Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I agree that this is extremely important. There is a plethora of similar amendments here and it would be good if the Government could go back and change the Bill, which was originally peppered with the phrase "in so far as is practicable". There was a huge amount of comment on the matter and a request to change it. The Government did so in respect of most of the text of the Bill but not in this section. Perhaps the Minister could explain why the Government removed this language in other clauses but not in this one because it is a caveat that gives the Government a get-out and makes the Bill look so poor.

What I have in amendment No. 13 that makes it slightly different from the other amendments is the suggestion that the Bill should reflect the UNFCCC commitment to the common but differentiated responsibilities in respect of capacities. In other words, wealthier countries have to do more than the poorer countries. That is a statement Ireland should be well able to make in the Bill and not omit it and then include a get-out clause such as "in so far as is practicable". It is not acceptable and I hope the Minister can take that on board and change that language.