Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

I fully support the Deputy's sentiment but his sense seems to have lost him.

The European Union has a strong position on climate change and on what it wants from Montreal. It is seeking a broad, open and early discussion. It hopes particularly to engage with the US, if possible, and the heavier greenhouse gas emitting developing countries such as China, India, Mexico, Brazil and South Africa. Negotiations at Montreal are unlikely to be easy. The debate is ongoing on this issue.

I now want to return briefly to consider the basis for the Government's approach to meeting its Kyoto Protocol target. The national climate change strategy provides the basis for Government policy and action to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the most efficient and equitable manner. The strategy also ensures that Ireland meets its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. The strategy identifies a range of policies and measures to reduce the level of greenhouse gas emissions across various sectors of the economy.

Progress has already been achieved in progressing measures across a variety of sectors. Among the measures implemented are increasing the share of renewable energy in line with meeting our EU targets; fuel switching to less polluting fuels in power generation; emissions labelling in motor vehicles——

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