Results 61-80 of 4,823 for speaker:Jennifer Whitmore

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Infrastructure (6 Nov 2025)

Jennifer Whitmore: 86. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to clarify the Government’s current policy on commercial LNG infrastructure; if he will progress policy banning commercial LNG infrastructure in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59709/25]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Infrastructure (6 Nov 2025)

Jennifer Whitmore: This is not the strategic, public-led, public owned infrastructure; this is the commercial one.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Infrastructure (6 Nov 2025)

Jennifer Whitmore: As the Minister will be aware, An Coimisiún Pleanála asked for guidance specifically on commercial LNG facilities and storage from him. His response to that letter and that request for guidance did not mention commercial at all. He did not actually provide a clear answer to the board, and he essentially gave the same response as he has just given to me, but that is not the same as...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Infrastructure (6 Nov 2025)

Jennifer Whitmore: I understand the Minister cannot reach into specific planning applications, but what he can do, and the Government has a responsibility to do, is provide clear policy positions on energy growth, development and security in this country. The Minister has already done it in relation to publicly owned LNG. I am asking - and this would be in line with the climate Act - that the Minister puts...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fisheries Protection (6 Nov 2025)

Jennifer Whitmore: I am asking this question on behalf of Deputy Liam Quaide. Has the Minister of State's attention has been drawn to the large-scale fish kill mortalities that occurred on the River Blackwater in County Cork in August 2025; the actions he will take to prevent similar future occurrences; and if he will make a statement on the matter?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fisheries Protection (6 Nov 2025)

Jennifer Whitmore: I thank the Minister of State very much. I visited the site with Deputy Quaide and spoke to many of the anglers there. It was a devastating fish kill. It was probably way more than 40,000 fish, such as trout, that were killed. The problem is that once those fish are gone, they are gone. Their reproduction capacity is gone. It will take more than ten years to get the river back to a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fisheries Protection (6 Nov 2025)

Jennifer Whitmore: What also became apparent during those discussions following that fish kill is that there are major gaps in the EPA enforcement programme. The agency has a national priority sites register, which has the poorest performing sites on it. For example, it monitors 900 sites and four are currently on that list, so they really are the poorest performing sites and North Cork Creameries is one of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Prices (6 Nov 2025)

Jennifer Whitmore: We are all aware that electricity prices are crushing many families across the country at the moment. They are so high. We have among the highest electricity prices in Europe. Recently we were told by the International Energy Agency that our retail prices are three times higher than our wholesale prices. The savings the energy companies are making on wholesale energy are not being passed...

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.