Results 7,881-7,900 of 28,162 for speaker:Catherine Murphy

Public Accounts Committee: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (24 Mar 2022)

Catherine Murphy: Dr. Byrne might give us some figures on that modelling afterwards, if he has them. I was intrigued about the SEAI's move. Obviously the Office of Public Works, OPW, take its instructions from it about what it requires. Emissions from its previous building were 77,000 kg of CO2 and then 135,000 kg in 2020 in the new building. Why did SEAI make that move? Was this considered given that...

Public Accounts Committee: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (24 Mar 2022)

Catherine Murphy: What instructions did SEAI give around energy use when the building was being secured?

Public Accounts Committee: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (24 Mar 2022)

Catherine Murphy: Okay. And what was SEAI's rent in the previous building in 2019? What is it today? It is rented rather than purchased, is it?

Public Accounts Committee: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (24 Mar 2022)

Catherine Murphy: Did SEAI consider any other options beyond that joint move? Was anything else on the table in terms of value for money? Why was this considered the best option?

Public Accounts Committee: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (24 Mar 2022)

Catherine Murphy: IDA Ireland has an expertise in industrial development. Does it really have an expertise in property management?

Public Accounts Committee: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (24 Mar 2022)

Catherine Murphy: Okay. I wish to move to another issue. Value for money will be really important as we need to stretch the money as far as possible. I have the list of grants for electric vehicles and some of the models. Will the SEAI start by confirming that they are grant-aided because I know there are parameters? You can pick very high-end models such as a BMW X5. It retails at €83,000. Is...

Public Accounts Committee: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (24 Mar 2022)

Catherine Murphy: What happens when a manufacturer produces a car above the range? No grant applies to that at all?

Public Accounts Committee: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (24 Mar 2022)

Catherine Murphy: Therefore there is a threshold at the bottom and at the top.

Public Accounts Committee: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (24 Mar 2022)

Catherine Murphy: Is there is no restriction? If someone wanted to buy a new car every six months would that person be grant-aided every time or every year? The grant does not go with the individual, it goes with the car.

Public Accounts Committee: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (24 Mar 2022)

Catherine Murphy: The ambition around electric vehicles is very big. Where are we? What does it need to be, year on year?

Public Accounts Committee: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (24 Mar 2022)

Catherine Murphy: Could Mr. Meally just send the committee the projections on that so that we can take a look at it? I think some of it may be in the briefing document anyway. I am noticing my time and I want to ask a final question. Regardless of how many houses we retrofit, and I hope we can do that to a very significant scale, it will not matter if we do not have the electricity that is generated from...

Public Accounts Committee: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (24 Mar 2022)

Catherine Murphy: I will ask Mr. Walsh a very practical question. Do we manufacture the columns that go out? Are we required to do that to meet our targets? Are very obvious practical things not being done?

Public Accounts Committee: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (24 Mar 2022)

Catherine Murphy: We know about the European Green Deal with €1.8 trillion allocated to it. I am looking at the SEAI's accounts, which comprise government grants with a small proportion coming in through the BER. Is the State missing out on European funding? Is it drawing down everything that is available to us? What can be expected when it comes to European funding? Is the SEAI concerned about...

Public Accounts Committee: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (24 Mar 2022)

Catherine Murphy: That would not be obvious from the SEAI's accounts-----

Public Accounts Committee: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (24 Mar 2022)

Catherine Murphy: -----because it is a facilitator. Is there a direct relationship for the SEAI in drawing down funding?

Public Accounts Committee: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (24 Mar 2022)

Catherine Murphy: Will Mr. Walsh give us a note on that? I think the committee would find it useful.

Public Accounts Committee: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (24 Mar 2022)

Catherine Murphy: How is that achieved outside of local authorities or approved housing bodies?

Public Accounts Committee: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (24 Mar 2022)

Catherine Murphy: Just to pick up on the point that the Chair made, I asked if the amount allocated to local authorities was sufficient. The feedback that I am getting from local authority is that the amount that is being allocated for the retrofitting with local authority is approximately €10,000 short of what is required and it does not have the capacity to raise that from any other source. Could...

Public Accounts Committee: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland: Financial Statements 2020 (24 Mar 2022)

Catherine Murphy: In addition, we need to know the scale of what is needed so that we can match one against the other and try to get the kind of ambition up to the level that it needs to be. The last issue is the SEAI's new premises. It was said it was future-proofed in terms of staffing numbers. What staffing number can be accommodated there? Is working from home or a hybrid model of being factored into...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (24 Mar 2022)

Catherine Murphy: Can I come back to that?