Results 21,481-21,500 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Examination of the Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly (Resumed) (19 Dec 2018)

Eamon Ryan: In recent months we have been exporting almost all of the time. We have the slight buffer, if we really needed it, that we could start importing more.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Examination of the Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly (Resumed) (19 Dec 2018)

Eamon Ryan: That is fine. The ESB has just got money from the Government to put fast chargers on motorways. If the Government came to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities or if the Oireachtas recommended the initiation of a mechanism whereby supermarket car parks, public car parks and offices were mandated to provide a certain percentage of fast-charging EV connection points, would that fit...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Examination of the Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly (Resumed) (19 Dec 2018)

Eamon Ryan: I would take out the phrase "long run" from that answer. The point I am making is that we have to turn the long run into the short run. I believe we need to invest ahead of demand in this area and we need to make some bets on infrastructure investment to turn the long run into the short run. Perhaps Mr. Blaney, as the future data communications commissioner, might be best placed to answer...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Examination of the Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly (Resumed) (19 Dec 2018)

Eamon Ryan: I must leave shortly to speak on Brexit in the context of a review of last week's European Council meeting. I will propose that we do not let the brothers next door get us down but, rather, maintain our close connection, particularly in terms of energy and climate, because we will not be able to decarbonise if we are not connected. We must balance the variable supply of electricity. It...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Examination of the Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly (Resumed) (19 Dec 2018)

Eamon Ryan: On system change, the recent report by the Committee on Climate Change, entitled Land Use: Reducing Emissions and Preparing for Climate Change, is very impressive and relevant for us in Ireland, even though we have different agricultural systems. Am I right in reading that the UK is going towards a national land use plan? It would deal with where forestry is located, what type of farming...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Examination of the Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly (Resumed) (19 Dec 2018)

Eamon Ryan: I was interested to hear Lord Deben's account of travails with the UK Treasury. It is the same in every country. We have been watching from a distance as the UK Treasury has been getting energy policy completely wrong. When it comes to parliamentary committees, however, with which the Committee on Climate Change engages, is that done with each sectoral committee or is there any collective...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Examination of the Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly (Resumed) (19 Dec 2018)

Eamon Ryan: The membership of the Committee on Climate Change is very impressive. It is science heavy, in that there are only one or two economists, unless people are disguising their economic credentials. Does Lord Deben think that is the right balance? We tend to have a climate committee which has many economists on it and fewer scientists. I know Lord Deben has to be careful and diplomatic here-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Examination of the Third Report of the Citizens' Assembly (Resumed) (19 Dec 2018)

Eamon Ryan: Does Lord Deben consider that there is a shortage of economists on his committee or is he happy with the number?

Data Sharing and Governance Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Report Stage (18 Dec 2018)

Eamon Ryan: It is certainly not our intention in drafting the amendment that in every single public service transaction with the State, whether with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, TII or others, people would repeatedly have to be asked for consent. I fear that we are doing something akin to what is happening in the United Kingdom where broad and sweeping capabilities in...

Data Sharing and Governance Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Report Stage (18 Dec 2018)

Eamon Ryan: There was an interesting lecture last week by Marc Rotenberg from a US privacy NGO called the Electronic Privacy Information Center. He spoke at a free legal aid conference about the issue of data privacy. It was a very interesting presentation, at the end of which he asked what star we followed because it was highly complex and difficult to get this matter right. It was always going back...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Efficiency (18 Dec 2018)

Eamon Ryan: 55. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the percentage of the heat available from a planned €40 million district heating system utilising heat from the Poolbeg incinerator that will be utilised; and the purposes for which this resource could be utilised for. [53168/18]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Efficiency (18 Dec 2018)

Eamon Ryan: The use of waste heat from the Poolbeg incinerator to heat parts of Dublin is a big practical project we could undertake that would benefit the economy and turn what is currently a waste resource into a precious one. I welcome the seeking of €20 million from the climate action fund, but I am keen to get the details of what is planned with this very welcome project. I presume it is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Efficiency (18 Dec 2018)

Eamon Ryan: I very much welcome the project. I understand we are looking at the initial phase where it will connect to new housing and businesses in the docklands, including on the Irish Glass Bottle site and the new build commercial premises in the north inner city along the quays. That is all very welcome, but I am very keen that we be much more ambitious. There are some pipes in place that would...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Efficiency (18 Dec 2018)

Eamon Ryan: That is true. We are retrofitting under the district heating scheme, but we should also look at every other industrial facility across the country to see where there is waste heat to see if we can trap it and use it. One of our biggest problems is less in the area of electrification than heat capture where we are furthest behind our targets. We will not meet them through the use of biomass...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Dec 2018)

Eamon Ryan: It is another shameful day for Fine Gael when it comes to the environment. The Taoiseach's party has blocked with procedural glue the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018 in the same way that it blocked the Waste Reduction Bill 2017, which my party presented. With regard to that latter Bill, the Minister, Deputy Bruton, promised that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Eamon Ryan: This is a significant issue of principle for the Irish political system and people. Where do we stand on climate action and what is our role in the world? The principle should be that we would keep four fifths of the known fossil fuels in the ground because that is what we know we have to do to try to maintain a safe climate. The work that 350 and other organisations have done over recent...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Eamon Ryan: I will correct the Minister on the issue of offshore wind energy generation not being tested. Every other country in north west Europe has massive offshore wind energy projects. The auction system has brought the price down. There is a large supply chain. The technology has been tested and it is not uncertain. It is absolutely mainstream.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Eamon Ryan: That is because we have done nothing in that regard.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Eamon Ryan: Perhaps if the officials with the Minister of State were to concentrate their efforts in that area, we might see progress. That is part of the problem. Our focus is on oil and gas exploration when it should be on alternatives.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018: Discussion (18 Dec 2018)

Eamon Ryan: I cannot agree with the amendment as I do not believe there is political support from Fine Gael for climate action, even on the evidence of the discussion we have had today. Rather than get into a party political row on the matter, my concern in this process is that we are in danger of creating a new legislative stage. If we go through each of the 12 amendments in turn and vote on them, it...