Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is a very important issue that has been raised by the Deputy. As I understand it, the conference in Addis Ababa is really about pledging for funding, which will be an important element. It was raised with me by the chairman of the World Bank when he was here. The Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Sherlock, normally attends these occasions and, to be honest, I am unsure who is attending on behalf of the Government, although there will be a representative there in any event. The Uachtarán will attend the September meeting in New York and I expect to be there for a short period at that development goal conference. The third meeting, in Paris, is on climate change, and takes place in December.

Following the Pope's encyclical, there is a new impetus about this and what it means for countries. I hope the political process will respond, and I know that in our own case, as a small country, we would like to be able to have targets that we can actually achieve. We face a real challenge in this respect because the targets set for Ireland for 2020 were based, in my view, on inadequate evidence and scientific information in the first place. If the process continues from 2020 to 2030 on that basis, whatever Government represents our country in that period will be subject to enormous fines of €5.5 billion or €6 billion. We have consent from the European Council in respect of the agri-profile that we have here, which will allow us in some small way to be better able to compete towards achievable targets. Given the change in the economic position here over the past number of years, while Ireland was very much on track to achieve the required levels to contribute to those goals, the process has become somewhat stunted. It is obviously a matter that the Government can consider as we prepare for the October budget and decide how that can be best reflected.

I will see to it that we have a representative at the conference. If it is not Deputy Sherlock, it will be a senior representative - a Minister or Minister of State, if possible - who will go to Addis Ababa. The Uachtarán will attend in New York and I hope to be there as well. There is also the meeting in Paris dealing with issues to do with climate change. This is an important consideration and possibly worthy of a Dáil debate here at an appropriate time.

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