Results 1,941-1,960 of 4,573 for speaker:Brian Leddin

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (8 Nov 2022)

Brian Leddin: 55. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will provide an update on the progress of the local authorities’ climate action plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55420/22]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Policy (8 Nov 2022)

Brian Leddin: 142. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to identify the research needs of the emerging hydrogen economy, particularly in the area of economic research; if he will support the development of the hydrogen economy in Ireland and in Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51680/22]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (8 Nov 2022)

Brian Leddin: 1225. To ask the Minister for Health his views on restoring home birth services in the mid-west region, following the suspension of such services by the UL Hospitals Group earlier in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55497/22]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Irish Experience of Community-led Climate Action: Public Participation Networks (8 Nov 2022)

Brian Leddin: I have received apologies from Deputy Bruton who is unable to attend today. The purpose of today's meeting is to discuss the Irish experience of community-led climate action. In attendance with our committee today we have a number of members of various public participation networks, PPNs, from around the country. I welcome Charles Stanley-Smith from Tipperary PPN; Ms Cliona Kelliher,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Irish Experience of Community-led Climate Action: Public Participation Networks (8 Nov 2022)

Brian Leddin: I thank Mr. Smith and I invite Ms Kelliher to make her opening statement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Irish Experience of Community-led Climate Action: Public Participation Networks (8 Nov 2022)

Brian Leddin: I thank Ms Kelliher for her opening statement. We now go to Ms Clancy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Irish Experience of Community-led Climate Action: Public Participation Networks (8 Nov 2022)

Brian Leddin: I thank Ms Clancy for her opening statement. We have agreed that members will take five minutes each to ask questions, which is also to include the answers. All going well, we will have time for multiple rounds. This could be one of the most important sessions we ever do in this committee because it is proving very difficult to get climate action under way at the local level. There is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Irish Experience of Community-led Climate Action: Public Participation Networks (8 Nov 2022)

Brian Leddin: I am mindful of time but can Mr. Stanley-Smith give a breakdown of the number of PPNs that would be considered independent? What proportion are under the aegis of the council?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Irish Experience of Community-led Climate Action: Public Participation Networks (8 Nov 2022)

Brian Leddin: I will take the point to Ms Kelliher, whom I congratulate on completing her master's degree. Her work is really interesting. She has looked at this issue really carefully from an academic point of view. Does she see a difference in how climate action is discussed and decisions are made in independent PPNs and those that are less independent and more under the control of the local authority?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Irish Experience of Community-led Climate Action: Public Participation Networks (8 Nov 2022)

Brian Leddin: I am mindful of the time. I am also mindful that the clock has not yet started.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Irish Experience of Community-led Climate Action: Public Participation Networks (8 Nov 2022)

Brian Leddin: I will not abuse the situation. The witnesses make a strong case for a bottom-up approach. Are they aware of examples at local level in Ireland or in other countries that might work? They might also comment on the local authorities' climate action plans, which are distillations of the national Climate Action Plan and are being worked on by local authorities across the country at the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Irish Experience of Community-led Climate Action: Public Participation Networks (8 Nov 2022)

Brian Leddin: I agree. However, I still do not have a picture of what the solution is. I am conscious of the time, though.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Irish Experience of Community-led Climate Action: Public Participation Networks (8 Nov 2022)

Brian Leddin: No. I could come back with more comments and questions but my colleagues would rightfully drag me out of here.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Irish Experience of Community-led Climate Action: Public Participation Networks (8 Nov 2022)

Brian Leddin: The network consists of 18,000 groups but without resources it is a notional network. How effective can the network be without resources? The problem is that once one starts to introduce resources then maybe the network will start to look like a hierarchical organisation where one has paid people and volunteers. How does one square that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Irish Experience of Community-led Climate Action: Public Participation Networks (8 Nov 2022)

Brian Leddin: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Irish Experience of Community-led Climate Action: Public Participation Networks (8 Nov 2022)

Brian Leddin: Climate action and disability issues overlap.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Irish Experience of Community-led Climate Action: Public Participation Networks (8 Nov 2022)

Brian Leddin: I find it staggering that one PPN has just €20,000 to play with in a year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Irish Experience of Community-led Climate Action: Public Participation Networks (8 Nov 2022)

Brian Leddin: I doubled-checked the following in the Statute Book and PPNs are knitted into the climate law that we passed last year. It seems to me that if PPNs are so under-resourced then there must be a reason. I am not criticising the Government when I say that the State generally has its own way of doing things. I mean that the State controls things and wants to continue doing so. As we have seen...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Irish Experience of Community-led Climate Action: Public Participation Networks (8 Nov 2022)

Brian Leddin: I have so many questions to ask Ms Clancy in that regard. Does Senator Boylan have more to say?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Irish Experience of Community-led Climate Action: Public Participation Networks (8 Nov 2022)

Brian Leddin: I am very interested in this area. The witnesses might think about the question I am going to ask and come back to me later with a response. The climate action plan is a top-down approach. It is the way the State does things. It states all these different things in all these different areas must be done if we are to achieve the target we have set ourselves in a short timeframe. What I...