Results 5,301-5,320 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (21 May 2019)

Richard Bruton: I assure the Deputy that I recognise the importance of the work done by the Oireachtas committee and that I absolutely accept the importance of a much greater level of transparency and accountability and the importance of setting of clear targets which will be adopted by each sector. We will be adopting legislative proposals to ensure that the Oireachtas plays a far greater role. I assure...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (21 May 2019)

Richard Bruton: The national broadband plan is a plan to design, build and operate a network which will make high speed broadband available to every home in rural Ireland within seven years and to continue to operate the service for 35 years. Granahan McCourt relied on the resources of Tetrad Corporation and McCourt Global LLC to demonstrate its economic and financial capacity for the purposes of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (21 May 2019)

Richard Bruton: The position is that the commitments in relation to equity will be contractualised in advance of contract award. Any committed funding that has not been drawn down by National Broadband Ireland at financial close will require a guarantee in a form that is acceptable to the Department. The Department will have a legally enforceable contract in relation to the equity that has to be provided....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (21 May 2019)

Richard Bruton: The position is that the contract will provide an enforceable equity commitment on behalf of the project which will cover the equity involved of €175 million. The company will also have to provide all of the working capital. As I indicated in my initial reply, the State will not be making any commitment to make a payment until and as the roll-out is delivered. In terms of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan (21 May 2019)

Richard Bruton: The availability of high speed broadband to every home in the country will unlock the door to equal participation in digital transformation which is already transforming our lives and will continue to bring fresh opportunities that will be crucial to operations in Ireland's regions. My Department commissioned a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis on the national broadband plan, as is a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Medical Waste Disposal (21 May 2019)

Richard Bruton: My Department has engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representative organisations and public bodies, in an effort to see how best to provide the support to the target group. These bodies have also examined how health professionals and community welfare officers could assist the scheme. It should be noted however that none of the options around verification are straightforward, and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (21 May 2019)

Richard Bruton: The declaration of a climate and biodiversity emergency by the Dáil on 9 May underlines the importance of the work currently underway to develop a new All of Government Climate Plan. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C, published last October, confirmed that the international community has a limited window for real action to reduce...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Citizens Assembly (21 May 2019)

Richard Bruton: As part of the Programme for Partnership Government the Government committed to appoint a Citizens’ Assembly to examine a number of key challenges for Ireland including the Eight Amendment of the constitution and how the State can make Ireland a leader in climate change. As in the former case this has been followed by the establishment of a Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: EU Directives (21 May 2019)

Richard Bruton: The European Commission’s Directive on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, commonly referred to as the Single Use Plastics Directive, contains ambitious targets which have been successfully negotiated between the European Parliament and Member States. The finalised Directive will be formally adopted shortly and has to be transposed by Member...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Illegal Dumping (21 May 2019)

Richard Bruton: My Department has introduced a number of measures to strengthen efforts to improve waste enforcement generally and target illegal dumping. These include: - An annual waste enforcement grant of €7.4 million to support the recruitment and retention of 150 local authority waste enforcement personnel across the country; - The establishment of the Waste Enforcement Regional Lead...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Incentives (21 May 2019)

Richard Bruton: I have recently set out a new ambition for Ireland, of reaching 70% renewable electricity by 2030, and details on how this will be delivered will be contained in the soon to be launched All of Government Climate Action Plan. The Plan will set out the necessary policy measures to help meet our 2030 target and will put Ireland on a clear pathway to meeting our 2050 objectives. This will require...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (21 May 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 67, 81 and 85 together. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C, published last October, confirmed that the international community has a limited window for real action to reduce emissions to ensure that current and future generations can live sustainably in a low-carbon and climate-resilient world. ...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Bituminous Fuel Ban (21 May 2019)

Richard Bruton: The ban on the marketing, sale and distribution of bituminous coal, or ‘the smoky coal ban’ as it is commonly known, was first introduced in Dublin in 1990, and subsequently extended to our 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 very effective in reducing particulate...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (21 May 2019)

Richard Bruton: Tetrad Corporation and McCourt Global LLC. were the two companies that Granahan McCourt relied on to demonstrate its economic and financial capacity for the purposes of the pre- qualification process (PQQ) of the National Broadband Plan procurement process. The requirements for relying on the resources of other entities, are set out in the Project Information Memorandum including at section...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Implementation (21 May 2019)

Richard Bruton: The National Broadband Plan (NBP) 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 NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Speeds (21 May 2019)

Richard Bruton: My Department recognised the need to roll out high speed broadband as quickly as possible. When my Department conducted its mapping exercise in 2014 the consultation documents listed some examples of potential connection points in local communities. This principle was incorporated into the procurement process. These key locations in rural communities will be connected with high speed...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (21 May 2019)

Richard Bruton: The adoption of the motion to endorse the report of the Joint Committee on Climate Action by the Dáil, including the declaration of a climate and biodiversity emergency, is a significant statement and underlines the importance of the work underway on our All of Government Climate Plan. The Government has welcomed the publication of the Joint Committee’s report, which is a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Bord na Móna (21 May 2019)

Richard Bruton: Bord na Móna intends to accelerate the move away from traditional peat businesses into renewables, resource recovery and new business opportunities to support sustainable employment and associated economic development in the Midlands. I have written to Commissioner Canete in the European Commission, who has responsibility for Energy and Climate Action, requesting the inclusion of the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (21 May 2019)

Richard Bruton: The purpose of the National Broadband Plan is to ensure that over 1.1 million of our citizens in rural Ireland have the same opportunity to participate in the digital society as citizens living in urban areas. The availability of ubiquitous high speed broadband will bring significant benefits in areas of e-Health, e-Education, smart farming, regional development and tourism. Under the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (21 May 2019)

Richard Bruton: The declaration of a climate and biodiversity emergency by Dáil Éireann and the decision of the House to endorse the report of the Joint Committee on Climate Action was supported by the Government. The Government has welcomed the publication of the Joint Committee’s report, which should be seen as a milestone in the development of Ireland’s climate policy. The...