Results 341-360 of 1,131,078 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:John O'Mahony OR speaker:Richard Bruton OR speaker:Patrick Costello OR speaker:John McGuinness OR speaker:Marian Harkin OR speaker:Martin Heydon OR speaker:Violet-Anne Wynne OR speaker:Hildegarde Naughton OR speaker:Holly Cairns OR speaker:Mark Ward OR speaker:Darren O'Rourke OR speaker:Johnny Mythen OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh OR speaker:Brendan Griffin OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh19 OR speaker:Seán Sherlock OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh31 OR speaker:Sorca Clarke OR speaker:Kieran O'Donnell OR speaker:Catherine Connolly OR speaker:Alan Kelly) in 'Committee meetings'

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Collection (15 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: I want to ask the Minister if he is aware of the findings of the 2023 report from the Comptroller and Auditor General which states that 39% of carbon taxes collected are not accounted for. Can the Minister account for how his Department spent its carbon tax, the amount underspent or unaccounted for in 2023 and make a statement on the matter?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Tax Collection (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The programme for Government committed to allocate revenues raised from the increase in carbon tax rates out to 2030 to ensure that the increases in the carbon tax are progressive by spending €3 billion on targeted social welfare and other initiatives to prevent fuel poverty and ensure a just transition, to provide €5 billion to part-fund a socially progressive national...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Infrastructure (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: On the amendments, this is a very extensive Bill. It was 900 pages in the end and there were 150-odd amendments on the last Stage in the Seanad. My sense from officials is that issue was about making sure the law was not contradictory in some sense. There were changes because we only established MARA last year and made the switch from the foreshore licensing system to this new marine...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Infrastructure (15 Oct 2024)

Thomas Pringle: Just to get clarity from the Minister on it, these amendments he put forward make it easier for a developer to know and have clarity with regard to putting in an application to An Bord Pleanála, while knowing that it will not be passed at all. They would go to the expense of preparing the application, go through the whole process and go to An Bord Pleanála, knowing that it would...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Infrastructure (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: No. The amendment, from my perspective, is around us requiring a gas storage facility, which has both onshore and offshore components. With regard to those two systems, offshore planning is different from onshore planning, and by the very nature of such a storage facility, it might be both so we have to make sure that if there was a future application for such a facility, there would not be...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Energy Policy

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Neasa Hourigan: 56. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to the action undertaken by the Biden Administration this year to review the climate change and economic impact of liquefied natural gas, LNG, and the specific requirement that entails to consider the health and safety implications involved in LNG. [37288/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Neasa Hourigan: The USA, one of the largest producers but also consumers of liquefied natural gas, recently paused new LNG export approvals to review the significant public safety, climate and economic dangers of this technology. Will the Minister accept that Ireland should follow suit and undertake a review to consider some of those same harms?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I have not received a formal report from my Department on the actions undertaken by the Biden Administration as referenced in the question. The Government approved and published the Energy Security in Ireland to 2030 report last November which concludes that Ireland’s future energy will be secure by moving from a fossil fuel-based energy system to an electricity-led system,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Neasa Hourigan: I thank the Minister. There is little mention there of the health and safety impacts of LNG, and as the Minister must be aware, it is a significant national security and public health risk for the nation. When LNG ignites, it creates a fire so hot that it can burn people, animals and vegetation up to a mile away. It is actually unlikely, having looked at the impacts of some of the previous...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The Deputy is right. That is an issue for CRU and in the end, An Bord Pleanála is the relevant planning authority in any application for such a facility. CRU's role in gas regulation goes back, by my recollection, to the whole Corrib issue, where this was a central issue - whether we could guarantee the safety of local communities. CRU does that on an ongoing basis. I have not asked...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Neasa Hourigan: I thank the Minister. We have done a huge amount of work on energy security reports and reviews, and there has been an incredible amount of research done by this Government into LNG, I suspect. It seems to be that there has been no research on the health and safety impacts for communities. Ireland has a very dispersed population, so when there is an incident with LNG, the evacuation zone...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: By all means. Obviously, if any facility is built, that would be the first thing for consideration by both the regulator and the planning authority. You would have to make sure that you have all the processes and procedures in place. However, we are not at the position where we are deciding whether we would have any LNG facility. There is further analysis needed. The Deputy mentioned the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Conservation (15 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the Minister for the reply. There are elements that I very much welcome, particularly the area-based approach. I know CEG was the pilot - I think it was in Cork. It may not be funded under that scheme in Fingal. I want to raise the change that was made in June relating to the guidelines from the CEG for real estate investment funds and commercial landlords to avail of the SEAI's...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Conservation (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I hear the Deputy's concerns. They are reflected in fact that with an AHB or some similar multi-apartment model, it is a 50% grant, whereas if it is dealing with a commercial rental organisation, REIT or others, it is a 30% grant. I am not so certain about the risks. The benefit is that it will mean lower cost for the tenant. We have a real difficulty in the rental sector. Tenants do not...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Conservation (15 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: I do not disagree with the Minister. I and my party have been wrestling with how to deal with the private rented sector. The Minister has heard my concern over the risk that these well-organised, well-resourced real estate investment funds will take great advantage of this while small landlords do not. At the same time, there is potential for rent increases because we know renovation...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Conservation (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I take both recommendations. It is a valid point. We need to monitor, measure and continually adapt. If there are signs that retrofitting is leading to big rent increases, increased evictions or any other such measure, obviously we would have to adjust and see what can be done. It is right to start going into the rental sector, however, and make sure it is not left behind. We need to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Conservation (15 Oct 2024)

Question No. 54 taken with Written Answers.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Infrastructure (15 Oct 2024)

Energy Infrastructure

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Infrastructure (15 Oct 2024)

Marian Harkin: 55. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to clarify his policy position ahead of a planning application decision by An Bord Pleanála, given his recent comments about the fact that a liquified natural gas, LNG, storage facility may no longer be needed as back-up in a natural energy crisis, and given that An Bord Pleanála's decision on a current...