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

I have no such plans. I sat in on the debate last night and listened intently to what the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, and the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Noel Dempsey, had to say. I chaired the televised session at the recent Fianna Fáil Ard-Fheis, which Deputy O'Dowd may have missed. I introduced both Ministers in a session which dealt with the focus on a greener Ireland. It was great to hear delegates from all over the country, including Louth, making points on that issue. I am glad we are all of that mind.

The Government is committed to meeting Ireland's Kyoto Protocol commitment to limit average national greenhouse gas emissions to 13% above the 1990 levels. Compliance with these commitments will be assessed over the five-year Kyoto period 2008-2012. Ireland will reduce total greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 17 million tonnes in each year during that period. This will be achieved by the combined effect of emission reduction measures that have been implemented across the economy, including participation by our heaviest emitting installations in the EU emissions trading scheme.

These measures will be supplemented through use of the flexible mechanisms in the Kyoto Protocol to purchase allowances arising from emission reductions in other countries. This is the point at which I usually get heckled but I am glad Deputy O'Dowd is concentrating on his job. I appreciate that fact.

Ireland's first national climate change strategy was published in October 2000 and, by any standards, it has been enormously successful. That is not just my opinion, it is a fact that stands up to scrutiny. First, while our greenhouse gas emissions were about 25% above 1990 levels in 2005, the economy grew by an astonishing 150% in the period 1990 to 2005. We have therefore successfully and significantly decoupled greenhouse gas emissions from economic growth — an achievement of which any country would be proud. Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions must be viewed against the background of sustained economic growth. The challenge we face is to maintain that strong economic performance while, at the same time, lowering our greenhouse gas emissions. It is not a question of one or the other — we can and must do both. We have a moral responsibility to meet our Kyoto Protocol commitments and we have a national responsibility to maintain economic competitiveness and growth.

Second, as my friends on the Opposition benches seem to be convinced that the 2000 strategy was a failure, they should consider some of the measures that were introduced in the areas of energy, transport, homes, business, agriculture and waste.

I wish to mention Tallaght for a moment. In last night's debate there was a lot of banter about transport. I am proud, as ever, of where I live. One of the great things about the new Tallaght is the progress that has been made in delivering transport infrastructure, including the Luas system. Other colleagues said last night they did not think it would happen, but it did. I use the Luas as often as I can, as it runs close to my home. The Luas currently runs from the city through various suburbs to Tallaght, but there are plans to bring it through the Tallaght west estates to Saggart and Citywest. My colleague, Deputy Curran, has helped as much as I have in delivering that goal.

I am not afraid to say — I have said so to successive Ministers — that we should not stop at that. There is huge potential for that transport system and both the metro and Luas should be extended in various places. Tallaght is the third largest population centre in the country. There is great potential for such routes to other parts of Tallaght, including the village, Oldbawn and Firhouse. When the economy is doing well and money is available for infrastructure, we should not be afraid to listen to what communities are saying.

I am not ashamed to say that I come from a bygone era in Dublin and remember seeing trams as a small child. I always lamented the tracks being pulled up, yet here we are in 2007 with the economy doing well so we should not be afraid to give priority to public transport. I hope Government policy continues in that direction for the benefit of future generations. Those will be my views for the next six or seven weeks and beyond.

The programme published this week by the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, contains measures to remove an additional 5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year. On any measurement, the Government's policy on climate change is working. The success we are achieving in the run up to meeting our Kyoto commitments in the 2008-12 period puts Ireland on a sound footing to meet more challenging greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, which we anticipate post-2012. At the recent summit of the European Council, Ireland had the confidence to support a higher level of ambition by all developed countries, initially in the period to 2020 but also beyond, to 2050. Perhaps some of us might still be around to see that being achieved.

The business before us this evening is particularly important. It is not concerned solely with discussing the environment, but is also about taking action. I am glad that my colleagues in Government are doing so and I am happy to support them. This may be the last Private Members' debate in this Dáil term in which I will have an opportunity to participate. It is good to take the opportunity to deal with day-to-day business issues of concern to our communities, such as Swords, Balbriggan, Tallaght, Clondalkin, Louth, Limerick and the northside of Dublin. As I knock on doors and go about my business — I was in the Square in Tallaght this morning — people are talking about issues of concern. The environment is striking a chord, whether it concerns bin collections or other aspects of waste management. People are discussing it and I expect they will engage with us even more in the coming weeks.

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