Results 7,321-7,340 of 8,245 for speaker:Bríd Smith

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) Bill 2023 (18 Apr 2023)

Bríd Smith: One thing jumps out at me regarding not just the EU situation but the global situation on energy and the profiteering that has taken place. It is clear the profiteering started before the war in Ukraine. Profit margins in some fossil fuel industries increased by 64%. The money from this price gouging must be taken and given back to people who are suffering, because we see people suffering...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) Bill 2023 (18 Apr 2023)

Bríd Smith: I thank Ms Sikow-Magny. It is an important details because, to me, it looks like companies may be able to offset paying the solidarity tax against losses, even though it states that companies should not be able to do so. I believe that the Heads of the Bill are contradictory. I think the definition of a market working is very limited because it works in terms of supply but at the same time...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) Bill 2023 (18 Apr 2023)

Bríd Smith: I thank the witnesses for their presentation. It has been said that this is very complex legislation and indeed it is. It strikes me that there is a lot of accountancy trickery going on here. I could be wrong and I do not want to make a wrong accusation but it needs a lot of explanation. When it comes to being scrutinised it will require a large amount of legislation. It is extraordinary...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) Bill 2023 (18 Apr 2023)

Bríd Smith: Ms Leacy certainly did a great job of giving an answer to the question but I do not understand it. I look around me and wonder whether anybody on this side of the House really understands it. I do not know, but we will find out as we go through this process. Ms Leacy has certainly done her best to address the issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) Bill 2023 (18 Apr 2023)

Bríd Smith: Arising from what Mr. Walker has told me, the Department has had several stakeholders, something like nine, at meetings.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) Bill 2023 (18 Apr 2023)

Bríd Smith: I am sorry. One of these was the Electricity Association of Ireland. What sector does that body represent? Am I right in saying that it is mainly the fossil fuel sector it represents?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) Bill 2023 (18 Apr 2023)

Bríd Smith: On a related matter, do other stakeholders have the same view as the EAI that this measure will be detrimental to future investment? Do they also want to resist it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) Bill 2023 (18 Apr 2023)

Bríd Smith: My last question was on the CRU.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) Bill 2023 (18 Apr 2023)

Bríd Smith: The CRU believes it is adequately resourced to deal with this thoroughly and to ensure this hedging is transparent to us all.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) Bill 2023 (18 Apr 2023)

Bríd Smith: I am sure we will be teasing it out in the future. I thank Ms Leacy for that answer. Will the witnesses address the other questions?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Apr 2023)

Bríd Smith: The news that Panda is hiking up its bin charges will be no surprise to customers who have had to pay hefty bin charges in this country since 2003, when the move to bring in bin charges was imposed. That was 20 years ago. Along with 27 activists, I went to prison over protests to stop bin charges. We did this not because we are miserable and do not want to pay our way in society, but...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Apr 2023)

Bríd Smith: Part of the Tánaiste's statement has made my case for me. If people are incentivised to recycle, they separate their organic waste and their paper, plastic and bottles, they pay for their black-bin waste, and they do not pay for the recycling. Then they are incentivised. That incentive is now being taken from them by this increase announced by Panda followed by another increase...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Apr 2023)

Bríd Smith: If the privatisation of waste has not led to that, what has? We need to take it back into public ownership, control it, and stop it being the mode of profit for these greedy companies. Their profits are going through the roof.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Apr 2023)

Bríd Smith: Thorntons Recycling made €5.7 million in pre-tax profits last year. As I said earlier, most of the profits are offshore. Panda's profits have been enormous but its prices are going up. The Tánaiste has not answered that.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Apr 2023)

Bríd Smith: I do not know what the Tánaiste is talking about. That is not the argument here.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Apr 2023)

Bríd Smith: It is just part of my argument. What is the Tánaiste going to do about this?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Apr 2023)

Bríd Smith: The Government is disincentivising people by allowing this to happen.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Apr 2023)

Bríd Smith: That is because we send our money to Australian infrastructure companies. That is brilliant.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Apr 2023)

Bríd Smith: Of course he does.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Apr 2023)

Bríd Smith: Is it wise to disincentivise people?