Results 61-80 of 26,245 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Staff (11 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The number of retired officials re-engaged by my Department on a consultancy basis over the past four years are outlined in tabular form: Year Number of Retired staff engaged Reason Cost 2021 3 Interview Board €1,650 1 Legislative drafting €8,091 ...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (10 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I will be really quick because I will supply the Deputy with the written answer, but I should have said earlier that I have tasked the SEAI with looking at options with its grants. I do not mean increasing the amount of grants but seeing how we can break them down and make them more accessible. I am also doing that with electric vehicles and looking at options for low- to middle-income...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (10 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: There is no clear preference for data centres over anything else. That is just not correct. Our priorities are for the delivery of housing and additional water infrastructure, investing in our energy grid and supporting indigenous jobs and investment and FDI. This is a red herring, trying to bring forward the narrative that we are not connecting houses to the grid because we are connecting...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (10 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: There is still significant potential in onshore renewables. I mentioned the auction later this year, RESS 5, which I believe will be heavily subscribed. These projects already have connection agreements and planning permission. There has already been significant growth there. We want to see construction in our offshore renewable projects in the next couple of years. I am just being...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (10 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The plan will be cognisant of what energy capacity we have. That is across the board. I do not give the connection agreements. They are done independently. The Deputy will know that some data centres have not been given connection agreements. It has already happened where it is not deemed appropriate. We need to plan for the future too. That is why I mentioned 2030 and that life exists...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (10 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: We are not going to annihilate our climate targets. This Government is as committed as the previous Government was to the energy transition, reducing emissions and working as hard as we can to achieve the targets that have been set. On the expansion of renewable energy, 40% of all our energy last year was generated through renewables. We have made incredible progress in that regard, not...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (10 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: There is no dispute within my Department and the Secretary General is a very committed public servant who I work with extremely well. We are all in agreement that we need to expand our energy generation through renewables, which we are doing, and improve our grid resilience and the capacity of our grid across the country. This is what we will be doing to ensure that we can meet not...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Infrastructure (10 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The project should have been delivered by 2030 and now it will not be. The revised date is 2031. We need the interconnector. Work has started in the North subject to challenge there too. Work should start in the South too. There are lessons to be learned. Engagement in some areas has been difficult. I am not going to apportion blame on either side. I have been in the Oireachtas since...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Infrastructure (10 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: This is a critical piece of infrastructure for the island. It has gone on for far too long. I remember this as well going way back to 2005. I remember protests in north Dublin about undergrounding coming from Wales into Rush and discussions and arguments around electromagnetic fields. I respect Deputy Carthy's point of view but he did not mention that there are many residents and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Infrastructure (10 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Could the Deputy let me answer? There are many residents who have consented. There is a need for further engagement but the reality is that if we go back through a planning process again, we would be talking about 2040. What will have happened then is that we will have less ability to bring more renewables on to our grid and will not have reduced costs for consumers North and South so we...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (10 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 109 and 138 together. Ireland's energy policy is focused on achieving a sustainable, secure and competitive energy system with key elements centred around reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing renewable energy generation - 40% of our energy was generated through renewables last year - as well as improving energy efficiency and ensuring energy...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Infrastructure (10 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The North-South interconnector is an essential transmission infrastructure project that will link the electricity transmission network between South and North on the island of Ireland, leading to a much more secure, affordable and sustainable supply of electricity across the island, operating in a single electricity market. The project is fully consented in the State and in the North, with...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Data Centres (10 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The programme for Government outlines the policy position regarding energy policy, housing policy, foreign direct investment growth and the many other goals and objectives of this Government. It reflects the balance between the many opportunities and challenges facing the country and the actions that will be taken over the lifetime of this Government. It recognises that increased and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Data Centres (10 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I am sure the Deputy and his party have interacted in respect of the CRU's draft statement on large energy users. There is a strategy being brought forward that is plan led rather than developer led, and that is critically important. There is no question that the number one priority for this Government is housing and continuing to increase of housing delivery. We also have to invest in our...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Data Centres (10 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: In the context of PR6 and the previous review, it is not a question that it is data centres first at all. PR6 takes into account Government targets and includes the connection of up to 50,000 new homes per year, up to 1 million electric vehicles and currently contracted data centre demand, which means currently contracted data centres - no new ones - and those with contracted connection...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Usage (10 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Unquestionably, there are major challenges with meeting the 2030 targets. Anybody can see that from the EPA projections and previous projections. It is not hopeless though, not in any way, shape or form. I mentioned specifically energy generation because that is going to be the key and cornerstone to a reduction in dependence on fossil in particular and reducing carbon emissions while...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Usage (10 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Let us look at the facts. We all agree that the targets were always going to be challenging but we are still focused on doing our level best to achieve them. Certain sectors have done significantly well. If we look at energy industries, there is a 21.6% reduction in emissions while it is 4.6% in agriculture, 7% in residential and 5.8% in industry. Transport emissions did increase...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Electricity Grid (10 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: For the Deputy's information, there needs to be more than 10 m each side of a tree in most areas.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Electricity Grid (10 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Actually, in some instances 30 m either side are required.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Electricity Grid (10 Jun 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: It is obviously depending on the tree but I am telling the Deputy we have to work on this in a very structured way. Surveys are critically important. The whole network had never been surveyed as it has been done now. While I was in the process of telling the Deputy about the extensive survey work that is being done, a lot of clearances have happened already post storm, and the Deputy will...