Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Curtin and Mr. Brennan for attending the joint committee.

On the issue of how head 4 is set out, I am trying to read the intent and how this will be reflected when the Bill is drafted. Do the delegates have concerns about head 4? It states Ministers "shall have regard to..." and refers to the ultimate objectives of the convention, existing obligations of the State under European law and national greenhouse gas emissions. If that type of language is reflected throughout the final draft of the Bill, do the delegates agree that we would be setting ourselves on a very elastic course, for want of a better term? They may wish to comment on this point.

As regards overall responsibility for reporting, there is a major debate on whether the buck stops with a Minister or the Taoiseach. The role of the Dáil in the reporting mechanism is also important. At the end of the day, the Dáil represents the citizenry. It is the most representative body in the State. Therefore, how strong should the Dáil's powers be in that respect?

The delegates have already dealt with my third point, which was that the Bill tends to adopt a minimalist approach. In answer to the last question they seemed to be indicating the need for strong regulations to ensure investment certainty. What was said in that context was interesting.