Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left) | Oireachtas source

People are constantly setting out what needs to be done to combat climate change, which is happening fast and will have a huge impact on countries in the Third World and the so-called First World. We know it is a life-and-death issue for many people throughout the world. As the Minister said, it is a worldwide issue that does not know boundaries. We always have people standing up to say "yes, we are going to commit to this". This country's Minister of the day attended the Lima conference and made the argument that Ireland was going to commit itself to climate change objectives. In that context, the Bill that has come before the Dáil in recent days beggars belief. Where is the pressure coming from? Is it coming from sectoral interests? Are they saying it is all very fine to talk about climate change but we should commit ourselves in words rather than in deeds? Are groups coming in from behind the scenes to put pressure on governments to reduce their obligations to international climate change efforts? I do not think it is good enough to say these targets will be based on other targets that are to be set. We have to set our own targets. It is crucial for us to do so. Other countries have set clear targets already.

I attended a briefing that was held by Stop Climate Chaos yesterday. I suggest the Minister would have attended it last year before he was put in the position he is in now, or even before he was elected. The organisers of the briefing, who have been very involved in some of the most serious examination of climate change for the future, are saying clearly that this Bill is very disappointing. A fourth class group of ten year olds from Griffeen Valley Educate Together national school who attended yesterday's event asked why no targets have been set in this legislation. They could not understand why no targets have been set. When people of that age are asking such questions, it shows they have significant concerns about their future. The Minister has an obligation to provide a specific reason. I do not think the explanation he provided in his introductory remarks was good enough. We should set targets for our greenhouse emissions.

A great deal of energy has been expended on trying to secure a basis for a cohesive all-party approach to this Bill. While the Minister might have more experience in this regard, it seems to me that this Bill has had one of the longest periods of gestation in the Dáil since the action plan finished in 2012. A serious approach to this legislation seemed to be taken from then on in. There were long and arduous discussions at the joint committee. Everybody tried to play a part in bringing forward an acceptable Bill that would be robust in dealing with serious climate change issues. Deputy Murphy might be able to tell me how long the members of the committee were stuck in there.

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