Results 15,981-16,000 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Very shortly, but I would say it will be weeks rather than days. It has been complicated because we have considered a variety of legal, legislative and other measures. It has changed already in respect of the list of projects of common interest and so on. It has effectively been changed by planning decisions and other events outside our control but we will be giving very clear direction,...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I think anyone on An Bord Pleanála or anyone making such an application would be very aware of what is being said by the Government, what is in the programme for Government and what I have just said. The Government could not have been clearer as to where its strategic direction lies. I do not expect any such development. We will be quick now in issuing that policy statement in order...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I do not see us having LNG terminals. I will have to check the programme for Government, but I think it was specific in referring to imported fracked gas. It is very difficult when one gets into the subject given some of the technical aspects involved in terms of how one can be certain about the source of certain gas. Similar to the electricity grid network, when one is importing...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I agree with Deputy Whitmore. We need to pay more attention to the significance of inland fisheries. They are very much a barometer of how we are performing in environmental terms because without pristine rivers and water, we will not get salmonid species and related birdlife and other systems. It is also important in the sense of providing a connection to nature for many people that is...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Deputy and I share neighbouring constituencies and have similar concerns on this issue. Protecting nature is also about protecting our own health. I happened to have my first swim of the year on Saturday last, out at the Forty Foot, which was fantastic but bloody cold. I am worried about what I swim in. Too often I have come back from Dublin Bay not feeling well because the water...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I will revert to the Deputy on that. The EPA has a key role. In May 2020, it published a bathing water report. The one piece of good news from that was that it highlighted that 95% of bathing waters met or exceeded the minimum standard required, and that is one of the agency's key tasks. It has to be independent of Irish Water or the local authorities. It is a watchdog and a regulator,...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: On the environmental fund, we are making a switch with the introduction of a much larger carbon fund, and there is also carbon tax revenue. It is not as if there is a commitment to this environmental area. As the Deputy mentioned, the source funding started to dry up for good reasons. Some €18 million of the money involved has been moved back to the Vote in order to continue...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: As I said earlier to Deputy Bruton, we are now going to significantly change the whole waste system towards zero single-use plastics and there will be an increase in obligations on the producers, particularly commercial operators. Waste is not segregated effectively in many commercial premises. We need to radically improve our food waste collection system. Work is being done with the...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I do not have an answer to the Deputy's question on the timeframe. I will revert to her directly after this meeting and ensure the Department forwards details to her on the timing. More generally, we have to look at the next rounds of funding. We will look at providing significant support for smaller community applications. The climate action fund cannot only be for big engineering...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I agree with the Deputy. This should not be a cost on either the consumer or the State. A regulatory approach is needed so that all businesses are treated in a fair and equal way. We must stop producing packaging that is either non-recyclable or has mixed components as that makes it very difficult to separate it at the waste segregation stage. The waste action plan for a circular economy,...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (20 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The EPA provides local air quality data through airquality.ie, on the 50 monitoring stations that are out there. I do not have the details here, but I recall that there is a process of citizen science supporting that with regard to air quality. The monitoring of environmental data is improving with remote sensory devices and mobile networks. Actually, I have that number wrong, it is 90...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (1 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos 19 and 21 together. As set out in the Programme for Government, we are committed to an average 7% per annum reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions from 2021 to 2030, equivalent to a 51% reduction over the decade and to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.  The Programme for Government also recognises the special economic and social...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Compensation Schemes (1 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Commercial fishing for salmon is by way of public licence which does not confer any rights on the holder. In that regard the issue of compensation does not arise. In order to comply with the EU Habitats Directive and the principles of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO), the Government decided in 2006 to cease all indiscriminate commercial fishing in the sea and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (1 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Programme for Government outlined a commitment to evaluating the potential for contributions towards our climate ambition from land-use improvements and set in train the development of a land-use plan, based on its findings. This review will include farmland, forests and peatlands so that optimal land use options inform relevant government decisions. The review will balance environmental,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Air Quality (1 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 and 25 together. My Department is currently working to finalise Ireland’s first National Clean Air Strategy. While it was originally my intention to launch the Strategy alongside a public consultation on a new solid fuel regulation for Ireland, recognising the urgency of taking action to address the health impacts of domestic solid fuel burning,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Efficiency (1 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) administers a range of 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 400,000 homeowners have...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Data (1 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 31 together. In 2018 137,000 tonnes of waste materials (excluding waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and construction and demolition (C&D) waste) was collected at the various civic amenity sites in Ireland. This was an increase of approximately 7,000 tonnes on volumes collected in 2013. The 2018 total included 30,000 tonnes mixed...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Data (1 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The specific information sought is not held by my Department. The EPA is the competent authority with responsibility for compiling waste data in Ireland and publishes annual reports on this. These reports assess Ireland’s performance against the recycling and recovery targets set out in EU and national legislation. Details of these national waste statistics can be found at...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Waste Data (1 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 36 together. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the competent authority for the collation of national waste data and reports annually on Ireland’s performance against the targets set out in EU and national legislation. The EPA’s latest national waste statistics summary report for 2018 (available at ) includes key trends for...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Staff (1 Apr 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. Grade Female Male Assistant Secretary 1 4 Principal Officer 13 24 Assistant Principal 55 74 Higher Executive Officer 43 33 ...