Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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That is fine.

The delegates from RECAP made a very strong statement. They said it was appalling but not surprising that, as a state, we were resorting to buying compliance with our 2020 climate change targets through the use of statistical transfers. I agree with them and welcome their strong statement. I ask them to comment on how we could use the possibility of our facing fines of €17 million per year for failing to reach our targets as an argument in favour of spending money now to deliver renewable energy resources. Not spending money on the public transport system, to retrofit homes and on other initiatives is a shocking waste of time in the context of the survival of the planet, especially if it means that we will end up spending large sums in fines. I would like to see a statistical estimate and how we could spend the money required now, rather than paying fines in the future. That is the budgeting required.

The representatives of An Taisce spoke about scaling up the model of the Citizens' Assembly. That is a brilliant idea. It would be very democratic and also possibly the only thing that would work. We could sit here, week after week, in a bubble or a vacuum, separate from what the Citizens' Assembly has done, communities would like to see done and what the delegates are working on. I ask them to give us some concept of how we could scale up the model suggested. Do they think the climate emergency Bill and the fossil fuel divestment Bill would help? Could they help in putting a bomb under the establishment and forcing it to do something about these issues?