Results 1,861-1,880 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: No, they do not.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: No, but it is very well funded, well paid, is tax free and the product is tax free at the end of it. The way it has been designed is to promote farming and forestry, where you are not giving up farming but rather stitching it into your system. It will take time for that to take off, but it will. What the Deputy said is true. There have been historical examples. Farming is a precarious...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Briefly, before we go on to that, I am told that there are about 40 projects ready to go. To be honest, one of the things we have to be most careful of in anaerobic digestion is that we do not do what happened up North, where there was a kind of carte blanche or whatever you are having yourself. They ended up having very significant air pollution and water quality problems. The most...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: It is real and it is happening. Companies like Baxter up in Mayo have switched to using container rail freight shipping out of Waterford. We will be putting in an order for new rail freight wagons, which will help develop that trade. We are building the new rail line to Foynes - I was there myself a few weeks ago - across the Deel river, and there was a new Deel bridge, which is concrete,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: No, it will not but the first part we need is the section from Claremorris to Athenry. That is not funded. It is not in the NDP, and it is not even in the €100 billion list of projects I said are out there. We do have to make political decisions. It should be a priority because it brings better balanced regional development, and all of those industries along the west coast would...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: It is starting to be but we need to get that finalised and confirmed. As I said earlier to Deputy Whitmore, freight is actually one of the biggest challenges in transport and I do not see another alternative. I think the switch to electric would also make rail freight economic where it was not previously. The economics of running a truck from Sligo to Dublin Port and back on a single...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: -----and the cost of having to recharge will mean that rail freight will start to become competitive. You have a marshalling yard in the north west, you run-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: -----an electric truck short haulage to get the goods to the factory, and I think that is why the whole freight system is going to change.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: It is, and we have already published it and sent it out to consultation. We cannot just think about this on a 2030 time horizon. It is three-decade change that we will have to be engaged in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: There is further work that every sector will have to do. I think the Leas-Chathaoirleach is right when he says that agriculture – the farmers, the farming organisations and the industry - is taking this seriously . If one is trading on the Origin Green brand and not real about it, it will not work. Agriculture’s emissions are complicated. There is actually a relatively low...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Absolutely. However, there are additional measures that will help to close that gap. It includes the measures promoted by Teagasc – some of the technical measures, including the likes of, for example, the use of feed additives. It is difficult to model because the science around that is only evolving and the application in a pasture-led cattle system is different from where it might...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I do not believe the reduction of the grant was the reason for the slowdown in the expansion.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: It will be really challenging. We have to think long term. It is not just about getting to 2030. We know the European Commission and others are saying we need a 90% reduction by 2040.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I agree with Deputy Kenny. We have to fund farming, forestry and nature protection to deliver on the objectives. This is where the farming community is starting to come around, that it is not the environment versus farming and that we have to work together. The environmental community is certainly of that view. I have a few examples. A figure €1.3 billion that has been set aside...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: No, it will not go to Sligo. We spoke about this in the Dáil last week. However, I absolutely support the preservation of that line as a greenway. It is not in the strategic rail review but we are preserving in that way future-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: Yes, I think that is a fair summary. The climate action plan is the one where we set out all the extra initiatives. It is fortunate for us that, in developing the NECP, we have the climate action plan there to be the bedrock but we do have to meet our European obligations and do this. There are different base years, and there are different targets and requirements. Our climate action plan...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: It was the same all over the western world. There was not anything different in Ireland from what happened in Britain, continental Europe or indeed America. There are a variety of reasons behind it. I also had to make a decision as Minister where we have a very tight budget. We do not have the money for everything we want. The question is whether we use that €100 million to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: But we will still need people to have access to cars in city areas and we cannot freeze them out. That is going to be one of the most important tasks as well as on motorways. We need charging in destination areas as well. The Leas-Chathaoirleach mentioned west Cork. We need charging infrastructure in Castletownbere so that, if you are a holidaymaker or a visitor to the area, you can get home.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I agree. More than half of the money raised in carbon tax that is going to retrofitting is going in 100% grants to the likes of the warmer homes scheme. It is being dramatically expanded.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Finalisation of Draft National Energy and Climate Plan and the National Long-Term Strategy: Discussion (28 May 2024)

Eamon Ryan: I agree. I would love to get another €100 million in, but the one advantage of the carbon tax is that we know it is going to increase year in, year out. It is guaranteed income, which means we can budget to increase the contractors and get the apprenticeships up. It is frustrating because there is a wait for the warmer homes scheme, but the reason there is a wait is because there is...