Results 6,401-6,420 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Better Energy Homes Scheme (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Better Energy Homes (BEH) scheme is funded by my Department and operated by the SEAI. In January 2018 the grant which was available for boiler upgrades under this scheme was removed. Prior to this a grant of €100 was available for the upgrade of a fossil fuel boiler when carried out along with the installation of heating controls, for which a grant of €600 was available....

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

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 520 and 522 together. The National Broadband Plan (NBP) 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...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Illegal Dumping (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 521 and 523 together. Illegal dumping is first and foremost a matter of individual responsibility and compliance with the law. While enforcement action in this area is a matter for local authorities, my Department encourages a multi-facetted approach to tackling the problem, incorporating enforcement, public awareness and education and, as such, provides...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Household Waste Collection Price Monitoring Group (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 525 and 530 together. The recent Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) report recommended that existing national waste management policy, as set out in 'AResource Opportunity - Waste Management Policy in Ireland', should be reviewed. This review process will be initiated in 2019 and will take account of a number of initiatives, such as the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (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...

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

Richard Bruton: The National Broadband Plan Division is one of the Divisions making up the Communications Area of my Department. The current work of the Division is primarily focused on activities related to the procurement process for the NBP State led intervention.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Local Authority Funding (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Local Authority Anti-Litter and Anti-Graffiti Awareness Grant Scheme (ALAGS) aims to assist local authorities in their efforts to raise awareness of the litter and graffiti problems in their respective functional areas. The National Litter Pollution Monitoring Survey report (www.litter.ie) provides vital information to my Department on the national picture regarding litter...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Warmer Homes Scheme (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: The Warmth and Wellbeing scheme is validating the health and wellbeing impacts of improved energy efficiency in homes. The scheme is a joint policy initiative between the my Department and the Department of Health. The initial 3 year phase of the scheme will conclude at the end of 2018, with the full allocation of €20m being spent. There is already strong evidence from participants of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Medical Waste Disposal (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: My Department is continuing the work of developing a mechanism to provide a €75 support for vulnerable persons with a condition such as lifelong or long-term medical incontinence to help meet the average annual cost of disposing of their domestic waste. I am informed that this process has taken longer than envisaged, due to a number of issues, including data protection issues that have...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Litter Pollution (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: I am working with the European Commission and other Member States on the development of a Directive to reduce the impact of certain plastic products on the environment. The proposed Directive was published on 28 May 2018. This draft legislation proposes new EU-wide rules to target the 10 most prevalent single-use plastic products found on Europe's beaches and seas, as well as lost and...

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

Richard Bruton: The NBP is a Government initiative which aims to ensure high speed broadband access (minimum 30 megabits per second) to all premises in Ireland, regardless of location. This is being achieved via a combination of commercial investment and a State led intervention. The criteria for establishing if a premises should be included in the State intervention area, is whether or not commercial...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Efficiency (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: The grants for air, water and ground source heat pumps were introduced in April 2018. The grants were set at €3,500 for all categories except air-to-air heat pumps for which a grant of €600 is available. In addition there is a grant for €200 towards the cost of a mandatory Technical Assessment which is essential to ensure the correct performance of this technology. Home...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Noise Pollution (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: Current legislation in the area of noise does not specifically address the use of bird scarers (also referred to as crow bangers). There are no plans at present to introduce such legislation. There is provision, however, under sections 107 or 108 of the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992 to deal with the issue of nuisance noise from a range of sources, including agricultural sources. ...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Air Pollution (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: The question of regulation of domestic solid fuel use will be addressed in the context of the Clean Air Strategy, which will provide the framework for a set of cross-Government policies and actions to reduce harmful emissions and improve air quality and public health to meet current and future EU and international obligations. Comprehensive analysis of the replies received to the public...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Services Provision (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 540 and 541 together. I do not have statutory authority to require commercial companies to rollout services and make specific investments in particular locations in what is a liberalised market. The provision of mobile telecommunications services is subject to a requirement to secure a wireless telegraphy licence to access the required radio spectrum. The...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 542 and 543 together. Ireland uses the extended producer responsibility model for dealing with waste packaging. Repak, the national producer responsibility scheme for packaging, is a not for profit organisation which charges fees to its members in accordance with the amount and type of packaging they place on the Irish market. These fees are used to...

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

Richard Bruton: The national broadband plan, NBP, aims to ensure high speed broadband access (minimum 30 megabits per second) 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 than 700,000, or 30% of all 2.3 million...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Generation (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 545 and 549 together. The Energy in Ireland 2018 Report was published by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) last week. The report sets out the progress that Ireland has made in reducing reliance on fossil fuels for transport, heating and electricity production. In 2017, as Ireland’s economy grew by 7.2% as measured by gross domestic...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: European, national and regional waste policy are all predicated on the management of waste in line with the waste hierarchy, whereby the prevention, preparation for re-use, recycling and other recovery of waste are preferred (in that order) to the disposal of waste. For instance, collectors of waste must conduct their activities in accordance with the relevant legislation and the conditions...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Air Quality (18 Dec 2018)

Richard Bruton: Ambient air quality monitoring in Ireland is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the 2008 Clean Air for Europe (CAFE) Directive (Directive 2008/50/EC) and the Fourth Daughter Directive (Directive 2004/107/EC of 15 December 2004). These Directives also include rules on how Member States should monitor, assess and manage ambient air quality. The Environmental Protection Agency...