Results 621-640 of 26,565 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government commits to promoting the Small-Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (SRESS) to simplify market access for community owned solar and wind projects. The deployment of rooftop and ground-based solar PV ensures that a greater share of our electricity needs is met through solar power. The Renewable Energy Support Scheme (RESS) Community Enabling Framework...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Schemes (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Warmer Homes Scheme aims to improve the energy efficiency and warmth of homes owned by people in energy poverty by providing fully-funded retrofits. The scheme is operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department and is funded through the carbon tax receipts and the European Regional Development Fund. The scheme has been delivering a greater...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (28 May 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, in conjunction with the National Transport Authority (NTA). Therefore, I have referred the Deputy's question to Irish Rail and...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Airport Policy (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand that the Dublin Airport Environmental Working Group met with daa in February 2025 and while the Group has not contacted my office directly I can provide the following update in relation to PFAS at Dublin Airport.  Legacy PFAS contamination has been identified at Dublin Airport, primarily due to the historic use of AFFF firefighting foam.  Since 2013, the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Active Travel (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As part of Regulation (EU) 2023/955, which provides for the establishment of a Social Climate Fund, all EU Member States are required to prepare a Social Climate Plan. These Plans will set out the programmes in the period 2026-2032 that are aimed at addressing the social and distributional effects of fossil fuel price increases. The Department of Environment, Climate and...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As the Deputy may be aware, as Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure, including the development of the Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area. The Transport Strategy for the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Urban Development (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets (DMURS) was jointly launched by the then Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Minister for Housing and Planning in 2013. A revision to DMURS, which was issued in August 2019, was overseen by a Steering Committee that included representatives from Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (DHPLG), Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Urban Development (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from Councils' own resources supplemented by State road grants. Arising from the arrangements in place in relation to Local Property Tax receipts, the four Dublin Councils...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Qualifications Recognition (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has not conducted any audits or received any reports of unqualified or inadequately certified personnel performing the work referred to by the Deputy. Regarding the parts of the question that relate to bodies under the aegis of my Department, my Department will request the relevant bodies reply directly to the Deputy with the information requested. If you do not receive a...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (28 May 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: Parking Provision (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As the Deputy may be aware, as Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. However, I am not typically involved in the day to-day operations of public transport, nor do I have a role in the provision of coach parking for private bus operators. The provision of coach parking is a matter for the individual Local Authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (28 May 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 the regulation of fares charged to passengers in respect of public transport services provided under public service obligation, or...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Ireland has committed to transitioning to a low carbon economy by 2050 and the transport sector has a significant role to play. The decarbonisation of heavy-duty vehicles will be key to achieving this objective within the sector. To promote the decarbonisation of the heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs), the Department of Transport launched the Alternatively Fuelled Heavy-Duty Vehicle (AFHDV)...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (28 May 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 any proposals to provide a link between the train and bus stations in Killarney, is a matter for Iarnród Éireann in the first instance. In view of Iarnród Éireann's...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (28 May 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 any proposals to provide a link between the train and bus stations in Killarney, is a matter for Iarnród Éireann in the first instance. In view of Iarnród Éireann's...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As the Deputy may be aware, as Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure, including MetroLink. Capital allocations for 2026 will not be finalised until the end of the current year and therefore a...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As the Deputy may be aware, the Government is committed to the decarbonisation of the public transport sector in line with the Climate Action Plan. No new diesel-only buses have been purchased for urban public service obligation bus fleets since July 2019, as set out in the National Development Plan 2018-2027. The transition  to a zero-emission urban bus fleet is currently programmed to...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Active Travel (28 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to cycling and public transport infrastructure, including the provision of funding to the National Transport Authority (NTA) in support of public bike-sharing schemes in Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford.  Matters related to the day-to-day operations, management and expansion of these public...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff (27 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 152 and 153 together. The recently published SEAI Interim Energy Balance report for 2024 notes that there was a 1.3% decrease in energy-related emissions in 2024, including a 7.5% reduction in emissions from electricity generation, and a 1.2% reduction in transport emissions, though there was a 2.4% increase in heating emissions. In 2024, the gross supply of...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff (27 May 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 152 and 153 together. The recently published SEAI Interim Energy Balance report for 2024 notes that there was a 1.3% decrease in energy-related emissions in 2024, including a 7.5% reduction in emissions from electricity generation, and a 1.2% reduction in transport emissions, though there was a 2.4% increase in heating emissions. In 2024, the gross supply of...