Results 9,541-9,560 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Sectoral Emissions Ceilings: Engagement with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (13 Sep 2022)

Eamon Ryan: This week, I think.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Sectoral Emissions Ceilings: Engagement with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (13 Sep 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I thank Deputy Whitmore. As I said, that information will be shared. Information has already been shared with the Committee of Public Accounts, as I understand, as it also requested information. The further outline breakdown and background material will be published this week. I would like to make a point on the key question the Deputy asked regarding an unallocated element where we are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Sectoral Emissions Ceilings: Engagement with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (13 Sep 2022)

Eamon Ryan: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Sectoral Emissions Ceilings: Engagement with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (13 Sep 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has specific responsibility around social housing but our Department also has a key role there. For example, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has a role in terms of public buildings, but the key responsibility in retrofitting is that our Department will set a key lead. As I said in my opening statement, the six-month...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Sectoral Emissions Ceilings: Engagement with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (13 Sep 2022)

Eamon Ryan: In terms of the further adjustment to the budgetary allocations, every sector could potentially play a part in that. However, it does require us to complete the land-use review because that will give us a better idea of the quantum in that particular sector and then we will have a better idea of what is potentially required elsewhere. The approach we have taken is better. Rather than just...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Sectoral Emissions Ceilings: Engagement with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (13 Sep 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I thank Deputy O'Rourke. In regard to process, going back to what I said earlier, one of the reasons we rely on the UNFCCC accounting systems here is that we it means we do not have to replicate what we are doing already by creating a new system. The starting base was very much in the sectorial emissions ceilings that they would reflect the EPA emissions inventory. That makes sense. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Sectoral Emissions Ceilings: Engagement with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (13 Sep 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I would agree with the Deputy. Within our existing system in Cabinet, we have to proof policy matters in a whole variety of aspects, including environmental. I believe the Department of the Taoiseach is looking at further ways - both internally in Government as well as in respect of sharing with the Opposition - in which we can carbon-proof in advance measures as they come to Cabinet, or...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Sectoral Emissions Ceilings: Engagement with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (13 Sep 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I might just say, if it makes sense, that if I was doing so, my instinct would be to include it within the existing PBO. It would take two years to create a new agency. I know that from experience, having helped to set up the PBO. It took three years, and it may have even been four years by the time it was fully set up. I would perhaps look at the remit of the office. At the time the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Sectoral Emissions Ceilings: Engagement with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (13 Sep 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I have the highest regard for Professors McMullin and Sweeney and Mr. Jackson and, obviously, I have read any letter of concern that they have with real attention. We will respond this week. I hope we can allay some of their concerns though perhaps not all. They may form a different view. Certainly, we can allay one of their concerns as to where the budgets were set out for 2025, which in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Sectoral Emissions Ceilings: Engagement with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (13 Sep 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I agree with the Deputy on the need for urgency and action. The legislation states, “The Minister shall, as soon as may be after a carbon budget takes effect under section 6B, finalise and submit each sectoral emissions ceiling to the Government for approval”, so there is provision within the legislation. I also recognise that, in many instances, scientific information will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Sectoral Emissions Ceilings: Engagement with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (13 Sep 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The 20 million tonnes is not the implied ceiling within the budget. With regard to the 2026-2030 target, the 200 million tonnes is after the reallocation of what we decide on the reallocation, including LULUCF. It does not give an implied figure for LULUCF in the budget period. May I make a point that I believe to be critical? Regardless of the figures and targets we set, they, in their...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Sectoral Emissions Ceilings: Engagement with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (13 Sep 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The point I was making is that is not what will happen. There will have to be a reallocation. There is a process. We have set out what we know and think is possible in each of the sectoral areas - we learn by doing - in agriculture, in transport, in terms of how we can promote public transport. Even within that, there will be variations - we learn by doing - but we know we will need...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Sectoral Emissions Ceilings: Engagement with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (13 Sep 2022)

Eamon Ryan: My understanding is that the difference in the Senator's view is that the unallocated savings will arise as emissions whereas we are saying they will be reallocated and we will therefore bring the figures down to 200 megatonnes. The Senator is assuming there will not be a reallocation. We are committing to reallocation but on the basis that we need to do further scientific analyses.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Sectoral Emissions Ceilings: Engagement with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (13 Sep 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I agree with what was said earlier about information services for the Oireachtas. As I said earlier, the Parliamentary Budgetary Office would be an appropriate vehicle. There is also the legal office here and I am sure that the Senator has had recourse to it on climate issues and so on. There are also different committees. As an aside, one of the most interesting developments at the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Sectoral Emissions Ceilings: Engagement with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (13 Sep 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I think the Chair is right. I am glad to hear that he got a good sense from the office in Limerick. As I said, I have been visiting local authorities. In addition, I called each of the city and county managers just before the recess and asked them to submit what we are calling pathfinder projects which will accelerate key sustainable mobility projects that could help us to decarbonise, to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Sectoral Emissions Ceilings: Engagement with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (13 Sep 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I absolutely agree regarding the engagement of the agricultural sector, farming communities and the food industry. They must be involved. It is not, however, a case of a lack of engagement and involvement or a lack of plans and strategy. I am thinking about the fact that the whole EU farm to fork strategy has been the centre of policy. It is not complete and continues to evolve, but it is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Sectoral Emissions Ceilings: Engagement with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (13 Sep 2022)

Eamon Ryan: Yes. I acknowledge that, but it is not as if there have not been processes around considering our emissions reductions in agriculture. I refer to Ag Climatise. Even if we look at the private sector, what is happening in the food industry is that it is being recognised that companies involved must follow science-based targets. Enterprises, such as Kerry Group, have acknowledged this in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Sectoral Emissions Ceilings: Engagement with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (13 Sep 2022)

Eamon Ryan: The climate action plan will continue playing a central role in emissions reduction. It will set out plans for reducing nitrogen. The sectoral emissions ceiling is putting it up to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to deliver changes in order that we meet our nitrogen fertiliser reduction targets. His Department has done a great deal of work on improving the breeding stock,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Sectoral Emissions Ceilings: Engagement with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (13 Sep 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I agree with the Deputy. It is a question of finding the best way of delivering that, which I believe to be the rapid delivery of BusConnects projects across our five cities, as well as the delivery of the Connecting Ireland rural bus system. In that regard, the greatest obstacle will be political or public opposition. We must have sufficient political will, as this will require a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Sectoral Emissions Ceilings: Engagement with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (13 Sep 2022)

Eamon Ryan: I am glad to say that the Act provides that the Ministers in each sectoral area are obliged to come before the Oireachtas committee, as appropriate, and account for what they are doing. They can be called before the committee and held to account. On the question of EPA measurements, the inventories and that whole process are based on tonnage and not percentages. It is a matter of the...