Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Carroll and Ms Griffin and congratulate them on the continuing work being undertaken on the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2020, in which I was quite deeply involved at an early stage. I have a couple of questions. I am a little concerned at the way in which it is proposed to deal with consultation in the legislation. I know there is considerable interest in involvement with the consultative process. If it is not included in this legislation, are there plans for a more comprehensive climate dialogue? It is necessary to involve people in discussing the legislation as we move through the budgets and climate plans but we should also note that, without dialogue, people will not buy in in the way that is required for the necessary changes to be undertaken.

To move to my second question, has there been progress on the size or range of the sectoral decarbonisation targets? If the range is made too large, one takes away some of the drive to change. If it is made too narrow, it becomes excessively restrictive and there is a degree of uncertainty. The committee will want to see the target range being as narrow as is reasonable.

What happens if there is a shortfall in respect of the climate budgets? I note that, in the legislation, a shortfall of 1% can be carried on into the next period, but I am unclear on the compliance mechanisms that will apply where budget targets are missed. There has been some commentary on this issue. One wonders whether Departments would face budgetary restrictions. Apart from the Oireachtas making an adverse report, how can pressure be put on sectors to comply?

On cross-government oversight, with the climate action plan, as with the Action Plan for Jobs, one of the strengths has been the role of the Department of the Taoiseach in oversight. This is not referenced in the legislation but it seems to me that, if carbon budgetary targets are to be taken seriously, central oversight from the Department of the Taoiseach will be required. Will that continue in the implementation of carbon budgeting?