Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The proposed amendments call from an explicit statement that the national expert advisory council on climate change shall be independent in the performance of its functions. I appreciate that there has been some concern that the presence of the ex officiomembers on the expert advisory council will, in some manner, render the council less than independent in its advice-giving functions. However, I do not agree with this assessment. The presence of the ex officiomembers should not be seen as an impediment to independence; rather, they provide the council with much needed practical experience of policy implementation by organisations which already have a well established low carbon agenda. In short, I believe that they add to, rather than diminish, the standing of the council.

Nevertheless, to address Deputies' concerns and in deference to the wishes of others, I have introduced my own amendment, No. 124, which provides for a statement of explicit independence in section 11. Therefore, I will not accept this amendment.

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