Results 661-680 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: As set out in the Government’s ‘Policy Statement on the Importation of Fracked Gas' the government does not support the importation of fracked gas. Ireland is committed to halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and becoming carbon neutral by 2050. In future, most of our energy needs will be met by renewable energy which will be the anchor of our energy security. The sole...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Air Quality (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Air Pollution Act 1987 (Solid Fuels) Regulations 2022 (S.I. No. 529 of 2022), which took effect from 31 October 2022, introduced minimum quality standards that apply to all solid fuels distributed throughout the State. This is to ensure that the most polluting fuels can no longer be made available on the Irish market and to assist the public in transitioning to less polluting...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: COP29, scheduled to take place next month in Baku, Azerbaijan, is expected to deliver an agreement on a New Collective Quantified Goal to replace the current annual $100 billion goal for globally provided and mobilised climate finance from developed countries. The design of the new Goal must ensure that it is fit for purpose, ambitious and achievable and responds to the challenge at hand,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Prices (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Throughout the period of high energy prices, the Government has continued to support energy consumers to stay warm and well. Budget 2025 has introduced a total €2.6 billion suite of once-off cost-of-living measures to assist families, pensioners, carers and people with disabilities this winter. This includes a new electricity cost emergency benefit scheme through which €250...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Foreshore Issues (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) was formally established on the 17th July 2023. On that date, as set out under Section 43 of the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021, as amended, MARA assumed full administrative responsibility for all consented foreshore authorisations granted under the Foreshore Act and the management of the foreshore estate, including associated compliance,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Management (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Ireland introduced an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for tyres in 2017 which is operated by Circol ELT. Producers of tyres are financially responsible for the full life cycle of their products. The EPR Scheme manages tyres of passenger cars, 4x4s, van and motorcycle tyres to find sustainable solutions for managing waste tyres. Currently agricultural, truck/bus, construction and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Infrastructure (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Celtic Interconnector is a 700 MW electricity interconnector between Brittany and East Cork, developed by EirGrid and its French counterpart, Réseau de Transport d’Électricité (RTÉ). This project will reinstate direct connectivity to the Internal Energy Market following the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union. The project is on track for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Infrastructure (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity market is a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) which is an independent regulator, accountable to a committee of the Oireachtas and not me as Minister. The CRU was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the Irish electricity sector following the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act, 1999 and subsequent...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: A renewables-led system is one of the core foundations of Ireland’s plan to radically reduce emissions in the electricity sector, protect our energy security, and ensure our economic competitiveness. The Government’s Climate Action Plan 2023 (CAP 23), reaffirmed by CAP 24, sets Ireland an ambitious target of 80% of electricity demand from renewable sources by 2030, to be met...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Infrastructure (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: At present there is over 1 GW of electricity storage operating on the national electricity grid. 292 MW of this is pumped hydro-electric storage located at Turlough Hill Co. Wicklow, with the remainder Battery Electricity Storage Systems (BESS). These 1 GW of electricity storage systems provide both electricity capacity to the grid to meet demand and the system services required to maintain...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Renewable Energy Directive requires Member States to introduce accelerated and simplified permitting procedures for the repowering of renewable energy projects. Planning matters fall under the remit of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the decision to repower individual projects is a matter for developers. Through the Accelerating Renewable Electricity...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) is Ireland’s flagship support scheme for grid-scale renewable electricity generators and a key measure in supporting Ireland's ambitious renewable electricity targets under the Climate Action Plan. The RESS is comprised of a series of regular competitive auctions. The results of the most recent and very successful fourth RESS auction were...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Through the first two Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) auctions, my Department provided pathways and supports for Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) to participate in renewable energy projects through the application of a community projects category. Community renewable energy trusts is a term generally used in the UK to refer to entities similar to RECs. My Department’s...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Conservation (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The National Retrofit Plan sets out the Government's approach to achieving the Climate Action Plan targets of upgrading the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2/cost optimal level and installing 400,000 heat pumps to replace older, less efficient heating systems by 2030. In February 2022, Government announced an enhanced package of measures to support the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) manages a Financial Provision regime whereby some priority EPA licensees are required to put in place financial provision to cover potential environmental liabilities that could arise in the event of the licensee not being in a position to meet them. The list of obligated licensees is at the link below. The link also contains the instrument or...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Under Article 21 of the European Communities (Environmental Liability) Regulations S.I. 547/2008), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains a register of Environmental Liability Directive (ELD) cases. This is called an Article 18 register (under the ELD Directive). In accordance with article 18 of the ELD Directive, the European Commission collects data on ELD cases from Member...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Pension Provisions (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Under section 46 of the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act 1983, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, with the concurrence of the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, approves any superannuation schemes submitted by An Post. The request for consent for amendment to the An Post Superannuation scheme to increase payments by 2% with effect...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Inland Fisheries (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 123 and 127 together. The Conservation of and Prohibition on Sale of Coarse fish Bye-Law No. 806 of 2006 and the Conservation of Pike Bye-Law No. 809 of 2006 are being examined as part of this extensive work programme. As part of this review process, Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) appointed external environmental consultants in June 2024 to prepare an...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Staff (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I can confirm that there have been no personnel changes at the grade referenced within the Inland Fisheries Division of my Department in 2024.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Inland Fisheries (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Following concerns raised about the unexplained mortalities of more than 900 salmon found in the Ballysadare river, I introduced an Emergency Bye-Law on 17th July which suspended all angling activity in the waters of the Ballysadare River system in the No. 12 Sligo District with immediate effect. The Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout Ballysadare (Closed Rivers) Bye No. C.S. 336, 2024 was...