Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

We have to review waste policy to remove the problems being caused to many of our communities by the threat of incinerators and super dumps. Net metering, for which we called in Opposition, is now in the programme for Government. We can now review and reform the EPA in Government. That will help in many of those issues that have caused huge problems for communities around the country.

The big issue about which everybody talks but very few do anything is climate change. We now have 3% annual emission reductions as a target — on which the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance will report on budget day. This is a significant step forward in the realisation that every Department and sector of society has to pull its weight in that challenge.

It is very strange and difficult to listen to both Deputy Kenny and Deputy Rabbitte when they talk about questioning the Taoiseach. During the election I certainly questioned the Taoiseach, and in fairness to them, so did the Progressive Democrats, but the silence from Fine Gael and Labour was startling, on the basis that questioning the Taoiseach might lose them votes.

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