Results 15,661-15,680 of 20,131 for speaker:Brian Stanley

Other Questions: Recycling Policy (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: One might wonder what would happen if we did not have voluntary groups picking rubbish from the rivers and canals. The Minister may have seen the group on television the other evening of people in Dublin picking up plastic rubbish from rivers an canals around the city. That happens right across the country and we support greater enforcement. The "Sick of Plastic" campaign run last Saturday...

Other Questions: Recycling Policy (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: The Minister should start discussing it with Dunnes Stores.

Other Questions: Recycling Policy (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: 27. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the way in which he plans to reduce the amount of plastic packaging being produced in view of the pollution levels in oceans and rivers from plastics. [18027/18]

Other Questions: Recycling Policy (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: My question relates to the major problem with plastic packaging. The Minister knows that the Sick of Plastic campaign day last Saturday by Friends of the Earth and others was a big success. There is a significant public appetite for change and the public is switched on to this issue. Young people specifically are tuned into what we need to do. We need to step up to the plate in this...

Other Questions: Recycling Policy (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: I thank the Minister for the reply. Some 983,380 tonnes of packaging waste were created in 2015, with 32% of plastic waste escaping collection, and that is a huge figure. The Minister referred to marine plastic. The study published by NUI Galway showed that 70% of fish in a remote part of the North Atlantic had plastic in their stomachs, having ingested it, which shows that we have a real...

Other Questions: Bioenergy Strategy (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: Farmers are burning in fields all over the country.

Other Questions: Bioenergy Strategy (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: Farmers are burning in fields all over the country. One can see the smoke blowing out over the road. It would be preferable to use cuttings for biomass to feed the energy plants. I impress on the Minister to need to get moving. We have had trials with miscanthus and willow. I know willow will not grow on very poor land but land is available that was used for arable purposes that is...

Other Questions: Bioenergy Strategy (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: I hope the Minister has read my paper on biomass.

Other Questions: Bioenergy Strategy (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: 23. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to create an indigenous biomass industry in view of the fact that importing biomass for electricity production has been shown in studies to increase emissions; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the power station in Edenderry, County Offaly, is using imported biomass and the ESB power station at...

Other Questions: Bioenergy Strategy (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: The issue of renewable energy is close to my heart. In 11 years' time, no more peat will be burned in power stations because of our international commitments. At best, though, we will only go a quarter of the way towards meeting our obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Under the programme for Government, we are supposed to reduce emissions by 20% by 2020. According to the EPA,...

Other Questions: Bioenergy Strategy (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: What will be done about this situation?

Other Questions: Bioenergy Strategy (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: What I am trying to get across to the Minister is that while converting to biomass is great, we are only doing more damage if we are hauling it thousands of miles and levelling forests in other countries. I welcome that Bord na Móna has abandoned the plan to build a wood pellet plant in the US to feed plants in Ireland. Apart from the carbon miles on such imports, the environmental...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Departmental Protocols (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: On the Minister's reply, the problem is that I asked him about this in October 2016. I asked him a priority question here in the House on 6 December 2016 on his intentions regarding that merger and what he intended to do and he told me, and the Official Report of that debate is available, that he had absolutely no idea. I think he even shook his head in terms of what he intended to do about...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Departmental Protocols (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: 19. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department applies additional safeguards to maintain as much transparency as possible when both he and his officials are interacting with private and commercial interest groups, in view of the areas of the economy with which his Department interacts and the immense private and commercial interest parties from...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Departmental Protocols (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: I will not be expecting any more latitude than that given to the previous speaker. The Minister's Department interacts with a lot of powerful and profitable commercial interests in the energy sector, including oil, gas, electricity companies, as well as in the media. There is a public service obligation, PSO, levy, for example, of €500 million to the renewable energy sector, while...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Departmental Protocols (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: I thank the Minister for his reply. He mentioned NGOs but I think he will appreciate there is a world of difference between, for example, the Stop Climate Chaos group, which is a non-profit voluntary group, and the likes of Independent News and Media, INM, enet and other commercial companies. SIPO has published a code of conduct for public office holders. Under the heading, "Principles of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Post Office Network (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: 33. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the policy in terms of progress towards changes in services available through the post office network or broadening services to maintain a viable network of post offices and maintain an efficient postal delivery service. [18029/18]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: 36. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to aid householders in the reduction of emissions in view of the fact that reports in April 2018 highlighted that emissions and energy usage is on the rise in homes here. [18025/18]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Service Provision (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: 67. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department has had a direct contact with Eir regarding recent redundancies and the possible implications for the roll-out of high speed broadband to rural Ireland. [18028/18]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Implementation of National Mitigation Plan: Discussion (24 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: I thank the delegations for their presentations. My first question is to the Department officials. Sinn Féin believes that the national mitigation plan is not fit-for-purpose and lacks specific actions to bring us on the journey on which we need to go over the next two years, 12 years and 32 years up to 2050, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. Does the Department have specific...