Eamonn Maloney (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It is to be welcomed that any Member of the Oireachtas highlights the difficulties that we, as a country, have on climate change and energy security and, like others, I commend Deputy Catherine Murphy for initiating today's debate on it.

As a Labour Party member, I welcome that the Government proposes to introduce a Bill dealing with these two principle issues and other environmental issues. As other Deputies have stated, while there has been a volume of speak on this issue inside and outside this House, a Bill on it has yet to be finalised. However, both parties in Government are committed to the publication of a climate change Bill, which I look forward to debating. Many of us have different ideas in terms of emphasis on particular issues within the overall environmental area, which no doubt will be reflected during the debate on that Bill.

I was encouraged to hear the Minister, as he has done previously, remind people inside and outside this House that they can make submissions on this matter to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht. Not all the good ideas come from within this House. There are many people outside this House who are committed to, and have in many cases devoted all of their lives to, the protection of the environment, which is a good thing. In terms of environmental protection, we are coming from behind some of our European neighbours, the reasons for which I will not go into now. Most people know what they are. As emphasised by other speakers, we must bring all society with us.

I know a little about this issue having spent 26 years of my life working for an environmental company. We have some ground to make up, be it in the area of climate change, recycling and so on. It must be acknowledged that Irish people have changed and we have made gains. However, we have some way to go. The proposed legislation in this area is much needed. We can no longer ignore this issue. It is no longer enough to only talk about it; we must confront it. In my view, it is the responsibility of Government and of other Members of this Parliament to do so and we will do that when the Bill is presented.

I look forward to the introduction of the climate change Bill, which will generate an interesting debate. It is hoped it will be legislation that encompasses all sectors of society and not only farming, industry and so on. It is important all sectors are included, as has been done in other jurisdictions, particularly in the UK. Its legislation is interesting in many ways and is the type of legislation we need.

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