Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The point is that there is a difference between targets and principle. One could set targets that might not be completely realistic for the period from now until 2050 and probably find oneself in the courts most of the time over not being able to achieve them. One must have the discussions and negotiate to determine what realistic targets could be achieved, accepting that we have to and want to participate, and that we want to be ambitious about what we are doing. The fact of the matter is that the targets set for 2020 have proven to be completely unrealistic. Ireland was actually given the highest greenhouse gas reduction target of all the member states, a target of -20%. Who sat down and negotiated that? On what basis was a target negotiated that was utterly unrealistic. Deputy Martin knows that the fines that will apply from 2020 to 2030 are enormous. The sacrifices people have made here over recent years to put our economy in a sustainable position will be wiped out by a series of enormous fines because targets have not been achieved. Can somebody explain to me the basis on which this country was given the highest greenhouse gas reduction target of all the member states, -20%. This target was completely problematic and unrealistic, and it was even more severely compounded by the unprecedented economic catastrophe our people had to face here. The catastrophe led to a decade of delayed progress on the challenge of mitigation; that is a fact.

The extent of the challenge posed by 2020 is very well understood by the Government, and it is reflected in the national policy position on climate change and low carbon development and the general scheme of the climate action and low carbon development Bill, both of which were published this year. Notwithstanding the difficulties, we are still performing well regarding the big challenges here by increasing levels of renewable energy. We are addressing emissions from agriculture in a more carbon-efficient way, while at the same time maintaining our commitment to meeting global nutrition and food security objectives. We are broadly on course to comply with the annual mitigation targets in the first half of the compliance period. The immediate focus of the national low-carbon roadmapping process will be on making further progress in the second half, from 2017 to 2020. That is why Ireland's negotiations on its next set of targets, for the period to 2030, are focused on achieving a fair and manageable adjustment for that period.

When the Deputy speaks of principle and targets-----

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