Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Well done to the Chairman and Deputy Stanley. It is important that we mark the work of Stop Climate Chaos, which is a coalition of environmental NGOs. Following the Citizens' Assembly's report, Stop Climate Chaos wrote to the Dáil Business Committee asking that the Dáil follow up on it. The Business Committee referred the matter to the Joint Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment, of which the Chairman and I are members. Deputies Dooley, Stanley, the Chairman and I have worked well together on that committee, so I am confident now.

When the Joint Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment was asked to consider this matter by the Business Committee, we realised that we did not have the scope or strength to take on what needed to be done. That is why this committee has been established. We have done some preparatory work at the relevant Oireachtas committee, but we now have a major opportunity to make this Oireachtas work and to follow on from some of the experience of recent committees, particularly the repeal committee, which followed on from a Citizens' Assembly recommendation, in doing a similar scale and importance of work. We should recognise the role of Stop Climate Chaos and the Environmental Pillar in helping to initiate the establishment of this committee.