Results 401-420 of 25,713 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Official Engagements (10 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I am briefed regularly by my officials, as appropriate, on developments in relation to significant infrastructural projects related to my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Infrastructure (10 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Following the damage caused to the telecoms networks by Storm Éowyn, on 14 February my colleague Minister O’Donovan met with senior executives of both mobile and fixed telecoms providers to reflect on the lessons to be learned, and measures to be considered to build further resilience into telecommunications networks to avoid, where feasible and practicable, a reoccurrence of the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (10 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The All-Island Resource Adequacy Assessment (AIRAA) is an electricity system security study that assesses the balance between electricity generation capacity and electricity demand over the next ten years. The recently published AIRAA 2025-34 shows an improved picture for Ireland's generation adequacy on last year’s study. This improvement is due to new generation capacity additions,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Wind Energy Generation (10 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Work is ongoing in my Department to develop both offshore and onshore wind energy strategies. The Future Framework for Offshore Renewable Energy, published in May 2024, lays out Ireland’s strategy for developing Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE), including wind, post-2030. Ireland has set ambitious targets in this area, which will mostly consist of fixed offshore wind in the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Reports (10 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department engaged CEPA (Cambridge Economic Policy Associates Ltd) to carry out an updated analysis of security of energy supply in Ireland covering the period beyond 2030 and up to 2040. This study builds on CEPA’s technical analysis of the security of supply of Ireland’s electricity and natural gas systems up to 2030, published in September 2022, that helped inform the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Strategies (10 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: In December 2022, Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy was published which supports the ambition outlined in the National Digital Strategy and set out a number of targets including that all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028. The Programme for Government – Securing Ireland’s Future published in January 2025 sets a number...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (10 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Waste Management Act, the primary responsibility for management and enforcement responses to illegal dumping lies with the local authorities. It is a matter for each local authority to determine the most appropriate awareness, enforcement and clean-up actions in relation to illegal dumping taking account of local circumstances. In that context it would be a matter for Cork City...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (10 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Emergency exercises are carried out to stress-test the systems and procedures in place to ensure that the Government, State agencies and wider stakeholders are prepared to effectively manage a range of potential emergency scenarios. In accordance with risk requirements and annual winter preparedness initiatives across the energy sector, a range of multi-stakeholder simulation exercises...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Air and Water Pollution (10 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 89, 90 and 91 together. The national air quality monitoring network is operated, maintained and monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme (AAMP), which is funded by my Department. A significant upgrade to the AAMP network was undertaken in recent years, also funded by my Department. As...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (10 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The National Hydrogen Strategy was published in July 2023 and is the first major policy statement on renewable hydrogen and marks an important first step in developing an indigenous hydrogen industry in Ireland. Hydrogen is a cross-cutting technology which can play a role across a variety of end uses such as transport, power and heating. It also offers industrial opportunities and export...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Artificial Intelligence (10 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: There are 15 State bodies under the aegis of my Department. The information sought in the Question is an operational matter for each of the State bodies concerned and, as such, it is not information held by my Department. It is suggested that the Deputy contact the bodies directly in relation to this matter. Contact details for each body are set out in the attached document. ...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Correspondence (10 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department administers a very diverse and complex brief. In 2024, the remit of the Department included oversight of climate action, energy security and sustainability, restoring and protecting our natural environment, circular economy, digital connectivity, and cyber security. As a result, my Department manages a high volume of correspondence. I am advised that my office and the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Correspondence (10 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department administers a very diverse and complex brief. In 2024, the remit of the Department included oversight of climate action, energy security and sustainability, restoring and protecting our natural environment, circular economy, digital connectivity, and cyber security. As such, thousands of emails are received by the Minister's Office mailbox and the Customer Service Inbox from...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Surveys (10 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I can confirm that my Department has not undertaken any surveys to estimate the amount of time taken up with administrative tasks as outlined by the Deputy. Notwithstanding this, my Department is constantly working to improve processes and procedures to increase efficiency and performance across its operational areas. One of the Key Strategic Actions in my Departments Statement of...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Programmes (10 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: For the transport sector, we are required to pursue a decarbonisation pathway to achieve a 50% reduction in transport emissions by 2030 in a manner that is consistent with sectoral emission ceilings of 54MtCO2eq. and 37MtCO2eq. for carbon budget periods 1 and 2 respectively, which were agreed by Government in August 2022. The development of the Climate Action Plan 2023 took note of the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Policies (10 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has statutory responsibility for the operation of the National Driver Testing Service. Nevertheless, I acknowledge that current waiting times are far in excess of what is acceptable and I would like to assure the Deputy that measures have been taken to address the issue. To support the RSA in increasing testing...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Funding (10 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to Active Travel infrastructure. The National Transport Authority (NTA) along with the relevant local authorities are responsible for the development and delivery of individual projects. The Programme for Government committed around €360 million per annum to walking and cycling across the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Funding (10 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: This Government is firmly committed to improving public transport across the country and that commitment is demonstrated through the significant investment that has been made in both services and infrastructure in recent years. As the Deputy will be aware, the key objectives for Local Link include continuing to address rural social exclusion and the integration of Local Link with other...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Programmes (10 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. Consultants were appointed by the Department of Transport in Q4 2023 to conduct a review of the existing administrative, operational, legislative, and funding structures of rural public transport service provision via the Rural Transport Programme, to evaluate its current...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Policy (10 Apr 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. Consultants were appointed by the Department of Transport in Q4 2023 to conduct a review of the existing administrative, operational, legislative, and funding structures of rural public transport service provision via the Rural Transport Programme, to evaluate its current...