Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses. I am also a member of the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action, which met on this and came to the conclusion that there was a need for a reasoned opinion on behalf of the committee and I am of the same opinion in regard to this. It is a significant package and it has major implications for policy here. I would question about subsidiary and the control that we have in Ireland versus the control at European level. What is the status the package and the timeline for it? At what stage are the ongoing negotiations in the process towards the adoption of the package, if that is where we are going with it? I also have questions on the opportunity, as the Department sees it, to become a leader in the hydrogen space. Other countries have a hydrogen strategy. We have a suite of measures in these proposals to be used as levers to nudge sectors in a certain direction. A key part of that is the development of alternative fuels. Who wants to take a question on the opportunity to advance research and innovation and be a leader in the development of those alternative fuels? That is particularly relevant for aviation. As Mr. Burke identified in his opening statement, there is an opportunity for Ireland to be leader in that space and to play a big role.

For those working in the fishing sector, and I know there is an element of the scale of the fishing operation that people run, is this not just another punitive measure that is being introduced in an industry that is already under serious pressure, in an Irish context, at least? What is going to happen to the sector in that intervening period? Will additional levies, burdens and costs just be heaped on it?

There seems to be a concerning contradiction around the piece on LNG. We have outlined our policy position in Ireland on LNG. This proposal seems to be saying the opposite in stating that there is opportunity there to use it and an appropriate infrastructure for the sector. How do we square the direction of travel at a European level with that here in Ireland?

On the issue of electric vehicles, EVs, a change was made to the EV support scheme in recent days. It maps out further changes in that regard up to 2030. Are the witnesses aware of the reasoning behind the decision to introduce those changes at such short notice, and the degree to which the impact on people who had committed to purchasing EVs was taken into account? I have heard directly from taxi drivers who are going to be out of pocket because the vehicles will not arrive before the end of the year and they do not cost over €60,000. Where did the €60,000 threshold figure come from? Apologies; I did not address my questions to any witness in particular.