Results 661-680 of 28,190 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (17 Sep 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 responsibility for the regulation of fares charged to passengers in respect of public transport services provided under public service obligation (PSO) contracts....

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (17 Sep 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: Public Transport (17 Sep 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: Traffic Management (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the operation, management, planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Traffic Management (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the operation and management of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Airport Policy (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I wish to thank the Deputy for his question and welcome the opportunity to provide an update on this matter. Since last raised by the Deputy, in line with the requirements under Government's Infrastructure Guidelines, Waterford Airport has been invited to submit a Preliminary Business Case for its development proposal. This was discussed in detail when I met with Government colleagues,...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 261, 262 and 264 to 266, inclusive, together. The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including the collection and publication of statistics regarding the SPSV sector, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Consolidated Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including the collection and publication of statistics regarding local area hackney applications, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Consolidated Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016. I have no role in the day-to-day operations of the SPSV...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (17 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including the collection and publication of statistics regarding the area knowledge module of the SPSV Driver Entry test, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Consolidated Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016. I have no role in the day-to-day...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Inland Fisheries (8 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The statutory remit of Inland Fisheries Ireland is set out under the Inland Fisheries Act 2010. Specifically, its statutory functions are provided for in Section 7 of the Act.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Funding (8 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: All offshore wind generators developing projects under the Offshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (ORESS) are required to make contributions to their respective project Community Benefit Fund. This amounts to very substantial annual funds over its twenty-year life cycle. Such funding is anticipated to facilitate the local community in undertaking long term planned community support...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Prices (8 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government has made a number of important commitments in respect of addressing the continued high cost of energy for households and businesses. The Programme for Government acknowledges the increased energy cost pressures on households and businesses and commits to bringing forward measures to help contain energy costs. The Government has put in place a range of improved supports as...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Policy (8 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 96, 97, 109, 113, 114, 166 and 185 together. Electricity and gas retail markets in Ireland operate within a European regulatory regime wherein these markets are commercial, liberalised, and competitive and are overseen by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU). Price setting by energy suppliers is a commercial and operational matter for the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Regulatory Bodies (8 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 98, 99 and 107 together. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) was assigned consumer protection functions under the 1999 Electricity Regulation Act and subsequent legislation and has statutory responsibility for the compliance by energy suppliers with their consumer protection obligations. The CRU is an independent regulator, accountable to a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Prices (8 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 to 102, inclusive, together. Electricity and gas retail markets in Ireland operate within a European regulatory regime wherein these markets are commercial, liberalised, and competitive and are overseen by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU). Price setting by energy suppliers is a commercial and operational matter for the companies...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Environmental Policy (8 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Ireland has been closely following the progress of the proceedings of the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion on States’ obligations concerning climate change, having co-sponsored the UN General Assembly Resolution in March 2023 requesting said opinion. The Court delivered its comprehensive opinion on 23 July 2025. While advisory opinions of the Court are not...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Semi-State Bodies (8 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The €3.5bn equity investment by Government into ESB and EirGrid will be ringfenced to fund critical electricity network infrastructure both onshore and offshore. In relation to ESB, the company submitted an ambitious programme of works to both reinforce our distribution and transmission network and to enhance and enlarge its ability to connect more renewable energy, new housing, new...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Policy (8 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: A robust and fit-for-purpose gas safety framework is of the utmost priority for my Department as we seek to deliver the strategic gas emergency reserve as per the Government decision of 4 March 2025. The selection of the Floating Storage and Regassification Unit (FSRU) as the preferred technology solution by Gas Networks Ireland, the gas transmission system operator, on behalf of the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authorities (8 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: All 31 local authorities adopted Local Authority Climate Action Plans (LA CAPs) by Q1 2024, as required under the Climate Act 2021. In 2022, my department approved a funding proposal to allocate resources to local authorities to develop and implement their LA CAPs over three phases:Phase 1: Establish the Evidence Base, Resource Requirements, Delivery of the National Climate Action Plan...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: EU Directives (8 Sep 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Ireland is fully supportive of an ambitious EU legislative framework for renewable energy up to 2030 and beyond, and is committed to transposing RED III as soon as possible. This is an important priority for me as Minister and for my colleagues across Government. RED III is a complex and wide-ranging Directive, covering requirements for renewable energy in electricity, heating and...