Results 3,141-3,160 of 6,542 for speaker:Ruairí Ó Murchú

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

Ruairí Ó Murchú: But there are other sites using geothermal.

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

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I suppose the difficulty for Carlinn Hall is that even if a solution comes into play it does not get people through this winter. The prices have gone up recently. I have been inundated with communications from people. In fairness, Frontline dropped its price around 14 June to 32.9 cent per kilowatt hour, which was a spectacularly high price at one stage, but at that time it was a...

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

Ruairí Ó Murchú: That is the only long-term solution.

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

Ruairí Ó Murchú: That is okay. In fairness, what I put on the record is what needs to happen in the short term. There will be engagement with various Departments to deliver this. We are all looking at what could be a very nasty winter, especially cost-wise. I expect that Ms McCarthy is engaging with the task force on district and communal heating systems. Such systems only really happen in Britain and...

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

Ruairí Ó Murchú: That is it. With the piece of work the SEAI is doing, we need a grant scheme that can take the hook off the residents from the point of view of trying to deliver some of these improved solutions. That is necessary. I get that there will be European state aid rules involved and there may need to be conversations with the Commission.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (13 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 160. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans, if any, to deliver a sustainable, affordable early learning and pre-school sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49960/22]

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

Ruairí Ó Murchú: There has been a fair bit of repetition. What people want to see, and what the witnesses are looking for themselves on some level, is work on decarbonisation and what can be done to deal with the cost-of-living or energy crisis. We need a grant scheme that provides the best bang for our buck, particularly for those who cannot afford it but most need it. There is a general notion in this...

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

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I get that but next summer we will be in a better place to put in play a fit-for-purpose scheme and will know whatever changes need to happen.

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

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Again, that is necessary work. People who are still using solid fuel and do not have much of an option at the minute remains an issue. We need to give them that option and it is necessary that this work be done. Can I assume, regarding the information from the behavioural unit, that the SEAI has a set of instructions for best case delivery?

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

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I am only a visitor but I imagine that the committee would like to receive the information.

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

Ruairí Ó Murchú: That is necessary because one can be shown something, yet two days later forget the information unless one has a simple set of instructions to hand. So as not to offend half of the country I confirm that I am speaking about myself and not about anybody else. I am not sure if the following observation is fair or unfair. The owner of a middle-sized contracting company came to me and said...

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

Ruairí Ó Murchú: If a homeowner goes directly to the contractor and the contractor applies for grants, is there stuff they can no longer avail of?

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

Ruairí Ó Murchú: That is fair enough.

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

Ruairí Ó Murchú: On district or communal heating systems, dual location and geothermal may offer options which make complete sense and this can happen very fast. Has SEAI looked into in any way, shape or form at anything in that area? Poolbeg is obviously waste heat. I was in the regional development centre in Dundalk Institute of Technology, DkIT, and it looked at studies being done on excess heat that...

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

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Literally and I am almost thinking in cartoon terms of energy supplies. As presented to me, it was like heat waste, in the unit on the back of a truck and one could then move this and it would be significant. I nearly fell off the seat when I heard it and I need to find out more information, but I am hoping that SEAI have been engaged in this sort of conversation on this more than I have.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: European Council Rule of Law Report 2022 and Rule of Law Situation in Ireland: Engagement with Ms Vra Jourová (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: It is incredibly difficult to be in two places at once and I was holding out for an answer that did not come. I hold the Taoiseach responsible for that. I thank the witnesses, particularly Commissioner Jourová, and I acknowledge her kind words about the tragedy in Creeslough. Ireland is a small place and the Europe we are now in is also a small place and we are connected in many ways....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: European Council Rule of Law Report 2022 and Rule of Law Situation in Ireland: Engagement with Ms Vra Jourová (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: It has the numbers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: European Council Rule of Law Report 2022 and Rule of Law Situation in Ireland: Engagement with Ms Vra Jourová (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I suppose it is a starting point and engagement is always worthwhile. There is a journey people have to make. It is possible to make it and maybe slightly easier than it should have been, but we are where we are. Will Ms Jourová speak about Poland's issues?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: European Council Rule of Law Report 2022 and Rule of Law Situation in Ireland: Engagement with Ms Vra Jourová (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: That is due to the huge heavy lifting they are doing regarding the war in Ukraine. Beyond that, Poland is a place where, across all politics, people are supportive of the idea of the European Union.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: European Council Rule of Law Report 2022 and Rule of Law Situation in Ireland: Engagement with Ms Vra Jourová (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: It is to be hoped that is enough to get us to a better place. That is vital. The western Balkans and others have a fair argument in saying nobody was considering them in recent years. The only thing is there are roadmaps, there is a possibility and everybody sees accession is there, but strict criteria must be met. That is sound, as it needs to be and should be.