Results 1-20 of 1,124,078 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Peter Burke OR speaker:Damien English OR speaker:Simon Coveney OR speaker:Darren O'Rourke OR speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice OR speaker:Cathal Berry OR speaker:Alan Dillon OR speaker:Niamh Smyth OR speaker:Róisín Shortall OR speaker:Jennifer Whitmore OR speaker:Jackie Cahill OR speaker:Denise Mitchell OR speaker:Michael Lowry OR speaker:Johnny Mythen OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív OR speaker:Patricia Ryan OR speaker:Jennifer Murnane O'Connor OR speaker:Catherine Connolly OR speaker:Holly Cairns OR speaker:Imelda Munster OR speaker:Catherine Martin OR speaker:Mattie McGrath OR speaker:Paul Murphy OR speaker:Cian O'Callaghan OR speaker:Brian Leddin OR speaker:Cormac Devlin OR speaker:Jim O'Callaghan OR speaker:Dessie Ellis OR speaker:Richard O'Donoghue OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív88 OR speaker:Louise O'Reilly OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív98 OR speaker:Pippa Hackett) in 'Committee meetings'

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

Brian Leddin: I have received apologies from Senator Higgins, although she indicated she may be able to join us at some point. We are meeting to discuss the public sector climate action mandate. On behalf of the committee, I welcome from the Office of Government Procurement, OGP, Ms Anne Stewart, assistant secretary, Mr. David O’Brien, principal officer, and Mr. Andrew Bogie, principal officer....

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

Brian Leddin: I thank Ms Stewart for her opening statement and call Mr. Walsh of the SEAI for his statement.

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

Brian Leddin: I thank Mr. Walsh for his statement. I will go to colleagues who indicate they will ask questions. We will call on them in order. I will kick off with a question for Ms Stewart or her colleagues, whoever wishes to take it. The committee has done quite a lot of work. Today, we will publish our report on the circular economy. Deputy Bruton has led the committee on coming up with...

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

Brian Leddin: The reporting structures are in place or are being developed for a future direction.

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

Brian Leddin: I thank Mr. O'Brien for that. That relates to new buildings, obviously.

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

Brian Leddin: It is to these that the EU directive applies. However, I am wondering about existing buildings. Is any work being done to account for or, at least, capture the data relating to embodied carbon in existing buildings? Where a public sector body is looking for a new premises, one option might be to build a new building. That building might be gold standard, but existing buildings will have...

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

Brian Leddin: I thank Mr. O'Brien for that. I do not know if SEAI wants to speak about embodied carbon in existing buildings.

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

Brian Leddin: Does Mr. Meally expect to have the roadmap at the end of this year?

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

Brian Leddin: I thank Mr. Meally for that.

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

Brian Leddin: We have targets for 2030, which is five years away, but that has not been budgeted for, essentially. I am not saying it is SEAI's role but it is a political decision to budget for that level of investment to achieve our targets.

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

Brian Leddin: That is interesting. Is the €13 billion estimate very much aligned with the 2030 target or is it the net zero?

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

Brian Leddin: Okay. Is Deputy Bruton happy?

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

Brian Leddin: Deputy Whitmore is next.

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

Jennifer Whitmore: I thank the witnesses for their opening statements. I was a bit late to the meeting and may have missed something, so I apologise if I go over something that was already spoken about. With regard to the Office of Government Procurement, Ms Stewart spoke about guidance. This is probably following on from Deputy Bruton's question. Are there definitive rules as to what public bodies have to...

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

Jennifer Whitmore: Then there is the whether, something Deputy Bruton touched on - whether the public sector body has done it. When the public sector body writes and explains, is it to the Office of Government Procurement?

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

Jennifer Whitmore: Is that made public?

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

Jennifer Whitmore: Any time an entity goes beyond the guidance, it will be there and reported on.

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

Jennifer Whitmore: As regards the funding element of it, a lot of procurement is based on the price and that is the overarching criteria. If someone says they can meet a specific price, but I want a green procurement and it is going to cost more, is there an allowance given?

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

Jennifer Whitmore: A lot of public sector bodies must go with the cheapest price, however.

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

Jennifer Whitmore: Great. I thank Ms Stewart. I will ask the SEAI a question. I met Mr. Walsh last week in County Wicklow where Bray fire station is the first county building to be fully decarbonised. It is a very positive project. I understand that was funded under the pathfinder project for Wicklow County Council. That is really welcome. In the work SEAI is doing, is consideration given to the fact...