Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the Government's interest in democracy. That it provides for an extra sitting on Fridays is an opportunity for Government backbenchers and many other Members to speak on issues in which they have an interest. Today is one such day.

I acknowledge the work down by Deputy Catherine Murphy in bringing the Bill to the House. The Bill contains many new ideas which are close to my views. In regard to the climate change agenda, there is much common ground between all parties. We should be able to build on this common ground to ensure we can address energy security and climate change in the future.

In 2007, I saw the Green Party come into power in the previous Government. The first change in the House was the installation of low energy bulbs in all the chandeliers. It was its way of saying it was in government and would make a difference. Certainly the Green Party tried to push its agenda. However, just one aspect of its agenda does not bring everybody on board. We all want climate change and a climate change Bill that stops climate change and we all want energy security, but not in my back yard. As politicians we have to consider what is the best way to bring everyone on board to address this very serious issue.

A positive meeting of the Joint Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht took place in 2011 at which the Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan, introduced a two-year programme to try to bring forward national climate change legislation. I would like to work with all Members to ensure we can have an input into that programme. We have to meet our binding EU and wider international mitigation commitments.

In 1997 the vast majority of people signed up to cessation of turf cutting on 31 of the raised bogs in my area.

That was signed up to and money was paid over to the IFA or Department and it was not an issue. For ten years the last Government told us a derogation was in place and it was okay to cut turf so everyone continued to cut it. Then I went to Brussels last year and said to Mr. Potocnik that we had assumed office and would like to know what we could do over perhaps the course of a year only to find out that the last Government had not had any derogation. Commissioner Potocnik was shocked that we thought there was a derogation. The last Government was made up of Fianna Fáil and the Green Party and it told a complete untruth that there had been a ten year derogation for turf cutting. If the Green Party was in government, it should not have allowed that untruth because it caused a lot of problems and undermined their reputation for commitment to environmental protection.

We all want protection against climate change but we do not want it in our own backyard. It is up to Government and political representatives to work with everyone to ensure we get the best possible solution. I remember the flooding in the Shannon area three years ago. People thought it was due to climate change and it is very possibly it was but it was also a result of how we addressed the issue. ESB, the local authorities, the OPW, the Shannon Navigation Authority all failed to liaise with each other. There must be a multi-agency approach and cross-party approach to climate change.

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