Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

The most recent report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change has intensified the debate on climate change around the world. Would the Taoiseach agree that in Ireland that debate is intensifying now because it is becoming clear that it is not just the poorest of the poor in far away places who have suffered disproportionately from climate change and weather-related events? In many cases, they do not have the resources to protect themselves, particularly in exposed coastal and other areas.

Climate change has come to our shores. While it was denied by some before, it is generally accepted that human activity is a huge factor here. Notably, it is the impact of large-scale production by big business, driven by profits. Very dirty industries cut corners to make private returns. There is huge burning of fossil fuels at terrible cost to eco-systems and the environment.

Does the Taoiseach agree that in terms of finding the alternative strategy needed to reduce sharply fossil fuel burning in Ireland as a contribution to what must be done worldwide, the Government has made a complete mess of things by permitting a scramble by big business nationally to set up wind farms on an inappropriate scale, driven by private profit? Is it any wonder that we have huge community resistance as evidenced by the thousands who were outside Leinster House today. The Government has allowed the critical need to move to renewable sources of energy and alternatives to fossil burning, including wind energy, to be highjacked by elements in the industry which put their businesses above communities and everything else, including the environment, driven by commercial interests.

Has the Taoiseach learned nothing from the catastrophe visited on our society by developer-led housing and planning over the last 30 to 40 years? The Taoiseach has been in the Dáil for 30 years and seen it blow by blow. We had Fianna Fáil and a good raft of Fine Gael local authority members, driven by speculator-led pressure, making entirely inappropriate and wrong rezoning decisions to allow housing development in the wrong areas, including flood plains and unsustainable locations, simply to satisfy the lust for profit of the people they were representing. The Taoiseach is allowing it to happen again in the context of the serious matter of the need to produce a national plan to move from fossil fuel burning to renewable fuels which do not pollute the environment. Has the Taoiseach learned nothing from the housing bubble and crash which were also the result of allowing commercial, for-profit interests to drive what happened in housing and planning?

Does the Taoiseach agree that he must organise an emergency meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee on climate change? The sub-committee should place an immediate moratorium on developments which are being pushed through by major private business interests in their own interests. There should also be a moratorium on the overground pylons. We should then conduct - to begin with - a deep, extensive and honest debate nationally on how the alternative to fossil fuel burning and pollution can be advanced in the interests of the environment primarily as well as in the interests of the community and the human beings feeling the impact of the pressure from private sources. Does the Taoiseach agree that such a debate is necessary and that it should be open, honest and well informed?

There should be a cost-benefit analysis of every proposal that is made. Industry is able to use, abuse and twist environmental language to cover up its real intentions and the fact that much of what it is doing will not result in a huge benefit for the environment. Agriculture is a very important industry for our people. Does the Taoiseach agree that we must discuss agriculture and climate change to ensure that we have methods of agricultural production which do not add to the problem, reduce emissions and keep sustainable communities on the land in rural Ireland, which is under a great deal of pressure?

There is a need for a radical rethink and a complete redirection of policy. The crucial issue of moving from the destruction of our environment by fossil fuels driven by the oil and petrol companies should not be put in the hands of companies which are their mirror image and also interested simply in private gain and profit. It is not the way to go and will have disastrous consequences. It will, rightly, be rejected by people.

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