Results 3,481-3,500 of 12,731 for speaker:Paul Murphy

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Air Quality (16 Nov 2023)

Paul Murphy: 89. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment what measures he proposes to reduce the impact of air pollution on the high levels of asthma and COPD in this country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50295/23]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Strategies (16 Nov 2023)

Paul Murphy: 129. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will outline his Department's road map for assisting the recovery in communities such as Midleton, County Cork, regarding flood relief and climate adaptation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50293/23]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Supply (16 Nov 2023)

Paul Murphy: 158. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on whether there should be full transparency in relation to the data on water abstraction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50296/23]

Ceisteanna - Questions: Northern Ireland (15 Nov 2023)

Paul Murphy: I attended an excellent town hall meeting organised by the North West Migrants Forum at the end of September. It has done very good work on highlighting the reality of the invisible hard border that exists on this island for non-EU nationals. There was another example of the consequences of this in terms of racial profiling on 7 November, when a black passenger was removed from the X4 Derry...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Trade Missions (15 Nov 2023)

Paul Murphy: I asked the Taoiseach last week about this deal for a data centre from South Korea in Ireland. I was spun a line about fuel cells and so on. The Minister, Deputy Simon Coveney, said, "If we can build data centres that are powered by fuel cell technology, initially gas, but in the future hydrogen, then that really does change the dynamic". It is classic greenwashing-speak by the Government,...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (15 Nov 2023)

Paul Murphy: While the Taoiseach was away yesterday, the Ministerfor Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, took Leaders' Questions and he said that Israel is waging a war on children. Does the Taoiseach agree that Israel is waging a war on children? There is plenty of evidence to show that they are. Almost 5,000 children in Gaza have been killed by Israel. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Future Licences and Contracts to Connect Data Centres to the Gas Network: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Paul Murphy: I thank the witnesses for the presentations. I will start with Ms Donnelly. As I understand it, the role of the Climate Change Advisory Council is to advise the Government on, among other things, how we can transition to a carbon neutral economy. It is not bound by the energy policy of the Government or anything else, so it is free to advise what is necessary. Ms Donnelly listed the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Future Licences and Contracts to Connect Data Centres to the Gas Network: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Paul Murphy: I understand that answer. Maybe I will unpack it in a couple of different ways. It may be the case that Ms Donnelly and I disagree on how positive data centres are for our society. Senator Dooley compared data centres to the filing cabinets of the 1980s. In responding Ms Donnelly did not disagree with that. Let us say 18% of our electricity consumption at the moment goes on data centres....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Future Licences and Contracts to Connect Data Centres to the Gas Network: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Paul Murphy: I think Ms Donnelly is fundamentally wrong. I suggest that, as chair of the Climate Change Advisory Council, this is information she surely must have. I do not see how she can come before us and say we should fire ahead and have more data centres, so long as we have corporate power purchase agreements and so on, without knowing how much energy is spent on useful things.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Future Licences and Contracts to Connect Data Centres to the Gas Network: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Paul Murphy: I know.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Future Licences and Contracts to Connect Data Centres to the Gas Network: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Paul Murphy: Sure. Has the CCAC tried to get this information about what the energy is spent on? I would wager that a small percentage of the total energy is spent on actual data storage of filing-type stuff. A relatively large percentage is spent on Netflix, YouTube etc., which people genuinely use and get enjoyment from and so on. Also, another very significant percentage, perhaps even a majority, is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Future Licences and Contracts to Connect Data Centres to the Gas Network: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Paul Murphy: What I am suggesting to Ms Donnelly is that even to think about her own computer, and the noise it makes when it begins to whirr and make activity. If it is just sitting there storing one's data on any given day, it is not making much noise or using a whole lot of energy. One can turn one's computer off and the hard drive still has the information on it. One's computer begins to whirr,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Future Licences and Contracts to Connect Data Centres to the Gas Network: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Paul Murphy: I take the Chair's point, and I will move on. I accept Ms Donnelly's framing and that what she is saying is a problem is also a problem. I do not accept that it is the only problem. Does Ms Donnelly not see that even if we can bring the renewables into stream and on time in order to accommodate this further growth of data centres, there still is a problem. There are two problems. One...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Future Licences and Contracts to Connect Data Centres to the Gas Network: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Paul Murphy: Yes. We have to electrify and then go to renewables.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Future Licences and Contracts to Connect Data Centres to the Gas Network: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Paul Murphy: I want to ask the CRU why the current consultation on large energy users is proposing only to introduce new requirements and conditions for new data centres as opposed to existing ones?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Future Licences and Contracts to Connect Data Centres to the Gas Network: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Paul Murphy: Finally, has the CRU communicated carbon budget obligations to Gas Networks Ireland, GNI?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Future Licences and Contracts to Connect Data Centres to the Gas Network: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

Paul Murphy: I thank Ms MacEvilly.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Shannon Airport Facilities (15 Nov 2023)

Paul Murphy: 15. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to give a complete overview of the process that the US military must follow when moving personnel through Irish Airports on US Military aircraft transiting through Irish airports since January 2022. [50105/23]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Shannon Airport Facilities (15 Nov 2023)

Paul Murphy: 16. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide a record of all US Military flights that have passed through Shannon Airport since the beginning of October 2023. [50106/23]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Shannon Airport Facilities (15 Nov 2023)

Paul Murphy: 18. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to give a detailed account of all oversight procedures implemented by his Department, other Government Departments and/or the Irish Aviation Authority on flights granted exemptions for the carriage of munitions of war, weapons and dangerous goods through Irish airports (inspections of aircraft, inspections of manifests, Garda deployment,...