Results 10,501-10,520 of 26,394 for speaker:David Cullinane

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: EirGrid: Chairman Designate (26 Nov 2019)

David Cullinane: I understand. That was my question. Mr. Tuohy is confident that we will reach the 70% target comfortably. If environmental groups are saying that we can be more ambitious, in Mr. Tuohy's experience, given the caveats put on it, what would be the closest to 100% that we could achieve?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: EirGrid: Chairman Designate (26 Nov 2019)

David Cullinane: One of the challenges which we just discussed as part of the climate action strategy is to have more electricity generated from renewables. We talked about the targets. It is not as simple as that because there are other issues. For example, we also want more electric cars on the road. We want to decarbonise public transport and have electric buses and trains. We also want people to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: EirGrid: Chairman Designate (26 Nov 2019)

David Cullinane: I thank Mr. Tuohy for his very comprehensive replies. I genuinely wish him well in his role.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Just Transition (Worker and Community Environmental Rights) Bill 2018: Discussion (26 Nov 2019)

David Cullinane: I will ask my questions very succinctly. If the answers could be given in the same fashion, that would help. I want to get through as much as I can. I will support the Bill. I supported it on Second Stage and I welcome this scrutiny. When did the Department first become aware that there would need to be a just transition policy and framework put in place? At what point did it dawn...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Just Transition (Worker and Community Environmental Rights) Bill 2018: Discussion (26 Nov 2019)

David Cullinane: Was that in 2016?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Just Transition (Worker and Community Environmental Rights) Bill 2018: Discussion (26 Nov 2019)

David Cullinane: How long has the Department known that power plants in the midlands would have to be closed?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Just Transition (Worker and Community Environmental Rights) Bill 2018: Discussion (26 Nov 2019)

David Cullinane: I thank Mr. Goodwin for that. Why is it only now that the Government is looking to put in place a process? According to Mr. Carroll - we spoke at the Committee of Public Accounts on this issue quite extensively as well - the just transition commissioner is only in post for a couple of weeks. The funding was only put in place in the budget of this year. We had a decision made prematurely...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Just Transition (Worker and Community Environmental Rights) Bill 2018: Discussion (26 Nov 2019)

David Cullinane: There is a fear of a strategy but it is clear that engagement has been woeful, from the trade unions' perspective.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Just Transition (Worker and Community Environmental Rights) Bill 2018: Discussion (26 Nov 2019)

David Cullinane: Can Mr. Carroll tell the committee how that is possible, given that the Department has known for some time that there would need to be a just transition and given that it should have been planning this for years? We are sitting here today with the trade unions, and recently with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, saying that the engagement is appalling and not at the level that it should...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Just Transition (Worker and Community Environmental Rights) Bill 2018: Discussion (26 Nov 2019)

David Cullinane: None of those initiatives is in place and working at this point in time. The detail has to be worked out on some of those solutions. We talked about the retrofitting programme and the funding that was made available for that. It is still is not up and running or worked out. The just transition commissioner will have no role whatsoever in industrial relations matters. We have heard that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Just Transition (Worker and Community Environmental Rights) Bill 2018: Discussion (26 Nov 2019)

David Cullinane: Perhaps Mr. Doyle can take this question. Is Bord na Móna engaging with the trade unions?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Just Transition (Worker and Community Environmental Rights) Bill 2018: Discussion (26 Nov 2019)

David Cullinane: What is the Department's response to that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Just Transition (Worker and Community Environmental Rights) Bill 2018: Discussion (26 Nov 2019)

David Cullinane: What is the point about the just transition policy if everyone passes the buck? Mr. Carroll's Department is the line Department responsible for making sure that we have a just transition. We all knew that this was coming down the tracks for years, yet what do we see when two plants were closed prematurely but Ministers scrambling down to the midlands, money being made available in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Just Transition (Worker and Community Environmental Rights) Bill 2018: Discussion (26 Nov 2019)

David Cullinane: I imagine Mr. Carroll appreciates the difference between consultation and being involved in decision-making. What the Government is doing here with the just transition forum, with which there are difficulties as well - is that it is all about consultation. What we need, and what Deputy Eamon Ryan's Bill is trying to achieve, and what the trade unions are saying, is that the stakeholders...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Just Transition (Worker and Community Environmental Rights) Bill 2018: Discussion (26 Nov 2019)

David Cullinane: Mr. Carroll has made my point for me. It should have been established a long time ago. We are now asking these hard questions. It is our job to put those questions to officials and to deal with this because the preparations were not made and the strategies were not put in place earlier. It is not good enough to put it back on us and say that we cannot judge the Department on what is not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Just Transition (Worker and Community Environmental Rights) Bill 2018: Discussion (26 Nov 2019)

David Cullinane: There is a money message-----

Mental Health: Statements (Resumed) (21 Nov 2019)

David Cullinane: I am sharing time with Deputy Ellis. I welcome the opportunity to have this debate. A number of us tabled a Topical Issue matter on the Waterford psychiatric unit some weeks ago. The Minister of State was not in a position to be here, which was unfortunate because this was not just a scandal in Waterford or the south east. It was seen as a national scandal to have patients being treated...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Nov 2019)

David Cullinane: I know the history of this issue. It is a legacy issue from Irish Water which is a complete mess and fiasco. It is not the fault of those local authorities in Dublin or Waterford that there was a global re-evaluation which has seen a massive cut in their funding. The Tánaiste said the local authorities in question have been asked to engage with the Department. They have done so for a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Nov 2019)

David Cullinane: The Labour Party’s is unclear as well.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 Nov 2019)

David Cullinane: A total of €18.4 million in cuts to councils in Dublin and Waterford are on the way due to the Government and Irish Water. This is because the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform will no longer fund the commercial rate compensation scheme. Because of this, Dublin City Council will take a hit of €8.7 million while Waterford City and County Council will see a 13.5% drop...