Results 16,941-16,960 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Advisory Council (4 Feb 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Section 8 of the Climate and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 established the Climate Change Advisory Council. The Council, which is independent in the performance of its functions, provides advice to Government in respect of climate matters. The outgoing Council’s substantial body of work has included advising Government on climate policy development, assessing progress towards...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (4 Feb 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Under Regulation 10 of the Air Pollution Act (Marketing, Sale, Distribution and Burning of Specified Fuels) Regulations 2012, Local Authorities are responsible for the development of testing and enforcement plans in respect of the “smoky coal ban” within their functional areas. In order to fulfil their statutory functions in this regard, significant powers are...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Conservation (4 Feb 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating of B2 and to install 400,000 heat pumps in existing buildings over the next 10 years.SEAI grant schemes will be a central element of the Government's approach to achieving our national retrofit targets. Budget 2021 provided €221.5 million in capital...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (4 Feb 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Question refers to a premises located in the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website www.broadband.gov.ie. The AMBER area represents the area to be served by the network to be deployed under the NBP State led intervention.I appreciate people's frustration when they are living so close to a fibre...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (4 Feb 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The 2009 EU Effort Sharing Decision (ESD) established binding annual greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for Member States for the period 2013 to 2020. For the year 2020 itself, the target set for Ireland is that emissions should be 20% below their value in 2005. According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s latest emissions report, published in January 2021, our 2020...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (4 Feb 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Under the first period of the Kyoto Protocol (2008-2012), Ireland committed to limiting total national greenhouse gas emissions to 13% above 1990 levels. In anticipation of a requirement for the State to purchase carbon credits in partial fulfilment of Ireland’s Kyoto Protocol and ongoing obligations, the Carbon Fund Act 2007 established a carbon fund for this purpose and empowered the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (4 Feb 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Question  refers  to a premises located in the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website www.broadband.gov.ie. The AMBER area represents the area to be served by the network to be deployed under the NBP State led intervention.I am advised by National Broadband Ireland that, as of 26 January...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (4 Feb 2021)

Eamon Ryan: This Government is 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. A key aspect of delivering on this ambition will be enacting the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill, which will strengthen the climate governance framework...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (4 Feb 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 31, 32 and 35 together. The Government has put in place a range of supports for businesses, including those in the aviation sector. The supports include the wage subsidy scheme, alleviation of commercial rates, deferred tax liabilities, the COVID Restrictions Support Scheme, the Credit Guarantee Scheme, and the SBCI Working Capital...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid-19 Pandemic (4 Feb 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Continued operation of the public transport sector is important, and public transport has been designated among the essential services that have carried on during the COVID-19 crisis.  A number of measures have been introduced across the system, guided by public health advice, to ensure the continued operation of services safely during the pandemic, including enhanced cleaning...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (4 Feb 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 26 and 27 together. Decarbonisation of our society and economy is obviously a key policy priority for Government and transport has a significant role to play in that regard. An important part of that role is the expansion of sustainable mobility options in our major urban centres and across the country to enable people to make the switch toward more...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Policy (4 Feb 2021)

Eamon Ryan: As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport.  However, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport and have no plans to introduce free public transport for all users, which would require substantial additional funding by the taxpayer or from other sources.  The National...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Network (4 Feb 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 Councils' own resources supplemented by Exchequer road grants, where applicable. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (4 Feb 2021)

Eamon Ryan: Last year, under the Carbon Tax Fund, I announced funding would be provided to Galway County Council in relation to a feasibility study of a proposed greenway between Athenry and Milltown. The tender referred to by the Deputy relates to that funding and, as clearly and unequivocally stated in the published tender documentation, the study will examine a number of route options (as is required...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Efficiency (3 Feb 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 37 and 38 together. Under Article 7 of the European Union’s Energy Efficiency Directive, Member States are required to make a specified amount of energy savings that meet certain criteria defined by the Directive. Ireland established an Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme (EEOS) in 2014 in order to achieve a portion of these savings. An...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (3 Feb 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 39 and 40 together. I propose to take Questiosn Nos 39 and 40 together. The Government’s Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty was published in 2016. The Strategy set out several actions to alleviate the burden of energy poverty on the most vulnerable in society. The focus of the strategy was on high impact actions which aimed to make a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (3 Feb 2021)

Eamon Ryan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 77 together.  41 and 77 together. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of good reliable broadband to ensure that citizens across Ireland can avail of remote working, education and other essential online facilities. The Programme for Government commits to seek to accelerate the roll out of the National...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (3 Feb 2021)

Eamon Ryan: My Department engages with NBI on an ongoing basis across all aspects of the project including the impact of Covid-19 on delivery of the project. Despite the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, NBI has made steady progress on delivery of the new high speed fibre broadband network under the National Broadband Plan. I am advised by NBI that, as of 22 January 2021, over...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Just Transition Fund (3 Feb 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The EU Just Transition Fund will be used to alleviate the socio-economic impacts of the low carbon transition in the most affected regions across the EU by, for example, supporting the re-skilling of workers, helping SMEs to create new economic opportunities, and diversification of economic activity.  Ireland has secured an allocation of €77 million from the EU Just...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Remote Working (3 Feb 2021)

Eamon Ryan: The Government’s Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty, published in 2016, sets out a number of actions to alleviate the burden of energy poverty on the most vulnerable in society.  Research undertaken by the ESRI shows that the proportion of households in or at risk of energy poverty has reduced from 28% to 17.4% over the lifetime of the strategy.  Research also shows that the...