Results 1-20 of 60 for peat speaker:Brian Stanley

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Public Accounts Committee: 2021 Financial Statements of Enterprise Ireland: Discussion (23 Mar 2023)

Brian Stanley: I know that the just transition money came in. That is very welcome. Many of us, particularly in the midlands, have raised that for obvious reasons and because of the demise of the peat harvest and the black hole, pardon the pun, in a number of ways, particularly in respect of jobs. What level of protection do we have from the significant transition and the changes taking place in the...

Measures to Assist with Household Bills: Motion [Private Members] (14 Sep 2022)

Brian Stanley: ...figure of €40 million was mentioned. What are these to be fuelled with? Is it diesel? Is that the case? What are we going to fuel these emergency generators with? We had a sustainable way of reducing carbon emissions. Fair enough, we had to move away from peat but we could have used biomass, biogas, anaerobic generation and all of the other means we could use to generate...

Just Transition: Statements (18 May 2022)

Brian Stanley: Global warming is accelerating, of that there is no doubt. Peat harvesting in the midlands was to be phased out over a ten-year period. It was phased out in ten months. The people of the midlands, who were most impacted by that, in particular those in Laois-Offaly, sucked that up. Those people have borne the brunt of that and have got on with it. However, Bord na Móna is currently...

Energy Prices: Motion [Private Members] (6 Oct 2021)

Brian Stanley: ...previously cost €3.40 now costs €6.50. It does not have to be that way. I say "Well done" to the Minister of State on his policies. Sinn Féin wants there to be a transition. However, horticultural peat moss is being shipped in from Latvia. Shiploads of it are arriving here. How is that taking action on climate change? How is the carbon footprint of importing...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (21 Sep 2021)

Brian Stanley: ...or other interim solutions that are brought in. To follow on from the issues raised by the previous speakers, this is the area on which to focus. I am concerned that we have closed down the peat-burning power stations in the midlands, because we are moving away from peat. I understand the logic in that. However, this morning, a shipload of peat arrived from Lithuania. My understanding...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (21 Sep 2021)

Brian Stanley: ...things very quickly. Some of us said this at that committee. Deputy Catherine Murphy was at the committee as well as me and she will recall me raising this issue three years ago. If we close down the peat-burning stations and other sources, we will need other sources in place. Wind and solar do not provide dispatchable power on the cold nights when the wind is not blowing and the sun...

Public Accounts Committee: 2019 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 31 - Transport, Tourism and Sport (27 May 2021)

Brian Stanley: .... Spratt before we close up. I do not want Mr. Spratt to give me an answer now, in terms of the roads in County Offaly. There is a special case for north County Offaly, because the roads are over peat. Mr. O'Leary is nodding in agreement. There is a serious issue there, in terms of road safety. Can someone please have a look at the R400? The engineers and councillors need the money...

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Apr 2021)

Brian Stanley: ...with the issue of climate change. That is beyond doubt. How we do it is the question. We have to become carbon neutral by 2050. We have to decarbonise. We accept the cessation of commercial peat harvesting, but this has been a big hit to the economy and jobs in the midlands. There is also a ban on domestic turf cutting. For some families and households, jobs have been lost and their...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Environmental Policy (10 Mar 2021)

Brian Stanley: 60. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the policy in relation to the replacement of solid fuels as peat is being phased out. [13078/21]

Household Utility Bills Support: Motion [Private Members] (3 Feb 2021)

Brian Stanley: ...who lost their jobs over the course of the pandemic and who are on the PUP would not be excluded from the fuel allowance scheme. Households in the midlands must also contend with the cessation of peat harvesting. Many families would have bought turf plots. This is an issue right across Laois and Offaly but the Government has not addressed it. Many families who bought turf plots from...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Horticulture Sector (29 Jul 2020)

Brian Stanley: ...if his attention has been drawn to the fact that since the Supreme Court judgment, Supreme Court record No. 9/19, High Court ruling 2014/342 JR, there is no valid route open to horticultural peat harvesters through either the planning or licencing processes to continue their business and maintain employment; and his plans to correct the matter. [19258/20]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (23 Jul 2020)

Brian Stanley: 20. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the steps he is taking to address the failure of Bord na Móna to get planning consent to have an orderly wind down of peat harvesting in the coming years. [17132/20]

Covid-19 (Communications, Climate Action and Environment): Statements (27 May 2020)

Brian Stanley: ...the Minister the important issue of the good weather we have had for the past three months during the Covid lockdown and the fact that Bord na Móna has not been able to harvest one shovelful of peat. As a result, hundreds of jobs are in jeopardy-----

Covid-19 (Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht): Statements (21 May 2020)

Brian Stanley: I welcome this opportunity to raise a very important heritage issue that has been held up by Covid-19. I refer to the issue of the peat harvest and domestic turf cutting on Bord na Móna bogs. Bord na Móna has not been able to commence the peat harvest, including at Kilberry near the Ceann Comhairle, and domestic turf cutters have not been able to start on Bord na Móna bogs....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Regional Development (5 Dec 2019)

Brian Stanley: ...of the midlands following the news of the closures of power stations at Lough Ree and Shannonbridge. Those closures are going to have a significant impact, as will the general scaling down of the peat industry. The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation is involved but how can the Minister's Department help the midlands?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Supporting a Just Transition: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2019)

Brian Stanley: ...that went a number of years ago. The change coming in 2024 under EU regulations and the carbon tax may have an impact on Derrinlough. Has Bord na Móna looked at the potential for mixing other raw material with peat? Could a briquette made from an alternative to peat be produced at the plant? With regard to the just transition, the unions were before the committee earlier. In the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Supporting a Just Transition: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2019)

Brian Stanley: ...for Bord na Móna. On the Edenderry plant and the PSO levy, at the moment, I understand that there is a PSO subsidy for 30% biomass. Does that need to be changed? What type of stocks in terms of peat on the bogs are on hand? Does the 30% need to increase?

Early Exit from Peat for Electricity Generation: Statements (6 Nov 2019)

Brian Stanley: ...seriously negative effect on families, workers and communities across the midlands. In County Laois, there was no just transition for the workers of Cúil na Móna. That has been moving away from peat over the last 20 years and has been scaled down, but there has been nothing for the workers over that time. The redundancies announced this year were a shock to workers and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Peatlands Restoration and Rehabilitation: Discussion (23 Oct 2019)

Brian Stanley: I welcome Dr. Renou-Wilson and Mr. Lucas. Dr. Renou-Wilson stated abandoning or rewetting drained peat soils under the heading of rehabilitation is not a climate-friendly action because both approaches release large volumes of greenhouse gases. My understanding was that once drained peat has been rewetted, it will stop releasing carbon, but Dr. Renou-Wilson seemed to contradict that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Peatlands Restoration and Rehabilitation: Discussion (23 Oct 2019)

Brian Stanley: Yes. She said cutover was typically for domestic turf cutting. I have engaged in domestic turf cutting and I worked for a State company that was extracting peat. The State company was cutting over; it was taking off 1 m to 2 m. As regards cutaway, when turf cutting for ourselves, we went straight down to the gravel or the white sand at the bottom. That is cutaway. There is some...