Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and appreciate that the Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht will have an input into shaping the Bill. I believe it to be a new way of engaging in the business of government and note that participative democracy is at work in this regard. It is to be hoped that some recommendations will be brought forward. While I believe everyone shares the same objective, the question is how to get to it. In addition, all members share the objectives of ensuring that whatever is done is sustainable and that the country will be able to bear it economically because, as I have stated previously, there is no point in having airy-fairy ideas while being unable to implement them. I am a realist and have listened carefully to the advice coming from all sectors, including scientists, meteorologists, community groups and others who have made studies of this issue, as well as very good input from the Department. While this has been a learning experience, a point I took from the Minister's comments, which also had been made to members in another submission, possibly that of Professor Bates, is that the European Union's accounting procedures definitely required examination. Obviously, this issue must be considered in more detail because 30% of Ireland's emissions output comes from agriculture on which much of our economy is based, whereas the European Union average is 10% overall. In other words, Ireland is starting from a different base and, therefore, the accounting methodology must be revisited. The joint committee also heard a presentation on how the measurements were conducted and the area that was taken into consideration. As the position is very different when one compares Ireland with much larger countries, this is another issue that must be considered in greater detail.

As Deputies Humphreys and Coffey have noted, the targets comprise the main topic of the day. One submission, I think from Friends of the Earth, suggested they should be called national objectives and not targets as, therefore, they would be primary objectives and a roadmap could be laid out. The Minister himself and other submissions have referred to the question of "how much". However, we must concentrate on the question of "how to" to get to the question of "how much" and were we to lay down "how much" without knowing "how to", we will not get there. Consequently, we must know how to get there. As for the stakeholders, particularly in respect of transport, heat and so on, that sector's objective must be raised, even though wind energy has risen from 1% up to 16% at present. However, in the absence of all the Departments coming together, it is difficult to try to get renewable energy of the ground if one faces objections all the time. Obviously one also must educate people to bring them with one but in addition, consideration must be given to the co-ordination between Departments. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government must drive matters to ensure the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources considers financing and whether it must be changed to include wind energy at sea and facilities for that. I know it is increasingly expensive but the output is greater, the return is much greater and it would be faster. Consequently, a coming together of the stakeholders would be desirable. Deputy Humphreys also mentioned a point I had intended to make regarding the possibility of revising the seven-year review period to five years and while the Minister probably will not comment on that suggestion today, I will make a point to flag my perspective.

What I have most in mind is to learn more about the accounting procedure. Three or four people around the table have stated that farming is important to us, that it must be considered and that we must ensure we are starting with a level playing field. In addition, one of the climatologists who appeared mentioned that because of climate change and the warming of the Mediterranean countries, the food output there will not be great, as the facilities around the Mediterranean will not be as good as they are at present. Consequently, from the perspective of food security, it will fall to the Nordic countries and ourselves to look at food production and this must be taken into consideration. The Minister has just concluded his role in the Presidency of the European Union, in which Ireland did a great job. While Ireland has been noted as a good, clean, green country, we must ensure we keep it that way and that is what is going forward. Moreover, we should build on where we are and as the Minister himself has stated, we no longer have an option but must go forward with the climate change Bill. Hopefully we ultimately will come up with some good recommendations and I thank the Minister for his input.