Results 6,321-6,340 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Efficiency (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Deputy. I had some interest from the other side of the counter on this question when I was in the Department of Education and Skills. The most recent report on public buildings shows that schools are one sector where the greatest ground has to be made up. Schools are well short of the targets that are generally being achieved. To be fair, the targets are being achieved in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Efficiency (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: I have spoken to the Minister, Deputy Joe McHugh, and he is up for something in this area if we can develop a scheme. One issue will be access to funding because 80% of the Department capital funding is simply to cope with population growth. We need smart access to funding, to exploit the pilot schemes and deepen community involvement to achieve a broader range of interests who are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: North-South Interconnector (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 58 together. I am surprised that the Deputy is suggesting that we would isolate our grid in that way. One of the constraints on introducing renewables into our grid is the lack of interconnection. The single electricity market for the island of Ireland has brought many economic and social benefits, both North and South. It depends on the degree...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: North-South Interconnector (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: I am conscious that we were just talking about the challenges of climate change and how we will respond to it. One of the responses is undoubtedly to have better interconnection in our grid. There is not only this North-South interconnector which would allow 900 MW of renewable energy to come onto our grid, but also the project for an interconnector between Ireland and France. We need...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: North-South Interconnector (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: If there is to be an independent planning process, the representations of Ministers or Deputies cannot be treated in a better fashion than anyone else. The point of having an independent process is that it is not open to influence by political-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: North-South Interconnector (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: That is the point of it being independent. It is that Ministers will not be pressurising it or that the planning authority will not provide special access for one group of people as opposed to the other, because that undermines the independence of the process. We know what the planning process is like. It does not always produce the outcome that is wanted and I acknowledge that, but it is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: North-South Interconnector (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: I am not aware of the details of the planning conditions and I will get back to the Deputy on that, but generally speaking, in planning conditions it is not unusual that they would require something to be done to the satisfaction of a local authority. 5 o’clock In virtually every planning permission granted, the roads must be completed to the standard of the local authority or...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 49 and 50 together. I think Deputy Sherlock has extended the question he originally asked considerably, but that is fair and proper. This year's United Nations climate conference, COP24, took place in Katowice in Poland over the past two weeks. I participated in the opening of the conference and also attended the high-level segment last week where I...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: I believe this is the biggest challenge we face as a community. It will take a sense of urgency not just here in the House but in every home, business, school and public service in respect of thinking about the challenges and how they can contribute. While the climate action fund is very important, it is much more about priming the pump. The Deputies will see that we chose demonstration...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: There is no doubt that the sooner we start making changes, the quicker the impact will be and the less adjustment we will have to make. However, doing something like getting our renewables from the current 30% on the power system up to, say, 60% requires a number of sequential measures to be put in place. We need to strengthen the grid and start to hold the auctions. We need to see the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan Implementation (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: The work is ongoing in designing a contract and I hope there would not be a very unreasonable delay if a decision is taken to move to a contract. In recent times the State has worked through the details of this application and we want to ensure that if the bid is successful, the governance standards will be highly exacting. The reason for the delay since 18 September, if one likes, is that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Post Office Closures (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: Was there not a question to be answered before this one?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Post Office Closures (18 Dec 2018)

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 to continue to be able to provide valuable services. With post offices, An...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Post Office Closures (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: An Post is independent in its operation so it is appropriate that the independent operator would appoint an appeals group. It set out the criteria used and, as I indicated in the initial reply, from 51 cases there were six cases with a reversal in the decision. There have been examples where a case has been made and a decision was reconsidered. In a significant number of cases, some of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Post Office Closures (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: No Government, whether involving Fianna Fáil or any other party, has chosen to operate the post office network as a State-subsidised scheme. It has always been part of An Post's commercial business. There is no doubt that if one moves down that road, there would be a question of identifying the service and putting it to public tender. To be realistic, we must ensure that a network we...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan Implementation (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: This is my first time to answer parliamentary questions in my new brief. I look forward to working with Deputies Dooley, Stanley and others from different parties. The national broadband plan is ambitious. Its objective is to ensure access to a future-proofed, high-speed broadband service, with a minimum download speed of 30 Mbps available to every premises in Ireland. The...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Broadband Plan Implementation (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: I see at what the Deputy is driving. We are at an advanced stage of the evaluation which will be presented to me by all of the expert groups which have been engaged. I do not intend to delay in any unreasonable way in reaching a decision on what should be recommended to the Government. As I said, it will happen in the coming weeks. The real issue of meeting milestones will come after a...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: There will be legislation to introduce the ban on single-use plastics. It will come in under an EU directive which is being finalised. There is strong support for that. That same legislation will increase the targets that we must meet in respect of recycling. The Government is determined to respond to those new commitments which we are signing up to.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Cyber Security Policy (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Government fully recognises the critical importance of protecting the State against cyber security threats and has invested heavily in recent years in strengthening the State’s capacity in this area. The annual allocation for the National Cyber Security Centre in 2018 is €4m, including pay and other expenditure. Additional recruitment was undertaken in 2018 and is...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan Implementation (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: The National Broadband Plan aims to ensure that every home, school and business in Ireland - regardless of how remote or rural - has access to high speed broadband. This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment across Ireland; and a State intervention in those areas, mostly rural areas, where commercial operators acting alone are unlikely to invest. Since December...