Results 41-60 of 4,795 for speaker:Jennifer Whitmore
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Prices (6 Nov 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: In 2020, the average electricity bill was €976. It is currently €1,877. There is no way that is justifiable, even considering the special circumstances that Ireland faces and considering what happened in Ukraine. People are paying twice what they were paying five years ago and, as I said, the price that the companies are paying for wholesale energy is going down. It is now...
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Prices (6 Nov 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: 80. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to report on the outcome of his recent meeting with our largest energy companies, on 26 September 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59711/25]
- Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Prices (6 Nov 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: Will the Minister report on the outcome of his recent meetings with the largest energy companies in September and make a statement on the matter?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: General Scheme of the Renewable Heat Obligation Bill 2025: Discussion (6 Nov 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: I thank the witnesses for coming in. Heat-related emissions account for 24% of Ireland's total greenhouse gas emissions. Is that correct?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: General Scheme of the Renewable Heat Obligation Bill 2025: Discussion (6 Nov 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: Okay. With these measures, what would the reduction be? I mean with the 1.5% and the 3%.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: General Scheme of the Renewable Heat Obligation Bill 2025: Discussion (6 Nov 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: We received a briefing note on this and it was really useful. Some of the submissions were put in. Were there submissions from any environmental groups? Did the Climate Change Advisory Council put a submission in?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: General Scheme of the Renewable Heat Obligation Bill 2025: Discussion (6 Nov 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: Is the Climate Change Advisory Council satisfied with this? Has it not made any-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: General Scheme of the Renewable Heat Obligation Bill 2025: Discussion (6 Nov 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: One thing raised in a submission - I think it was by Energia - is that it will have significant cost implications for householders. Has the Department done any analysis of that?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: General Scheme of the Renewable Heat Obligation Bill 2025: Discussion (6 Nov 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: Do the witnesses know what the cost implications will be, on average, for people under the 1.5% and the 3% obligation rate?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: General Scheme of the Renewable Heat Obligation Bill 2025: Discussion (6 Nov 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: When the Department developed this Bill and the policy, it took into account affordability issues and some others. Did it take sustainability issues into account? We would not want this to create problems in other areas from a sustainability perspective. Will the witnesses outline the risks and how they mitigated against them?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: General Scheme of the Renewable Heat Obligation Bill 2025: Discussion (6 Nov 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: Okay, so those guardrails are already there. Is there any risk with imports? NORA may not have visibility or governance responsibility for anything coming in internationally. Are there restrictions on imports?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: General Scheme of the Renewable Heat Obligation Bill 2025: Discussion (6 Nov 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: In a theoretical worst-case scenario, the industry could import renewable energy and that could be incredibly environmentally damaging overseas. That could potentially happen and we cannot stop it because of trade rules.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: General Scheme of the Renewable Heat Obligation Bill 2025: Discussion (6 Nov 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: How does the Department take that into account if it has no authority over it? Is it more of a reporting thing or-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: General Scheme of the Renewable Heat Obligation Bill 2025: Discussion (6 Nov 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: I will follow up quickly on one of the remarks. Are the framework and verification process all accounted for through a voluntary scheme?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: General Scheme of the Renewable Heat Obligation Bill 2025: Discussion (6 Nov 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: So, it is not voluntary.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: General Scheme of the Renewable Heat Obligation Bill 2025: Discussion (6 Nov 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: It is good to have that cleared up. The multiplier requires approval by the European Commission. When will that happen, and have any concerns been raised in relation to it?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: General Scheme of the Renewable Heat Obligation Bill 2025: Discussion (6 Nov 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: It will be a number of months before that is finalised.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: General Scheme of the Renewable Heat Obligation Bill 2025: Discussion (6 Nov 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: There was a discussion earlier about physical disruption, not just financial disruption. Will this involve people having to change their systems?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: General Scheme of the Renewable Heat Obligation Bill 2025: Discussion (6 Nov 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: Does Ms Hamill know what the disruption could look like for people?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: General Scheme of the Renewable Heat Obligation Bill 2025: Discussion (6 Nov 2025)
Jennifer Whitmore: It is just the financial increase, unless of course a threshold is passed.