Results 4,861-4,880 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Seanad: Climate Action Plan: Statements (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: I thank all the Senators for participation in the debate. I will respond to their points as best I can. Senator Leyden suggested electrifying rail lines. We will examine all technologies, but the point I tried to make at the outset is that we have looked at technologies based on what we know of them and how they will evolve over the next ten years and picked those that are most cost...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: There are two dimensions to the answer to that question. In terms of staying on track, we are setting up an implementation committee within the Department of the Taoiseach which will be co-chaired by the Secretaries General of that Department and of my Department. That will oversee the roll out and implementation of the action plan. In addition, there will be carbon proofing within the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: The carbon-proofing of Government memoranda will come in later this year. It will be developed by the Department of the Taoiseach with input from other Departments, particularly the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: I will not give a view attributing motivations or otherwise of anyone involved in this project. The position is that Eir was involved in this process, it found fault with a number of elements which the State regarded as key to the protection of the State's investment, compliance with state aid rules and protection of those for whom this service was being designed. In other words, the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: Carbon proofing will have a key role to play in the transition to a low-carbon economy and has been recognised by the Climate Change Advisory Council as an important tool for Ireland to achieve its long-term decarbonisation objectives in a cost-effective manner by 2050. As part of project appraisal for all public capital investments, it is essential to avoid expenditure that locks in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: The national broadband plan aims to ensure that every home, school and business in Ireland has access to high-speed broadband. This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment across the country and a State intervention in those areas where commercial operators acting alone are unlikely to invest. The national broadband plan has been a catalyst in encouraging investment...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: Deputy Stanley is absolutely right. Governance will be essential for taxpayers to get value for money. That is why we have insisted on a separate company, on a contract with performance clauses and penalties, on strong governance oversight and on upfront capital. Those are all conditions that Eir, the company that the Deputy seems to feel is the potential saviour of this project, refused...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: -----that it is proposed will be abandoned in order to get a price that is sometimes quoted as €500 million, sometimes €1 billion and sometimes €1.5 billion. The only time that there was a contractual commitment to such a figure in the context of the procurement process it was quoted as €2.7 billion. That is the reality. Deputy Stanley is correct to state that...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Bituminous Fuel Ban (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: The ban on smoky coal, as it is commonly known, was first introduced in Dublin in 1990, and subsequently extended to other major cities. Following a public consultation process, it was further extended in 2012, and now applies in 26 urban areas nationwide. The ban has proved effective and research indicates, for example, that the ban has resulted in more than 350 fewer annual deaths in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Bituminous Fuel Ban (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: The challenge has arisen around this question of the equivalence regarding particulate matter derived from burning smoky coal or wood and peat products. That is the core issue. The nationwide extension of a ban on smoky coal, which I know was made in good faith by the former Ministers, envisaged that it would not apply to peat or wood products. This issue has to be examined carefully and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Bituminous Fuel Ban (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Department is not rejecting anything. It recognises the merit of extending a ban on smoky coal. The issue that has been challenged is whether it is legally robust to have such protections in respect of one fuel product at a time when other fuel products, that have a similar profile regarding polluting affects, are excluded. That is the issue. We need to ensure that in taking action to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: The national broadband process is clear. The only way in which one could consider any offer from Eir would be by abandoning this process and starting all over again. That is absolutely clear and Eir acknowledged that because it has not made an offer, under any of these various financial scenarios, in which it says it could do it for €500 million, €1 billion, or €1.55...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: The procurement process in the national broadband plan is not yet concluded. Both Eir and the ESB, as partners, were bidders for the national broadband contract but withdrew their bids. At the time of their withdrawal, the Eir bid was comparable to that of the remaining bidder in the amount of €2.7 billion. Very detailed negotiations and due diligence was conducted and the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: Any state aid process must be done where the commercial sector cannot deliver it. If the commercial sector states it can deliver part of that, under a state aid process, one must allow access to that part and state aid can only be provided in the area which is not commercial. National Broadband Ireland will be guaranteed access to infrastructure and the price at which they get that...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: The national broadband plan is the Government's commitment to design, build and operate a network which will make high-speed broadband available to every rural home within seven years and to continue to operate the service under the terms of the plan contract for up to 35 years. Eir has made no formal proposal to the Government to replace or supersede the national broadband plan. When...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: Eir has suggested that it could do this project for less by abandoning some of the essential conditions that were imposed at the very start of the process. Those essential conditions involved showing that it had the cash and financial commitments to deliver the project. They involved showing that there would be governance of the state aid in order to ensure that we could see that any money...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Better Energy Homes Scheme (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: I welcome the publication of the Engineers Ireland review of housing and infrastructure in Ireland. This report includes recommendations on a range of issues related to the housing stock, including the development and implementation of a national renovation strategy. As noted in the Report, the recently published Climate Action Plan sets a target of retrofitting 500,000 houses to BER B2,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Government established a National Dialogue on Climate Action in 2017. The primary objectives of the National Dialogue are to engage and empower citizens and communities to take local action, to ensure an inclusive progress of engagement and feedback, and to develop the capacity for individuals and communities to act and bring about the transformation of our society to a low carbon and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Warmer Homes Scheme (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Warmer Homes Scheme provides free energy efficiency upgrades to the homes of people living in or at risk of energy poverty. The scheme is delivered through a panel of contractors, appointed through a competitive tendering process. There are currently 39 contractors on the panel.Works that are completed must be audited and in some cases further inspected before SEAI can request an invoice...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Offshore Exploration Licences (4 Jul 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Licensing Terms for Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration, Development and Production 2007 provide that acreage rental fees in respect of petroleum authorisations are payable on the date of issue of an authorisation for a period of one year and thereafter on the annual anniversary date of the issue of that authorisation. As such acreage rental fees are paid in advance and fall due at different...