Results 64,681-64,700 of 74,100 for speaker:Bernard Durkan

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed). (14 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: The Minister, Deputy Roche, is on public record saying how well the Government has catered for environmental issues by virtue of what it has done regarding agriculture. The biggest contribution this Government has made to agriculture is that it has run it down. I assume this country will not have a food processing sector. I want to outline the details of what happened. When Fine Gael first...

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed). (14 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: I accept the Minister for Finance introduced proposals to reduce excise duty on a certain amount of bio-fuels but the quota is now oversubscribed and pure plant oil producers in this country who wish to be included are not included. Sadly, the Government has gone outside the country to supply the market, an appalling gaffe that I cannot understand. I do not know if the Government fully...

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed). (14 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: The Government woke up one morning to discover it had done nothing on the issue ten years after Kyoto except pay lip-service. The people of the country will pay as a result, not the Minister of State. More has not been done to remove more excise duty from alternative fuel sources because the Government wants to hold on to it. It makes huge amounts from VAT and excise duty on fuel and...

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed). (14 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: It is a fact of life that the Government copied Fine Gael policy, which we published six to eight months before it published a word. The Fine Gael policy was published before the European Commission policy. We went on our own, with the support of other Opposition parties, and decided what to do and that policy has stood the test of time. The only weakness in the scenario is the lack of...

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed). (14 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: There is a notion that somehow the needs of the economy of this country will be met by importing alternative fuels from other countries. We are already dependent on the major oil companies. All they must do is create a scare in the morning or reduce production and there is an oil price increase in the evening. For 12 months scares were created on a weekly basis to increase the price of oil...

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed). (14 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: The Minister of State should have because he read the Fine Gael policy. The only problem is that he did not put it into operation.

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed). (14 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: There is still time and he should do it before it is too late.

Biofuels (Blended Motor Fuels) Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed). (14 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: No guts.

Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Single Electricity Market) Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (14 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: I applaud this move on the part of the Minister of State. It is a clear indication of his recognition that the Opposition has something to say on this subject——

Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Single Electricity Market) Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (14 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: ——and I congratulate him. It is something we will remember for a long time.

Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Single Electricity Market) Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (14 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: I support these amendments. We discussed this at length on Committee Stage and the Minister did not agree with us. We are creating a new market and new procedures and it is important to recognise in such circumstances we can over-legislate but that can be changed. It is better to be safe than sorry. We would be acting in the interests of people in both jurisdictions if we accept the...

Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Single Electricity Market) Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (14 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: I move amendment No. 13: In page 5, line 12, after "time" to insert "by the relevant authorities".

Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Single Electricity Market) Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (14 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: I move amendment No. 14: In page 5, line 16, to delete "a" and substitute "an". These are technical amendments on which we had an exchange of views on Committee Stage. I am informed this is a technical and grammatical change which would be appropriate but the Minister of State does not agree. When doctors differ, peculiar things often happen. I would like to hear the Minister of State's...

Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Single Electricity Market) Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (14 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: Good.

Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Single Electricity Market) Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (14 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: I move amendment No. 15: In page 5, line 19, to delete "a" where it secondly occurs and substitute "an".

Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Single Electricity Market) Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (14 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: I move amendment No. 16: In page 5, line 24, after "Market" to insert "or the interests of the Commission". I moved this amendment on Committee Stage. It seeks to insert the words "or the interests of the Commission" with a view to strengthening the legislation. I considered this was necessary at the time and still consider it is appropriate to bring it forward on Report Stage. I await the...

Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Single Electricity Market) Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (14 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: I move amendment No. 18: In page 5, line 45, after "time" where it secondly occurs to insert the following: ", subject to prior agreement between the relevant parties".

Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Single Electricity Market) Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (14 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: I move amendment No. 21: In page 6, line 22, after "and (3)" to insert the following: "subject to the approval of the relevant Ministers in the relevant jurisdictions".

Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Single Electricity Market) Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (14 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: I move amendment No. 22: In page 6, to delete line 35 and substitute "to be a minimum or maximum". I have tabled this amendment because it would add precision to the Bill in identifying precisely a minimum or maximum threshold. I await the Minister of State's response.

Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Single Electricity Market) Bill 2006: Report and Final Stages (14 Feb 2007)

Bernard Durkan: I move amendment No. 23: In page 7, lines 5 and 6, to delete "Single Electricity Market operator" and substitute "SEM operator". This is a technical amendment to which I previously referred. I referred to a couple of other relevant and associated sections.