Results 1-20 of 800 for at speaker:Brian Leddin

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Draft National Energy and Climate Plan: Discussion (14 May 2024)

Brian Leddin: I see several hands have gone up. I will bring everyone in. I am interested in hearing whether the witnesses have considered how something like a future generations commission would get off the ground and we could make it happen like the Welsh have done. I think Finland and New Zealand are looking at this as well. I do not see any reason why Ireland cannot and should not be doing it too....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Draft National Energy and Climate Plan: Discussion (14 May 2024)

Brian Leddin: That is a fair point. I now invite Ms Devitt and I ask that she be brief as I am aware some of our guests need to leave at 12.30 p.m. Senator O'Reilly wants to come in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Draft National Energy and Climate Plan: Discussion (14 May 2024)

Brian Leddin: Okay. That message is loud and clear. The clerk has confirmed that the Minister will be coming in on 28 May, which is in two weeks. These are points that my colleagues and I will be very keen to make to him when he is here. I see that Senator Higgins wishes to come back in. I am mindful of time, however. We intended to finish the meeting at 12.30, but she can come in briefly if she...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Draft National Energy and Climate Plan: Discussion (14 May 2024)

Brian Leddin: Absolutely. I thank Mr. Coghlan for that and I thank Senator Higgins for her questions. We were due to finish at 12.30 p.m. but since it is now beyond that I will bring the meeting to a close. I thank those who have come to Leinster House. We know them well after some years of having them in quite regularly. We really appreciate their time. Equally, the presence of those who joined us...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Draft National Energy and Climate Plan: Discussion (14 May 2024)

Brian Leddin: I thank Dr. Hough. Like many politicians, I am campaigning and canvassing at the moment. It is an incredible privilege to knock on doors of hundreds of people - thousands at this stage - and talk to people about these kinds of issues. I am not getting a strong sense of disagreement about what we need to do. I am actually getting a very strong sense of agreement that we need to do...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Draft National Energy and Climate Plan: Discussion (14 May 2024)

Brian Leddin: I thank Dr. Brennan for her opening statement. I will shortly invite colleagues to ask questions. The committee is very happy to hear the witnesses' opening statements and, if necessary, to put the points raised to the Department and the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to ensure that we are doing as much as we can as a state within Europe. I want to raise the issue of a prospective future...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Brian Leddin: I thank the Minister of State for that. As there are no more questions, we are at the point where I thank the Minister of State and his officials for their engagement this afternoon. It has been very interesting and this is the first of a series of engagements we will have in the area of the circular economy in the next few weeks. I acknowledge the work of Deputy Bruton in elevating this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Ireland's Climate Change Assessment Report: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Brian Leddin: The purpose of the meeting is to have a discussion on a very important piece of work, Ireland's climate change assessment report. On behalf of the committee, I welcome the witnesses, all of whom are authors of the report. I think we have broken the record for the number of witnesses before the committee today. We have eight witnesses here in person and we are very grateful they have come...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Ireland's Climate Change Assessment Report: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Brian Leddin: I thank Professor Daly and all who contributed to the opening statement. As agreed, members will have five minutes for their questions. I will allow latitude if I think it is an important line of questioning. Members might indicate if they wish to ask questions, and the clerk will take a list. To begin, I might ask a straightforward question to any and all of the witnesses. It is about...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Ireland's Climate Change Assessment Report: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Brian Leddin: It reminds me of the National Transport Authority. Perhaps Professor Caulfield will speak to it later. It recently did a survey of the regional cities and in my home city of Limerick, it found 76% of people agreed with reallocating road space in favour of active travel, which is completely contrary to what the media, and certainly social media, would tell us. This kind of research is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Ireland's Climate Change Assessment Report: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Brian Leddin: I thank Dr. Deane. I will not use any more of the committee's time but the idea has been suggested to the committee before - I do not know whether the witnesses worked on it - of a future generations commission, which other countries have established to look at the long-term benefits, how we shape our society in a few decades' time and the necessary action to tackle climate change. If anyone...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Ireland's Climate Change Assessment Report: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Brian Leddin: On the cause and message being so important, and on Professor Daly's point about selling the good stories or even the personal stories of people who have been adversely affected by climate change, we are ahead of target on retrofitting and electric vehicle numbers. If we wanted to do more, we could not do so because we are maxed out in terms of retrofitting homes and providing electric...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Ireland's Climate Change Assessment Report: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Brian Leddin: I thank Dr. Moriarty. We will certainly look at Volume 4 and the detail in it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Ireland's Climate Change Assessment Report: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Brian Leddin: The advertising piece was mentioned by Deputy Murphy and it is probably not something our witnesses touched in their research. It is something our committee is starting to look at and we have done some work on it as a committee but we will be going back to it in the near future. Does anyone want to comment? I invite Professor Daly to speak?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Ireland's Climate Change Assessment Report: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Brian Leddin: It is a hugely important point by Dr. Moriarty. We have so many experts - many of them in front of us today - who are so good at defining what the problem is, how we got here and where we are trying to get to. That piece where we really need research is the political piece, the social piece, the communication and how we actually do that. It goes back to my question at the very start. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Ireland's Climate Change Assessment Report: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Brian Leddin: Not if we look at it more broadly, that is, to the transport and housing planning piece. They have a huge role there. I am not sure how switched on they are to the challenges we have with climate. There are national agencies driving policy, helping local governments for sure. I think of local government's role as being much bigger than their own buildings, for example, or vehicle fleet....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Ireland's Climate Change Assessment Report: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Brian Leddin: Sticking with the adaptation aspect, mindful we have reached 2 p.m., if we return to volume 1 of the report and the different scenarios set out there, including what is, essentially, a worst-case scenario for 2100, that I think refers to a 4°C increase in temperature over the pre-industrial mean, are local authorities planning for this level of risk? Where are they at with this? I live...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Ireland's Climate Change Assessment Report: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Brian Leddin: ...probably hungry. We have not really talked about the industry piece today. One of the big elephants in the room is cement. Perhaps Professor Ó Gallachóir or Professor Daly might speak on that issue as it is a big chunk of the energy piece. I know the climate action plan leans into the potential for carbon capture and storage. I would like to hear a little bit more about...

Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Motion (18 Apr 2024)

Brian Leddin: I move: That Dáil Éireann, in accordance with a Resolution of the Dáil of 22nd February, 2022, and the Order of the Dáil of 20th June, 2023, shall take note of the Report of the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action entitled "Report on the examination of recommendations of the Citizens' Assembly report on biodiversity loss", copies of which were laid before...

Road Safety: Statements (17 Apr 2024)

Brian Leddin: Enforcement is critically important. I agree with Deputy Tóibín. It has to be addressed. I welcome Commissioner Harris' recent initiative to increase enforcement on our roads. Others in this House talked about the Road Safety Authority and whether it is fit for purpose. I am inclined to think that as it is currently constituted, it is not. Its remit can certainly be looked...