Results 4,081-4,100 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Air Quality (28 Nov 2019)

Richard Bruton: If I sponsored a statutory instrument that fell in the courts at its first challenge, the Deputy, along with other Deputies who also represent areas protected by the smoky coal ban, would be the first to state in the Chamber that I had failed in my duty and undermined the protections available to the major cities and towns. I have to take seriously the legal frailties of any proposal made....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Natural Gas Imports (28 Nov 2019)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy will be aware and as I have stated clearly, I will not support any funding for the proposed LNG terminals unless and until I am satisfied they pass the sustainability and security review I am putting in place. She has to be aware that the LNG projects, including that at Shannon, have been proposed by commercial developers. They are private sector projects and final investment...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Just Transition Commissioner (28 Nov 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Government has appointed Mr. Kieran Mulvey as the just transition commissioner on a non-statutory basis to facilitate discussions and work with stakeholders to develop, mobilise and deliver opportunities for the midlands. I published the terms of reference for the work of the just transition commissioner on 19 November. The commissioner will engage with the relevant stakeholders,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Just Transition Commissioner (28 Nov 2019)

Richard Bruton: I am conscious there are issues that will have to be resolved here. However, I would point out to the Deputy that the joint industrial relations council was established due to a proposition made by the Workplace Relations Commission. This is an independent body that is chaired by the Workplace Relations Commission itself with an independent chairperson. The provision in these joint...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Just Transition Commissioner (28 Nov 2019)

Richard Bruton: The position is Kieran Mulvey has come in. He was a former director general of the Workplace Relations Commission but he has not come to take on the role of the Workplace Relations Commission. Kieran Mulvey is a man of considerable experience who has taken on the task I set out in my earlier reply, namely, to liaise with community interests across the region. He will also look at things...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Air Quality (28 Nov 2019)

Richard Bruton: Transitioning away from fossil fuels to more renewable, sustainable energy sources is at the heart of the climate action plan. Some 40% of our homes use coal and peat for heating, many in combination with other fossil fuel heating systems. By 2030, we will upgrade a third of all homes to at least a B2 energy standard, installing approximately 400,000 heat pumps. Over 99% of our vehicle...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (28 Nov 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Government is committed to delivering high-speed broadband to every home, farm, business and school in Ireland. It is vital that we ensure the people of rural Ireland have the same opportunities as the people in our towns and cities. The fundamental building blocks of the project, which is designed to bring fibre to the home to over 1.1 million people in the intervention area, have...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (28 Nov 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy has to be aware that the make-up of a consortium changes over the course of a bid, particularly a PPP bid of this length. As he is aware, this has gone on since 2015. That was always recognised in the contract documents. The contract documents also set out very strict criteria to ensure that whenever a change occurred it did not in any way undermine the basic strength of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (28 Nov 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy will have to appreciate that what has happened here is that contractual commitments to an investment of both equity and working capital of more than €220 million have been made by the investors. The controlling interest in this is Granahan McCourt. However, one of the investors with less than 50% is Oak Hill and that provides a strong financial basis for the roll-out. As...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Expenditure (28 Nov 2019)

Richard Bruton: The contract that I signed with National Broadband Ireland on 19 November is the Government’s plan to rollout high speed broadband to the 1.1 million people living and working in the nearly 540,000 premises including almost 100,000 businesses and farms, along with 695 schools, where commercial operators will not commit to deliver the service. It will ensure that one quarter of the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Air Quality (28 Nov 2019)

Richard Bruton: Transitioning away from fossil fuels to more renewable, sustainable energy sources is at the heart of the Climate Action Plan. Currently 40% of our homes use coal and peat for heating, many in combination with other fossil fuel heating systems. By 2030, we will upgrade a third of all homes to at least a B2 energy standard, installing approximately 400,000 heat pumps. Currently over 99% of our...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Bord na Móna (28 Nov 2019)

Richard Bruton: I welcome the focus given by the Joint Committee on Climate Action in its report to the future of Bord na Mona and the Midlands region. The Committee correctly identified that, while all sectors face challenges transitioning to a low carbon economy, immediate interventions must be put in place in those locations and for those sectors imminently under threat, such as those whose livelihoods...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Bord na Móna (28 Nov 2019)

Richard Bruton: The managed transition out of peat envisaged by Bord na Móna has been significantly impacted by the An Bord Pleanála decision to refuse planning permission for ESB's West Offaly Power station beyond the end of 2020 and the subsequent ESB decision to withdraw a planning permission application for the Lough Ree Power station. Government has already taken significant steps to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (28 Nov 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Government recognises the need to roll out high speed broadband as quickly as possible and is conscious that the full rollout of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) State intervention area will take a number of years. Broadband Connection Points are key NBP locations in communities across Ireland. Broadband Connection Points are locations of community importance such as community centres,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Implementation (28 Nov 2019)

Richard Bruton: The National Broadband Plan is the Government’s plan to rollout high speed broadband to the 1.1 million people living and working in the nearly 540,000 premises including almost 100,000 businesses and farms, along with 695 schools, where commercial operators will not commit to deliver the service. Following the contract signing on 19 November, work has already begun and a deployment...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (28 Nov 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Government recognises the need to roll out high speed broadband as quickly as possible and is conscious that the full rollout of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) State intervention area will take a number of years. Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are locations of community importance across Ireland such as community centres, parish halls and schools. The BCPs have been...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action Plan (28 Nov 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Government’s Climate Action Plan commits to upgrading 500,000 homes to B2 or cost optimal energy efficiency standard by 2030. To deliver this target, a new retrofitting delivery model is being developed. Learning from experience both in Ireland as well as other jurisdictions, it will: - Group homes in the same area together to drive down cost; - Start with social homes owned by...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Better Energy Homes Scheme (28 Nov 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme is funded by my Department and administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. The scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to low income households vulnerable to energy poverty. The 2019 budget allocation for the Warmer Homes Scheme is €39.8 million. The budget for 2020 will be €52.8 million - a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Implementation (28 Nov 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 22 and 27 together. The National Broadband Plan is the Government’s plan to rollout high speed broadband to the 1.1 million people living and working in the nearly 540,000 premises including almost 100,000 businesses and farms, along with 695 schools, where commercial operators will not commit to deliver the service. Following the contract signing on...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (28 Nov 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 23, 31 and 33 together. The availability of high speed broadband services in rural communities will have a transformative effect on these parts of the country. High speed broadband will allow citizens and businesses in rural communities to enjoy broadband speeds comparable to and in many cases better than speeds available to those living in towns and...