Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 21 March 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action

Sustainable Development Goals: Discussion

Photo of Brian LeddinBrian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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The purpose of that reform is to try to avoid all those challenges. Our sister committee, the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, is dealing with that legislation at present.

Mr. Conneely is not quite saved by the bell. I have a question for him. First, I want to join with colleagues in commending Chambers Ireland on the leadership it has shown on the sustainable development goals. I was privileged to be a guest of Limerick Chamber of Commerce recently at Chambers Ireland's centenary dinner in Dublin Castle. It was a great event. Mindful of Ms O'Neill's point on the road projects and former President Mary Robinson's strong call when she addressed the guests at the dinner last month to be ten times bolder and acknowledging the leadership from Chambers Ireland, there is probably a challenge in the network because chambers of commerce across the country continue to advocate for road projects, which undermines the efforts we are all making. Perhaps it is a bit unfair to put Mr. Conneely on the spot because I recognise the leadership that the parent body, Chambers Ireland, has shown. I suppose it is walking a fine line. There is a tension between that leadership and the membership, I suppose, and what they might see as right because they might not be as switched on to this bigger challenge. Businesses, quite understandably, are focused on the bottom line on a week-to-week basis and they connect road projects or even how we use our street space. Chambers Ireland referred repeatedly to liveable towns and how we make them good places to live but we often see chambers of commerce being quite hesitant to embrace those kinds of changes. Chambers Ireland has a huge challenge. If Mr. Conneely wants to speak to that, I would certainly appreciate his comments.