Results 4,841-4,860 of 8,445 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement: Discussion with Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (26 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I will not intervene again.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement: Discussion with Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (26 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is clear that more scrutiny will be needed. The climate and finance committees are looking at that. From the answers that have been given, it seems that other Ministers may have pieces of the puzzle. Hopefully they will be able to tease that out in those committees as they scrutinise what is proposed. I have a question on the ECJ ruling and the suggestion to the effect that it is all...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement: Discussion with Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (26 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I specifically ask about the concerns expressed in the ECJ rulings in which the court was explicit that the provisions such as the Tánaiste outlined were not adequate and that further review was needed on the dispute settlement mechanism. I ask specifically about the ECJ concerns, not the general principle of SME access.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement: Discussion with Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (26 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Have there not been any actions the Tánaiste is aware of subsequent or pursuant to that ECJ ruling?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement: Discussion with Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (26 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Apologies. I am happy to get anything in writing that might be useful to clarify that.

Seanad: Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: There is a number of detailed aspects in each of the four Bills being extended here and each time one of them came through we engaged and put forward amendments. In many cases, there was no chance to debate those amendments. In all cases, there was no acceptance of the amendments, even those that came from Government Senators who spotted flaws in the drafting of the legislation. Given the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (25 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have two sets of questions. I am focusing on some of the narrative in respect of the demand for energy. When I was reading the presentations, I was a little concerned that there is still a lot of reference to reliance on hydrogen. We are looking at a context in which the use of blue hydrogen in particular, may not be an option, because it is ultimately a fossil fuel. In that context, we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (25 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: No, although the data centres remain an elephant in the pie, to mix metaphors, in that it was clear that this is not a substitution but rather is an additional pressure that is coming down.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (25 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: There is going to be a question about electricity being generated and electricity being required. I have a concern we may effectively see data centres in competition with other public good needs for which we might need electricity. I wish to signal that is something that needs to be looked at. I understand the IDA will have its imperatives but on this committee, we will need to try to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (25 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes, so it would be good to know how that is factoring in. If the EAI does have any information, especially on public research, on equivalent projects in other countries, that would be very useful. I have one last question. The EAI representatives have heard from us the focus on batteries and storage. I raise carbon capture. Storage is our key priority because that is what allows us to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (25 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Industry might also need to develop at least one pathway that does not involve hydrogen because that is a likely direction and it is important to note in order that we are all prepared for all scenarios. The level of ambition is only rising internationally.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (25 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Absolutely.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (25 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Like a rainbow.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (25 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I have a new question. Mr. Douglas touched on one part of it because I was going to ask about the community projects. I do not know to what extent the association engages with community projects and sustainable energy communities, which are beginning to engage. That is a positive measure. Do the witnesses have a comment on that and on how the association is engaging with those projects or...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (25 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Does Mr. Lynott wish to comment on embodied energy? I noticed him nodding as I was asking my question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (25 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I had another question but I did not want to cut across others. Could the witnesses comment briefly on the Energy Charter Treaty? I had a question on that in terms of the situation whereby some companies are entering the renewable electricity market but they have a previous identity. I ask the witnesses to comment on the tensions that have been discussed, for example, in respect of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (25 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We might need to demonstrate a little preference to some technologies. A technology-neutral approach does not always encourage the best innovation. We must look to rewarding new technologies and similarly, with energy options we must look to potentially ring-fencing preferences. There is a hierarchy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (25 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We may need to squeeze the industry on that 30% assumption and the policy choice. Maybe it will be about industry innovating faster if we go to 5%, 10% or zero from 30%. It is likely we will need to squeeze industry on that. It could be squeezed on the demand side or in terms of innovation. I hope it can happen with storage on the supply side. I would not think it is a safe assumption...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (25 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Some very interesting research was mentioned by the witnesses and colleagues would love to see it if it could be forwarded to the committee.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 May 2021)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is correct to say we need to take a stand on human rights. There are human rights issues on several levels in the news today. We have heard about the human rights violations in Cork, where a young girl has talked about living in an abandoned place that people forgot about. A member of the Traveller community has spoken about the absolutely unacceptable circumstances in which Travellers...