Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:

"commends the National Climate Change Strategy 2007-2012 and the Energy White Paper, Delivering a Sustainable Energy Future for Ireland".

I thank the Deputies for raising this issue. In recent months this issue has received more attention than most and it is welcome that we have a debate on climate change and environmental issues. I have analysed the Opposition's contributions on this issue and it is interesting that it continues to make five key points, most of which are inaccurate. Without intending to be pedantic, I wish to correct two points Deputy O'Dowd made in a sensible speech. The first has been made by many observers also and suggests that Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions are twice our Kyoto Protocol targets. Our emissions in 2005 were 25% above the 1990 levels, that is, 12% above the Kyoto Protocol targets.

See this speech in context