Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I did not have an opportunity to discuss the climate change agenda because I was focused on the Irish Water issue. I sought an acknowledgement from the Taoiseach that €5.5 billion was spent on water infrastructure during the period 200 to 2010, including a large number of waste water treatment plants. My own city of Cork needed one and while there was political opposition the work immeasurably improved the situation.

All the groups involved in the climate change issue and those who have been monitoring the various global summits for some time, met with parliamentarians here in recent weeks. They articulated their huge disappointment at the Government's climate change strategy, the lack of targets and what in their view is a rowing back from a position adopted by the Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government in its climate change Bill. These groups are independent of political parties, they are experts in climate change issues and they are deeply disappointed at what they perceive to be the lack of substance with regard to targets.

In the recent negotiations the Taoiseach indicated that the issue of afforestation would be factored into the calculation of Ireland's contribution. That is vital. Afforestation and trees help the climate and they also help the atmosphere. It is hoped that if we can achieve significant afforestation then this will be taken into account in the calculations. However, inexplicably, in the past this has been excluded by the European Commission and the European authorities and they have not taken sufficient account of afforestation, despite lobbying by various Governments, including our own, over the years. It makes no sense. One could argue that it would incentivise afforestation if the European Commission were to relent on that point. Has the Taoiseach any information on the up-to-date position and the likely European response to the issue of afforestation?

Deputy Adams referenced the situation with regard to agriculture. Agriculture is our oil in many respects and we need to be very careful when offering up anything in that regard, other than being fully committed to the most efficient husbandry and management of our farms so that they can achieve a reduced carbon footprint and can be effective and efficient with regard to the carbon issue. However, we have been falling behind in the case of the transport sector, which contributes very significantly to our carbon footprint.

Within government and across the various State agencies, Departments and local authorities, there is terrible inertia in the utilisation of fossil fuels and a failure to look radically at alternative mechanisms. In the case of airports, train stations and local authorities, all vehicles should either be electric or, at least, not using fossil fuels. I do not see why a national programme to that end cannot be developed. As a member of a Cabinet sub-committee on this issue at a time when the economy was going very well, I recall that the transport issue was the Achilles heel of the State's capacity to meet any realistic or reasonable target. Will the Taoiseach comment on the transport sector, the afforestation issue and the absence of targets in the context of the climate change Bill and strategy?

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