Results 21-40 of 1,125,016 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Rory O'Hanlon OR speaker:Hildegarde Naughton OR speaker:Robert Troy OR speaker:Fergus O'Dowd OR speaker:Patrick O'Donovan OR speaker:Catherine Connolly OR speaker:Marc Ó Cathasaigh OR speaker:Josepha Madigan OR speaker:Joe O'Brien OR speaker:Niall Collins OR speaker:Paschal Donohoe OR speaker:Paul McAuliffe OR speaker:Pádraig O'Sullivan OR speaker:Michael Collins OR speaker:Peter Burke OR speaker:Alan Kelly OR speaker:Cathal Crowe OR speaker:Colm Burke OR speaker:Darren O'Rourke OR speaker:Brian Leddin OR speaker:Gary Gannon OR speaker:Darragh O'Brien OR speaker:Willie O'Dea OR speaker:Denis Naughten OR speaker:Pauline Tully OR speaker:Jennifer Carroll MacNeill OR speaker:Neasa Hourigan OR speaker:Jennifer Whitmore OR speaker:Cian O'Callaghan OR speaker:Roderic O'Gorman OR speaker:Matt Shanahan) in 'Committee meetings'

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: I have looked through the SEAI's report. I want to drill down into one of the figures that is really jumping out at me concerning the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. I have looked at the data, and I perhaps I am reading this incorrectly, but the report states that the Department's fossil CO2 emissions have increased by nearly 450% since the baseline, and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: Will Mr. Ryan be following up with that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: It looks like there is a trajectory where it is increasing over a number of years but where there is a quite a steep increase in the final year's data.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: Yes. It jumped out at me.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: When the SEAI is looking at different buildings, the energy demand and the potential for energy reductions, does it ever take into account nature-based solutions such as green buildings? I refer, for example, to having a grass roof or even vegetation on one wall. This has been proven to reduce energy demand by up to 60% in some instances. Is that something the SEAI looks at or is it purely...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: Obviously, it has nature-positive benefits as well. Even from a leadership perspective, if it became more visible within our communities that public buildings had this kind of greening and use of nature as part of their design, other people would look at that and take it on board. There is a need to not look narrowly at these public buildings. These are community public buildings. If...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: Perfect. I have a sort of random question. It was brought to me by a student doing the young scientist from St. Mary's in Arklow, Aoife O'Neill. She asked about kinetic flooring. I am not familiar with that technology. I do not know whether the witnesses have heard of it. Apparently Coldplay have used it to generate energy. She is wondering whether that is being considered. We were...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: It is an early technology, I would imagine.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: Is Mr. Meally not aware of any research being done?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: No.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: That is brilliant. I will pass that on to her. I had never heard of it before. I obviously was not at the Coldplay concert.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: The phone-charging stations at music festivals spring to mind. People queue up to cycle the bike to charge the phones.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: I think they had those as well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: Those are innovative solutions. People will often find that from what seems a good solution, only a small amount of energy is generated. That is why as a society we are addicted to fossil fuels. They are energy dense and useful but have created a catastrophic challenge for us. If the witnesses were to change anything or say anything to the politicians, what can be looked at to help the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: Okay. So more money is the answer. I thank Mr. Walsh. We were about to finish up but I see Senator Higgins has arrived just in time if she wants to ask her questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Update on the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: I thank Senator Higgins for those questions. I thank the OGP and SEAI representatives for their in-depth answers, which are greatly appreciated. The witnesses’ time has been very well spent in informing us of the work they are doing in both organisations. We are at a point where much progress needs to happen in the next few years. Although we are not the line committee for the OGP,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Neasa Hourigan: I thank the Chair and thank our witnesses. It is very obvious they have all had a conversation and it is brilliant to see a cohesive message coming from a particular community. It is incredibly important. To Ms Agbona I have to say I am always very sorry when somebody has to come to a committee and recount their difficulties because we should have a system that does not require people to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Neasa Hourigan: When Ms Walsh says "highlighting an issue" it implies that she, as an advocate, is reaching out to the Minister.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Neasa Hourigan: There is not a policy working group.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion (15 Oct 2024)

Neasa Hourigan: Obviously, there was a great deal in the various presentations. We could probably spend many hours dealing with the different parts of this discussion. It is possible that we all have many questions about the digital aspect because it is a new era. In many different sectors across the country there is a focus on digital and ICT, on whether we are funding them in the correct way and on...