Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

As the Deputy is aware, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government is directly responsible for the issue of climate change. The Minister announced last November, in conjunction with the publication of a review of national climate change policy, that an independent study would be carried out by the secretariat to the National Economic and Social Council. The study will inform policy development in this regard. On 23 January last, following engagement with the Joint Committee on the Environment, Transport, Culture and the Gaeltacht, the Minister published a work programme setting out the steps and milestones for the development of national climate policy legislation. That work programme covers the next 18 months. A process of public consultation will take place in the first half of 2012. The initial report of the NESC secretariat on potential climate policies and measures will be completed by the end of June and published in the second half of the year. The heads of a climate Bill will be developed and, following Government approval, will be considered by the joint committee by the end of 2012. The 2012 final report of the NESC secretariat will be considered by the committee in the first half of 2013. The work programme we have set out contains a number of milestones. We hope that process will conclude with the heads of the Bill having been considered by the committee by this time next year.

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