Results 3,561-3,580 of 4,573 for speaker:Brian Leddin

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Impact on Carbon Budgets of Trend Towards Heavier and Larger Vehicles: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Brian Leddin: I thank Dr. Mock for his presentation. It was very interesting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Impact on Carbon Budgets of Trend Towards Heavier and Larger Vehicles: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Brian Leddin: Thank you, Mr. Petropoulous for your opening statement. I will now ask Mr. Nix to make his opening statement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Impact on Carbon Budgets of Trend Towards Heavier and Larger Vehicles: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Brian Leddin: I thank Mr. Nix for his presentation. I will now take questions. I remind colleagues that we have agreed there will be five minutes per person for questions and answers. I will be as fair as I can be in this regard. If witnesses want to respond to a question, even if it is addressed to somebody else, they should indicate and I will call them in due course. The first speaker is Deputy...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Impact on Carbon Budgets of Trend Towards Heavier and Larger Vehicles: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Brian Leddin: I thank Professor Daly for that. Does anybody else want to come in on those questions?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Impact on Carbon Budgets of Trend Towards Heavier and Larger Vehicles: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Brian Leddin: Am I correct that this was the rationale for Professor Daly's research, and that it was not looking at embodied carbon it was looking at these vehicles driving over the course of their lives, and how that would require our energy system to be ramped up to support that and, therefore, the emissions linked to that as well?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Impact on Carbon Budgets of Trend Towards Heavier and Larger Vehicles: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Brian Leddin: I thank Mr. Nix.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Impact on Carbon Budgets of Trend Towards Heavier and Larger Vehicles: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Brian Leddin: I thank Professor Daly and I also thank Senator Boylan for her questions. I call Senator Pauline O'Reilly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Impact on Carbon Budgets of Trend Towards Heavier and Larger Vehicles: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Brian Leddin: I will jump in. I do not know if Mr. Nix or Dr. Mock mentioned in their opening presentations size-based taxes too, or a combination of weight and size. If we are talking about policy instruments, to refer to Senator O'Reilly's question, should we be looking at size-based tax as well?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Impact on Carbon Budgets of Trend Towards Heavier and Larger Vehicles: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Brian Leddin: Would Dr. Mock like to contribute? I see one of his slides had two Volkswagen cars side by side, which had the same weight and power but very different emissions profiles. What can he say about that? It seems that physical size and the aerodynamic characteristics are something we should be thinking about too.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Impact on Carbon Budgets of Trend Towards Heavier and Larger Vehicles: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Brian Leddin: I thank Dr. Mock for that. I call Deputy Paul Murphy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Impact on Carbon Budgets of Trend Towards Heavier and Larger Vehicles: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Brian Leddin: I thank Deputy Paul Murphy and call Professor Daly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Impact on Carbon Budgets of Trend Towards Heavier and Larger Vehicles: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Brian Leddin: As no other witness wants to come in on those questions, I call Deputy Kenny, who has been waiting patiently.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Impact on Carbon Budgets of Trend Towards Heavier and Larger Vehicles: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Brian Leddin: I thank Professor Daly. Can I pick up on her previous point regarding the challenge of the electrification of the rural fleet? It is real; people living rurally need to drive further. There may not be many electric vehicle options for them. Perhaps our colleagues based in Europe might take my question. Is there an analysis of range anxiety as an issue in terms of how it drives - excuse...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Impact on Carbon Budgets of Trend Towards Heavier and Larger Vehicles: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Brian Leddin: Do our other guests wish to come in on that? Mr. Nix referred earlier to a strategic decision in the early 2010s to promote the bigger car market but this narrative of range anxiety is really pervasive. To what extent has that been driven by manufacturers as a marketing tool?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Impact on Carbon Budgets of Trend Towards Heavier and Larger Vehicles: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Brian Leddin: Is there evidence that consumers are purchasing bigger vehicles than they need? I can understand why they would do so because they do not want to get caught, even if it is only once a year, halfway between two cities, for example. Is there evidence that, just to be safe, people are buying the bigger vehicles?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Impact on Carbon Budgets of Trend Towards Heavier and Larger Vehicles: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Brian Leddin: No other members are indicating that they wish to ask questions. If the witnesses have anything to add that they may not have got across yet, I ask them to indicate. Otherwise, we will conclude the session. We have had a very good debate. I sincerely thank the witnesses for joining us at such short notice. Despite it being hastily arranged, we have had an excellent meeting. There is a...

Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage (27 Sep 2023)

Brian Leddin: I thank the Minister of State for bringing forward this Bill. I understand it is a technical Bill that transfers all functions for the national gas infrastructure from Ervia to the new publicly owned Gas Networks Ireland. With the transfer of functions, there will be some changes, specifically the inclusion of the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Minister for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Air Quality (28 Sep 2023)

Brian Leddin: Excellent work is being done in the area of smoky fuels by this Government. We really are turning a corner there but we are not looking closely enough at the air quality issue due to traffic. The analysis in the EPA report simply is not there and it needs to be there to instill confidence in the population that this is being monitored properly. That does not come from the EPA report with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Accessibility: Discussion (27 Sep 2023)

Brian Leddin: I thank our guests for coming in. I join my colleagues in congratulating both the Department and the NTA on the brilliant progress that has been made right across the country in recent years. It is making a real difference to this country, so well done. If they keep it up and accelerate, in a few years' time I think we will be able to measure real, significant change in how we get about in...