Results 6,701-6,720 of 8,235 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have a one-line question for the third round, if possible. It is on planning.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Waiting for the streamlining of the planning system has been mentioned often. However, it seems to me that the issue is not the system, but the resourcing of An Bord Pleanála, since most of the delays are not due to challenges and so forth and are instead due to An Bord Pleanála's processing of the active travel measures that the Minister mentioned and BusConnects applications.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Is it a question of resourcing An Bord Pleanála better and having more staff who are equipped to move these applications forward? Is that not something we could do immediately, as it does not require legislation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Nature Restoration Law and Land Use Review: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I thank the Chair. I am glad that Ms O'Neill came back in relation to the science because I was quite concerned. In fact, I was reminded of when Exxon Mobil, a fuel company, took out an advertisement in 2000 in The New York Timestitled, "Unsettled Science", in relation to climate, in terms of calling for us to delay action and that it was soon to act while there were doubts on the science,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Nature Restoration Law and Land Use Review: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Quickly, if I could go to Ms O'Neill, who mentioned forestry and land use, and the issue of the permanent storage of carbon, how important or how useful are peatlands in terms of a guaranteed early action on carbon storage and the potential for permanent storage in relation to that? I ask Dr. McGoff of SWAN what we can do in terms of river basin management and the prohibition of wetland...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Nature Restoration Law and Land Use Review: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Lastly, I would be grateful if Mr. Kelly wanted to elaborate on the negotiations at the European level and how Ireland could play a more constructive role in relation to that. Mr. Kelly also mentioned that Coillte should have a more active role in relation to nature restoration and carbon storage. Mr. Kelly also commented on the biodiversity links and the choices to make sure we make the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Nature Restoration Law and Land Use Review: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Chair, I put a related question to the IFA.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Nature Restoration Law and Land Use Review: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It was the point about trust. If we have an emissions limit for land use of 20 megatonnes by 2025, can we trust that, with the right financial packages and supports in place, including biodiversity and climate supports, we will be able to achieve that voluntarily? It is certainly coming across to me from this session that laws will be needed for us to keep land use emissions within the 20...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Nature Restoration Law and Land Use Review: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: In terms of the reductions we need to keep emissions below 20 megatonnes by 2025.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Nature Restoration Law and Land Use Review: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I wonder whether we need laws to ensure that those who choose to rewet are not in danger of being challenged for rewetting, for example.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Nature Restoration Law and Land Use Review: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Nature Restoration Law and Land Use Review: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I am just looking at the hard targets of 20 megatonnes because for the committee that is the bottom line that we need to adhere to. It seems to me that laws might support those farmers, for example, who want to make transitions in terms of rewetting. Some of them may do it for carbon reasons while others may do it for biodiversity reasons. Perhaps having a legal basis or legal requirement...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Nature Restoration Law and Land Use Review: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Maybe regulations would give a guarantee in terms of requirements.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Nature Restoration Law and Land Use Review: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We operate from the IPCC report and globally we cannot afford to operate off anything else.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Nature Restoration Law and Land Use Review: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: On the planet.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Nature Restoration Law and Land Use Review: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: The choices made with regard to dairy intensification have impacts. The choices that have been made regarding drainage have significant environmental impacts, including biodiversity and climate impacts, not just on neighbours but on everybody. For example, the damaging of biodiversity has significant impacts on pollinators and horticulture. All these decisions are impacting on each other....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Nature Restoration Law and Land Use Review: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Mr. Kelly might come in on something like that later.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Nature Restoration Law and Land Use Review: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Is it possible that we might do some written follow-up with some of the guests? I know there were a few questions that did not get answered but we are out of time, so might it be possible for the committee to do a written follow-up with some of the guests?

Seanad: Historic and Archaeological Heritage Bill 2023: Report Stage (Resumed) (28 Mar 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I move amendment No. 7: In page 40, line 20, after “subsection (2)” to insert “and (3)”.

Seanad: Historic and Archaeological Heritage Bill 2023: Report Stage (Resumed) (28 Mar 2023)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Amendment No. 7 is a technical amendment which just allows for the placing of amendment No. 8. Amendment No. 8 seeks to provide that, in section 17 of the Bill, where the Minister seeks to delete particulars which have been entered in the register under subsection (1), and where such a deletion would have the effect that a prescribed monument would cease to be considered as such, the Minister...