Results 101-120 of 1,131,983 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Damien English OR speaker:Niall Collins OR speaker:Réada Cronin OR speaker:Eoin Ó Broin OR speaker:Fergus O'Dowd OR speaker:Heather Humphreys OR speaker:Aindrias Moynihan OR speaker:Leo Varadkar OR speaker:Brendan Smith OR speaker:Joe O'Brien OR speaker:Seán Haughey OR speaker:Steven Matthews OR speaker:Marc MacSharry OR speaker:Pat Buckley OR speaker:Brian Stanley OR speaker:Frank Feighan OR speaker:Ruairi Ó Murchú OR speaker:Joe Flaherty OR speaker:Seán Fleming OR speaker:Pádraig O'Sullivan OR speaker:Emer Higgins OR speaker:Jackie Cahill OR speaker:Paul Donnelly OR speaker:Denis Naughten OR speaker:Cian O'Callaghan) in 'Committee meetings'

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Verona Murphy: 51. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment for a breakdown of the initiatives being rolled out by his Department to reduce emissions as a result of the carbon tax receipts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41677/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Verona Murphy: Will the Minister provide a breakdown of the initiatives being rolled out by the Department to reduce emissions and as a result of the carbon tax receipts, and will he make a statement on the matter?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The programme for Government commits that carbon tax revenues will be used to ensure carbon tax increases 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 retrofitting programme; and to allocate €1.5 billion to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Verona Murphy: It is fair to say that with the €3 billion the Government collects, what the Minister really did was head off to COP and sign us up to targets that we could never meet. We face fines of between €3 billion and €8 billion as a result. The Minister will be long gone into the sunset when that occurs. The hardship he has caused people who have bought electric vehicles is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I believe we can meet our climate obligations and targets, which we need to do to protect our people from the incredible damage that will be done if we do not stop runaway climate change. The fact that last year, our emissions dropped by 6.8% shows it is possible. It is not just for environmental reasons. There are many social benefits as we make this switch to green. There are also,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Verona Murphy: They are better cars. yet the Minister is putting tariffs on Chinese cars at half the price. He really does not want people to drive them, does he? The Minister did put the cart before the horse. I am not denying that the transition will take place, but the reality is the Minister has left some people in a financially disadvantaged position because of his inability to provide the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I fear that the Deputy's words may be stoking suspicion and are not a true reflection of what is actually happening. First, we will likely meet our target for the number of electric vehicles on the road by the end of next year. I would like to see it higher and faster but we are on track. We are providing infrastructure. This summer, we agreed major investment, which is actually happening...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (15 Oct 2024)

Verona Murphy: The reality is that, 20 years ago, the Green Party told everybody to buy diesel, that it was the energy of the future. The Green Party said that was the science. The science suddenly changed to buying electric. Now we are in a position where people bought electric but there is no infrastructure to support it. The electric cars are now coming from China at half the cost and are built with...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Natural Gas Grid (15 Oct 2024)

Paul Murphy: I am sorry but that does not assuage any of my concerns. Oisín Coghlan is chief executive of Friends of the Earth, which is not the wing of the environmental movement that is most critical of the Green Party. It has sometimes spoken positively about the party's record in government. Oisín Coghlan has said: You don’t legally designate something you oppose, or...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Natural Gas Grid (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: The key document here is our energy security paper from November last year, which looked at a whole range of different risks to energy security. That is the place where we say that the only facility we could or would introduce is one that is purely temporary, strategic and security oriented. In those circumstances, where the project is State-led, I believe conditions could be set as regards...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Natural Gas Grid (15 Oct 2024)

Paul Murphy: The Minister is saying that it could be ensured that fracked gas is not used in this so-called State-led LNG terminal. However, the Government's policy statement from May 2021 is clear. It is not possible for Ireland, under the European treaties or EU directives concerning common rules of the internal market in natural gas, to legislate for a ban on the import of fracked gas into Ireland or...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Natural Gas Grid (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I take the Deputy's point that LNG potentially has the same emissions as coal. We will not be increasing our importation of LNG gas. That is agreed. We are not going to breach our climate change targets through any of this. That is an absolute given. That will hold firm in any court, in any debate and in any government, whether a future government or this Government. With a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Regulatory Bodies (15 Oct 2024)

Regulatory Bodies

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Regulatory Bodies (15 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: 50. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to provide an update on preparations to regulate non-domestic gas works, with particular reference to timeframe, engagement with registered gas installers, training, legislation and standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41633/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Regulatory Bodies (15 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: Will the Minister provide an update on preparations to regulate non-domestic gas works with particular reference to a timeframe, engagement with registered gas installers, training, legislation and standards? Will he make a statement on the matter?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Regulatory Bodies (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Under section 9F of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999, as amended, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities is responsible for the regulation of gas installers with respect to safety. I refer the Deputy to the CRU, as a statutorily independent regulator, for updates and timelines on this matter in the first instance. The CRU will shortly seek to introduce a statutory instrument to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Regulatory Bodies (15 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: I have been in contact with the CRU and there has been some progress in this regard. This question was prompted by concerns among gas installers and the installer representative panel regarding the proposal that the non-domestic regime would be merged with the domestic regime without additional training, specific certification or competencies. There were concerns about safety. There were a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Regulatory Bodies (15 Oct 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I am reassured by Deputy O'Rourke's comments that some of those concerns may have been addressed. This development has been under consideration for ten years, going right back to 2014 when it was first proposed. In the intervening years, the CRU has carried out a lot of consultation. I can understand why people would be concerned about the implications of any change in their industry but I...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Regulatory Bodies (15 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: I absolutely agree. On the Minister's earlier point, for me and for the industry as a whole, it is about managing this transition and ensuring that standards and oversight are maintained. I will raise a point related to this. Many of these facilities are unregulated, including communal heating systems. I have one in my area. The Minister would have dealt with my colleague, Ruairí...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Natural Gas Imports (15 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: There seems to be a contradiction in the Minister's response in terms of considering alternatives to LNG and the amendments that were rushed through at the eleventh hour for the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2023 last week. Is the Minister of the view that LNG that does not have fracked gas can be introduced? It strikes me as very difficult to separate the two issues at all....