Results 2,501-2,520 of 9,442 for speaker:Hildegarde Naughton

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Hildegarde Naughton: Will the Deputy, please, allow Mr. Griffin to answer the question?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Hildegarde Naughton: It has to do with contract law and state aid rules.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Hildegarde Naughton: I call Deputy Eugene Murphy to ask one quick question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Hildegarde Naughton: Yes, it has. It has been four hours, to be fair to the officials from the Department.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Jul 2019)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank everyone. It has been a long session, but it shows the commitment of the departmental officials to come before us and answer all of our questions. I was conscious of the need to let members and non-members of the committee have the opportunity to seek clarity on what is an important issue.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Applications Administration (9 Jul 2019)

Hildegarde Naughton: 141. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of the roll-out of online renewal for children’s passports since the project commenced in November 2018; the number of online child applications by county since then; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29631/19]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Brexit Preparations (9 Jul 2019)

Hildegarde Naughton: 142. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the way in which the passport service is dealing with the increased demand for passports due to Brexit to date in 2019; the plans of the service to deal with the various Brexit scenarios over the coming months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29632/19]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: ESB Networks: Commission for Regulation of Utilities (9 Jul 2019)

Hildegarde Naughton: We are now in public session and I thank people for their patience. We will now discuss the "RTÉ Investigates" programme that aired on 5 June 2019. I welcome the following representatives from the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU: Dr. Paul McGowan, chairperson; Ms Karen Trant, director of energy networks and legal; Mr. Robert O'Rourke, electricity networks manager. Before we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: ESB Networks: Commission for Regulation of Utilities (9 Jul 2019)

Hildegarde Naughton: What is the total amount of leakage reported to the CRU since the five-year review process commenced?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: ESB Networks: Commission for Regulation of Utilities (9 Jul 2019)

Hildegarde Naughton: That would be great. Dr. McGowan stated that in the period 2011 to 2015, ESB Networks requested funding and the CRU allowed a sum of €2.5 million.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: ESB Networks: Commission for Regulation of Utilities (9 Jul 2019)

Hildegarde Naughton: Sorry, €20.5 million. Only €6.2 million of it was spent. What further action was taken by the CRU regarding the non-spending? Was it happy with the response it received in that regard?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: ESB Networks: Commission for Regulation of Utilities (9 Jul 2019)

Hildegarde Naughton: Would it be cheaper to do this work during a recession, given lower labour and material costs?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: ESB Networks: Commission for Regulation of Utilities (9 Jul 2019)

Hildegarde Naughton: Dr. McGowan stated that the role of the CRU was to allow the capital spending to fix the leaks. Was there any communication with its fellow regulator, the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, regarding the number of leaks that had taken place and the concern that they had not been dealt with? Was it of concern that the leaks had occurred and the money that was allocated was not spent?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: ESB Networks: Commission for Regulation of Utilities (9 Jul 2019)

Hildegarde Naughton: The CRU was aware that ESB Networks had not spent the money on the leaks. If I understand Dr. McGowan correctly, it told the CRU that it was compliant environmentally. Am I correct in that regard?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: ESB Networks: Commission for Regulation of Utilities (9 Jul 2019)

Hildegarde Naughton: Hindsight is a great thing. Knowing that the ESB had not spent the money, and I take Dr. McGowan's point that a recession occurred, does he feel that CRU has adequate environmental expertise in house to be able to assess such spending and to understand the environmental impact of leaks like this so that when it sees that capital investment has not been made to fix these leaks there is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: ESB Networks: Commission for Regulation of Utilities (9 Jul 2019)

Hildegarde Naughton: The CRU agrees to allow them to spend X amount on what are leaks. The CRU is handing that over to the EPA. Given there was €20.5 million and only €6.2 million was spent, is there any look-back or follow-up in respect of this because it has an environmental impact? The big question relates to why red flags were not raised even after that. This was a serious environmental...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: ESB Networks: Commission for Regulation of Utilities (9 Jul 2019)

Hildegarde Naughton: A key message from this meeting is the need for communication, be it even informal, on environmental issues. I thank Dr. McGowan and his colleagues for attending. We appreciate their presence here this afternoon.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Housing and Retrofitting: Discussion (10 Jul 2019)

Hildegarde Naughton: I welcome members and viewers who may be watching these proceedings on Oireachtas TV to the fourth public session of the Joint Committee on Climate Action. I ask people to turn off their mobile phones or to put them on to flight mode as they interfere with the sound system. I extend a warm welcome on behalf of the committee to Mr. Michael Manley, assistant secretary, and Mr. Robert Deegan,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Housing and Retrofitting: Discussion (10 Jul 2019)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank Mr. Manley and I call Mr. Flannery from the Tipperary Energy Agency.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Housing and Retrofitting: Discussion (10 Jul 2019)

Hildegarde Naughton: No, I am going to let all of the witnesses give their opening statements first and then the members can come in to ask questions of whomever they want.