Results 1-20 of 220 for speaker:Joanne Collins
- Seanad: An tOrd Gnó (Atógáil) - Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Joanne Collins: I want to raise the issue of wind farms, most particularly in County Limerick. There are two action groups: Coolcappagh action group and the Bruff–Dromin–Athlacca action group. They are both in the process of putting in submissions to stop major wind farms from being located in their areas. There has been very little consultation with the communities on these wind farms....
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Joanne Collins: I welcome everybody. I thank them for giving up time earlier as well today when we met over in Buswells Hotel for a conversation. It is very nice to see the other side of the biomethane conversation happening this week so we can see the community side of it and the concerns there. I have looked through the witnesses' opening statement. It alludes to jurisdictions in Europe and how they do...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Joanne Collins: Yes, build ours around that. The witnesses are saying the EPA needs more powers. Have they suggestions as to the powers the EPA would need to regulate, observe and impose punitive measures?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Joanne Collins: The best practice would be------
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Joanne Collins: I thank and welcome the witnesses. I will be very brief. I have two or three questions. Is there a timeline for when the guidelines will be put together into one document?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Joanne Collins: There is no timeline, okay.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Joanne Collins: Should the EPA get more resources before any more plants are given planning permission?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Joanne Collins: Has that process started?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Joanne Collins: Brilliant.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Joanne Collins: I can tell the witnesses that the community engagement is not up to par. I know the community engagement meeting for County Limerick happened in County Cork. They would not even have it in the same area. I know of some companies that will say they will do community engagement and go out to each individual house but if they are invited to a public meeting, they will not turn up because they...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Joanne Collins: Objections were made to all of them.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Joanne Collins: Yes, but how many were objected to?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Joanne Collins: I know but does Ms Hamill know how many of the plants were objected to?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Joanne Collins: I ask Ms Hamill to do that to see what way other communities feel. My one recommendation is that, when the next round of grants come up, the single farmer is prioritised over the industrial sites. I can see it being repeatedly objected to for industrial size because they will take over so much land. Our roads infrastructure is not up to scratch and never will be. I have been living in the...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Joanne Collins: I have a quick question on the EPA. The officials say it has powers. Has it the powers to compel a closure while an investigation is under way if the plant is not up to standard?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Joanne Collins: Yes, if they were not up to standard and only the EPA could take them to court, they could still be seeping out or whatever the issue is could be ongoing for a year or two while the case is being looked at. It would be nice to know if the EPA could get those powers.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Joanne Collins: I thank Ms Hamill.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Joanne Collins: Is that something we can look into?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: All-Island Strategic Rail Review: Iarnród Éireann (22 Oct 2025)
Joanne Collins: Yes.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: All-Island Strategic Rail Review: Iarnród Éireann (22 Oct 2025)
Joanne Collins: It would be great to see Foynes in particular. I am biased because I live on that side of County Limerick. On the day I turned 17, I bought a car because I did not have a choice. There is no public transport that is sufficient to do what I need it to do. I said only last week that the first time I used a train was when I was 15 and had to come up to Dublin to get a passport. The second...