Results 1-20 of 1,169,824 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Damien English OR speaker:Ruairi Ó Murchú OR speaker:Catherine Murphy OR speaker:Mary Lou McDonald OR speaker:Mairead Farrell OR speaker:Neale Richmond OR speaker:Duncan Smith OR speaker:Hildegarde Naughton OR speaker:Thomas Pringle OR speaker:John McGuinness OR speaker:Róisín Shortall OR speaker:Eamon Ryan OR speaker:Kieran O'Donnell OR speaker:Mark Ward OR speaker:Darren O'Rourke OR speaker:Robert Troy OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív OR speaker:Joe O'Brien OR speaker:Seán Fleming OR speaker:Cathal Crowe OR speaker:Matt Carthy OR speaker:Brian Leddin OR speaker:Gerald Nash OR speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire OR speaker:Heather Humphreys OR speaker:Thomas Gould OR speaker:Helen McEntee OR speaker:Catherine Martin OR speaker:Seán Haughey OR speaker:Dara Calleary OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív1 OR speaker:Norma Foley)

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)

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)

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)

Mairead Farrell: I thank the witnesses for coming in front of the committee. I will follow on from Deputy Hourigan’s questions. Ms Agbona explained her experience regarding the lunch break, the social side and transition year. It is powerful to hear this. It is good that we are having this conversation and that it is on the record of the committee. I thank her for that. I will start with a...

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

Mairead Farrell: Can Ms Agbona give an example of that? For people like me who are learning and for those who will look back at this meeting, it would be important to give an example of that stark difference. It is positive to hear this but it should be happening throughout a child or a teenager’s learning experience.

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

Mairead Farrell: That is powerful. Thank you.