Results 2,081-2,100 of 9,116 for speaker:Jack Chambers

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: The Senator's first question is very pertinent. In the wider environmental and climate action context, as an island economy we need to ensure that we maintain and strengthen international connectivity within Dublin, which the Senator is close to, and our regional airports. Our wider aviation policy speaks to that. It is about keeping the central economic context of aviation as a core...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: At the moment, we have no production and all aviation fuel is imported. It is too early to say whether the recommendations from the group in the short- to medium term will be on looking at the consumption piece to incentivise greater use or whether they will be to incentivise production early and develop a greater production capacity. This is very much about getting that rounded view....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: Yes, it is all connected. I thank the Senator for his remarks. On his first question on the Ennis to Kilrush piece and the rail network, as part of that Shannon Estuary task force, there will be an integrated transport planning framework which must evolve from that. A wider review will take place of current plans. That is one of the actions which has been taken from the Shannon Estuary...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: International aviation accounts for between 2% and 3% of emissions. That is the international position.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: Yes. Internationally, aviation accounts for 2% to 3% of emissions. Inland domestic aviation accounts for less than 0.2% of greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: Yes. The Deputy asked about green hydrogen. At the moment, the European file on FuelEU Maritime is technologically neutral. The purpose of that is to offer potential for and allow industry to navigate the most consistent path to reaching its greenhouse gas emissions target. For example, there are opportunities potentially around ammonia, methanol, various biofuels and blends of e-fuels....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: Yes, as per the EU file. It is important to note that in the wider picture, shipping is much more carbon efficient compared with other modes of transport.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: I can give the Deputy some domestic context regarding the Irish flag and Irish ships. They have been very proactive in complying with current regulations and future-proofing their new-build ships for technical efficiency. The average age of ships linked to the Irish flag is under ten years old. The younger vessels tend to be much more energy efficient and can last between 25 and 30 years....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: In the economic analysis, the expectation is that the cost will come down as production scales up. That is why there is huge ambition in the regulatory signals the EU file has offered. There is a number of big players in the European market that are developing SAF production. We just need to make sure from an Irish context that we are involved. However, it is broader than that. For...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: It is much more. It is three to ten times as much.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: That is why the US Government has provided a price incentive on production and on consumption and through taxation interventions. Europe has tried a wider regulatory signal, but taking the current European file, the minimum share of SAF will start at 2% in 2025, so it is starting at a low base. The challenge between now and 2025 is in production capacity within Europe.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: Yes, I think that is a challenge. The European Commission has said it will have to have an ongoing review of this and its wider implementation. It is good there is ambition and that we give the signal to industry that, as we scale production, costs should reduce. Then there is potential in other inputs in how SAF is made which are undergoing research and development. The airlines...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: Probably.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: It has already.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: I always enjoyed chemistry but I have to get a refresh on my ammonia.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: I thank the Chair. But to be serious about this, the Deputy is correct. Certainly in the maritime sector, the European file is neutral as to what fuels will be used in the future, but in terms of the wider ambition on greenhouse gas emissions reduction, ammonia is referenced as one of those fuels. Obviously, we have ongoing engagement with our colleagues in the Department of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: There is huge ambition, and the task force report speaks to that huge potential around sustainable aviation fuel and hydrogen. Shannon Airport is a very important intermodal transport hub, so it involves integrating that with logistics and the digital potential within the region. We are absolutely clear with the task force report announced at the weekend and the hydrogen strategy. It is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: I share many of the Deputy's perspectives on that. There is a bit of a contradiction at the moment between the intra-European position, the wider international position and the gap there. Part of that is that we need to have climate ambition but there is also that mismatch between the existing emissions trading system and, of course, CORSIA. I acknowledge some of the concerns in that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: On the first question, we visited the tremendous staff in the motor tax office who do incredible work. We saw the volume of paper that arrives there, as well as the incredible work of all the public servants working there. The Deputy is correct that the existing conditions are problematic. We have been engaging on that internally within the Department. Obviously, it is in co-ordination...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Decarbonisation Strategy for Aviation and Shipping Sectors: Minister of State at the Department of Transport (12 Jul 2023)

Jack Chambers: The review will obviously produce a report and we will have to make a decision at that point. Decisions are regularly made by Government outside of the strict parameters of specific budget day decisions within Departments. The Department of Transport has a multibillion euro budget and the regional airports programme is a very small fraction of it, to give assurance around that. We are...