Dr. Br?d Walsh:

The question from Senator Higgins on how we can make sure Ireland does its fair share of mitigation is a good one. The long-term strategy, LTS, is very important. As I mentioned earlier, we are two and a half years late in submitting this. We are among a handful of countries, including Poland, that have not submitted it. What the LTS would do is set out the pathway to net zero. The question is how quickly we can get to net zero. We must remember that we have set in law that it will be 2050 at the latest. It will identify what is required across all sectors of the Irish economy to get us there. It gives us a true long-term plan. Together with the updated climate action plan, they will be two extremely powerful tools for climate action in Ireland. The LTS is also a very important mechanism to ensure that the EU achieves its collective net-zero goal. It allows for checks and balances to ensure that Ireland makes the appropriate and fair contribution to meeting the goal. It is more transparent. It will also provide information on investment, research, health impacts, environmental protection and socioeconomic effects in order that we will have a more holistic view.