Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As a member of the Joint Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht, I acknowledge the work done by it on the report, for which I cannot claim any credit because I was not a member at the time it was working on it. However, I know that a great deal of work was put into it by its members. It is very important that this work was done. I also welcome publication of the climate change Bill, to give it its brief title. It is the most important legislation the Government will introduce and something that will put people, not just in Ireland but throughout the world, to the pin of their collar. People seem to be hardwired to deal with imminent problems. It seems we are not hardwired to deal with a long-term problem or something that will hit us very hard in 20 years. That is the real problem people in Ireland and other countries have in tackling the issue of climate change. It is absolutely vital to the well-being of all of us on the globe that we tackle the issue quickly. I hope that on this occasion we can see that our long-term interests must be protected immediately, rather than looking for short-term gains which may contribute to the problem down the road.

To bring the public with us, we have to continuously emphasise the extent of the problem and use the dreadful weather events which occur from time to time to emphasise why it is so important that we make a huge jump in tackling climate change and to ensure the temperature of the world will not increase by more than 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels. If we use the opportunities which, unfortunately, are going to arise with increasing frequency, it may help to get the public to understand and us to accept that we must change the way we do things. However, it is important that this be done not just in Ireland but elsewhere also. In that regard, a useful step was taken in the discussions between the United States and China, the two countries which produce the most carbon. What they have agreed to is in no way adequate, but it is important that they have begun to make that step and I hope there will be further steps down the track, to be taken as soon as possible.

The other aspect which might help people to accept the great need for change is that climate change problems also provide new economic opportunities, for example, in solar or wind energy production. This, however, will require investment. New doors will be opened and people will see the benefits. However, there is no question that if we do not address these issues urgently, we will increasingly be in serious trouble, with low-lying communities in danger of being flooded, to name but one of the huge problems we face.

On the report and the Bill, I realise - the Minister of State, Deputy Áodhan Ó Ríordáin, made this clear - that there is a gap between what the Bill offers and what the report advocated. When we come to discuss the Bill, it will be our duty to try to ensure we have maximum effect in bringing us towards a more carbon neutral country and world. I will go into this matter in more detail at that stage.

Given that Third World communities are, in a sense, on the front line in dealing with the adverse effects of climate change, it is right that there be a transfer to them to assist them in deal with their difficulties. It is very important to mention a couple of recommendations made in the report. It is important that we try to include in the Bill some definition of what we mean by low carbon emissions and specific targets to be met. It should also be emphasised that the climate council is independent and can come to its own conclusions. I welcome the five-year mitigation programme because this issue needs to be looked at on a regular basis for many years. I will come back to it when the Bill is being discussed.

I thank the Minister of State, the Chairman of the joint committee, Deputy Michael McCarthy, and committee members for the work they have done on this issue. As we can see, there will be difficulties. There are, for example, problems in trying to install wind turbines around the country. There will also be difficulties in trying to bring forward low carbon emission energy projects, for example, so as not to tread too much on the toes of local communities.

It is important that we focus on the long term necessity of addressing this major problem which stares us in the face.

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