Results 341-360 of 3,562 for speaker:Jennifer Whitmore

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Enrolments (28 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I thank the Minister of State for attending and representing the Minister for Education. In early October, the three principals in the town of Greystones in Wicklow came together in an unprecedented fashion to issue a press release telling parents that there was a high likelihood that, between the three schools, sufficient places would not be provided for pupils from local primary schools...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Enrolments (28 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I thank the Minister of State. Parents will be very relieved to hear the guarantee that there will be a school place for each of the children. We now need this to happen quickly so parents will know a solution will be put in place quickly if they receive refusals at the end of this week or early next week. In Greystones, and indeed in the north Wicklow area, these solutions have taken an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP28: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. As the Chair said, they were in depth. There is an awful lot to cover. I will focus on the investment fund. The research and review are incredibly timely because the principles underpinning the incorporation of the divestment Act into the infrastructure fund appear to be exactly what is underpinning the new infrastructure and climate and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP28: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: Data centres are such a significant component of overall energy demand. We are looking at 30% whereas it is an average of 2% across other European countries. We get a disproportionately much higher concentration here. Whether it is because of the weather or the regulatory system, we place no-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP28: Discussion (28 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: That is probably more reflective of why we have them. There is not even a discussion about not only what kind of data they are collecting but how they are collecting it. My understanding is, depending even on the type of computer language or hardware used in the data centre, the energy requirement could be reduced by 30%, 40% or 50%. Essentially, no restrictions are being placed on them...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Schemes (28 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: 313. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the valuation mechanism that is in place for properties accepted on the tenant-in-situ scheme; the protocols that are in place in incidences in which properties are undervalued by the council compared to valuations from independent estate agents; if he is aware that this disparity is contributing to private landlords not...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (28 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: 657. To ask the Minister for Health if the HSE recruitment freeze will extend to the recruitment of staff intended for the planned delivery of a neurorehabilitation centre for CH06 (details supplied); if not, the progress in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52542/23]

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: The emissions gap report from the United Nations paints a stark picture when it comes to our climate. UN Secretary General, António Guterres, says: "Present trends are racing our planet down a dead-end 3 C temperature rise" and that "the emissions gap is more like an emissions canyon". The Climate Change Advisory Council here has also repeatedly rung alarm bells and said that the pace...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: The climate action plans do not meet the targets.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: The Taoiseach should not forget climate change.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: Climate change, climate mitigation and climate adaptation are the biggest issues facing not only this country but the world. Reports from the UN say that we are not doing enough. In Ireland, even if every single element of our climate action plan was implemented to the full, it would not be sufficient for us to meet our targets and the targets the Government has set. I ask for statements...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: As we are limited on time, I am moving back to the issue of barriers. When we hear the statistics about the numbers of returning salmon, it is awful and horrific. It is similar with eels. The numbers returning now are 8% of what we would have seen in the seventies. They are really at a critical point. The biggest thing we can do is remediation and carry out the removal of barriers to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: That is really positive. It is absolutely where we need to go and it is a long-term programme. It does take a long time to get these things done; to get them through the planning system and get the works are being done at the right time and so on. On the ESB, Ardnacrusha and the like, there are conditions that could be put in place and things they could do to help mitigate in the absence...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: Some 21% of the total run of eels going through Ardnacrusha die. That is an ESB statistic, and it has been said that it is an understatement. Even if it is 21%, that is a huge number for a critically endangered species. Does the IFI have the authority to tell the ESB that it must stop the turbines or introduce similar measures? We have the facts. We know how many are going through and the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: Would the IFI welcome if its statutory responsibility from the perspective of the protection of these critically endangered fish species were to take into account the ESB electricity infrastructure?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I thank the witnesses for coming in and for their presentation and all the work they did in the assembly. It is clear they are incredibly passionate about this issue and it is great to see that passion expressed in this document. When they got involved initially, they had to apply and, obviously, biodiversity loss was something in which they were all interested. Is it something they were...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (16 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I will hone in on one element, namely, the State-led liquified natural gas, LNG, storage capacity. How will the Minister ensure that the relevant entity and its infrastructure will be fully controlled by the State? My understanding is that it is expected that it could be along the lines of a public private partnership, PPP. We have seen with PPPs across the country that while the intention...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (16 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: If GNI is being tasked with the investigation and examination of this, and I assume the operation of it as well, does the Minister have confidence that it gets the whole area of climate? GNI was giving connections for islanded data centres, which is completely in non-compliance with our climate obligations. The Minister wrote to GNI last year and asked it to stop that. The fact is that he...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Policy (16 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: 7. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment for an update on the energy security review; how it will inform Government policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50262/23]