Results 6,221-6,240 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions arise from a number of different sources, with agriculture representing the largest share at 33.3% of total emissions in 2017. Agriculture emissions increased by 2.9% in 2017 following an increase in 2016 of 2.7%. The most significant drivers for the increased emissions in 2017 are higher dairy cow numbers, with an increase in milk production of 9.2%. In...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (24 Jan 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. There are approximately 85,300 premises in County Meath. Since December...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Mitigation Plan (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: Greenhouse gas emissions and removals associated with land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF), as reported in Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions inventory, include activities associated with afforestation and forestry harvesting, grassland and cropland management with agricultural use, managed and unmanaged wetlands, and other land-use categories (including settlements). While...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: The premises referenced by the Deputy is in the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map, which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie. The AMBER areas represent the target areas for the proposed State led Intervention under the NBP. This intervention is the subject of an ongoing procurement process. I note that there is some...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: Under the 2009 Effort Sharing Decision, which put in place binding annual emissions targets for each year between 2013 and 2020 for sectors outside the EU Emissions Trading System, Ireland must achieve a reduction of 20% relative to 2005 levels of emissions. The latest projections, published in May 2018 by the EPA, indicate that emissions from those sectors of the economy covered by the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Post Office Closures (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: An Post is a commercial State body with its own Board. Decisions relating to the post office network are an operational matter for An Post. In the face of serious declines in the volume of mail and post office business, An Post faced growing losses and has had to undertake a major restructuring of its business in order to continue to be able to provide its services. insofar as post...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: The findings of the recently published Lancet Commission report, 'Tracking Progress on Health and Climate Change', covers a range of policy areas that are currently being considered in the context of the All of Government Plan to Address Climate Disruption. Phasing out coal-fired power generation is a key recommendation, and this is currently already an action in the National Mitigation Plan...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Generation (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: It is settled policy that electricity generation from coal will cease no later than 2025. This position has been set out in a number of policy documents, including the National Mitigation Plan, the National Development Plan 2018-2027 and the 2015 Energy Policy Paper, “Ireland’s Transition to a Low-Carbon Energy Future”, and most recently in the National Energy and Climate...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 234 and 242, to 244, inclusive, together. The National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure high speed broadband access to all premises in Ireland, regardless of location. This is being achieved via a combination of commercial investment and a State led intervention. The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector. In 2012, less...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Better Energy Homes Scheme Data (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 235 and 239 together. The Better Energy Programme is funded by my Department and operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). The programme consists of three main schemes: Homes, Warmer Homes and Communities. - Better Energy Homes provides a financial incentive to private homeowners who wish to improve the energy performance of their homes....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Schemes Data (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 236 and 240 together. The Smart Lighting Pilot Programme provides grants of up to 30% for SMEs to upgrade to more efficient lighting, permanently reducing future energy use and spend. The pilot scheme was introduced in 2017 and saw a significant increase in uptake in participation for 2018. The scheme will be re-introduced in 2019. The total value of the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Schemes Data (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 237 and 241 together. The Accelerated Capital Allowance (ACA) is a tax incentive scheme that promotes investment in energy efficient products & equipment. The scheme is available to companies and unincorporated businesses which incur expenditure on approved energy efficient equipment for use in their trade. Products eligible under the scheme are...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Brexit Issues (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: At least once a month, I meet with the Department’s Management Board. Brexit is a standing item on the Agenda at these meetings and members are updated on contingency and preparedness planning in my Department, and I also discuss Brexit issues with officials as issues arise. These meetings update on developments and discuss actions and contingency plans being developed by the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Generation (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Energy in Ireland 2018 Report was published by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) in December 2018. Details of the proportions of electricity generated from oil, gas, coal, wind, solar or other renewable sources are available in Table 8 “Growth rates, quantities and shares of electricity generated by fuel”on page 29 of the report. The report sets out the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 247, 248 and 250 together. The Energy in Ireland 2018 Reportwas published by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) in December 2018. Table 11 (Page 34) shows that the share of electricity from renewable energy has increased fourfold between 2005 and 2017 – from 7.2% to 30.1% - an increase of 23 percentage points over 12 years. Table 11...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation Targets (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Government’s commitment to reduce Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions over the longer term is set out in the 2017 National Mitigation Plan, the 2015 Energy White Paper and recently published National Energy and Climate Plan. In the electricity sector, which accounts for less than one fifth of Ireland's overall emissions, we have made good progress and are well on our way to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Generation (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: The Electricity Security of Supply Report 2018 published by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities on 8 November 2018, points to peak daily system electricity demand in Ireland recorded during 2017 was close to, but slightly higher than, 5GW. The full report is available on the CRU website: As the Deputy is aware, the PSO levy has been in place since 2001 and consists of a set of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Services Data (24 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 252 and 253 together. Providing telecommunications services, including mobile phone services, is a matter for the relevant service providers operating in a fully liberalised market regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), as independent Regulator. I do not have statutory authority to require commercial companies to rollout...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Brexit Issues (23 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: I thank Deputy Stanley for raising this important issue. As the Deputy has outlined, there has been great co-operation between Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK in the energy market. It is certainly our desire that this will continue. On the issue of the security of the supply of gas, Ireland has two main sources. One is from the Corrib facility, which is a very important supplier,...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Brexit Issues (23 Jan 2019)

Richard Bruton: The National Oil Reserves Agency. As for electricity, in October 2018, after more than six years of work by Departments, regulators, the transmission systems operators, market participants and stakeholders, the new wholesale electricity market has been established. Legislation underpinning this was amended in Ireland and Northern Ireland. The legislation is contained in sections 7 and 8...