Results 12,061-12,080 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Schemes (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 and 122 together. My Department funds a number of SEAI grant schemes to support homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. Partial grants are available for individuals that can afford to contribute to the cost of upgrades as well as free energy efficiency retrofits for people at risk of energy poverty. Since 2000, over...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Policies (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: In 2020 my Department, in conjunction with the Departments of Public Expenditure and Reform; Social Protection; Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; and Finance commissioned the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) to carry out research into how the rate of carbon tax could be increased without disproportionately affecting low income households. The ESRI's research...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Air and Water Pollution (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I am aware of the recent research report which suggested that possibly 800 air pollution related deaths were avoided across Europe as a result of the first lockdown measures, which impacted primarily on transport related emissions. I recognise the correlation between transport-related air pollutant emissions and negative public health impacts. In 2020, monitoring stations operated by the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action Plan (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The National Youth Climate Assembly is a core deliverable of the Programme for Government and the National Dialogue on Climate Action. It is a collaboration between my Department and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. It will be an annual event which  allows the participation of children and young people in decision-making according to the National...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action Plan (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act, 2021 (the Climate Act) strengthens the role of Local Authorities for effective climate action. It sets out a statutory requirement for each Local Authority to prepare a Climate Action Plan, within 12 months of the receipt of a request from the Minister; with the request to be made within 18 months of the coming...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action Plan (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The Government is committed to a just transition in the Midlands region and has dedicated significant funding to supporting workers, companies and communities affected by the closure of the peat-fired power stations and the end of peat harvesting by Bord na Móna.The EU Just Transition Fund is a newly established fund which seek to address the adverse effects of the climate transition by...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action Plan (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The Government has committed, through the 2021 Climate Action Plan, to establishing a statutory Just Transition Commission, with the general scheme of legislation to establish the Commission to be completed by the end of this year. The Climate Action Plan sets out that the purpose of this Commission will be to provide strategic advice to Government, integrating its role with existing...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action Plan (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: In July 2021, the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 was signed into law, significantly strengthening the legally binding framework to halve our emissions by 2030, compared to 2018, and set us on a pathway to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by no later than 2050. The new statutory framework also seeks to ensure delivery of successive Climate Action Plans,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action Plan (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) published the National Heat Study on 22 February 2022. The Study contains detailed analysis which will now facilitate the development of options, policies and measures to decarbonise the heating and cooling sectors to 2050 and will be a key input into the delivery of a number of actions contained in the Climate Action Plan 2022.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) is the main Government policy to help deliver on the ambition in the Climate Action Plan 2021 of up to 80% renewable electricity by 2030. The RESS supports communities in a variety of ways including through a separate category for community projects and a mandatory community benefit fund for every project supported in the scheme. The...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Conservation (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: A  response to PQ Nos. 158 of 30 November 2021 and No. 232 of 1 February 2022 issued to the Deputy on 17 February.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Schemes (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 143 together. The Programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2 (or cost optimal equivalent), and to install 400,000 heat pumps to replace existing heating systems by 2030. The National Retrofit Plan and National Development Plan have provided an unprecedented...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Data Centres (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: Under the Climate Action Plan 2021, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment committed to reviewing the 2018 'Government Statement on the Role of Data Centres in Ireland's Enterprise Strategy' to ensure alignment with Ireland’s renewable energy targets, sectoral emissions and climate priorities. This is part of a suite of actions included in the Climate Action Plan 2021...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: A statutory ban on fracking for petroleum in Ireland is already established under the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Prohibition of Onshore Hydraulic Fracturing) Act 2017, which prohibits the exploration for and extraction of onshore petroleum by means of hydraulic fracturing. The Government Policy Statement on the Importation of Fracked Gas was approved by Government and published...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Schemes (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme delivers free energy upgrades for eligible homeowners in low-income households at risk of energy poverty.  Since 2000, over 143,000 free upgrades have been supported by the SEAI administered scheme.  Last year, 2,126 upgrades were delivered under the scheme and the average cost of the energy efficiency measures provided per...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Schemes (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 and 182 together. 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 of B2/cost optimal level and installing 400,000 heat pumps to replace older, less efficient heating systems by 2030. The Plan incorporates actions...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Sustainable Energy Communities (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The Sustainable Energy Communities (SEC) Programme is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department.  The Programme supports the low carbon energy transition by developing skills and capacity, at a community level, in determining how to use less energy, adopting lower carbon options for transport and heating, shifting energy use to off-peak...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Schemes (24 Feb 2022)

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 of B2/cost optimal level and installing 400,000 heat pumps to replace older, less efficient heating systems by 2030. In line with commitments in the Retrofit Plan, the Government recently approved a package of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The Government Policy Statement on importing fracked gas was approved by Government and published in May 2021. The policy statement provides that, pending the outcome of a review of the security of energy supply of Ireland’s electricity and natural gas systems that is currently being carried out by the Department, it would not be appropriate for the development of any LNG terminals in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Production (24 Feb 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The final design of the Micro-generation Support Scheme (MSS) was approved by Government in December 2021 and will be published shortly. On the 15 February this year I signed the Regulations that transpose Articles 21 and 22 of the recast Renewable Energy Directive which brings these Articles into force. These Regulations allow the Clean Export Guarantee tariff to become...