Results 1,921-1,940 of 2,343 for speaker:Michael Colreavy

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Peat Briquette Production: Bord na Móna (27 May 2015)

Michael Colreavy: We may need to look at the legislation.

Aer Lingus Share Disposal: Motion (Resumed) (28 May 2015)

Michael Colreavy: Perhaps the reason the Chamber is half empty is other Members share my frustration. How many hours will we spend debating this issue today?

Aer Lingus Share Disposal: Motion (Resumed) (28 May 2015)

Michael Colreavy: Yet we were told by the penultimate speaker that the deal had been signed off on by the Minister of State, Deputy Gerald Nash, last night. We are, therefore, spending seven hours debating something that was agreed last night when hands were shook - it was deal done. I want to ask the Minister one question before I continue my contribution. Can I or anybody else on these benches say...

Aer Lingus Share Disposal: Motion (Resumed) (28 May 2015)

Michael Colreavy: Can we?

Aer Lingus Share Disposal: Motion (Resumed) (28 May 2015)

Michael Colreavy: Perhaps that is the reason the Chamber is empty. Having expressed my frustration I will be a tad cynical and say I am surprised the Government did not launch this as a new initiative to reduce youth emigration. In many ways that would be an ingenuous scheme. I am surprised the Government would not have enacted it sooner because what better way to stop people leaving our country than to sell...

Aer Lingus Share Disposal: Motion (Resumed) (28 May 2015)

Michael Colreavy: Aer Lingus is to remain under IAG control for seven years, therefore the agreement the Government has reached with IAG is a stay of execution. IAG and Willie Walsh are interested in the Heathrow slots. They are not concerned with the shamrock on the tail wing or the future of Cork, Shannon or Dublin airports. As it becomes more unlikely that a third Heathrow runway will go ahead, the...

Committee on Transport and Communications: Select Sub-Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: International Renewable Energy Agency: Motion (28 May 2015)

Michael Colreavy: We support the proposal put forward by the Minister of State. It makes sense that we should seek to learn from the experience and research of other nations as they develop renewable energy systems. We must keep a careful watch, however, to ensure IRENA does not change from an information-sharing body into one which would seek to be a decision-making entity in terms of determining which...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Michael Colreavy: I am surprised that amendment No. 2 has been ruled out of order and that a number of other amendments were also ruled out of order. I looked at the report that was produced by the committee and the amendments that we have put forward. The amendments, in many cases, were arising directly, or almost directly, from the report produced by this committee. Therefore, either the committee report...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Michael Colreavy: I become disturbed when I hear Ministers say they agree with the principle of an amendment but cannot legislate for it. This indicates to me that while what is proposed is good and right and should be done and while we need to protect the weaker, we will not play ball because the bigger guys will not do so. It is good and right and should be done. We must protect the weak. Because the...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Michael Colreavy: I am surprised at the Government's unwillingness to accept these amendments because they represent a sensible way to actively monitor our progress vis-à-visthe targets we set ourselves. It is nonsense to say that we are aiming for an improvement in something while also saying that we refuse to measure it. There is no point in measuring it in five-year increments because there could be...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Michael Colreavy: I am deputising for Deputy Brian Stanley who is unavoidably absent and I apologise on his behalf. He had another meeting he absolutely had to attend. I seek clarification. If I call a vote on any of the amendments my party has tabled and it is lost, does that mean that it cannot be resubmitted for the next Stage?

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Michael Colreavy: That was not my understanding.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Michael Colreavy: My final point is in line with that of Deputy Fergus O'Dowd. It seems there are a number of areas in which we agree in principle on something good that needs to be done but realise there would be difficulties, technicalities or potential risks to social or economic development in this country if it were done on foot of legislation. Is there no mechanism by which the spokespersons could meet...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Michael Colreavy: The Minister did not respond to the direct question I asked him.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Michael Colreavy: Is this another one where the principle is good but the mechanism is-----

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Michael Colreavy: Can it be done?

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Michael Colreavy: Deputy Boyd Barrett has referred to "drift", which is a good word. This legislation was being worked on prior to 2011 and it is now 2015 and we are at this stage. I understand that there are complexities and many elements that need to be worked through. This certainly could be accelerated and we should be further advanced than we are. This amendment is aimed at ensuring that we take the...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Michael Colreavy: It should be eminently possible to come up with a solution. I believe Dáil Éireann should have a role in this. I understand the Minister when he says it needs to be submitted to the Government for approval, but I believe the legislation could and should contain a provision that the Government should put the matter before the Dáil for debate. I agree with Deputy Boyd Barrett...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Michael Colreavy: I move amendment No. 14:In page 6, between lines 14 and 15, to insert the following:“(a) include agreed targets of reductions in CO2emissions through 2050,”. It is getting to feel like Groundhog Day here. This amendment goes to the nub of our discussion. If we do not have targets, we are simply talking about aspirations. Let us assume I want to travel from here to...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Michael Colreavy: I contend that the manner in which it has been done is different from the specific values that need to be set in order to monitor the achievement or non-achievement of targets.