Results 441-460 of 25,443 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Policy (26 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is continuously exploring ways to encourage the uptake of cycling as a mode of transport. Our National Sustainable Mobility Policy examines the different behavioural change measures that can be explored to promote modal shift away from private car use and towards zero-emission transport modes such as walking, cycling and e-biking. While I welcome the introduction of an...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects (26 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned....

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (26 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As 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 National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (26 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As 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 raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Irish Rail. Therefore, I have referred the Deputy's question to Irish Rail for direct response to the Deputy. Please advise my private office...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Data Protection (26 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Department of Transport is committed to meeting its obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018. This includes the reporting to the Data Protection Commission of data breaches where the breach presents a risk to the affected individuals and responding to any requests for information from the Data Protection Commission. Staff from the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (26 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister of Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding of public transport. The operation, maintenance and renewal of the rail network and stations on the network, including the former station referred to at Mullinavat, Co. Kilkenny, is a matter for Iarnród Éireann in the first instance. In view of Iarnród Éireann's responsibility in this...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Coast Guard Service (26 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Irish Coast Guard, a Division within the Department of Transport, has 44 Volunteer Units based around the coast of Ireland. The Coast Guard building programme, which includes the provision of new or upgraded facilities for volunteers, is managed by the Office of Public Works (OPW) on behalf of my department. The Department of Transport adheres to the Infrastructure Guidelines by the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Weather Events (26 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has not yet sought or received any additional funding following storm Éowyn.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Infrastructure (25 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As outlined in the Programme for Government, this Government is committed to taking decisive action to radically reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and to achieve a 51% reduction in emissions from 2018 to 2030, and to achieving net-zero emissions no later than 2050. In the Programme for Government we also set out our commitment to achieving 80% of Ireland’s electricity generation...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Production (25 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: In line with the agreed Sectoral Emissions Ceilings, Government has committed to supporting the production of up to 5.7TWh of indigenously produced biomethane by 2030. A first step to realising this ambition was the publication of the National Biomethane Strategy which sets out twenty-five key strategic actions and outlines the necessary supports needed to drive growth across the biomethane...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Prices (25 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Act 2023 was enacted in November 2023 and was commenced on 4 December 2023. This Act implemented a cap on market revenues of specific electricity producers, traders and intermediaries as required in Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1854 of 6 October 2022 on an emergency intervention to address high energy prices. The...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Legislative Programme (25 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: On 22 April 2024 the Government approved the drafting of a Bill to amend the Air Pollution Act, 1987. The General Scheme and regulatory impact assessment were published on 8 August 2024 and are available to download at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/abad8-general-scheme-and-regulator y-impact-assessment-of-air-pollution-act-amendment-bill-2024 / My Department requested pre-legislative...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (25 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) mandates the establishment of Community Benefit Funds (CBFs) for projects participating in the scheme to ensure that local communities hosting renewable energy projects directly benefit from the country's transition to sustainable energy. Each RESS Project is required to contribute a minimum payment of €2 per Megawatt-hour (MWh) of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Public Procurement Contracts (25 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: All procurement within my Department, is conducted in accordance with applicable EU and national regulations and guidelines and is subject to regular review and oversight to ensure that budgetary control is maintained over the life cycle of individual projects. Procurement takes place in the context of Directive 2014/24/EU supported by the Procurement Guidelines published by the Office of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Bodies (25 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: There are a number of bodies under my Department's aegis with powers to make determinations, decisions or authorisations under regulatory functions or appeal functions: the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA), the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Mining Board. With...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (25 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As outlined in the Programme for Government, this Government is committed to taking decisive action to radically reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and to achieve a 51% reduction in emissions from 2018 to 2030, and to achieving net-zero emissions no later than 2050. In the Programme for Government we also set out our commitment to achieving 80% of Ireland’s electricity generation...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (25 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department is engaged on a number of initiatives to reduce and tackle textile waste. The separate collection of textiles is essential to maximise opportunities for reuse and supporting our transition to a circular economy. Currently, our separate collection system for textiles consists of a national network of local authority and charity bring banks, charity retail shops as well as some...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (25 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As outlined in the Programme for Government, this Government is committed to taking decisive action to radically reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and to achieve a 51% reduction in emissions from 2018 to 2030, and to achieving net-zero emissions no later than 2050. The Programme for Government set out the commitment to achieving 80% of Ireland’s electricity generation from...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Official Engagements (25 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I can confirm that I did not meet with the Mayor of Miami during my recent visit as part of the 2025 Saint Patrick's Day events.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Noise Pollution (25 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The European Communities (Environmental Noise) Regulations 2018 (S. I. No 549 of 2018) transpose EU Directive 2002/49/EC relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise. The Directive aims to provide a common framework to avoid, prevent or reduce, on a prioritised basis, the harmful effects of exposure to environmental noise. The Environmental Noise Directive (END) is...