Results 4,541-4,560 of 7,404 for speaker:Mick Wallace

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Mick Wallace: The Minister's committee recommended that the legislation include the principle of climate justice. It does not and we think it should.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Mick Wallace: If we were to take the bold step and legislate for this, it would really be a signal of our intent to take these matters seriously. At present, 50,000 Bangladeshis have to leave the coast every month and head to the cities because they are being swamped and cannot make a living any more. This is just one simple example. Sadly, I do not believe people have really woken up yet to the...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Mick Wallace: On the same theme, detail on the setting of annual targets in order to achieve the interim target by 2050 is completely missing from the Bill. There are no time-frames or criteria provided for. Amendment No. 11 outlines the criteria that the relevant advisory body should take into account when giving advice to the Minister in advance of setting annual emission targets. It also details the...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Mick Wallace: The Minister said that given that amendment No. 9 was ruled out of order, it undermined amendments Nos. 10 and 11. We do not agree with amendment No. 9 being ruled out of order. The Minister has made the point that we need to be careful that we are not transgressing EU rulings. I understand we still have a Parliament in Dublin and that we can make decisions here. We should be trying to be...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Mick Wallace: We still retain the right to bring it back on Report Stage.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Mick Wallace: I do not believe many people actively involved in climate change would agree with the Minister's statement that this Bill will be a game changer. Most of the people who have been campaigning in this area would see this Bill as a massive damp squib and disappointment rather than a game changer. The Minister made the point earlier that there is no point in us doing something that is...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Mick Wallace: I wish to make a point about agriculture. There is no doubt agriculture is a powerful indigenous industry and that it is very important to this country, but if we are not going to seriously consider targets we will do a disservice to it. There are areas where changes can be brought about. Our agricultural emissions are way out of sync with the rest of Europe and there are ways to address...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Mick Wallace: The targets-----

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Mick Wallace: The targets are not set out in the Bill.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Mick Wallace: On the issue of good ideas and to pick up on-----

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Mick Wallace: To pick up on Deputy O'Dowd's' point about transport, I am a bit mystified as to why he was part of a Government that showed zero interest in rail. I would suggest that the Government change its tune in that regard.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Mick Wallace: The section has already damaged the effectiveness of the Bill. Earlier today, six amendments were ruled out of order as they involved a potential charge on the Exchequer. The section states the need to achieve the objectives of a national adaptation framework at the least cost to the national economy and to adopt measures that are cost-effective and do not impose an unreasonable burden on...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Mick Wallace: The point the Minister made about flooding becoming less predictable is a good one. That is why Irish Water wants nothing to do with it.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Mick Wallace: I can understand the Minister's point because he is pretty sure just changing the name will not cost him anything and it will not go against the grain.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Mick Wallace: Even Shell or Topaz would not object to the change.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Mick Wallace: The Government can state such and such a timeframe is not sufficient. However, it is a case of priorities and things can be made to happen very quickly when one chooses to do so. There is a general feeling among those who have serious concerns about climate change that there is a massive element of kicking the can down the road. Not providing for an early review seems to be an extension of...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Jun 2015)

Mick Wallace: To ask the advisory council to look at certain items and to address them in a certain way is not to cast aspersions on any member of the advisory council but it brings greater clarity. One does not have to tell it what to do or say but to ask it to take certain points on board. I do not think that is unreasonable.

Other Questions: Naval Service Operations (9 Jun 2015)

Mick Wallace: I did not say that.

Other Questions: Naval Service Operations (9 Jun 2015)

Mick Wallace: We argued here a few months back about how mad it was to stop the Mare Nostrum operation. Did the Irish Government object to the stopping of Mare Nostrum? The argument against it was that it was encouraging migrants by rescuing them, but in actual fact, when we stopped saving them, they drowned. Up to 1,800 people have drowned already this year. It is great that Ireland has paid played a...

Other Questions: Naval Service Operations (9 Jun 2015)

Mick Wallace: Absolutely not.