Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)

There was an improvement in our climate change emissions when IFI closed, but that was only temporary. We must go further by promoting organic agriculture which accounts for 1% of the sector here compared with 4% in Wales. Such a promotion would improve employment and stop farmers from leaving the land. Things like that can help us. Rather than wringing our hands when the Carlow sugar factory closed, we could examine alternative policies. Why not convert the plant to ethanol and maintain employment in that way? The Government has not given the green light for that idea, however.

We must also promote renewable energy. We have already seen the first wind turbines on the Arklow bank and planning is there for another 100 or so, but we need the incentive from Government to make that happen. Ireland can be part of a European grid that feeds green electricity throughout the European Union. So far, however, we are only in the ha'penny place so we need to go further. We need to improve planning policies. Suburban sprawl is the norm at the moment and we are still building huge housing estates miles away from the services people require. We want mixed-use communities that are placed close to schools, churches, shops and jobs. That can be done, but planning standards need to be improved to ensure it happens.

People are commuting for hours every day in a completely unsustainable manner and the lead in this regard must be taken by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Jobs should be located in commuter towns. I do not want everybody in Navan to have to travel to Dublin every morning. I want the Minister to ensure that jobs are provided in Navan so that the road from Navan to Dublin does not become a parking lot every day from 7.30 a.m.

The Minister must make the national spatial strategy work rather than engaging in the pork barrel politics of decentralisation. Our plea is for the Minister to make that shift by improving the design of apartments in our towns and cities so that instead of shoe boxes where sound travels, we will build decent homes in which people can rear their children. In the construction sector, for example, zero emission homes are already being built with heat pumps and timber-based, highly insulated construction. The solutions exist; it simply remains for the Minister to take them up.

In the 21st century, climate change is a greater threat to mankind than terrorism. It requires resolve, courage and conviction from governments. We want to see such resolve from the Minister by supporting this Bill. Climate change is already killing people in sub-Saharan Africa. It is leaving people homeless in New Orleans as a result of the hurricanes it is creating. Ireland should be able to hold its head up high. It could be a good news story but it requires vision from the Minister. We commend this Bill to the House.

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