Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 9 June 2021

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed)

Photo of Darren O'RourkeDarren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 192:

In page 21, line 19, after “budget” to insert “and the financial, social, economic or rural impact thereof”.

We discussed this earlier. I am not entirely clear on the criteria by which amendments have been excluded. I know that the committee will follow up in that regard and I have done the same myself. This amendment seeks a financial, social, economic and rural impact assessment. We have looked for one elsewhere and those types of amendments have been ruled out for a range of reasons. This is an important opportunity to carry out such assessments to consider the potential impact of this for a range of reasons. We have had this discussion already. We seek adequate involvement and engagement from communities such that there is transparency surrounding decision-making. Nobody for a second is suggesting that anyone will be afforded the opportunity to avoid responsibility, but it is fair to say there are those who would point to what they see as contradictions within decisions that have been made about our response to climate change, whether in one sector or another.

I mention as an example the importation of peat from the Balkans or Germany at a time when restrictions are in place here. We must be sure there is an adequate economic, social, financial and rural impact assessment of these decisions.

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