Results 941-960 of 28,190 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Infrastructure (29 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: District heating can play a key role in improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Government policy is supportive of the expansion of district heating to contribute to the diversification of fuel supply to decarbonise the heat sector. To date, the State has financially supported the development of district heat networks in Ireland through the Climate Action Fund...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Infrastructure (29 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: District heating is a proven technology that can decarbonise the built environment, diversify fuel sources for heat, and improve quality of life. The National Heat Study, produced by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), highlighted significant potential for heat in buildings to be supplied by district heating, particularly in large towns and cities across Ireland where demand...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Legislative Measures (29 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Following Government approval on the 15 July, the General Scheme of the Renewable Heat Obligation (RHO) Bill 2025 was published and is available to view on Gov.ie at: . Introduction of the RHO is a key priority for my Department and preparation is now underway to begin drafting of the primary legislation required to administer the scheme.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Policy (29 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: A priority deliverable under the National Biomethane Strategy was the development of a Biomethane Sustainability Charter. Developed in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, the Charter sets out best practice guidelines to maximise the benefits of anaerobic digestion, while minimising environmental impacts on land use, water quality, biodiversity, and ensuring high...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Renewable Energy Generation (29 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Biomethane production is still at an early stage of development in Ireland, with only two operational biomethane facilities injecting biomethane into the gas grid. The volume of biomethane injected into the grid in 2023 was small, equating to c. 60 GWh per annum, which is equivalent to 0.001% of Ireland’s current gas demand. Biomethane volumes injected into the gas network reduced by...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Renewable Energy Generation (29 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government 2025 has reaffirmed Ireland’s targets of 80% of electricity demand to be met by renewable energy sources. To date 5.13 GW of onshore wind had been energised, which is 57% of our 2030 target of 9 GW of onshore wind generation. It should be noted that renewable energy sources provided an expected 39.6% of electricity demand in 2024 according to the latest...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Renewable Energy Generation (29 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Government is committed to the development of 5GW of offshore wind capacity, with projects in construction by 2030, and energised as soon as feasible thereafter. Ireland's 5GW target will be met through a combination of projects from Phase One and from within the South Coast DMAP. Five Phase One projects accounting for 3.8GW of capacity are progressing through the planning process with an...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Renewable Energy Generation (29 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Solar PV is the fastest growing source of electricity in the country and is highly complementary to wind generation, providing a more stable and balanced energy supply across time. The most recent CAP has a target of 8 GW solar capacity I am advised that for a six-day period in April 2025 solar PV generation contributed more power to the grid than wind. This is a strong indication of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Renewable Energy Generation (29 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The National Hydrogen Strategy and the Future Framework Policy Statement for Offshore Renewable Energy both set out that 2 GW of offshore wind dedicated to the production of renewable hydrogen, along with other non-grid limited green products and services, is targeted to be in development by 2030. My Department has conducted initial stakeholder engagement to support the scoping of this...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action Plan (29 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As with Quarter 1, a progress report for all Quarter 2 CAP actions and legacy actions will be prepared and published by the Department of An Taoiseach. The Quarter 2 report will be published in due course and will be available with other progress reports at - www.gov.ie/en/department-of-the-taoiseach/publications/clima te-action-plan-progress-reports/#climate-action-plan-2023.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Capital Expenditure Programme (29 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 256 and 257 together. The details requested in the Question in relation to capital funding programmes or grants for which sporting organisations and community organisations are eligible for, and for which my Department has responsibility, are set out in the table below. It should be noted that a number of the programmes detailed fall simultaneously under...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Natural Gas Grid (29 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: All new connections to the transmission and distribution gas network are the responsibility of Gas Networks Ireland (GNI), Ireland’s gas transmission system and distribution system operator. GNI’s gas connection policy is overseen by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), Ireland’s independent energy regulator. Gas Networks Ireland Connections Policy sets...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Prices (29 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 263, 264, 265, 268, 269, 270, 288, 306 and 307 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Prices (29 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 266 and 267 together. Electricity and gas retail markets in Ireland operate within a European regulatory regime wherein these markets are commercial, liberalised, and competitive with the market being overseen by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU). However, this Government is deeply conscious of the impact which rising energy prices,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (29 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) manage a number of residential and community energy upgrade grant support schemes on behalf of my Department. As Minister, I have no function in relation to individual grant applications. The grants available through the SEAI aim to maximise emissions reductions and deliver energy savings for the widest range of homeowners possible. The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Contracts (29 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has a dedicated communications and media relations function which manages public relations and media queries, alongside digital marketing, campaigns, events, and internal communications. My Department may occasionally engage external expertise in communications and PR where specialist or extensive support is required. The information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Staff (29 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As my Department has been reconfigured on several occasions since 2012, the information sought by the Deputy is not readily available. My Department has confirmed that in the period since the formation of the previous and current Government no retired officials from my Department were subsequently re-engaged on a consultancy basis.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Contracts (29 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The details requested by the Deputy are set out in the table at the following link.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (29 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: As my Department has been reconfigured on several occasions since 2012, the information sought by the Deputy is not readily available. I am advised that in the period since the formation of the previous and current Government, (2020 to date), the information sought is set out in the tables at the link below.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Energy Policy (29 Jul 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 276, 277, 279, 281 and 282 together. Having received Government approval, on 4 July 2024, my Department published a set of guiding principles for the development of a policy on private wires. In line with the principles, I secured Government approval for a new policy statement on private wires on 15 July. As set out in the policy statement, private wires...