Results 4,861-4,880 of 8,220 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: As most Members of the House will know, I am a big advocate of fairly massive change in order that we deal with the climate crisis. I believe we have a few years of very significant change ahead of us. We will see sectors that will end or change. How we do it really matters. That is where it is about finding the commonality that is coming through, the idea of just transition, and what we...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Minister for his constructive engagement. He is right, there are parts of this that it is not appropriate for us to be involved in but there are also parts where our involvement, as legislators, is appropriate. Given that our job in this House is to provide the Minister with legislation, including legislation that gives him the power to make regulations, it is important that we...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (3 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Is it possible to do this in the legislation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy - Ambition and Challenges: Discussion (1 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the witnesses. It is a very interesting discussion. I will pick up on some of the issues that have been raised. One is the issue with resourcing of planning. I welcome how it was framed. It is very useful to think about what it would look like if we make sure there are sufficient resources for planning. In his opening statement, Mr. Moran mentioned not only greater resourcing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy - Ambition and Challenges: Discussion (1 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have a simple question on behalf of Deputy Whitmore.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy - Ambition and Challenges: Discussion (1 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes. Her question was specifically for the ESB representatives. She is watching but cannot speak as she is not on the premises. She requests an update on ESB Networks' progress on the upgrading and reinforcement work on the onshore grid network and especially how those works align with EirGrid's timeline and with the phase 1 offshore and offshore renewable support scheme.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy - Ambition and Challenges: Discussion (1 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It was specifically for the ESB on how it interacts with EirGrid.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy - Ambition and Challenges: Discussion (1 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Perfect.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy - Ambition and Challenges: Discussion (1 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Ring-fencing is a good idea in that regard.

Seanad: International Women's Day 2022: Statements (9 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Just to follow a brilliant speech from Senator Hoey, I always say it is not about getting to the table, it is about shaping the agenda and changing what is being discussed at the table. However, I think Senator Hoey’s smash-up-the-table-altogether-and-repurpose-it is taking it perhaps the necessary step forward. I think the Minister is hearing that it is about power when we talk...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy - Ambition and Challenges: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank Mr. Coyle for his interesting presentation. It is good to see the scale of ambition being talked about again. Reminding ourselves of Ardnacrusha is a good way to start. Some of my questions build on Deputy Bruton's. In Denmark, these new energy islands are a state-led project. They are approximately 51% state-owned. We know, for example, that facilities like Ardnacrusha were huge...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy - Ambition and Challenges: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will be brief. While we are waiting for that legislation on marine protected areas, MPAs, something we heard a call for is sensitivity mapping, which would allow for better sighting of offshore wind even as the MPA legislation is still moving through.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy - Ambition and Challenges: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am a little concerned by what I have heard about the taxonomy, which is about climate tagging. It is not about whether gas or nuclear power exist or are invested in, but whether we are tagging them as climate renewable and sustainable. On their attempted inclusion, the European Investment Bank has said it will not accept it. Many institutional investors of more than €50 trillion,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy - Ambition and Challenges: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I just had one more point. I wanted to mention the demand side. On illustrating the demand for green hydrogen by partnering with big companies, it seems we need to have a State level push on green hydrogen. We hear about keeping the lights on, but I am a bit concerned that the strategy for the western seaboard seems to involve large energy users, which I imagine are data centres, being the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy - Ambition and Challenges: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The delegated Act, which just covers nuclear energy and natural gas.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy - Ambition and Challenges: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The Minister has spoken against them. I do not understand why. It does not tie into any other areas of the taxonomy. It is specifically about natural gas and nuclear energy. I do not understand why Ireland's position is inconsistent.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy - Ambition and Challenges: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I was referring to the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy - Ambition and Challenges: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I also asked about the green hydrogen strategy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy - Ambition and Challenges: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am happy to get any other answers in writing. I also asked about the issue of partnering with large energy users. How do we ensure that there is local energy security for keeping the lights on if renewable energy is tied very closely to specific customers, such as large energy users? I know that I am out of time, so I am happy to receive a written answer to that question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy - Ambition and Challenges: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Mar 2022)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Just to be clear, we could object to it on the council.