Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

Yes. In a reply to a parliamentary question tabled by Deputy O'Shea of 19 January 2010, the then Minister for Social and Family Affairs stated: "Before the tax is applied to fuels for home heating, arrangements are being made to assist those most at risk of fuel poverty." In other words, no distinction was drawn between home heating oil and solid fuels. Will the Taoiseach now take the opportunity to acknowledge that his reply to me earlier this morning was wrong? I ask him to correct the record of the House.

Second, I refer to the climate change Bill listed in section C of the Government's legislative programme and for which heads have yet to be approved by the Cabinet. In July 2009, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government announced that Government approval had been given for the drafting of a climate change Bill. At that time, he stated that it was hoped to have the Bill published in advance of the Copenhagen conference to be held in December 2009. The aforementioned Bill appears to be a long way yet from being drafted or prepared. Heads have not been prepared and it is one of the few Bills on the entire legislative list for which no indicative publication date is being given. Later today, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security will publish its own draft Bill on climate change, based on work carried out by my colleague, Deputy McManus. Given that the Government, and the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in particular, are keen on having a consensual approach to matters of national importance and that the Government is not in a position as yet to produce its own Bill, will the Government accept the Bill that has all-party agreement on the Oireachtas joint committee and that is to be published later today? This would mean the important matter of climate change would be addressed in the House and that a climate change Bill would be debated and hopefully enacted by it?

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