Results 1,921-1,940 of 26,666 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Transport Authority (19 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: 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. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally in conjunction with the relevant transport operators....

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Tax Data (19 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The table below shows the amount of motor tax collected from the 1st Jan 2019 to the 28th February 2025 broken down by county. The amounts do not include receipts for registration books, trade plates, trailer licences or refunds. - 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 CARLOW 13,661,987 ...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Electric Vehicles (19 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: An EV Charging Infrastructure Strategy for Dublin was published in October 2024. This publication was a joint undertaking from the county's four local authorities:Dublin City CouncilFingal County CouncilSouth Dublin County CouncilDun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council> Dublin is one of the local authorities that have already completed their strategies, while others are in progress. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Artificial Intelligence (19 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has not adapted any Artificial Intelligence platforms for operational use. A free version Microsoft Copilot is being assessed by staff in the Department under strict controls. A project is commencing this year with an AI proof of concept for the Coast Guard. Further use cases and additional proof of concepts may be explored in the year ahead but no specific projects have been...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Grid (6 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: This Question was previously answered on the 24 February 2024 through Dáil Question number 61 and the position has not changed. Issues regarding the development of the national electricity grid rest with EirGrid, as Transmission System Operator, and ESB Networks, as Distribution System Operator, who are independent of me as Minister in the exercise of their respective functions....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Weather Events (6 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department has not commissioned any climate engineering or geoengineering research activities that are being conducted within Irish airspace and nor have any such activities been brought to my attention.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Statutory Instruments (6 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The information sought by the Deputy has been collated by my officials and is set out in the attached table.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: EU Regulations (6 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The separate collection of textiles is essential to maximise opportunities for reuse and supporting our transition to a circular economy. Currently, our separate collection system for textiles consists of a national network of local authority and charity bring banks, charity retail shops as well as some private bring banks. There are also a number of retailers who have take-back schemes in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: EU Directives (6 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Article 12 of the Energy Efficiency Directive 2023/1791 (‘EED’) provides an obligation for Member States to require that owners and operators of data centres with an installed information technology power demand of at least 500kW to monitor and make publicly available information on the energy performance of their data centres. My Department is progressing the transposition of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Schemes (6 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Warmer Homes Scheme aims to improve the energy efficiency and warmth of homes owned by people in energy poverty by providing fully-funded retrofits. The scheme is operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department and is funded through the carbon tax receipts and the European Regional Development Fund. Last year saw a record spend of almost...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (6 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Russian invasion of Ukraine led to significant increases in wholesale natural gas prices, resulting in consumers paying higher prices for gas and electricity. Consistently high wholesale gas prices over a period of time also led to windfall gains for some entities in the fossil fuel production and refining sectors, and in the electricity sector. Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1854 was...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Data (6 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The information requested has been provided to my Department by the SEAI and is set out in the attached tables.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (6 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government reaffirms Ireland’s national targets of 9 GW of onshore wind, 8 GW of solar and at least 5 GW of offshore wind by 2030. The Programme for Government also commits to utilising the new Planning Act to fast-track developments. The Planning and Development Act 2024 was signed into law on 17 October 2024. The Act will be commenced on a staged basis and an...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Schemes (6 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 194 and 195 together. The Community Energy Grant Scheme supports cross-sectoral, partnership approaches that deliver energy savings to a range of building types, including public, commercial and community buildings with a particular focus on using the projects to deliver home retrofits, encompassing energy-poor, private, rental, and approved housing body...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Supply Board (6 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is an instrument implemented by the European Union to address the risk of carbon leakage. The EU’s ambition is to become climate neutral by 2050, and CBAM will aim to ensure that imported goods are subject to a carbon price equivalent to the carbon price of domestic production in the EU. CBAM affects the electricity sector by putting a...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Fishing Industry (6 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department published a Governance Review of Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) in December 2023. This independent review, which was carried out by EY, had been commissioned, at my predecessor, Minister Eamon Ryan’s instruction, by the Section 18 appointees (Mr Tom Barry and Mr Séamus Neely) who were carrying out the functions of IFI prior to the new IFI Board taking office in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Funding (6 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: In November 2020, then Minister Eamon Ryan, established the Angling Consultative Council of Ireland (ACCI), a stakeholder advisory group chaired by my Department comprising angling bodies with a national remit as well as members of the Executive of Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI). In 2024, it was renamed the Angling Advisory Group (AAG) and provides a platform for policy inputs and addressing...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Infrastructure (6 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: This is a private project, the matter is before the Courts and it would not be appropriate for me to comment at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Transmission Network (6 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Issues regarding the maintenance of the national electricity grid rest with EirGrid and ESB Networks who are independent of myself as Minister in the exercise of their respective functions. EirGrid, as Transmission System Operator, have responsibility for the development of the Transmission Network and ESB Networks, as Distribution System Operator, have responsibility for the development of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Telecommunications Infrastructure (6 Mar 2025)

Darragh O'Brien: Following the damage caused to the Telecoms networks by Storm Éowyn, my colleague Minister O'Donovan met with senior executives of both mobile and fixed telecoms providers to reflect on the lessons to be learned, and measures to be considered to build further resilience into telecommunications networks to avoid, where feasible and practicable, a reoccurrence of the same level of...