Results 7,661-7,680 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Data Centres (18 Jan 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56, 57 and 122 together. In July of 2022, the Government published a new statement on the role of data centres in Ireland’s enterprise strategy. The statement addresses sustainable data centre development to align with Ireland’s renewable energy targets, security of supply, sectoral green house gas emissions, and climate priorities. The goal...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Prices (18 Jan 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 58 and 59 together. Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1854 on an emergency intervention to address high energy prices came into force in October 2022. This Regulation seeks to address windfall gains in the energy sector through measures, including a temporary solidarity contribution based on increases in taxable profits in the fossil fuel production and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (18 Jan 2023)

Eamon Ryan: My Department published a consultation seeking input of all interested parties on a review of the energy security of Ireland’s gas and electricity systems on 19 September 2022. The consultation document was accompanied by a technical analysis carried out by Cambridge Economic Policy Associates. The deadline for submissions was 28 October 2022 and 457 submissions from...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (18 Jan 2023)

Eamon Ryan: My Department published a consultation on a review of the energy security of Ireland’s gas and electricity systems on 19 September 2022. The consultation document was accompanied by a technical analysis carried out by Cambridge Economic Policy Associates. The deadline for submissions was 28 October 2022 and 457 submissions from individuals and organisations have been...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Conservation (18 Jan 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 62, 63, 65 and 66 together. The National Retrofit Plan, published in November 2021 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 of B2 by the end of 2030. A key step in implementing the Plan took place in February last year, when the Government...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Generation (18 Jan 2023)

Eamon Ryan: On 15th February of 2022 I signed the Regulations that create an obligation on all suppliers to offer the Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) tariff to new and existing micro-and small-scale generators so that they will receive payment for excess renewable electricity they export to the grid, reflective of the market value.   In December 2021 the Commission for Regulation of Utilities...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Prices (18 Jan 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 67 and 89 together. District heating schemes are large-scale systems that are supplied by one or several centralised or decentralised heat sources, with multiple buildings and multiple customers. Group heating schemes are smaller-scale systems that supply single buildings or complexes. In relation to group heating schemes, it is the heat supplier that...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Prices (18 Jan 2023)

Eamon Ryan: Government is acutely aware of the impact that the recent increases in global energy prices is having on households and throughout 2022 introduced a €2.4 billion package of supports and as part of Budget 2023 has introduced a package of once off measures worth €2.5 billion. This includes a new Electricity Cost Emergency Benefit Scheme through which €550.47 (exclusive of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Wind Energy Generation (18 Jan 2023)

Eamon Ryan: My Department has developed a number of schemes to support the production of renewable energy to deliver on Ireland’s electricity targets under the Climate Action Plan. These schemes include the Renewable Energy Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) and the Microgeneration Support Scheme (MSS), as well as the Small-Scale Generation Support Scheme (SSG) which is under design...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Business Supports (18 Jan 2023)

Eamon Ryan: The Government is acutely aware of the difficulties businesses and commercial organisations are facing with respect to the current global energy crisis and the resultant high electricity prices. As a consequence, my Department has worked intensively with the Department of Finance and Revenue to develop the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS), in order to support businesses...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: EU Directives (18 Jan 2023)

Eamon Ryan: Alignment of the conservation Bye-law, referred to by the Deputy, with the EU Habitats Directive is provided for in the European Communities (Natural Habitats ) Regulations, 1997 (S.I. No.94/1997). The Regulations set out, at section 31, the circumstances where an Appropriate Assessment, as cited in the Regulations, may be required and those where it may not be required. The particular...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Legislative Measures (18 Jan 2023)

Eamon Ryan: Details of sections of Acts yet to be commenced and those with review periods are currently being compiled by my Department and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Prices (18 Jan 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 73, 78 and 92 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 electricity and gas retail markets in Ireland operate...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Official Engagements (18 Jan 2023)

Eamon Ryan: COP27, the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, took place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, from 6 to 18 November 2022. During the first week, Ireland was represented by the then Taoiseach, the then Minister for Foreign Affairs, and the then Minister of State for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora. I led Ireland’s National Delegation to COP27 for the second week of the conference....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Recycling Policy (18 Jan 2023)

Eamon Ryan: Every year, 200 million single use cups are disposed of in Ireland, an entirely avoidable waste. The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy sets how we will tackle this waste stream, including the introduction of a single use disposable cup levy, to be followed by an eventual ban. EPA studies of public attitudes to single use plastics between 2019 and 2021 have shown there is strong...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Company Closures (18 Jan 2023)

Eamon Ryan: My Department does not hold data relating to business closures and I have been advised by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment that the information requested is not available. Some information is reported by the CSO Business Signs of Life Series which tracked the survival of businesses through Covid-19. The foodservice industry specifically is the subject of a Bord Bia report...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (18 Jan 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 83 together. While full and final emissions data for 2022 is not yet available, recent reports of provisional data from the EPA have indicated that Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions increased by 4.7% in 2021 compared to 2020 and are now 1.1% above 2019 pre-COVID restriction levels. The recently published Climate Action Plan 2023 includes the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (18 Jan 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 79 to 81, inclusive, together. The High Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie, shows the areas included in the National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led intervention as well as areas targeted by commercial operators. The map is colour coded and searchable by address and Eircode. Premises in the AMBER area will be provided with...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Prices (18 Jan 2023)

Eamon Ryan: It would not be appropriate for me to comment on an individual company. However, the general position from a policy perspective is set out below. Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1854 is an emergency intervention designed to address high energy prices and seeks to address windfall gains in the energy sector. The Council Regulation includes the introduction of a cap on market revenues in the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: EU Funding (18 Jan 2023)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 84 and 109 together. The EU Just Transition Fund aims to address the long-term economic transition of the Midlands, following the end of commercial peat extraction and peat-fired power generation. Following approval by the Government on 29 November 2022, the European Commission adopted Ireland’s first Territorial Just Transition Plan and...