Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

I move:

That Dáil Éireann

noting that:

Ireland failed to meet its responsibilities under the Kyoto Protocol and its greenhouse gas emissions are twice the overall target

reland is ranked 22 out of 27 EU countries when it comes to wind, wave and biomass energy generation despite having the best potential energy generation in these sectors; and

only 3% of Ireland's primary energy supply comes from renewables;

conscious of the potential for the State to make a big difference by adjusting its own procurement policies, calls on the Government:

to set a target for a reduction in CO2 emission from each Department and State agency;

to lead by example on environmental issues through a policy of green procurement;

to begin the conversion of all public buildings to green energy;

to begin the conversion of all public service vehicles to bio-fuels in order to reduce the State's carbon footprint; and

to introduce a new system of annual open and transparent reporting which will ensure that every Government agency is held to account every year on its progress.

I seek to share time with Deputies Durkan, Naughten and Olivia Mitchell and request that the Acting Chairman tell me when I have spoken for 14 minutes.

This is one of the most important motions that could be before the House and the fact that it is being raised in one of Fine Gael's last opportunities for Private Members' time signifies the importance of the issue to us, the country, all civilisation and the Earth.

The lack of progress on carbon emissions is clear when one looks back on the ten years the Government has spent in office. While our population has grown greatly and our cities have developed in many ways, our quality of life has disimproved. When I was first elected to the Seanad in 1997, after the Government took office, the Balbriggan bypass had not been finished nor had the motorway from the Border to Dublin, but a car journey from Drogheda to Dublin was shorter by as much as 30 to 45 minutes in the morning. This journey will now take up to two hours due to congestion on the city streets.

The Government has failed because, while it has provided money for roads and such infrastructure, it has not provided money for public transport. There is currently no park and ride facility on the route I mentioned for those approaching the city from the North. A park and ride facility makes sense because it would allow people to link up with public transport for an efficient journey to the city.

The Government has not displayed joined-up thinking on climate change and Ireland has particularly failed to meet its responsibilities under the Kyoto Protocol as its greenhouse gas emissions are twice the overall target. Ireland is ranked 22nd of 27 EU countries when it comes to wind, wave and biomass energy generation despite having the best potential energy generation in these sectors. Some 83% of Ireland's recyclable waste is exported and transport emissions are up 140% since 1990. I heard a figure of 160% mentioned in this regard last night so we are not doing our jobs. Only 3% of Ireland's primary energy supply comes from renewable sources.

This, frankly, is an utter disgrace that is heightened by the attitude of the Government to its failure. The Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Noel Dempsey, is not contrite, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, is not apologetic and the Taoiseach, in the course of his final speech to the Fianna Fail árd fheis, did not mention the environment once. That is correct, 30 minutes, 53 promises, billions of euro in commitments and nothing on energy, nothing on climate change and nothing on the future of the planet. Instead of combating the problem, the Government benches deny that there is a problem.

Yesterday the Minister, Deputy Roche, announced the second national climate change strategy without any sense of embarrassment at how spectacularly the previous strategy had flopped. The first climate strategy was predicated on the significant economic growth the country was experiencing. Many European countries had to aim for emissions below their 1990 levels but we were set a level of 13% above our 1990 level. Therefore, there was an acknowledgement of our significant economic growth at the time. The Government has no excuse as it was given the best possible formula, yet it failed to solve the problem.

Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats' ten years in power has seen an environmental record of broken promises and abandoned strategies, and their performance on the environment provides far more insight than the Minister's pronouncements. The Government's true commitment to climate change was revealed when it shelved the first national climate change strategy and yesterday's desperate death bed conversion to the environmental agenda will fool nobody.

A Government that keeps its promises and leads the way on reducing emissions is needed and that is why we are using our Private Members' time this week to outline how this can be done. I hope the Government and the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, who is here tonight, will support this motion in securing the long-term future of the environment but, considering the Governments record on this issue, that seems too much to hope for.

I make no apology for stating the State has the power to lead by example on this issue. According to the 2005 annual report of the Office of Public Works, €55 million was spent by the central procurement service. This includes €13 million on fuels, €11.5 million on vehicles, €10 million on printing and €5 million on stationery and office supplies. Just imagine the difference an effective green procurement policy would make. Imagine if, instead of buying oil, the OPW was stimulating demand for bio-fuels. Imagine if, instead of buying cars that pollute the atmosphere, the OPW was instructed to replace the fleet with hybrid cars or cars that run completely on renewable sources of fuel. Imagine if every scrap of paper used by the State had to be recycled paper. Not only would this make a difference in itself but the message sent to the rest of the country would be clear.

Ireland is a modern, democratic, welfare state and, as such, the State plays a vital role in the lives of everyone. People have contact with the State every day in a myriad of ways. Imagine if every piece of correspondence they received was printed on recycled paper, if every time they saw a public service vehicle, they knew it ran on biofuel or bio-ethanol. Imagine if all Ministers followed the example of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, by stepping out of an environmentally friendly car instead of a shiny black car? I think the Minister has a Prius, or is it a Lexus?

See this speech in context