Results 1,501-1,520 of 4,573 for speaker:Brian Leddin

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Commission for Regulation of Utilities Strategic Plan: Discussion (15 Feb 2022)

Brian Leddin: I invite the commission to respond. There are some very interesting questions there.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Commission for Regulation of Utilities Strategic Plan: Discussion (15 Feb 2022)

Brian Leddin: I think all of Deputy Smith's questions were answered. I will not presume they were answered as satisfactorily as she would have liked.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Commission for Regulation of Utilities Strategic Plan: Discussion (15 Feb 2022)

Brian Leddin: I might add to Deputy Smith's question. I ask the regulators to go back to that trilemma of decarbonisation, energy security or independence and, indeed, the cost of energy to the consumer that we talked about. It seems that Ireland is in a unique position where our decarbonisation potential can serve those other two challenges. It behoves us to expedite the decarbonisation so that we can...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Commission for Regulation of Utilities Strategic Plan: Discussion (15 Feb 2022)

Brian Leddin: I am very happy to hear Mr. Gannon state that very clearly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Commission for Regulation of Utilities Strategic Plan: Discussion (15 Feb 2022)

Brian Leddin: To be fair to the witnesses, that is old ground so could the Senator come to her questions?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Commission for Regulation of Utilities Strategic Plan: Discussion (15 Feb 2022)

Brian Leddin: The Senator has raised the issue of the type of data that is processed and stored in data centres. This is an important question. Are we discerning between the different kinds of data for which data centres in this country are being built? The last thing we want is to build large offshore wind farms that keep cryptocurrency mining operations going.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Commission for Regulation of Utilities Strategic Plan: Discussion (15 Feb 2022)

Brian Leddin: We are into our third round of questions for which we have a few minutes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Commission for Regulation of Utilities Strategic Plan: Discussion (15 Feb 2022)

Brian Leddin: If a fossil fuel player enters the market, and expects to make profits into the future based on building a new plant, which brings about policy changes-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Commission for Regulation of Utilities Strategic Plan: Discussion (15 Feb 2022)

Brian Leddin: Mr. Gannon stated earlier that it is the capacity element of the contract that might be agreed that would drive them to build the plant rather than the ongoing operational revenues.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Commission for Regulation of Utilities Strategic Plan: Discussion (15 Feb 2022)

Brian Leddin: It is a good question and these cases are springing up all around Europe where states are being brought to court by private companies that had expected to make profits. The Dutch example involving Urgenda Foundation in the Netherlands is notable. It is something to be looked at in order that we can have confidence we will not be left exposed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Commission for Regulation of Utilities Strategic Plan: Discussion (15 Feb 2022)

Brian Leddin: I have a related question on the communications element. We have very interesting conversations in this committee room week in and week out. Senator Boylan might agree with that sentiment. The CRU is doing very good work in the energy and regulatory space. I suggest the witnesses might agree there is a major communications challenge for us as politicians and the regulator. We have not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Commission for Regulation of Utilities Strategic Plan: Discussion (15 Feb 2022)

Brian Leddin: I have received apologies from Deputy O'Sullivan. I welcome to the meeting from the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities, Ms Aoife MacEvily, the chairperson; Dr. Paul McGowan and Mr. Jim Gannon, both commissioners who are also very welcome; Ms Karen Kavanagh, the director of economic regulation and compliance; and Mr. John Melvin, director of energy markets and smart metering. They...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Commission for Regulation of Utilities Strategic Plan: Discussion (15 Feb 2022)

Brian Leddin: I thank Ms MacEvilly. She acknowledged the CRU did not send in a detailed opening statement. The committee met in private session before the meeting and most members are disappointed that we did not receive such an opening statement. It is the practice of the committee for witnesses to send in statements and members to have an opportunity to interrogate the issues in advance and prepare...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Commission for Regulation of Utilities Strategic Plan: Discussion (15 Feb 2022)

Brian Leddin: Thank you, Deputy. That was way over the two minutes, as I have been reminded by one of the members. There are quite a few questions there for Ms MacEvilly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Commission for Regulation of Utilities Strategic Plan: Discussion (15 Feb 2022)

Brian Leddin: I thank Dr. McGowan. Adding to Deputy Cronin's question regarding the challenge we have in this area, it is brilliant that we are doing so well in respect of the percentage of renewables we can push onto the grid. I think over the last two weekends that figure went up to 80% and beyond, with wind energy accounting for 70%. When we get to 2030, we want to be using at least 80% renewables...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Commission for Regulation of Utilities Strategic Plan: Discussion (15 Feb 2022)

Brian Leddin: The witnesses may also be glad to know that although we have not yet agreed our work plan, we will do much more on the broader energy element in the next few months. We may well have the witnesses back here sooner rather than later. We will certainly have other stakeholders before us as well. We really want to figure out how we can meet this vast challenge that we have as quickly as...

Citizens' Assemblies: Motion (22 Feb 2022)

Brian Leddin: I welcome the news that the Minister of State delivered in his opening statement that the first two citizens' assemblies will be concurrent. That will allow us to get on with the third and fourth citizens' assemblies as soon as possible, as per the programme for Government. It is also welcome that we will open access to citizens' assemblies to broader and more diverse groups. I think...