Results 13,501-13,520 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets and Climate Action Plan: Engagement with Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (16 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Of course, the Deputy is correct. We have not seen the emissions reductions that were planned. An advantage is that there has not been a stop-start approach since the 2019 plan. At the time, I recognised that was the right approach and I commended the Minister on the aims and broad means. With the new updated plan, we have increased the ambition. There is a certain advantage in that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets and Climate Action Plan: Engagement with Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (16 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I can go to the Minister for Finance and say that a public service, our local schools, can be improved, and that we can pay for it over the period of the loan, which might be ten to 15 years, and that the cost of the loan is covered by the energy savings. The loan does not add to the national debt. That will be a key element in the retrofitting required to meet our decarbonisation targets....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets and Climate Action Plan: Engagement with Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (16 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Deputy is correct that the sectoral targets will have to add up to 51% within the legislation. We have committed to that. Deputy Bríd Smith said that it is just in our minds. The reality is that this legislation was developed with the Ministers for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Enterprise, Trade and Employment. It will be done by the Ministers in the next Government too....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Carbon Budgets and Climate Action Plan: Engagement with Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (16 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: We also have to build new hospitals and schools. It is not just me sitting in front of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform every year. We have to provide social, education and health infrastructures. If I could get the entire budget, that would be fine, but the other Ministers also have requirements. There is broad agreement in Government that housing is the key issue that we...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Wind Energy Generation (11 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The cost of developing commercial electricity generation plant is borne by project developers, within an open competitive market. There are no Exchequer funds allocated for this purpose. Renewable electricity projects such as onshore wind and solar can currently benefit from participation in the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS). The RESS, and similar previous support...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Wind Energy Generation (11 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: There are currently no grants available for domestic wind turbine installations. However, an upcoming Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) tariff represents the first phase of a comprehensive enabling framework for micro- and small-scale generators in Ireland, including for micro-wind turbines, allowing them to receive remuneration from their electricity supplier for all excess renewable...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Schemes (11 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Budget 2022 has allocated €202 million for SEAI residential and community retrofit schemes and a further €10 million for the Solar PV scheme next year. Of this amount, €109 million will be used to provide free energy efficiency upgrades to households that are in, or at risk of, energy poverty. The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme delivers a range of energy...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Schemes (11 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 203 and 204 together. My Department funds a number of grant schemes, administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to support homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. Since 2000, over 450,000 homeowners have upgraded their homes with support from these schemes, representing...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Fuel Poverty (11 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Energy poverty or fuel poverty is influenced by a person’s income, the energy efficiency of their home and the cost of the energy they use in their home and is defined as an inability to heat or power a home to an adequate degree. Analysis carried out in 2016 for the Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty found that 28% of households in Ireland could be in energy poverty i.e. would need to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Contracts (11 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The North-South Interconnector is critical to improving the efficient operation of the all-island Integrated Single Electricity Market (I-SEM) and increasing security of electricity supply in Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is also a critically important element in EirGrid’s recently published ‘Shaping Our Electricity Future’ roadmap for the delivery of our...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects (11 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme.  Once funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the operation, management and upgrading of individual national...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Electric Vehicles (11 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Under the Climate Action Plan, we need to increase the number of EVs on our roads to nearly one million by 2030. Preparations are underway to establish an Office of Low Emission Vehicles. This Office will play an important role in our transition to zero emission vehicles. It will co-ordinate measures to support the uptake of EVs and the rollout of charge point  infrastructure. ...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (11 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 210 and 211 together. As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.  The National Transport Authority (NTA) has, in co-operation with the local authorities, developed the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy. The Deputy will be aware that consultation is currently ongoing in...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Cycling Facilities (11 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Programme for Government committed that €360 million in cross-Government funding will be spent on walking and cycling per annum over the lifetime of the Government. This investment will help support the delivery of circa 1,000 kilometres of improved walking and cycling infrastructure by 2025 as well as additional investment in Greenways.  This year we have seen a...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Cycling Facilities (11 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Government is firmly committed to encouraging the use of walking, cycling and other active travel methods, and this has been signalled by almost tripling the budget for Active Travel in 2021. This year, and each successive year up to 2025 at least, we will see approximately €360 million per annum, 20% of our total transport budget, invested in Ireland’s walking and cycling...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Electric Vehicles (11 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Under the high demand scenario outlined in the Programme for Government, electricity demand will almost double by 2030, while associated emissions are to be reduced by 60-80% at the same time. Total electricity demand over the next ten years is forecast to grow by between 19% and 50%, largely driven by large new energy users, which include transport electricity demand (estimated at circa 23%...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (11 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure, including the national provision of bus stops/shelters. Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy's question...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (11 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area, including ticketing technology. Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, I have referred the Deputy's...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (11 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport, nor decisions on fares. Following the establishment of the National Transport Authority (NTA) in December 2009, the NTA has responsibility for the regulation of fares charged to passengers in respect of public...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects (11 Nov 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities' own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local...