Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Mr. Watt talked about the pain of transition, which is clear. However, we need to know the cost. He emphasised in his presentation that we need to know whether we will achieve the objective, which is a reduction in carbon emissions, and the cost of same. At every stage that is what we need to do here. The boat must be able to float in the end as well as us building it so when compiling a report, we must aim for something that will work.

Aside from the pain of transition, hitting targets and reducing carbon emissions, what will the economy and our lifestyles look like? I refer to economic forecasting and growth areas in general.. For instance, will consumers have access to cheaper electricity? Will we embark on a crusade of innovation, research and intellectual property for new technology solutions to displace fossil fuels? Will we be leaders in this area? Does the Department of Finance consider this an area where we can glean economic benefits in the long term? We can encourage businesses and innovators. We must let them know that we will prioritise our spending on innovative ideas and that we will have a new economy.