Results 4,461-4,480 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Seanad: Children's Digital Protection Bill 2018: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2019)

Richard Bruton: I was referring to section 3(4).

Seanad: Children's Digital Protection Bill 2018: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2019)

Richard Bruton: The legislation with which I am dealing deals with harmful content. That is only a subset of a much wider category of problem. I draw Senators' attention to the action plan for online safety published last year. This plan deals with a much more comprehensive approach to this issue. I was then Minister for Education and Skills and appeared before the Oireachtas Committee on Children and...

Seanad: Children's Digital Protection Bill 2018: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2019)

Richard Bruton: That is another area where the Attorney General has drawn my attention to difficulties. The provision that a person may be tried in the State for an offence by a person outside the State gives rise to certain jurisdictional issues that would be problematic.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Expenditure (16 Oct 2019)

Richard Bruton: The National Broadband Plan aims to ensure that every home, school and business in Ireland has access to a high speed broadband services. The procurement process for the National Broadband Plan has determined that the maximum cost to the State over the 25 year term of the contract will be €2.143bn, excluding VAT of €355m and excluding contingency of €480m. The total...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (16 Oct 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Climate Action Plan outlines many key features of our transition to a low carbon economy. For example it outlines that by 2030: - Renewable Energy will be 5 times its existing capacity. - Retrofitting of homes will be 10 times its present level - Non-recyclable plastics will have been eliminated. On the other hand it also highlights: - the ending of the use of peat and coal in electricity...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Online Safety (16 Oct 2019)

Richard Bruton: On 4 March 2019 I announced proposals for an Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill to tackle the spread of harmful online content and launched a public consultation to gather feedback on the proposals. The public consultation closed on 15 April 2019. A wide a varied range of responses were received to the consultation, from members of the public, NGOs, industry and government agencies....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Implementation (16 Oct 2019)

Richard Bruton: Since the Government decision in May to appoint NBI as the Preferred Bidder for the National Broadband Plan contract, work has continued on the due diligence necessary to conclude the contract. This process is progressing towards contract award, which is expected before the end of the year. The network deployment will commence shortly after that. The National Broadband Plan will bridge...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Implementation (16 Oct 2019)

Richard Bruton: Since the Government decision in May to appoint NBI as the Preferred Bidder for the National Broadband Plan contract, work has continued on the due diligence necessary to conclude the contract. This process is progressing towards contract award, which is expected before the end of the year. The Bidder will commence the deployment of the network shortly after that. The Bidder has indicated...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Warmer Homes Scheme Funding (16 Oct 2019)

Richard Bruton: Supporting home owners on low incomes to retrofit their homes is a priority for Government. The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to low income households who meet the defined eligibility criteria and who are vulnerable to energy poverty. This scheme has evolved over time from a scheme which only provided basic insulation to now...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Efficiency (16 Oct 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Deep Retrofit Pilot Scheme was launched in 2017 as a time bound pilot to investigate the challenges and opportunities of deep retrofit in Ireland. The scheme, which is funded by my Department and operated by the SEAI, closed for applications on 19 July. The total budget for the scheme this year is €10 million – double the amount spent on the scheme last year. Almost...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (16 Oct 2019)

Richard Bruton: Since the Government decision in May to appoint NBI as the Preferred Bidder for the National Broadband Plan contract, work has continued on the due diligence necessary to conclude the contract. This process is progressing towards contract award, which is expected before the end of the year. The network deployment will commence shortly after that. The Bidder has indicated that the network...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Air Quality (16 Oct 2019)

Richard Bruton: Ambient air quality monitoring in Ireland is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the 2008 Clean Air for Europe (CAFE) Directive (Directive 2008/50/EC) and the Fourth Daughter Directive (Directive 2004/107/EC of 15 December 2004). These Directives include rules on how Member States should monitor, assess and manage ambient air quality. Under the Directives, EU Member States must...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Post Office Network (16 Oct 2019)

Richard Bruton: An Post is a commercial State body with a mandate to deliver a postal delivery service and a viable post office network. In November 2017, Government was presented with a future for An Post and the post office network that was uncertain and extremely bleak with a very real possibility that the company would go under. The potential for a complete shutdown of postal services with the loss...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (16 Oct 2019)

Richard Bruton: The connection of renewable generators to the grid is an operational matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities in conjunction with EirGrid and ESB Networks and one in which I have no function. A key commitment in the Climate Action Plan is the regulatory streamlining of renewables and grid development. A comprehensive set of actions (Actions 16 to 24) have been published for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Online Safety (16 Oct 2019)

Richard Bruton: On 4 March 2019 I announced proposals for an Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill to tackle the spread of harmful online content and launched a public consultation to gather feedback on the proposals. The public consultation closed on 15 April 2019. A wide a varied range of responses were received to the consultation, from members of the public, NGOs, industry and government agencies....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Implementation (16 Oct 2019)

Richard Bruton: Since the Government decision in May to appoint National Broadband Ireland as the Preferred Bidder for the National Broadband Plan contract, work has continued on the due diligence necessary to conclude the contract. This process is progressing towards contract award, which is expected before the end of the year. The Bidder will commence the deployment of the network shortly after that. ...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (16 Oct 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 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electric Vehicles (16 Oct 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 64 together. The Climate Action Plan, which set a target of 936,000 electric vehicles on the road in Ireland by 2030, includes a range of actions to support the uptake of electric vehicles. Budget 2020 provided €30 million in funding to my Department to support the uptake of electric vehicles through the purchase grants. In addition,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: North-South Interconnector (16 Oct 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 60 and 70 together. The North South Interconnector is critical to improving the efficient operation of the Single Electricity Market and increasing security of electricity supply across the island of Ireland. It will also help us to move towards 70% renewable electricity. A resilient and well connected energy infrastructure is vital for Ireland’s...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Just Transition Fund (16 Oct 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 61, 69 and 72 together. Ireland’s necessary transition away from carbon-intensive sources of energy, towards more sustainable, renewable energy sources, will have a significant impact on the workers in these carbon-intensive sectors, their families, and the Midlands as a whole. Government has committed to delivering a whole of Government approach,...