Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

It is not Ireland's only response and the Deputy knows that as well as I. Two or three weeks after Kofi Annan's remarks, 600 scientists produced their report on climate change at a conference in Paris. They unequivocally placed on the record exactly where we are going on climate change. If there were any doubts about it, they were dispelled at that stage. Mr. Nicholas Stern spoke at that conference, which was organised by the French president, and had also spoken in Nairobi. Another speaker was Mr. Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the UN conference on climate change. All three of them made the point that the flexible mechanism in the Kyoto Protocol could be used to huge positive effect. Before any Members of this House turn their minds irrevocably against it, we should think that through. Deputy O'Dowd said we should not turn against it but should use it where it is logical to do so. That is precisely what I am proposing to do.

I was amazed by Deputy Michael D. Higgins's failure to grasp the benefit to the developed world that could flow from the proper and moral use of the flexible mechanism. We all believe that it must be channelled correctly. The €40 million worth of credits that the Government has purchased so far has been done in a moral way through the ERBD and the World Bank. It is appropriate that those mechanisms should now be focused in a fashion that delivers real benefit to the countries that do not have our environmental pollution problems because they do not have the energy resources that are available to us.

A discussion arose from the Nairobi conference about how some people's lives were dominated by the search for sticks to burn in stoves for heating and cooking purposes. The flexible mechanism can be used as a hugely liberating influence in their lives. That is why Kofi Anna specifically called for it. It would be a bad mistake for us to say that the mechanism can never be used.

A number of Deputies referred to purchasing credits as a simple way of buying out. The reality, however, is that purchasing credits is part and parcel of the bulk of EU member states' national allocation programmes. Countries with good environmental records and good relations with the Third World, such as Denmark and the Netherlands, have indicated that they will develop programmes for purchasing credits. It is therefore foolhardy of us to say that we will not take that route at all.

I agree that we must focus on correcting matters here and I will come back to that point in a moment. I wish to take up a couple of points that Deputy Gilmore made during his contribution. He talked about fines and penalties totalling €750 million and continuously misrepresented the purchase of credits. That is to his discredit because I do not think he is unaware that what he is saying is inaccurate. If he were to think the matter through correctly he would see the error of his ways.

I will make a couple of specific points because time is running out. It would be wonderful if we could have a more flexible debate on this subject because we need it.

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