schemes, administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to support homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. SEAI advise that it is open to owners and non-corporate landlords of pre-1940 homes to apply for any of its grant supported schemes. However, the retrofit of traditional buildings is a complex issue...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Wind Energy Generation (17 Jan 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Climate Action Plan 2023 commits to achieving at least 5GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030. To achieve this target and Ireland’s long-term plan to deliver 20GW by 2040 and at least 37GW by 2050, Government has adopted a phased approach to offshore renewable energy development in Ireland. Phase One is intended to deliver the maximum competitively procured offshore...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (17 Jan 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 68 and 69 together. This Department does not provide funding directly to schools to purchase waste management infrastructure such as bins. It would be expected that all schools would be provided with a three bin collection service (residual, mixed dry recyclables and a "brown bin" for food and organic waste) by their waste collection company. However there...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Local Authorities (17 Jan 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 70 together. The information below sets out local authority activity in relation to energy efficiency where it has been reported on the SEAI’s energy Monitoring & Reporting system, or where the local authority has interacted in other ways with the SEAI. Beyond that, local authorities may have undertaken other energy efficiency activities...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Recycling Policy (17 Jan 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 73, 100 and 101 together. A national Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is being introduced to encourage more people to recycle plastic bottles and aluminium cans and to ensure we meet our ambitious EU targets for the recycling of those containers under EU Single Use Plastics and Packaging legislation. DRS is an extended producer responsibility scheme under which...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Schemes (17 Jan 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 74 and 76 together. Rental properties can present a specific challenge for energy efficiency improvements. This is an issue found in most countries where the incentives to invest in energy upgrades can be misaligned between landlords and tenants. A range of energy upgrade supports are available to non-corporate landlords and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: EU Directives (17 Jan 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The European Commission identifies possible infringements of EU law on the basis of its own investigations or following complaints from citizens, businesses or other stakeholders. Further information on the infringement process is available . There are a total of ten such cases across my Department at present, details on each of these and the relevant Commission position on each is outlined...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Schemes (17 Jan 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Microgeneration Support Scheme (MSS) was approved by Government on 21 December 2021, to support Ireland’s ambitious targets for micro-generation installation under the Climate Action Plan 21. The MSS provides supports to both domestic and non-domestic applicants, in the form of grants for Solar PV installations, which are available through the Sustainable Energy Authority of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Schemes (17 Jan 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 78, 85, 86, 87, 88 and 94 together. The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to households vulnerable to energy poverty. The budget allocation for the scheme was €109 million in 2022 and €148.5 million in 2023. The budget allocation for 2024 will be finalised shortly as part of SEAI's...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (17 Jan 2024)

Eamon Ryan: In December 2022, my Department published Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy which supports the ambition outlined in the National Digital Strategy and sets out a number of ambitious targets, including that:all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028all populated areas will be covered by 5G no later than 2030, anddigital connectivity will be...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (17 Jan 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Climate Action Plan is a detailed plan for achieving a 51% reduction in our GHG emissions by 2030 (relative to a 2018 baseline) and put us on a pathway to climate-neutrality no later than 2050, and includes a commitment to engage young people. The National Youth Assembly on Climate (NYAC) is a joint initiative led by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Usage (17 Jan 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 81, 102, 106, 117 and 124 together. As part of Budget 2024 the Government approved a new tranche of Electricity Credits which over 2.2 million households will benefit from -- worth €450 in total per household. Three payments of €150 (including VAT) are being made between December 2023 and April 2024. The payments are being applied...