Results 2,361-2,380 of 4,037 for speaker:Jennifer Whitmore

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Retrofitting Schemes: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (11 Oct 2022)

Jennifer Whitmore: If the metric is emissions and if we can reduce them quickly by 25% by spending two days installing something cheaply for €8,000 or whatever, should the focus not be on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Retrofitting Schemes: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (11 Oct 2022)

Jennifer Whitmore: Electric vehicles and heat pumps will represent 13% or 15% of our electricity use. If a home can produce that electricity itself and use the car as a battery, it will support the grid. There would not just be a benefit in terms of emissions reductions, but also a grid security benefit through this capacity. Does the SEAI have conversations with the CRU and EirGrid on these matters?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Retrofitting Schemes: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (11 Oct 2022)

Jennifer Whitmore: Okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Retrofitting Schemes: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (11 Oct 2022)

Jennifer Whitmore: Does that not mean that there is a greater incentive for the homeowner to retrofit, given that the grant is larger? There is no solar grant for people on lower incomes and the grants for solar are low compared with retrofitting. I see it as part of the package, but someone on a low income will not be able to afford solar even though it would reduce his or her energy costs by 30% or 40%...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Retrofitting Schemes: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (11 Oct 2022)

Jennifer Whitmore: I agree. The focus in the short term should be on installing solar panels on every low-income home free of charge before using the next eight years to retrofit and address the fabric issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Retrofitting Schemes: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (11 Oct 2022)

Jennifer Whitmore: These are the homes of people who are in receipt of social welfare and, therefore, of people who are at the greatest risk. I just wanted to make that clear. It also feeds into the point about prioritising.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Retrofitting Schemes: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (11 Oct 2022)

Jennifer Whitmore: Okay. I thank Dr. Byrne.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (18 Oct 2022)

Jennifer Whitmore: 439. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 182 of 5 October 2022, if she will sanction the supply to the school concerned of the 200m2 modular accommodation in 4x50 m2 general classroom accommodation given that the SNU needs have been met within the existing school building and the urgent need for general classroom space; and if she will make a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Care Services (18 Oct 2022)

Jennifer Whitmore: 751. To ask the Minister for Health the provisions that are in place to continue the care of a person (details supplied) who requires home support services but cannot avail of it due to the lack of expressions of interest from approved providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51435/22]

Mother and Baby Institutions Redress Scheme: Motion [Private Members] (19 Oct 2022)

Jennifer Whitmore: Every parent knows about milestones in their children's first two years. They know about the importance of them. They know when they are meant to hit particular developmental targets. They await the targets anxiously and burst with pride when their children meet the targets. This is ingrained into every parent but it is also ingrained into every children's medical specialist. It is...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (20 Oct 2022)

Jennifer Whitmore: Public transport in Wicklow is not fit for purpose. Today, I will talk about the Go-Ahead services, specifically the 184, 185, 145 and 45A. They do not show up and drive by empty. The drivers refuse to stop to let people off buses at designated stops and leave young girls stranded in the dark at train stations and bus stations. It is completely unacceptable. I suggest that the Minister...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (20 Oct 2022)

Jennifer Whitmore: Will the Minister come back to me with proposals?

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2022 (Supplementary)
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (18 Oct 2022)

Jennifer Whitmore: I thank the Minister for attending. I have a question requiring a brief response and a more in-depth one. I will begin with the first of these. Will individuals who missed out on the payments via the MPRN, such as the Traveller groups, be back-paid for the credit they missed earlier in the year? Will they be compensated only for future credits?

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2022 (Supplementary)
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (18 Oct 2022)

Jennifer Whitmore: If they are not being back-paid, will the Minister consider it? There was unfairness in the scheme. It has been rectified this time but it would be good to ensure the individuals concerned get the credits they missed out on.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2022 (Supplementary)
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (18 Oct 2022)

Jennifer Whitmore: In the Minister's statement, he said the Government has taken action to provide further assistance to those who are most vulnerable to the effects of the cost-of-living crisis and then he referred to a range of measures, including the €600 electricity credit. I have been very vocal about the fact that I do not believe this represents good expenditure of taxpayers' money. There should...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2022 (Supplementary)
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (18 Oct 2022)

Jennifer Whitmore: This is why the Social Democrats have not been asking for a cap. If there was one, it would again not be a targeted measure. If there were to be a cap, therefore, it would have to be a targeted one. The main reason people are reducing their energy use now is because of a price mechanism. A price driver is causing this. For wealthy people, however, no price driver will make them reduce...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2022 (Supplementary)
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (18 Oct 2022)

Jennifer Whitmore: On this point, the Social Democrats are not arguing it is only people on social welfare schemes who should have been targeted. It should be people at risk of energy poverty and those finding it difficult to cope. I do not, though, believe that people with holiday homes will find it difficult in this regard, especially now they will be getting two payments. I do not think the MPRN approach...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2022 (Supplementary)
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (18 Oct 2022)

Jennifer Whitmore: The Minister mentioned that the backup generation of large energy users, in particular data centres, will need to be made available to the grid. Obviously, that does not apply retrospectively to those who are currently operating or have their permissions granted. Has the Department looked at what generation capacity is available within those existing data centres and looked at ways to have...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2022 (Supplementary)
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (18 Oct 2022)

Jennifer Whitmore: There could be 150 MW available.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2022 (Supplementary)
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (18 Oct 2022)

Jennifer Whitmore: I am quite disappointed by the underspend on the research side of things. Perhaps we need to go back and see why it was not spent. From being in research myself, I know every researcher has a stack of oven-ready projects that could be funded at a minute's notice. It is surprising the money was not spent, especially in light of the crises in both biodiversity and climate that we face....