Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

Everyone shares the view that the outcome at Copenhagen was deeply disappointing. I would like to pursue the Taoiseach a little further on the action being taken by the Government to tackle climate change. The revised programme for Government contained a number of commitments in this regard. First, there was a commitment that the Government would introduce a climate change Bill to give a statutory basis to the annual carbon budget. Can I ask when we will see such legislation? The Labour Party and the Oireachtas committee have produced their own Bills in this area. They could be moved if the Government is not in a position to move its own legislation. Second, the Government made a commitment to take climate change impact assessments into account when all Cabinet decisions are being made. Can the Taoiseach outline to the House how such assessments are conducted? When decisions are being made, is a separate climate change impact assessment document presented to and considered by the Cabinet? Third, a commitment was made that a national climate change adaptation strategy would be adopted. I would like to know where that is at. Finally, there was a commitment that Ireland would ratify the Aarhus Convention by March 2010. When will the convention be ratified?

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