Results 3,121-3,140 of 4,012 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: 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....

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 move amendment No. 76: In page 10, between lines 35 and 36, to insert the following: "(da) just transition and just transition principles;". The amendment is based on the assumption the Minister will take the just transition principles and definition and incorporate them in the Bill. The Minister has said that just transition has been incorporated but I am interested to know under...

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: We have had a discussion on just transition with the Minister in which he has said the foundations of the Bill are to look at the social element of climate action. Even under the Minister's own admission this is within the remit of the Bill. I am still confused and I have written to the Ceann Comhairle to get the rationale on why these amendments have been ruled out of order because of a...

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: This clearly demonstrates the need to have just transition specifically incorporated in the Bill. If a just transition element and policy tool, whether tax or not, is seen as outside the scope of the Bill surely it indicates there is a key need to include the provisions of just transition as a foundational element in the legislation.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (3 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: Five of my amendments have been ruled out of order because of a money message or because they are outside the provisions of the Bill. Should we discuss those before we get into the amendments in this group? How I vote on the amendments which follow will be determined by the discussion we have regarding the amendments that have been ruled out of order.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (3 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: We are about to discuss the Minister's amendment regarding the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development Act 1960. One of my amendments was ruled out of order because it relates to that Act. Is it within the scope of the Act or not? I ask that question because I imagine this issue will impact on the Minister's amendments as well.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (3 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: Surely if my amendment was approved to extend this legislation to include the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development Act, it would not be outside the Bill's scope.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (3 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: With all due respect, it was the Chairman who signed the letter ruling my amendments out of order. I do not understand how bringing the target date forward from 2050 to 2045 could be deemed to warrant a money message or to incur an additional cost on the Exchequer. Bringing the date forward by five years would not cost the State any more money.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (3 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: I move amendment No. 5: In page 6, between lines 3 and 4, to insert the following: “Objective of Act 3.The objective of this Act is to ensure that the State does its fair share, on the basis of equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, to limit the global average temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (3 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: I move amendment No. 6: In page 6, between lines 3 and 4, to insert the following: “The target-setting criteria 3.(1) In this Act, the “target-setting criteria” are— (a) the objective of not exceeding the fair and safe Irish emissions budget, (b) European and international law and policy relating to climate change (including the United Nations Framework...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (3 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: It might be a good idea at this point for the Minister to indicate his intentions regarding the amendments we have yet to consider. Is he open to accepting any of them? If not, and if Government members are going to vote against each of them, I have other things I could be doing today and on the two days scheduled for this debate next week. It would be good if the Minister could clarify...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (3 Jun 2021)

Jennifer Whitmore: I find that to be really disappointing. This is the first Committee Stage debate I have been through. When we started out in the committee, and started reviewing the climate Bill initially, the recommendation from the Minister and the Department was that we would not have pre-legislative scrutiny. We pushed back against that and had very extensive pre-legislative scrutiny. The Minister...