Results 1-20 of 5,751 for speaker:Alan Dillon

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Recycling Policy (12 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: In 2017, Ireland introduced an Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for tyres which is operated by Circol ELT. A consumer may return a used tyre which was subject to a visible Environmental Management Cost (vEMC) to the retailer where they bought the tyre, and the retailer is obliged to take the tyre back free of charge. There is no obligation to buy a replacement tyre.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Illegal Dumping (12 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: I refer to the reply to Question No. 66 of 28 May 2025. The position remains unchanged.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Management (12 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy (WAPCE) sets out an overall policy and regulatory approach to support the development of adequate and appropriate treatment capacity at indigenous facilities to ensure that the full circularity and resource potential of materials is captured in Ireland. This framework is intended to create the market conditions required to support indigenous waste...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Funding (11 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: My Department primarily supports Circular Economy initiatives through the Circular Economy Fund, established in July 2023 by the Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022. The Circular Economy Fund provides essential financial support annually across a wide range of initiatives, as prescribed for under Section 8 (9) of the Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 2022....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Funding (11 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme (CEIGS) is funded from the Circular Economy Fund and was first launched in 2021. This multi-annual scheme directly supports the growth of the circular economy in Ireland and provides high-profile examples of best practice to inspire others. A key objective is delivering innovative projects that will have a direct impact on operating environments,...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Cybersecurity Policy (11 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Government through Enterprise Ireland (EI) is an active supporter of Irish cybersecurity companies and the wider sectoral ecosystem. Cybersecurity focused companies generate around €2.7bn in revenue annually and employ over 8,000 people nationwide, according to the CSO. EI’s Fintech, Financial Services & Cybersecurity department provides a range of supports to...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Redundancy Payments (11 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Redundancy Payments Act 1967, as amended, provides for a minimum statutory redundancy payment to eligible employees. An eligible employee is entitled to two weeks' pay for every year of service plus one additional week's pay, with weekly pay capped at €600 per week. The €600 per week salary cap has applied since 2005. In order to be eligible for a statutory redundancy...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Industrial Relations (11 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is an independent, statutory body under the aegis of my Department. The WRC’s primary functions include the inspection of employment law compliance, the provision of information on employment law, mediation, adjudication, conciliation, facilitation, and advisory services. The WRC is independent in the exercise of its quasi-judicial function, and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: We are currently actively working to enhance the support scheme for renewable heat to better support district systems. Included in that is ensuring we have industrial waste heat from sectors like pharmaceutical manufacturing and data centres. The SEAI, which administers the scheme, has already completed its 2024 annual review. That made clear recommendations on adapting the scheme for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: I suggest Deputy Ó Murchú write formally to the Department about the specifics of the scheme he is interested in. We will certainly get a response to him. To add to Deputy Byrne's point, we are building momentum in this regard and we can see there are practical realities on the ground in many communities. He talked about the large-scale operation in south Dublin. There is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: District heating can play a key role in improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Government policy is supportive of the expansion of district heating to contribute to the diversification of fuel supply to decarbonise the heat sector. A district heating steering group was established to support the development of district heating in Ireland. The steering group...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Recycling Policy (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: In 2022, the most recent year for which EPA statistics are available, Ireland recycled 32% of plastic packaging waste. This exceeds the current target of 22.5% but meeting the stricter targets of 50% and 55% for 2025 and 2026, respectively, will be more challenging. These figures are in respect of all plastics, including PET. The EU list of plastic waste codes does not isolate individual...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Recycling Policy (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: We are absolutely committed on this side of the House to moving to recycle more plastic in Ireland. We need to be honest about the current reality that the waste management sector, including plastic recycling, operates in a global market and that a large part of the plastic recycling collected, including under the deposit return scheme, is traded internationally, based on volume and quality...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Recycling Policy (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: I would challenge the figures the Deputy outlined. In 2024 alone, Re-turn collected up to 12,000 tonnes of PET plastic, 34% of which was processed by Irish companies, and, separately, Repak funded the recycling of more than 8,300 tonnes, which represented 42% of reprocessing in Ireland. Is it enough? No, it is not. We are well aware we need to make a significant step forward. We fully...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: Again, I thank the Deputy for his question on concerns that have been raised in relation to the publication of the risk assessment, which is both comprehensive and evidence based framework that identifies, ranks and prioritises the climate risks, as the Deputy has outlined. What is essential here is that it draws on international best practices from the UK, New Zealand and the EU. It...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy for his question and I can certainly respond later in relation to that. The focus now is on delivering the 15 sectoral adaptation plans. That is really important. As I said earlier, we need to take significant steps to future proof Ireland's key infrastructure around electricity and gas. We will put these plans out for consultation. That is really important. What we...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy for the question and welcome the opportunity to provide an update on the Government's progress on delivering on our biomethane ambitions. The Government has committed to supporting the production of up to 5.7 TW of indigenous produced biomethane by 2030, a key pillar of our national and EU climate and energy targets. A critical first step on this journey was the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: I am conscious that the Deputy is raising a question around the streamlining of the planning process. Certainly, I fully recognise the need for correct planning guidelines. Anaerobic digesters themselves are significant infrastructure projects so we need to ensure that these developments are sustainable, sensitive to local communities and are aligned with land use and ecology...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: The biomethane sustainability charter is the priority deliverable. It will chart the Government's commitment around many of the actions to which the Deputy has referred here in relation to ensuring that biomethane production in Ireland is environmentally sustainable. The charter will undergo extensive consultation with key stakeholders and will inform the guidance of the biomethane...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (10 Jun 2025)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy for his question. I welcome the publication of Ireland's first national climate change risk assessment. We can already see the effects of climate change through the impact of storms including Babet, Darragh and, most recently, Éowyn. Attribution studies inform us that climate change is adding significantly to the strength of these extreme weather events. Adapting...