Results 3,761-3,780 of 6,802 for speaker:Darren O'Rourke

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (6 Jul 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I presume it does not intend for us to spend the funding on fossil fuel infrastructure.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (6 Jul 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I take the Minister's point on moves at a European level but this seems to be a significant departure from stated Government position in relation to the ring-fenced nature of the Irish carbon tax to fund retrofitting, agricultural schemes and address fuel poverty. This funding was allocated to retrofitting and is being moved to fund emergency fossil fuel-powered electricity. Was that...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (6 Jul 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: What do the Government and the Taoiseach mean when they say "ring-fenced"?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (6 Jul 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: In this transaction, is the Minister not taking that hypothecated, ring-fenced funding and, because it is unspent for whatever reason, moving it to somewhere entirely inappropriate for it to be spent? This move will drive people further into fuel poverty rather than protect them. They will be paying for this through taxes in the first instance, with carbon tax as part of that, and on their...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (6 Jul 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Does the funding not roll over into next year?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (6 Jul 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: To be clear, there is a commitment. It is agreed, as I understand it, in the Government that the increases in the carbon tax would be ring-fenced for these purposes. Now we have, today and next week in this transaction, that so-called ring-fenced funding being redirected to fund-----

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (6 Jul 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Is that not exactly what it is doing? If the money is ring-fenced this year for retrofitting, not being spent, being taken and spent elsewhere, it is not the same money that was ring-fenced. The Minister said you cannot roll it over into next year.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (6 Jul 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: But you are not doing it anyway.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (6 Jul 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I do not think it is an abstract argument for those people paying carbon tax. The Minister knows my party's position in relation to it and criticisms of it, one of which is there are no alternatives for people paying carbon tax. Now they are told some of the carbon tax they pay is not going to retrofitting, agricultural schemes or to offset fuel poverty, but to the funding of emergency...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (6 Jul 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: We are not opposed to the principle of it but when alternatives are there, and this is a perfect case of-----

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (6 Jul 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: We certainly would not do what the Minister is doing. He is coming to this committee to reallocate what were described as ring-fenced carbon taxes to deliver on retrofitting and agricultural schemes and to reduce fuel poverty, and redirect them towards funding emergency electricity that successive governments have created the demand for through the proliferation of data centres. People are...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (6 Jul 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: We are going to disagree.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (6 Jul 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I will take the note and give it to Deputy Ó Murchú.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (6 Jul 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I will make the point that the autumn will be important for the aviation sector. I am interested in seeing what those levers are. I do not think they will be enough as regards connectivity. We have a very liberal aviation market. We will consider how that can be influenced to try to deliver on the regional balance we all want to see, but it needs to be more than that. NTA...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Prices (5 Jul 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: 115. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated annual cost that will be added to household electricity bills to cover the cost of acquiring 450 MW of additional electricity generation capacity, as per the provisions of the EirGrid, Electricity and Turf (Amendment) Bill 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36182/22]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Bodies (5 Jul 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: 236. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 368 of 10 May 2022, the number of the eight staff sanctioned by his Department for An Bord Pleanála’s new marine climate unit who have been recruited and are in place; to name the posts that have been recruited and are in place; the number of these roles that have been...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (5 Jul 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: 351. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which a community of parents who wish to alter the existing patron of a local primary school, other than by targeting their local primary school with a campaign to persuade it to change its ethos from Christian to a multi and non-denominational patron in circumstances (details supplied) can do so. [35882/22]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (5 Jul 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: 352. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the routes and alternatives available to a community of parents who wish to have their children educated in a multi and non-denominational school excluding boarding school options and unsustainable commuting distances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35883/22]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (5 Jul 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: 353. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the precise details of the charging lease in respect of a school (details supplied); if the charging lease included a provision for present and future advances or a like provision; the amount that she decided to forgo to the Exchequer by agreeing not to seek repayment of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35884/22]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (5 Jul 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: 354. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason she did not insist on the provision of an independent valuation in respect of the proposed disposal of a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35885/22]