Results 4,421-4,440 of 7,961 for speaker:Imelda Munster

Written Answers — Department of Health: Dental Services (13 Oct 2021)

Imelda Munster: 227. To ask the Minister for Health the number of dentists in each county that have opted out of the dental treatment services scheme in 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form. [50067/21]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Dental Services (13 Oct 2021)

Imelda Munster: 228. To ask the Minister for Health the number of dentists in each county that are working under the dental treatment services scheme in tabular form. [50068/21]

Financial Resolutions 2021 - Financial Resolution No. 2: General (Resumed) (14 Oct 2021)

Imelda Munster: It is fair to say that this week's budget was a huge disappointment for most people in this State. If people were expecting leadership, solutions or, indeed, any sense of urgency, then they were left very disappointed. The fact there was absolutely nothing - zilch - in the budget for renters is disastrous for tens of thousands of people who are struggling to pay rent or find a home they can...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications
Chapter 9 - Remediation of Landfill Sites (14 Oct 2021)

Imelda Munster: I wish to touch on energy supply and demand, and blackouts, but only in regard to a failure to meet demand as opposed to a natural event such as storms, hurricanes and so forth. When was the last time the State had an electricity blackout because of inability to meet demand? Did supply meet demand throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications
Chapter 9 - Remediation of Landfill Sites (14 Oct 2021)

Imelda Munster: Maybe Mr. Griffin will furnish that data at a later date. Does Mr. Griffin believe there may be blackouts this winter due to issues meeting demand? The context for this question is at the end of September, the Taoiseach said that the Government would make every effort to avoid blackouts, the Tánaiste said he was confident but could not guarantee there would not be, and the Minister for...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications
Chapter 9 - Remediation of Landfill Sites (14 Oct 2021)

Imelda Munster: It is not an absolute guarantee given the figures. Does Mr. Griffin know what the current energy demand in megawatts of data centres is? What is that as a percentage of total energy usage?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications
Chapter 9 - Remediation of Landfill Sites (14 Oct 2021)

Imelda Munster: EirGrid said that the current usage is set to triple with existing applications.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications
Chapter 9 - Remediation of Landfill Sites (14 Oct 2021)

Imelda Munster: Yes, that is something I am going to get to. There was an internal EirGrid document last May, which stated in regard to the data centres currently in the planning process, and assuming they all go ahead, total demand from them will be just under 70% of our current peak demand. Is that not frightening?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications
Chapter 9 - Remediation of Landfill Sites (14 Oct 2021)

Imelda Munster: From Mr. Griffin's engagement with EirGrid, how would he describe their confidence that blackouts could be avoided this winter. Is he comfortable that EirGrid is confident blackouts will not happen?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications
Chapter 9 - Remediation of Landfill Sites (14 Oct 2021)

Imelda Munster: Mr. Griffin is saying that even 30% is an acceptable level, when we run the risk of blackouts. Does the Department believe that there is any validity in a moratorium on new data centres?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications
Chapter 9 - Remediation of Landfill Sites (14 Oct 2021)

Imelda Munster: Is Mr. Griffin saying that he would not believe there is any validity in a moratorium on them?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications
Chapter 9 - Remediation of Landfill Sites (14 Oct 2021)

Imelda Munster: In my home town there is a data centre being built at the moment and there are applications in for a further two. Water supply is not up to capacity. Mr. Griffin is talking about further down the road, but we have a much higher percentage of data centres than any other state in Europe. I want to come back to him regarding Eirgrid. I spoke to one EirGrid employee who described what was...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications
Chapter 9 - Remediation of Landfill Sites (14 Oct 2021)

Imelda Munster: He is hardly likely to use it. I am saying this is coming internally from employees.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications
Chapter 9 - Remediation of Landfill Sites (14 Oct 2021)

Imelda Munster: Despite those concerns, Mr. Griffin does not believe there is any validity in bringing in a moratorium on new data centres until we have the research done and we are confident in supply. If this goes belly-up, we are facing blackouts and water shortages. Is it not more prudent to say we will have a moratorium until an impact assessment is done? If Mr. Griffin is saying it is coming from...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications
Chapter 9 - Remediation of Landfill Sites (14 Oct 2021)

Imelda Munster: I do not know that there is very strong governance in place. I will give Mr. Griffin the example of where multiple applications are made in, say, Drogheda. There is no impact assessment taken regarding how many data centres are in one area and what impact that would have on supply and demand. That is just crazy stuff.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications
Chapter 9 - Remediation of Landfill Sites (14 Oct 2021)

Imelda Munster: Is that perhaps not a little bit too late?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications
Chapter 9 - Remediation of Landfill Sites (14 Oct 2021)

Imelda Munster: Mr. Griffin can, however, understand-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications
Chapter 9 - Remediation of Landfill Sites (14 Oct 2021)

Imelda Munster: Okay.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Engagement with Chairperson Designate of the Board of the National Library of Ireland (13 Oct 2021)

Imelda Munster: Dr. Collins said that the report highlighting the obstructions and what needs to be done will go to Cabinet. Has the library been in direct contact with the Minister, Deputy Martin, in that regard? Has she given any indication that there is a willingness to correct this, for obvious reasons?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Engagement with Chairperson Designate of the Board of the National Library of Ireland (13 Oct 2021)

Imelda Munster: I thank Dr. Collins for that. I am sure the delegates would find it helpful if the committee were to agree to write to the Minister to outline its support and the importance of passing this matter to the Cabinet and updating the legislation. We should very much consider doing that. It seems to me – correct me if I am wrong – that anything past 1986 is not included. The Good...