Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 134:

In page 17, line 29, to delete “18 months” and substitute “6 months”.

This amendment is to section 13(1), which states:

The Expert Advisory Council shall, not later than 18 months after the establishment day, conduct a review (in this Act referred to as a “periodic review”) of—(a) progress made in meeting the obligations of the State under Decision No. 406/2009/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the effort of Member States to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to meet the

Community’s greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments up to 2020, and

(b) progress made in furthering the achievement of the national transition objective.

Given that we are so far behind and are not doing very much with this, the idea is to force this Government, the next one or the one after - we might have two elections in a short period - to review it after six months. People might change their ideas. We might have been dragged kicking and screaming into the real world by then.

I pointed out earlier that the Governor of the Bank of England only yesterday - there is an article in the Financial Times on it - has been suddenly shouting from the rooftops about the cost of inaction on climate change to big business, which is set to become frightening not too far down the road. If those concerned had any kind of long-term vision, they would do a bit more about it now. The less they do now, the more it will cost in the long term.

It is not a good idea to bring in something which we on this side of the House think is very weak without making it a requirement to review it after it is established. I do not see why the Government should have a serious problem with making the period six months. It will not be costly to get the panel to review it. I do not see it as such a big problem. It would be a good gesture on the Government's side to take this on board.

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