Results 921-940 of 4,573 for speaker:Brian Leddin

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Charter Treaty, Energy Security, Liquefied Natural Gas and Data Centres: Discussion (resumed) (5 Oct 2021)

Brian Leddin: I thank Deputy Danny Healy-Rae, who is our final contributor. I thank all our guests. The regulator joined me in the committee room, while Mr. Foley and his colleagues joined us online. As we have heard, this is a highly complex area from a technical and market mechanism point of view. I said at the start of the meeting that what the committee needed to hear from the regulator and EirGrid...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Charter Treaty, Energy Security, Liquefied Natural Gas and Data Centres: Discussion (resumed) (5 Oct 2021)

Brian Leddin: I thank Mr. Foley for his presentation. A number of members have indicated. I will go first and I have a question for the regulator. It has been reported the recent capacity auction did not succeed in delivering the capacity we will need. My question is straightforward. How did that come about? Was there a failure to understand the growth in demand? Were there other reasons going back...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Charter Treaty, Energy Security, Liquefied Natural Gas and Data Centres: Discussion (resumed) (5 Oct 2021)

Brian Leddin: I thank the Senator. I believe the first questions are for EirGrid.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Charter Treaty, Energy Security, Liquefied Natural Gas and Data Centres: Discussion (resumed) (5 Oct 2021)

Brian Leddin: We have less than 20 minutes left and four members have indicated. I propose that between questions and answers to give five minutes to each member.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Charter Treaty, Energy Security, Liquefied Natural Gas and Data Centres: Discussion (resumed) (5 Oct 2021)

Brian Leddin: Deputy Danny Healy-Rae has joined us. I welcome him to the committee and invite him to ask any questions he may have.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: General Scheme of the Circular Economy Bill 2021: Discussion (7 Oct 2021)

Brian Leddin: I call Senator Boylan.

Financial Resolutions 2021 - Financial Resolution No. 2: General (Resumed) (13 Oct 2021)

Brian Leddin: I welcome this budget. I will address specifically the issue of progressive taxation. I believe that most people want to see a fairer society that redistributes income from the well off to the less well off. Despite some of the statements made in the House today and yesterday, carbon tax is a key progressive tax that protects households on lower incomes while still incentivising a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Brian Leddin: I thank our guests for coming in to speak to us. We have heard, quite alarmingly, that a significant number of our watercourses are severely degraded and the effect and impact on human health, as well as biodiversity and the environment. It is therefore good that we have heard that today. I note the EU water framework directive, which has been in place 20 or 21 years, requires that all...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Brian Leddin: Has the EPA comments to make on compliance and what needs to be done, or is that not its role?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Brian Leddin: I thank Dr. Cotter. Can we tease out the issue of the derogation? Am I right in saying there is a correlation between the quality of water in the south and east of the country and the granting of derogations in those regions of the country? Various maps seem to show a correlation. Can the EPA state whether there is a correlation or has that analysis been done?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Brian Leddin: Is it true it is required under the nitrates directive that to grant a derogation, it should be shown there is no correlation between the upper trend in nutrient pollution and intensive farming?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Brian Leddin: Is it fair to say that analysis is critical? If we do not have that analysis, will we keep granting derogations and stating we cannot show a correlation and, therefore, we should keep granting the derogations, and all the while the water quality deteriorates, or is that not fair? Is it a case that it is simply not feasible to do that level of analysis?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Brian Leddin: Okay. I thank Dr. Deakin. I will put that to them. I have one quick question. Will they comment on how quickly we might expect to see positive results in these watercourses if the measures in the proposed fifth nitrates action programme are implemented.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Brian Leddin: I thank Dr. Cotter.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Brian Leddin: I welcome our guests and thank them for their opening statements and for coming to speak to us. On the derogation, we heard earlier from the EPA that we are in quite a chronic situation with respect to nitrates and phosphorous pollution of watercourses throughout the country, and particularly with respect to nitrates in the south and the east. There seems to be a correlation between the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Brian Leddin: I would like to hear the thoughts of Mr. Flynn and Mr. Grant. Is it the case that we would apply for this derogation and then seek to manage the impact on watercourses ourselves? It appears from Mr. Flynn's statement that the matter is urgent and collective action across a number of policy areas is required to halt and reverse the deterioration in water quality. We only have six years to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Brian Leddin: I have other questions but perhaps we will have time for a second round.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: General Scheme of the Circular Economy Bill 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Oct 2021)

Brian Leddin: I have received apologies from Deputies Christopher O'Sullivan and Bríd Smith. I welcome Ms Mindy O'Brien from Voice of Irish Concern for the Environment, VOICE Ireland, and Mr. Jean-Pierre Schweitzer of the European Environmental Bureau, EEB, to the meeting and thank them both for coming before us. The purpose of this meeting is to continue with our pre-legislative scrutiny of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: General Scheme of the Circular Economy Bill 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Oct 2021)

Brian Leddin: I will now invite members to indicate to ask questions. The meeting is confined to a maximum of three hours. I propose that each member, at least in the first round of questions, be given two minutes to address their questions to the witnesses. This is in order to ensure all members will get an opportunity to pose their questions. We can have a second round if there is time and indeed a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: General Scheme of the Circular Economy Bill 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Oct 2021)

Brian Leddin: I want to pick up on Deputy Bruton’s question. Have other countries brought in that one standard for compostability?