Results 21-40 of 9,750 for at speaker:Eamon Ryan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: It is real and it is happening. Companies like Baxter up in Mayo have switched to using container rail freight shipping out of Waterford. We will be putting in an order for new rail freight wagons, which will help develop that trade. We are building the new rail line to Foynes - I was there myself a few weeks ago - across the Deel river, and there was a new Deel bridge, which is concrete,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: It was the same all over the western world. There was not anything different in Ireland from what happened in Britain, continental Europe or indeed America. There are a variety of reasons behind it. I also had to make a decision as Minister where we have a very tight budget. We do not have the money for everything we want. The question is whether we use that €100 million to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Deputy is right that there are different baselines and targets. The EPA target relating to emissions targets is 42% by 2030. This is broken down into two compliance periods, namely 2021 to 2025 and 2026 to 2030. The EPA is predicting that in the first period we will have a 0.06 megaton gap. In truth the cost of that is very small. To a certain extent the cost depends on how many...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I have not seen the Bill. We will have to look at the legality of it to see if we can do it under the Chicago Convention, which may present real difficulties. It will not, as I said, do anything to close the gap we are discussing here today that we need to close. I will refer to the point Deputy Murphy made earlier. There are trade-offs. It is difficult. Sometimes decisions have to be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I was here in the Dáil when Deputy Murphy was making that very case, that is, our future rested with fossil-fuel expansion at a time when, for the previous three decades, our party had been unique and singular in calling out the climate crisis for what it is. It is a threat to our children's future.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: First, a large number of data centres are already contracted and the Government does not reverse contracts. Those which already have planning permission, grid connection, or are already proceeding, will do so under the conditions that were set, but I am looking forward to how additional new data centres should operate. Just like in every sector, there is not an out on climate: they have to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: If I could just make the point, first, we are very seriously constrained with data centres, not just because of carbon emissions but also because of the need for grid enhancement and development, in particular in the Dublin area where we currently do not have capacity to take on additional data centres, as well as the climate prerogative. What I am doing is working with the industry and with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I think the sector knows it has to go zero-carbon. It is committed to science-based targets. It would be willing to work in a country and with a Government with a similar view and which facilitates the use of renewables, the use of storage, the use of biomethane and the use of district heat to get zero-carbon developments. That is where the industry is going to go. It is challenging...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I agree that every sector is going to have to play its part and that no one gets an out. Agriculture is more challenging than others for a variety of reasons, first, a lot of agricultural emissions relate to land use and land use emissions are complicated. The science is complicated and it requires considerations of how we get that right. How we manage peaty soils is a big part of reducing...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Defective Building Materials (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: ...eligible for works under the Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) scheme may apply for energy upgrade grants administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Homeowners’ whose applications comply with the existing SEAI Scheme criteria and guidelines can access SEAI grants in line with the usual application processes that apply. Further information in that regard is...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Solar Energy Guidelines (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Setback distances for solar panels are specified under planning regulations. S.I No 493 of 2022, Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No.3) Regulations 2022: notes that “solar photo-voltaic or thermal collector panels shall be a minimum of 50cm from the edge of a roof on which it is mounted” These setback distances exist for several reasons including...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Building Energy Rating (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Warmer Homes Scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to households at risk of energy poverty. There are a number of home energy improvements offered as part of the scheme. The upgrades that will be recommended for a property will depend on many factors, including age, size, type and condition of the property. For each eligible home, SEAI’s technical...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Pension Provisions (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: As the Deputy may be aware, the CIÉ Group is actively engaged in introducing changes to their pension schemes aimed at rectifying the significant deficit in order to meet the statutory Minimum Funding Standard (MFS) required by the Pensions Authority. The changes also aim to sustain the pension schemes into the long-term. Regarding the 1951 Scheme, CIÉ has prepared and submitted a...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: As committed to in the current National Development Plan, the reinstatement of the Western Rail Corridor is being considered as part of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review. This Rail Review was announced by Minister Ryan in 2021, in partnership with the Minister for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland. The Review will inform the development of rail on the island of Ireland in the coming...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (23 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: ...Economy, I introduced a Waste Recovery Levy of €10/tonne on the 1st September 2023. The intention of the waste recovery levy is to encourage higher value waste management practices by moving material management up the waste hierarchy from waste recovery to more recycling and re-use and to encourage greater efforts to segregate waste at source. Construction and Demolition...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Pension Provisions (23 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The case in relation to the rules governing the 1951 scheme are currently subject to ongoing legal proceedings before the Commercial Court. The Hearing commenced on 24 May 2022 for 4 days. While original indications were that a judgement would be expected in the Autumn of 2022, the matter was deferred on multiple occasions, with the judgment being delivered on 19 April 2024. In his...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (23 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: As the Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. The issue of the provision and operation of toilet facilities at Athy and Newbridge train stations mentioned by the Deputy is an operational matter for Iarnród Éireann and I have therefore...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (23 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: As the Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. As the Deputy may be aware, to enable additional capacity to be added to Iarnród Éireann (IÉ) services within as short a timeframe as possible, an order was placed in December 2019...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Regulations (22 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: As the Deputy may be aware, in late 2018, the then Government gave approval for the publication of a General Scheme of a Bill to amend the Taxi Regulation Act 2013 so as to provide for the regulation of rickshaws. Work was undertaken to advance the drafting of this Bill and it was included in the legislative priority list for 2019. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (22 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure and provision of bus stops including the provision of installing electronic timetables at bus stops. Noting the NTA's responsibility in the...