Results 141-160 of 1,131,241 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Simon Coveney OR speaker:Michael Lowry OR speaker:Peter Burke OR speaker:James Browne OR speaker:Marc Ó Cathasaigh OR speaker:Mary Butler OR speaker:Jennifer Carroll MacNeill OR speaker:Paul Murphy OR speaker:Hildegarde Naughton OR speaker:Alan Farrell OR speaker:Michael Collins OR speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice OR speaker:Robert Troy OR speaker:Duncan Smith OR speaker:Pearse Doherty OR speaker:Seán Fleming OR speaker:Chris Andrews OR speaker:Dara Calleary OR speaker:Eoin Ó Broin OR speaker:Pat Buckley OR speaker:Gino Kenny OR speaker:Ruairi Ó Murchú OR speaker:Brendan Howlin OR speaker:Ossian Smyth OR speaker:Richard Bruton OR speaker:Michael Ring OR speaker:Brian Leddin)

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2024: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (24 Oct 2024)

Peter Burke: There are 18,000 people employed in building data centres,-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2024: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (24 Oct 2024)

Paul Murphy: Yes, but that is not what I asked.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2024: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (24 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: I am going to move on-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2024: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (24 Oct 2024)

Peter Burke: -----but there are thousands of people who have jobs that are reliant on security of energy policy and the commercial data centres.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2024: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (24 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: -----because I want to be fair to colleagues who are waiting and have indicated. I will bring Deputy Murphy back in again if there is time at the end.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2024: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (24 Oct 2024)

Richard Bruton: Data centres are at the heart of the ICT sector. That is the reality. Without them, we cannot develop a sector in which we have created a considerable competitive advantage. We have short-term problems of capacity constraints in meeting their demand. As the Minister said, though, we have a substantial opportunity in the long term to develop the offshore sector. We need domestic users of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2024: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (24 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: I remind the Deputy about the time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2024: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (24 Oct 2024)

Richard Bruton: There are huge opportunities for us to rethink the way we design these sectors to reduce their impact both on climate and the wider environment. My specific question is: will the Minister consider introducing sectoral strategies around the circular economy in the key sectors within his remit?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2024: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (24 Oct 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank the Deputy for the number of questions he has put forward. In terms of the reduction, we have approximately 9.6% of a reduction in industry on 2018 levels. If the cement industry is excluded, it is 11.5%. Obviously, in the commercial built environment, it is 15.7% since 2018 and if the cement sector is taken out, it is a reduction of an additional 7%. There is significant progress...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2024: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (24 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: I remind Senator Higgins of the time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2024: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (24 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2024: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (24 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: I want to give the Minister time to answer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2024: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (24 Oct 2024)

Peter Burke: I thank Senator Higgins for her questions. As I pointed out during my earlier contributions, it is not about the employment at the data centre; it is about how much employment it underwrites and supports. That is the key thing. There are so many companies in operation in our State that explicitly rely on data centres to underwrite their activities and keep the high-value jobs that are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2024: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (24 Oct 2024)

Peter Burke: We have a process to manage it. We are all very honest and clear on this. I am not saying at this point that every data centre can get connected. We have to sustainably manage the energy we have available and ensure other sectors do not suffer. We are very ambitious when it comes to other areas in our economy and it is important the CRU manages that process. It will make a determination...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2024: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (24 Oct 2024)

Peter Burke: Anyone who says contrary to that, I believe is misleading people.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2024: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (24 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: There were one or two other questions there that I will give the Minister a moment to answer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2024: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (24 Oct 2024)

Peter Burke: We are waiting for the CRU to make an adjudication, which it will do shortly. We have published our guidance in respect of cement. I had a round-table meeting with the cement group and representatives of Enterprise Ireland to try to ensure that it will be ready when the rules relating to public procurement change shortly. The members of the group will have to be ready to ensure that they...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2024: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (24 Oct 2024)

Peter Burke: The technical specification.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2024: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (24 Oct 2024)

Peter Burke: There are major opportunities with the just transition commission. I represent the midlands. I have seen how much my community has changed because of the transition that is being made. The Cabinet appointed a new commission under the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, in recent days. This will be very important for the delivery of so much change in my region, particularly as it will give rise...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2024: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (24 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: Sorry, I am going to allow Deputy Farrell in to speak. I will come back to Senator Higgins if there is time.