Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)

——built on a web of untruths or, at least, a collective incompetence of staggering proportions. There has been much hot air throughout this debate but it has been coming from that side of the House.

The debate has shown that Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats have no clothes on in terms of the issues of climate change and energy security. We need greater debate. It is a pity all the members of the media are not watching this debate because we must fight for this on the airwaves, not just in the Dáil Chamber. The Government has no clothes on and is talking through its collective posterior. Much hot air is being created and it is coming from the wrong end. People are sick and tired of the S-H-1-T on climate change coming from the Government benches.

Has the Minister tabled an amendment that will take on board some of the proposals or will the Government simply vote it down, saying blah, blah, blah about farm incomes and industry? The reality, as Deputy Sargent will explain, is that a proper transport solution must follow the ethos of this Bill and farm incomes will, in future, have to take cognisance of climate change. We are the only people who appear to be doing anything about protecting farm jobs and incomes. The message from this House tonight is that Fianna Fáil has no clothes. It is the party that is destroying agriculture. I put it to the party that it must do something about it.

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