Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I welcome this opportunity as I am always happy to speak on Private Members' business. Deputy Nolan nearly praised the Green Party for introducing this Bill and I compliment him on giving us an opportunity to speak. It is unfortunate that there will not be agreement but this will be so for many good reasons. The Bill is timely in the sense that I hope climate change and environmental matters stay on our minds.

My grandmother believed that, when the Russians and Americans went into space, it was the ruination of the world as we knew it. Much has changed since then. We have watched television reports from Montreal this week. It is important that we listen to what is being said in this respect. That meeting on climate change is particularly significant as I am told it is the first such conference since the Kyoto Protocol came into effect. It is an event we should mark.

Other colleagues have made a point about the difficulties presented by the Bill. I will not be parochial simply because I come from a major population centre where we take the question of the environment very seriously. One matter I was involved in when I was chairman of South Dublin County Council in 1999 was the launch of a major employment project which was sited in Deputy Curran's constituency of Clondalkin and had significant impacts as far as Tallaght was concerned. The Wyeth medicare campus in Grange Castle now provides more than 1,300 jobs, many of which are filled by people from my constituency. I am sure Deputy Curran will articulate a point clearly, namely, that many people in his and my constituencies will examine this Private Members' business, wonder about those jobs and the Bill's impact on their lives. I examined a website today that listed the companies that would be deeply affected were this Bill passed.

We all have a responsibility. Deputy Kelly said we should be responsible and examine this issue in a reasonable way. We should understand the profound effect the Bill would have on many jobs in everyone's constituency, mine included. I suspect my colleagues in the Opposition will ponder this fact over the next hour or so, which they should. The Minister has been very reasonable. I listened carefully to what he said when he put forward the Government's position. He does not want me to praise his work but he shows that he has an interest in the environment. He examines all aspects of it, which is of great concern to us all. Once again, he has demonstrated in this debate that he has his finger on the pulse. He will listen to what people say. He is not going to take on board legislation which will not work.

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