Results 1,201-1,220 of 3,983 for speaker:Jennifer Whitmore

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Nature Restoration Law and Land Use Review: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: When Mr. O'Brien talks about the impact assessment, does he expect that will feed into the financial supports required from that perspective? Is the primary reason for considering the economic impact so that the IFA can go to the Department or to the deciding bodies and say, "This is how much it's going to cost us; now can you support us to that level?"

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Nature Restoration Law and Land Use Review: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: Ultimately, if the funding package is right, Mr. Buckley would support the nature restoration law.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Nature Restoration Law and Land Use Review: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: Yes, primarily so. We are projecting but land value, asset value and earning potential may change. We imagine there will be changes in some areas and as climate change continues to occur, the value of what might be valuable land now could change. Is this impact also being taken into account, not only with respect to an individual piece of land but also to communities? This could be with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Nature Restoration Law and Land Use Review: Discussion (28 Mar 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: The most important word here is trust.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (28 Mar 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: 177. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will provide details of any provision made by his Department for research on the potential impact on diadromous fish from marine renewables and related infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15053/23]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: European Union (28 Mar 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: 576. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality what position Ireland has taken at a European Council level on the European Commission proposals for new rules for the mutual recognition of parenthood between member states; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15004/23]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I thank the Minister for attending and for his opening statement. I want to focus on electric vehicles, EVs. In the responses to various parliamentary questions I submitted, I seem to be get different figures in this regard. What budget allocation was made in 2021 for EVs? One response to a parliamentary question states €100 million and another states €36 million. I am...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I realise it is a very specific question for the Minister.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I wish to follow up on that. I am looking at the amount of grant funding allocated. Everyone would love a new car, and most people, if they had a choice between an EV and a diesel car, would go for an EV. Most people understand this is where we need to be moving to, but new cars are very expensive. For the majority, even a modest new car is out of reach. We need to be really conscious of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: Even €50,000 is a huge amount.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I welcome that. It is important that as policies are implemented, they are reviewed and changed. They must be dynamic in the context of and reactive to what is happening. I wonder, though, with this particular policy whether the entire country is being treated in far too similar a fashion. I ask this because people in Dublin are much wealthier. If I see EVs on the roads here, they tend...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I hope I will be able to get in again, and I will talk more specifically about that aspect. On this point, though, over the last two years, some €13 million has been invested in Local Link. If we take that €13 million amount in the context of the overall rural part of the country compared with the same amount of money being provided to EV schemes, including people who can...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: No, it is not pitching town against country. What needs to happen from an evidence base is to look at the situation and see where there are gaps in public infrastructure provision. We should use that evidence to say that in the absence of public transport, and hopefully we will have it there at some stage, we will provide additional support to people living in those areas. We are not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: There are plenty of geographic grant schemes provided by the Department of Social Protection. There is the CLÁR programme. This is not something that would be a departure from Government policy. There has been a recognition that there are geographic disparities when it comes to many policy areas. It would have been a good use of Government and State money to explore this matter in a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I thank the Minister.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: If you are able to spend €60,000 on a car, you are rich.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: As I mentioned earlier I will now focus on rural Ireland and public transport in rural Ireland. I am a huge fan of Local Link and of Connecting Ireland. That policy is exactly where we need to be going. It is community-based, regular, efficient transport that is available to people who are living outside our major urban areas. My one criticism of it is that it is happening way too slowly...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: Not in Curracloe. In Curracloe it is a seasonal service and it is there to serve the beach users.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: Thank you.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I absolutely agree. The primary thing the Government has to do is put in a much larger investment into it. I think €8 million is being put into Connecting Ireland this year and, as the Minister said, Local Link is receiving €28 million. Even that is not a lot of money when one considers the benefit. The demand is there, so when the service is provided, it is absolutely...