Comments on: Minister Gormley can we ban the Bulbs or Not? – Update http://www.irishelection.com/2008/01/minister-gormley-can-we-ban-the-bulbs-or-not/ Coverage of Irish Politics, News and Current Affairs Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:43:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 By: woollythinker http://www.irishelection.com/2008/01/minister-gormley-can-we-ban-the-bulbs-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-62104 woollythinker Sat, 12 Jan 2008 10:29:45 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/01/minister-gormley-can-we-ban-the-bulbs-or-not/#comment-62104 1. Look at his speech in the Budget on the Greens own website http://www.greenparty.ie/en/news/latest_news/gormley_delivers_carbon_budget where does it mention consultation? It is only subsequently that he mentioned consulting stakeholders. And so much for consultation when according the Irish Times this morning he has basically told Solus tough luck about their business as he's pushing through anyway despite their looking for clarifications and a more workable timeframe for the introduction. Also, you do not give a date for a ban and then start consulting. This shows total disregard for the stakeholders. 2. Why did he need to go to Europe to ask the question? And touché. 3. He never said he had to do this until this week. Is that not how all this blew up in the ministers face in the first place. Because he had not factored in the EU regulations, his timeframe of January 2009 was unlikely to be achieved. 4. But the EU have not decided on the standards yet. This will also inevitably delay the whole process also. Also, what about the single market - is that not the purpose of the EU? I also just spotted this on politics.ie - Dept. of Environment March 2007 “Because of the Single Market, Ireland cannot ban inefficient bulbs unilaterally but we could consider an environmental levy to change behavior, in advance of a ban, the same way we did with the plastic bag levy.” Seems the government don't agree either on this. 1. Look at his speech in the Budget on the Greens own website http://www.greenparty.ie/en/news/latest_news/gormley_delivers_carbon_budget where does it mention consultation? It is only subsequently that he mentioned consulting stakeholders. And so much for consultation when according the Irish Times this morning he has basically told Solus tough luck about their business as he’s pushing through anyway despite their looking for clarifications and a more workable timeframe for the introduction. Also, you do not give a date for a ban and then start consulting. This shows total disregard for the stakeholders.

2. Why did he need to go to Europe to ask the question? And touché.

3. He never said he had to do this until this week. Is that not how all this blew up in the ministers face in the first place. Because he had not factored in the EU regulations, his timeframe of January 2009 was unlikely to be achieved.

4. But the EU have not decided on the standards yet. This will also inevitably delay the whole process also. Also, what about the single market – is that not the purpose of the EU?

I also just spotted this on politics.ie – Dept. of Environment March 2007
“Because of the Single Market, Ireland cannot ban inefficient bulbs unilaterally but we could consider an environmental levy to change behavior, in advance of a ban, the same way we did with the plastic bag levy.”

Seems the government don’t agree either on this.

]]> By: joemomma http://www.irishelection.com/2008/01/minister-gormley-can-we-ban-the-bulbs-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-62101 joemomma Sat, 12 Jan 2008 02:40:50 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/01/minister-gormley-can-we-ban-the-bulbs-or-not/#comment-62101 <blockquote><i>1. Announces a consultation process (after the ban is announced) 2. Did not check out EU law and waited until yesterday to ask about it 3. Now accepts he needs to go through an EU notification process when he denied it earlier 4. Now saying he will “work on liaising closely with the Commission to ensure that the Irish proposals are consistent with those in the pipeline in Europe”. And the EU recently suggested they might consider a phase out of the bulbs over an eight year time frame! Lots of rowing back there…</i></blockquote> 1. The consultation process was announced <a href="http://www.environ.ie:80/en/Environment/News/MainBody,16215,en.htm" rel="nofollow">simultaneously with the ban</a>. 2. Says you. 3. He never denied he had to go through an EU notification process. 4. My reading is that that refers to the standards themselves rather than the time frame, i.e. he doesn't intend to adopt something that is completely incompatible with the standards eventually adopted by the EU. So where's the rowing back?

1. Announces a consultation process (after the ban is announced)
2. Did not check out EU law and waited until yesterday to ask about it
3. Now accepts he needs to go through an EU notification process when he denied it earlier
4. Now saying he will “work on liaising closely with the Commission to ensure that the Irish proposals are consistent with those in the pipeline in Europe”. And the EU recently suggested they might consider a phase out of the bulbs over an eight year time frame!

Lots of rowing back there…

1. The consultation process was announced simultaneously with the ban.
2. Says you.
3. He never denied he had to go through an EU notification process.
4. My reading is that that refers to the standards themselves rather than the time frame, i.e. he doesn’t intend to adopt something that is completely incompatible with the standards eventually adopted by the EU.

So where’s the rowing back?

]]> By: Gordon DAVIES http://www.irishelection.com/2008/01/minister-gormley-can-we-ban-the-bulbs-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-62091 Gordon DAVIES Fri, 11 Jan 2008 19:02:07 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/01/minister-gormley-can-we-ban-the-bulbs-or-not/#comment-62091 Gormley is a new boy in Government - it takes time to learn how to do things. After all FF have been in power almost continuously for 70 years and they still aren't anywhere near competent! It is surmpring however that as the Greens and the environmental movement have been using European law to drag the FF led govts into the 20th Century, that they should have got it so wrong on this one! Gordon Gormley is a new boy in Government – it takes time to learn how to do things. After all FF have been in power almost continuously for 70 years and they still aren’t anywhere near competent!

