Results 4,121-4,140 of 11,242 for speaker:Noel Dempsey

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2007)

Noel Dempsey: We are all largely ad idem on this issue. In regard to maximising the reach of RTE television, it would be good if there were co-operation in both directions, east-west and North-South, in terms of common channels and so on. This Bill facilitates such developments by providing a framework under which they are attainable not merely for two thirds of the Republic or one third of the North but...

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2007)

Noel Dempsey: I acknowledge what Senator O'Toole said in this regard. It is certainly a novel idea blanking out some of the programmes as one transmits freely across Europe. It is encrypted on satellite because if it was in the clear, there would be the major copyright issues I mentioned earlier. I will raise the Senator's point about whether home produced news and current affairs programmes could be...

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2007)

Noel Dempsey: I apologise to Senator Quinn but I must leave the House for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. The Minister of State, Deputy Browne, will take over.

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (13 Feb 2007)

Noel Dempsey: Greener.

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (13 Feb 2007)

Noel Dempsey: I wish to share time with the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, and Deputy O'Flynn.

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (13 Feb 2007)

Noel Dempsey: The heavies have to come from some side because I have not heard any of them yet. I am delighted to have the opportunity to inform Deputies once again of the extensive and effective range of policies the Government has introduced to support renewable and sustainable energy in Ireland and in particular to outline current and future initiatives in bio-fuels. I am disappointed that Fine Gael...

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (13 Feb 2007)

Noel Dempsey: Despite the long hours of research allegedly undertaken——

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (13 Feb 2007)

Noel Dempsey: ——by Opposition Deputies, this fundamental information seems to have escaped them. Last May, the Fine Gael Party introduced a private Members' motion on renewable energy and, in particular, bio-fuels. Despite a lengthy debate in the House, I am disturbed to see Fine Gael's thinking on bio-fuels has not progressed in any meaningful way since then.

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (13 Feb 2007)

Noel Dempsey: If anything it has become even less clear and demonstrates——

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (13 Feb 2007)

Noel Dempsey: ——an astonishing lack of understanding of the legal and policy framework in which the bio-fuels market is developing. In October 2006, I published the Green Paper, Towards a Sustainable Energy Future for Ireland, outlining options for the development of the bio-fuels market. If Fine Gael had taken time to read the Green Paper, it would have noted the clear and unambiguous position on...

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (13 Feb 2007)

Noel Dempsey: Perhaps in the hours of research Deputy Durkan undertook, he should have read the Green Paper.

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (13 Feb 2007)

Noel Dempsey: The Green Paper states "It should be noted that mandates — where fuel suppliers are required to produce a percentage of bio-fuel in each litre of fuel sold — are not currently permitted under EU law". Should the Opposition be in any doubt, the public consultation document on the bio-fuels directive, published by the EU Commission in April 2006 notes that bio-fuels obligations and excise...

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (13 Feb 2007)

Noel Dempsey: Notwithstanding the rhetoric and empty promises in Fine Gael's press release on bio-fuels and this Bill, the party simply ignores the legal reality around the question of mandates.

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (13 Feb 2007)

Noel Dempsey: As I pointed out last May, Fine Gael's proposals are less ambitious than those proposals outlined by the Government. I am surprised by the Opposition's lack of foresight and simple research on this issue.

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (13 Feb 2007)

Noel Dempsey: In contrast, the Government has taken a clear and ambitious approach to the development of a bio-fuels market.

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (13 Feb 2007)

Noel Dempsey: On Monday, I announced the Government will introduce a bio-fuels obligation to ensure bio-fuels represent 5.75% of Ireland's transport fuel market by 2009 and 10% by 2020. If Fine Gael had read the Green Paper, it would have seen these targets.

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (13 Feb 2007)

Noel Dempsey: The Deputies should read the Green Paper. Unlike the mandate system proposed by Fine Gael, the bio-fuels obligation will require fuel supply companies to ensure bio-fuels represent certain percentages of their fuel sales on an annual basis. By 2009 this will be 5.75%.

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (13 Feb 2007)

Noel Dempsey: Companies will have to account for their fuel mix on an annual basis and if they do not reach the obligated limit, they will have to pay a fixed amount penalty per litre for the amount of the target not achieved. The obligation will allow Ireland to achieve the EU bio-fuels directive target a year in advance of the 2010 deadline. The establishment of a further target for 2020 is in line with...

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (13 Feb 2007)

Noel Dempsey: This in turn will assist industry and the farming sector in developing appropriate financing, planting, refining, storage, distribution and supply chain logistics.

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (13 Feb 2007)

Noel Dempsey: Member states across Europe are increasingly opting for bio-fuels obligations as the preferred policy route. Nine other member states have now signalled their intention to introduce bio-fuels obligations, including the UK, Germany, France, Poland, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Austria and Finland. The Government is not aware of any member state that has proposed a mandate...