Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State and his departmental officials. What has happened is very regrettable. The Bill was well advanced when it was grinded to a halt by a money message. I listened carefully to what Senator Joe O'Reilly had to say. He mentioned that in 20 years we might have technology to remove carbon from fossil fuels such that we could continue to burn them. If we are serious about this, we do not have 20 years. We are already 20 years behind. What happened is disheartening in light of all the blarney about new politics and the Oireachtas working together and playing a greater role. The number of Bills ground to a halt in this way over the last couple of years is staggering. Since 2017, eight Sinn Féin Bills dealing with climate change matters have been introduced. The Waste Reduction (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017, which is the only Bill that sets out in a comprehensive way how to reduce waste, is stalled. The Local Authority Climate Obligation Bill 2018 is being bounded around at various levels of bureaucracy. The Microgeneration Support Scheme Bill 2017 is progressing at a snail's pace. The Wind Turbine Regulation Bill 2016 seeks to put in place regulations that would allow the harnessing of wind in a sensible way, which we need to do. The absence of all of this legislation is allowing multinational companies to inappropriately locate and operate in areas with no benefit to local communities. We should be regulating for the appropriate location of wind turbines to the benefit of local communities. In doing so, we could reap much better rewards in terms of renewable energy. The Bills I have mentioned are four of the eight Bills introduced by Sinn Féin.

The Bill before us, introduced by Solidarity-People Before Profit, is likewise being stalled. I have outlined from the outset that there are parts of the Bill that we would seek to amend but the thrust of it is in the right direction. We need to progress this legislation. What has happened at such an advanced stage is very regrettable. I do not know whether this was the dead hand of Government and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment or other influences being brought to bear.

I mean that in terms of - pardon the pun - a climate being created by stopping all such measures and legislation. We cannot amend legislation and allow this to go through. I read about the exchange of correspondence between the Minister and the Ceann Comhairle. On any reading, the Minister is clutching at straws in trying to stop the Bill from being moved forward. How many times were the Department and its officials lobbied by oil and gas companies or their representatives in 2018 and to date in 2019? How many times have officials of the Department met representatives of oil and gas exploration companies in 2018 and to date in 2019? They were about the Oireachtas and certainly seeking to meet people. They are professional lobbyists.

To finish where I started, this is not 20 or 30 years out. While we recognise the reality that there is a transition which must take place, stopping the Bill on that pretext is disingenuous. It is unfair to the 158 Members of the Dáil, the 4.7 million people living in the State, humankind generally and the planet. Climate change is happening at an accelerating rate. While Sinn Féin is realistic about it, we want to get the solutions right. We know and understand one cannot turn off one switch and turn on another tomorrow morning. To say, however, that we cannot progress legislation to deal with these matters is unfair and unrealistic.