It is surmpring however that as the Greens and the environmental movement have been using European law to drag the FF led govts into the 20th Century, that they should have got it so wrong on this one!
Gordon

]]> By: Maman Poulet http://www.irishelection.com/2008/01/minister-gormley-can-we-ban-the-bulbs-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-62087 Maman Poulet Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:05:16 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/01/minister-gormley-can-we-ban-the-bulbs-or-not/#comment-62087 Fecking abbreviations...Shakes Head and turns off the light. Fecking abbreviations…Shakes Head and turns off the light.

]]> By: Cian http://www.irishelection.com/2008/01/minister-gormley-can-we-ban-the-bulbs-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-62085 Cian Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:10:34 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/01/minister-gormley-can-we-ban-the-bulbs-or-not/#comment-62085 my apologies, typing in a rush. Interstingly just received a press release from Solus which is likely to put more pressure on John Gormley, will be posting it presently. my apologies, typing in a rush. Interstingly just received a press release from Solus which is likely to put more pressure on John Gormley, will be posting it presently.

]]> By: woollythinker http://www.irishelection.com/2008/01/minister-gormley-can-we-ban-the-bulbs-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-62081 woollythinker Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:49:39 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/01/minister-gormley-can-we-ban-the-bulbs-or-not/#comment-62081 Well spox sounded derogatory to me. You learn something new everyday :-) Well spox sounded derogatory to me. You learn something new everyday :-)

]]> By: Jeremy http://www.irishelection.com/2008/01/minister-gormley-can-we-ban-the-bulbs-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-61971 Jeremy Fri, 11 Jan 2008 10:59:52 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/01/minister-gormley-can-we-ban-the-bulbs-or-not/#comment-61971 interesting about that Spok abbreviation. If you have an Irish accent then its pronounced like spock as in our pointy earred Mr Nimoy and its hard to determine what its a reference to. If you have a D4/ Dort type accent than its clearly obvious that it refers to spokesperson because the o sounds is elongatated to that spok sounds more like spoke. interesting about that Spok abbreviation. If you have an Irish accent then its pronounced like spock as in our pointy earred Mr Nimoy and its hard to determine what its a reference to. If you have a D4/ Dort type accent than its clearly obvious that it refers to spokesperson because the o sounds is elongatated to that spok sounds more like spoke.

]]> By: Cian http://www.irishelection.com/2008/01/minister-gormley-can-we-ban-the-bulbs-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-61814 Cian Fri, 11 Jan 2008 10:16:59 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/01/minister-gormley-can-we-ban-the-bulbs-or-not/#comment-61814 spox=spokesperson. spox=spokesperson.

]]> By: Maman Poulet http://www.irishelection.com/2008/01/minister-gormley-can-we-ban-the-bulbs-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-61778 Maman Poulet Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:46:02 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/01/minister-gormley-can-we-ban-the-bulbs-or-not/#comment-61778 What's a spox?? It's like a kids playground in here at the moment lads. Some of ye should pick up yer toys and go somewhere else or look at the real issues in hand? What’s a spox?? It’s like a kids playground in here at the moment lads. Some of ye should pick up yer toys and go somewhere else or look at the real issues in hand?

]]> By: woollythinker http://www.irishelection.com/2008/01/minister-gormley-can-we-ban-the-bulbs-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-61775 woollythinker Thu, 10 Jan 2008 23:35:38 +0000 http://www.irishelection.com/01/minister-gormley-can-we-ban-the-bulbs-or-not/#comment-61775 Simon, I've just checked the Labour website and the first statement she issued on December 14th was on the EU legislation - see http://www.labour.ie/press/listing/11976468095011.html Her next statement on the 18th December was on the calculation of savings of carbon emmissions that the minister was claiming would be made by banning incandescent bulbs. This is what she spoke about not houses getting colder as you say. see- http://www.labour.ie/press/listing/11979999512048881.html I've heard her saying we need to take into consideration the effects of banning traditional bulbs on lower income families, for people with lupus or epilepsy, for workers in Solus, mercury in the CFLs etc. Isn't her job as opposition spokesperson on the Environment to take up the minister on any points she thinks should be debated? I don't see why she is being berated for pointing out that the minister is incorrect in saying that he will be able to ban traditional bulbs by January 2009 which is what his original statement said. Simon, I’ve just checked the Labour website and the first statement she issued on December 14th was on the EU legislation – see http://www.labour.ie/press/listing/11976468095011.html

Her next statement on the 18th December was on the calculation of savings of carbon emmissions that the minister was claiming would be made by banning incandescent bulbs. This is what she spoke about not houses getting colder as you say. see- http://www.labour.ie/press/listing/11979999512048881.html

I’ve heard her saying we need to take into consideration the effects of banning traditional bulbs on lower income families, for people with lupus or epilepsy, for workers in Solus, mercury in the CFLs etc. Isn’t her job as opposition spokesperson on the Environment to take up the minister on any points she thinks should be debated?

I don’t see why she is being berated for pointing out that the minister is incorrect in saying that he will be able to ban traditional bulbs by January 2009 which is what his original statement said.

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