Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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The section has already damaged the effectiveness of the Bill. Earlier today, six amendments were ruled out of order as they involved a potential charge on the Exchequer. The section states the need to achieve the objectives of a national adaptation framework at the least cost to the national economy and to adopt measures that are cost-effective and do not impose an unreasonable burden on the Exchequer. This is ludicrous. The transition will be costly, but only in the short term. There is a growing body of evidence that the transition to a low-carbon economy creates jobs and stimulates the economy. Furthermore, the short-sightedness of such an approach is flabbergasting. The cost of not tackling this problem with everything we have will be considerable. Anyone who does not see this reality needs to seriously question whether they are actually working in the interests of the public.