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

My understanding is that the Climate Change Advisory Committee, CCAC, which is independent in how it does its work, may have a meeting next week. I expect the carbon budgets to come out of that, all going well, and the Government hopes to respond the following week with a new draft climate action plan. The Dáil will be away next week but will have returned by then. I hope to be able to go to Glasgow with a new draft climate action plan in place. This fits in with the wider scheme of things.

The EU's Fit for 55 package is as comprehensive a legislative package as I have ever seen from the Commission. Its breadth is remarkable, with five large policy areas. There is broad support for it at the European Council, on the Commission and, I believe, in the European Parliament. It will take a year and a half or so to go through the trilogue process, so it will take some time for many of the provisions to kick in, but the proposals are radical and transformative.

In areas like aviation, maritime and energy, it is hugely transformative. I have said publicly to the Commission that its proposals to extend, in effect, an EU carbon tax to transport and heating would not suit us. From where would we get the €5 billion we are going to use to retrofit people's homes? We would not have the same access to the funds. Other than that, by and large, I consider it a good legislative package. We will have specific issues of concern but, broadly, we are very supportive of it.

I have two further points to make. First, on the question of how we can lead on issues, I would say that we can discard the "laggard" tag. Our political system, including all parties, has shown a certain determination in the past three to five years, led previously by the former Minister, Deputy Bruton, working with the predecessor of this committee, and that work continues under the current committee. Our climate legislation is as good as any. We have ended fracking and oil and gas exploration. I will be going to COP meetings with representatives of the oil and gas sector and telling them we need to divest. We have made provision for that in the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund. There are many examples that what we are doing is right up there with anything being done elsewhere. As we start to deliver on some of the current budget lines, including on active travel, retrofitting and other areas, we will not be in a bad place, even if we cannot quite call ourselves leaders. We are well positioned to start showing real leadership.

Finally, the reason I have to leave soon is that I am going to Ostend for a meeting tonight and tomorrow morning on offshore renewable energy. If I were to pick one project that has huge potential, it is in our efforts, in co-operation with our European colleagues, to deliver the 35 GW of offshore renewables that this committee agreed three years ago, with the previous Minister, to deliver. It would transform our country and the story of our economy like no other project has ever done. If I were to choose one example of where we might show leadership, it is in this area. As I said to Senator McGahon, it is not about the very glamorous areas; it is about getting good grid policy and auction systems, for example, in place. The Maritime Area Planning Bill, which is currently before the housing committee, is probably the most important legislation being debated by the Oireachtas at this time. If we can get it through by Christmas, we can give real certainty in terms of the political support for transition in this country. The United States does not have that level of consensus on some of the large projects that are needed and nor do many other European countries. We are well placed to lead in this regard.