Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Regarding the comment about the opinion poll, it is true and interesting. It is not unusual. Over the years, typically if people are asked in opinion polls about the issues they are concerned about and the environment is included, it would be lucky to come in at the bottom of the list. People are understandably more concerned about how to get to the end of the month rather than the end of the world. However, when someone sits down with people and explains the complex issues we face, as happened in our citizens' assembly, it is remarkable how in those circumstances an ordinary bunch of 100 Irish people come back and say almost unanimously they want these sort of measures, including carbon taxation and the redistribution of it in a fair way. Having considered the issue rather than taking a short quick look at it in an opinion poll, it is important to them and they are keen that we take the actions we need to take.

Regarding the just transition commissioner, we will continue to develop and evolve. One of the benefits I had coming in was the fact that we had a just transition commissioner in place - Kieran Mulvey. The critical thing was to make sure that his good work in the midlands was successful and that we carried through the wide range of local projects to support community development in that area, which we have done, and started the massive investment in bog rehabilitation, which we have done and which has created employment for the same workers with the same skills who were previously involved in peat extraction. It was critical that we focused on the immediate turning of Bord na Móna from a brown company into a green one and we see the significant success it is starting to experience now in developing renewable power and looking at a range of new enterprise opportunities. My focus in delivering the just transition was first and foremost making it a success in the midlands. In the climate action plan and beyond, we will look to other mechanisms and ways in which we evolve this. The Bill we put through in the Dáil four or five years ago was critical because it created the sort of facilities we have been putting in place in the past year or two. It was a mediation service. It was an ability to work flexibly with local communities. The structures we need could be statutory, within the Department or existing structures. For example, in the midlands, we are looking at the regional authorities having a role or Offaly County Council having a much greater role as we learn by doing. The climate action plan will set out those measures. It will be an iterative process. Learning by doing in this just transition is one of the most important factors.