Results 3,081-3,100 of 3,983 for speaker:Jennifer Whitmore

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: Chairman, can I just make my point? One cannot separate these things. When talking about who will have to meet the targets and how they will meet them, it comes back to a just transition. That is the point. One cannot separate them.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: Chairman, can I come in?

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: I will go back on a few things Deputy Bruton said. He said my arguments do not stand up to scrutiny. The Government target is 70% renewable energy for the electricity sector by 2030. Over 30% of the electricity we will be using in 2030 is for data centres. It is feasible to set a 100% target for renewable energy. When setting a target, one should set a target that one has to stretch to...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: I move amendment No. 168: In page 18, line 7, to delete “may” and substitute “shall”. I will withdraw this and take it back up on Report Stage.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: I move amendment No. 170: In page 18, to delete lines 19 to 21 and substitute “may not carry forward the surplus from the preceding budget period to the current budget period.”. Again, I will withdraw this and take it back up on Report Stage.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: Everyone on the committee knows there was quite a lot of discussion about whether those amendments were accepted fully or in part. We should not go back down that road and say it was a wholesale acceptance by the Government when in reality it was not. In many instances the amendments were only partially accepted. I wanted to make that point.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: I move amendment No. 200: In page 22, between lines 32 and 33, to insert the following: "(c) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the report shall state whether the Advisory Council considers that the target year for achieving the National Climate Objective as defined in section 3 represents the State's highest possible ambition and progression, and shall give the...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: I move amendment No. 207: In page 25, between lines 17 and 18, to insert the following: “(d) the importance of the local authority acting to promote the production and consumption of renewable energy, the re-use and recycling of goods and materials, by supporting communities to set up local sustainable development co-operatives.”.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: I move amendment No. 208: In page 25, between lines 17 and 18, to insert the following: “(d) climate justice, just transition and just transition principles.”.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: Following on from what Deputy Bruton said, to have this debate framed as rural versus urban is not only divisive but also unfair to people in rural communities. It paints them as not understanding the science and what is happening in our communities. Those people see and know exactly what is happening first-hand. Anyone over 40 or 50 years old in a rural community will remember when the...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: I move amendment No. 213: In page 27, between lines 5 and 6, to insert the following: “(2) Section 15 of the Principal Act is amended, in subsection (5), by the substitution of the following definition for the definition of “relevant body”: “ ‘relevant body’ means— (a) the Government, (b) a prescribed body, and (c) a public...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: I withdraw the amendment, but I will seek to bring it back on Report Stage.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: I also concur with what has been said. When the Minister, Deputy Ryan, was in a couple of days ago when we were talking about accepting our amendments he did mention the nature-based solution amendment he accepted in the National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Services Act. I acknowledge that he did take on board those amendments. They were really...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (9 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: I move amendment No. 91: In page 12, line 7, to delete "A Minister" and substitute "The Government of Ireland and a Minister". This amendment is in regard to a recent High Court ruling which essentially states that the Government is not a relevant body when it comes to climate legislation. Essentially, it provides that a Minister constitutes a relevant body, but the Government does not....

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: I wholeheartedly support the amendment. The Minister stated that the principles of a just transition are contained in the Bill but they are absolutely not. A just transition is referred to once in the entire Bill, and there is no definition of it or guidance as to what it means. This is a golden opportunity to incorporate it fully into the Bill and ensure we will meet our targets in a fair...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: There is still reference to the programme for Government in how we deal with this stuff. It was an issue for us during the pre-legislative scrutiny. The programme for Government is policy for the current Government. Once this Government falls, that policy will be gone. I honestly believe the Minister wants to see this Bill through and wants to achieve what is necessary but we need to make...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: What is outlined in the programme for Government may be statutory, but the programme for Government is not statutory. It is a wish list of the current three Government partners. We need to ensure that it happens and we can do that by including it in this legislation. The legislation can set the bar high and say that something must be achieved and delivered. The Minister has amended this...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: I agree with Deputy O'Rourke. One of the issues that emerged from the pre-legislative scrutiny was the looseness of the language and the flexibility within it. The more flexibility within legislation, the more problematic it is. Therefore, it is important that we tighten up on that language, as Deputy O'Rourke stated, and ensure that there is accountability. We are tight for time so I...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: Yes.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: I will support the amendment. This is an opportunity for the Government to show leadership in regard to how we are going to meet our climate targets, and a just transition is a key component of that. I ask the Minister to reflect on the amendment because this has been a key ask of civil society groups, the committee and all the experts who appeared before the committee to give evidence....