Mr. John McCarthy:

In some respects the Title of the Bill is double-handed in that the words "climate action" reflect the challenge of the need to take action on the issue of climate change, while the words "low carbon development" represent the opportunity side of the equation in terms of how we transition to a low carbon economy and, ultimately, balance the climate change action and low carbon development dimensions.

In terms of orientation of the Bill, head 3 clarifies the unequivocal commitment not only to existing obligations of the State under EU law or international agreement, but also future obligations. That relates back to the emerging discussion on 2030 targets to move us beyond the 2020 targets that we already have in place.

The value and importance of head 4 is that it places a statutory responsibility on the Government of the day to make arrangements, primarily by way of plans, for a national low-carbon roadmap and sectoral low-carbon roadmaps which will be the basis for setting out how to achieve the transition to a low-carbon climate-resilient and environmentally-sustainable economy in a cost-effective way. In making sectoral plans and, ultimately, the overall national low-carbon roadmap, there is a requirement built in to take into account the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC, objectives, commitments of the European Union on greenhouse gas mitigation, any commitments that the State has given under EU law or international agreements, our overall national emissions inventory and the projections profile produced each year by the EPA as crucial ingredients in the overall process as well.

The national low-carbon roadmap is gone into in a little more detail in head 5. The importance of this head is the manner in which it sets out that the national low-carbon roadmap is the vehicle for setting out the national vision for transition to a low-carbon economy and to address and specify the policy measures required to ensure compliance with existing obligations and targets. As that evolves over time, it will take account of future obligations and targets. The work the NESC secretariat has done, which Dr. O'Donnell outlined to the committee, is a significantly important feed into the process of shaping that overall national roadmap and the sectoral roadmaps that will contribute to it.

The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and other relevant Ministers will be required to take a long-term view in preparing their sectoral roadmaps and the national roadmap. In the discussion earlier, we placed an emphasis on the importance of long-term time horizons and planning so as to ensure that investment decisions that are made now are the right investment decisions for the medium and longer term. Provision is also made for the Minister to consult the expert advisory body on the matters arising under that head. The requirement will be for the national roadmap to be made within 12 months of the passing of the Bill and at least once every seven years thereafter.

The relevant Ministers will be required to make up the sectoral low-carbon roadmaps, which will be the constituent parts which will ultimately make up the bulk of the overall national low-carbon roadmap and which will develop the national vision in their own individual sectors. They will set out the specific policies and measures to be adopted to achieve emissions reductions. In anticipation of the legislation, sectoral low-carbon roadmaps have already been mandated to be prepared over the course of 2013 in agriculture, energy, transport and buildings.

Heads 6 and 7 deal with the expert advisory body. This is one suggested shape for a body that would advise the Government and Ministers on climate change. Dr. O'Donnell outlined what NESC has had to say about slightly different institutional arrangements. No doubt this is something that the committee will consider in the course of its work. In the heads of the Bill, in heads 6 and 7, the expert advisory body envisaged a high-level body comprising members with a broad range of expertise rather than a stakeholder or representative body. It is envisaged that the experts will play a key role in advising Government and individual Ministers on the mitigation and adaptation steps that need to be taken on the pathway towards a low-carbon economy.

Head 7 is designed, at one level, to set out the specific functions of the body, but it is also designed to give as much flexibility and right of initiation as possible to the body concerned while still maintaining the clear role of Government and the Minister and other Ministers in policy-making. The aim is to try to ensure the highest quality of advice based on the most up-to-date science and taking account of all other relevant factors, and to ensure that is available to Government and Ministers as they exercise their functions. A specific requirement will be for the expert body to take into account, in discharging its role, the obligations of the State under EU or international law.

In terms of reporting in heads 8 and 9, head 8 requires the expert body to prepare and submit an annual report to government by the end of June each year in which the expert body would set out a summary of its findings and recommendations on the national inventory of greenhouse gas emissions prepared by the EPA and the projections to target, recommendations on the most cost-effective way of achieving the overall objective of transition to a low-carbon economy. It would also report on how to secure further compliance with our EU and international law commitments. That is the annual reporting requirement in head 8.

In head 9, provision is made for the expert advisory body to initiate what we call a periodic review at any time where it is of the opinion that scientific or technological advances, or developments at EU or international level, might warrant a review. For example, when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, produces its various reports every number of years, that may be something that may well trigger the expert advisory body to produce a periodic report to Government.

Head 10 relates to reporting and accountability, and specifically annual transition reporting to the Oireachtas under which the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and other Ministers responsible for the individual sectoral roadmaps would report at least once a year to Dáil Éireann in order to ensure the essential accountability for progress on achieving our transition to a low-carbon economy. The head provides that the Minister would also have to report on compliance and further progress towards compliance with relevant EU and international obligations.

Head 11 relates to the duties of public bodies. Public bodies will be required to consider fully and integrate the objectives of the national low-carbon roadmap in their strategic planning. In effect, it is a vehicle for trying to ensure that the national low-carbon roadmap is given effect by relevant bodies in their individual areas of activity.

Head 12 makes provision for the making of regulations. Further work will be required on heads 11 and 12 according as the legislative process proceeds.

If the Chairman wishes, I can respond to some of the points.