Results 1,141-1,160 of 4,733 for speaker:Jennifer Whitmore

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: A huge amount of money would have been spent on designing these machines. They will not be easily retrofitted to make them accessible so this work should have been done. Re-turn Ireland won a contract or was the designated body that the Government established to run the scheme. I gather from what the Minister of State has said is that there was no direct consultation with the likes of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: I would like to get an understanding of exactly what level of consultation took place, and perhaps this needs to come from Re-turn Ireland itself. My guess is that either there was no or very limited consultation or that when consultation happened, the feedback it got was not incorporated into the design because we essentially have machinery in all the major supermarkets across the country...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: That is just to use them, however. Essentially, Re-turn Ireland was to set up a scheme that was accessible under the rules that Government set down. Dopes the Minister of Sate believe it has set up a scheme that is accessible, and, if not, what is he going to do?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: It is a binary thing for someone in a wheelchair who cannot reach the hole to put in the container.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: It is hard, though. I am really conscious of my time, so the Minister of State might forgive me if I am cutting across him. If a blind person goes up to a machine to try to access it, there is no voice telling him or her what to do. There are no buttons, symbols or Braille or anything on the machine. The first time I used it, I was sort of standing there wondering what to do. If a person...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: I am sure it is.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: However, the Minister-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: Yes, but we are not talking about shopping. We are talking about-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: However-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: The best time to make them accessible was at the start. According to the Minister of State, the Government said it was to be an accessible machine, but it seems to me that Re-turn has not done that. What engagement will the Minister of State have with Re-turn to tell it it did not adhere to our guidance and statutory instrument and to ask it how it will rectify the situation? Going...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: But this relates to something the Minister of State said.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: Has the consultative group the Minister of State mentioned been set up?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: Has it met?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: On 8 February, the Minister of State told me it was being set up. One would have hoped that it would have met by this stage.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (25 Apr 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: 129. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has considered the option of allowing renewable energy companies two opportunities per annum to apply for grid connection; if so, the outcomes of such a scoping exercise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18618/24]

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (25 Apr 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: 170. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to provide details of support offered by his Department for companies operating in the circular economy (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18619/24]

Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: From the Seanad (24 Apr 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: I do not know how we have gone from this Bill that talks about the remit of Gas Networks Ireland to one that is now looking to transfer the functions relating to the Maritime Area Planning Act from the Minister for housing to the Minister for the Environment at the very last Stage. It seems extraordinary the Government is tacking on such a significant change without any discussion with the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Ireland's Climate Change Assessment Report: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: I thank the witnesses for coming in today and for all of their work on this really important piece of work. It is great to see it come to fruition. I am trying to get a sense of where we are at the moment. It sometimes can be difficult to have that full picture. We try to get the balance right and do not wish to be overly negative as positive things are happening, such as very worthwhile...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Ireland's Climate Change Assessment Report: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: The difficulty is if we do not make those short-term changes, the impact will be much greater. It will be much harder to do at a later point. We backloaded a lot of the measures. When we are talking about the different pathways what I have the greatest difficulty with is that it is very difficult for those in the agricultural sector, for example, to see what changes they need to make...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Ireland's Climate Change Assessment Report: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: Yes, absolutely. The policy side is where we come in.