Results 361-380 of 31,985 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sustainable Development Goals: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: Yesterday, the assistant director of the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, with responsibility for monitoring much of the degradation of nature, said this is the first generation of officials to appreciate the damage being done and the last generation capable of doing anything about it. This was a striking comment to make. My worry is that doing these reviews and reports and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sustainable Development Goals: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: If we had a top-level vision plus some elements of carrot, this would, ultimately, match what Mr. Cummins spoke about in respect of the drive from the marketplace putting the squeeze on. There is a need for the Department to achieve momentum in this regard.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sustainable Development Goals: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: In the context of the SDGs, where does artificial intelligence, AI, and the explosion and widespread concerns about its impact in manipulating both in the commercial world and, indeed, the political world, fit in? Is there a goal that accommodates that? Is there a strategy in development? There is promised EU legislation on artificial intelligence but has that been encompassed by the SDGs?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sustainable Development Goals: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: Dr. Coates should put it on the agenda for the working group and see what cross-departmental officials say about it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Future Licences and Contracts to Connect Data Centres to the Gas Network: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: I thank the witnesses. The presentations were very interesting. What jumps out at me is that there is a huge long-term opportunity with the 22 GW of renewable power that we hope to deliver by 2030 and beyond. Data centres are probably one of the most effective uses of that in the long term compared with hydrogen or other options. We have a long-term opportunity and very real short-term...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Future Licences and Contracts to Connect Data Centres to the Gas Network: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: On a point of clarification, CRU has outlined that there are 12 data centres with 1,000 MW and another 25 inquiries with 9,000 MW. Will they be all subject to the corporate PPA and the heat proposal or are they outside of that requirement?

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Law Cases (15 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: 113. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will outline her plans for the reform of the family courts to improve access and streamline the processes for balancing rights in handling cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50285/23]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sustainable Development Goals: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: At a very high level, how often does that interdepartmental senior officials group, SOG, on SDGs meet? Is it really active or is it a relatively sleepy hollow?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: I thank the witnesses for a really good presentation. I do not believe anyone in the committee would fail to be impressed by the statement that this is the first generation to know and the last generation that can do anything about it. Looking back at the last national biodiversity plan, it sounds like we are trying to turn an oil tanker, which is not a great metaphor in a fossil fuel...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: Presumably, there will be geographic targets or targets of some sort. Is that not a get-out-of-jail card for those reporting?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: The sense is that there are river catchments and SACs. It is very geographic. Geography seems to be the entry point for driving commitment at a community level. Is it not missing something?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: If the service took the worst river and said, "We must go from X to Y over a period."

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: I would just worry that if the NPWS does not get down to a local level, it will not get the leverage and the farmer groups, dairy processors and so on will not see this is coming to their area and it is coming fast.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: That is.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Strategies (14 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: 220. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will outline the strategies and the specific policy tools which are driving the uptake of digital technology in secondary schools; if there are any specific initiatives in specific subject areas, such as languages, mathematics, and so on; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49858/23]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (14 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: 349. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality whether there is any reason for the long delay in the naturalisation process for a person (details supplied) who has been educated in Ireland from the age of nine years, and for whom third level education will be unaffordable without naturalisation, bearing in mind the initiation of this process almost two-and-a-half years...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Tobacco Control Measures (14 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: 477. To ask the Minister for Health if there is any restriction on the opportunity to advertise e-cigarettes in Irish media; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49892/23]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Tobacco Control Measures (14 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: 593. To ask the Minister for Health if he is concerned about the ease of access to, and advertising for, e-cigarettes; if the risk of recruiting new users to dependence on nicotine necessitates new regulation; and if he has undertaken any analysis of the matter.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49891/23]

Energy Charter Treaty: Statements (9 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: I welcome this debate. It is timely. Other Deputies have well articulated the defects in the energy charter treaty. It is important to recall, as the note from the Oireachtas Library and Research Service has underlined, that this emerged in the early 1990s in the wake of the opening up of eastern Europe and following the collapse of the Soviet Union. There were genuine desires to see...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Data (9 Nov 2023)

Richard Bruton: 44. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the throughput of patients being treated in key categories and the trends in patient numbers compared to the corresponding period in 2022 and to the equivalent period in 2019, before Covid struck. [48359/23]