Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

What we are hearing from the Minister indicates that there are not enormous differences between Deputies in terms of what we want and what our objectives are. In setting targets we could make significant advances in the State and semi-State sectors, including schools, hospitals and other high energy users. We could, for example, set a target that within two years every school, hospital, local authority and so forth should develop and publish its plans to reduce its energy use. That would demonstrate that we were serious about tackling climate change by drilling down into local communities. Several years ago a climate action committee was set up by the local authorities in counties Limerick and Clare. It developed a strategy and drew up plans to deal with climate change. The Department could issue instructions to all local authorities to revert to it by the end of the year with their plans for the transport and other sectors. We need to look at the transport sector, including private cars, heavy goods vehicles and so forth. What could be done in that sector to alleviate the effects of climate change?

The Government must lead a very ambitious programme for the commercial and semi-State sectors to enable them to work together, put protocols in place and review progress annually or bi-annually. That would make a lot of sense. That is how to tackle climate change. Does the Minister have a view on this? I know that the heating system in the Houses of the Oireachtas, for example, was totally changed and is now run on bio energy sources. That is a fantastic development about which not many people actually know. Will the Minister ask the local authorities to draw up plans, in conjunction with the experts in voluntary bodies and so forth? We need to develop plans and targets that we can meet and which will stand up to scrutiny. In that way, we will show that we are really serious about tackling climate change.

To refer to a hugely controversial planning issue, I am very disappointed that so many people in Ireland are opposed to the development of wind energy projects. If there are plans to erect pylons within 100 miles of a person's home, he or she will object hugely, but if we are really serious about tackling climate change, we must bring wind energy supplies which we have in abundance to the marketplace and people's homes.