Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 27:

In page 6, line 9, to delete “24 months” and substitute “18 months”.

The proposed amendments seek to shorten the timeframe for the production of the first national mitigation plan from 24 months after enactment of the Bill to less than that. Many Opposition Members and in the environmental NGO community were concerned at the original 24 month timeframe, considering it to be too long in the context of our pressing mitigation targets up to 2020. Accordingly, in amendment No. 27, I have decided to shorten this timeframe to 18 months, which I know will not be short enough for some.

Nevertheless, 18 months is the bare minimum necessary to allow robust mitigation policy measures to be developed and made subject to strategic environmental assessments and appropriate assessments pursuant to EU directives, as well as to statutory public scrutiny processes.

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