Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ta ceist amháin faoi Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill. Ta ceist eile on the promised emergency legislation in respect of the commission of investigation into the IBRC. The Taoiseach's promised to establish a citizens convention to discuss changes to the Eighth amendment of the Constitution.

On the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill, yesterday the Taoiseach told the Paris Climate Change Conference that he wants an ambitious and binding agreement that ultimately, will limit global temperature. At the same time, however, he confirmed that the State will not meet the previous goals for a 20% reduction in emission targets for 2020. It is reported that we have only achieved a miserly 5% reduction, and this will cost the State €600 million in fines. In the light of those clearly contradictory positions and the importance of the Paris conference for this and future generations, will the Taoiseach agree to a Dáil debate on the Paris conference before Christmas? I asked the Taoiseach this question last week and again he did not answer it. Will he also confirm that the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill will be brought to the Dáil next week?

On the issue of emergency legislation in respect of the commission of investigation into the IBRC, the Taoiseach will recall that he refused to accept responsibility for the chaos around the setting up of the commission. He also refused to publish the legal advice from the Attorney General upon which the commission was established. It is clear that the Attorney General and the Government missed the issues involved entirely or, as is my submission, the Taoiseach did not want to have a proper investigation into these matters. However, he said in response to my question that he expects to bring to the Government a response taking into account all the parties' views next Tuesday. Was the issue discussed at this morning's Cabinet meeting, and what steps does the Government intend to take to put in place a proper legal context for the creation of the commission to allow the commission get on and do its work?

At the weekend the Taoiseach said he is planning to establish a citizens' convention to discuss changes to the Eighth amendment of the Constitution. Sinn Féin supports changing this Article but there are already four outstanding reports from the Constitutional Convention that have yet to be even debated in the Dáil. Now, despite the Government being in clear breach of the timetable it set itself for these, the Taoiseach is announcing another convention. Last March he told me - we are now into December - that all the matters arising from these reports have been completed by the relevant Departments. All the delegate citizens who came together in the Constitutional Convention did such a good job and the relevant Departments of Government scrutinised all of this, but still we have not had debates here. Will the Taoiseach give a commitment that these reports will be discussed before this Dáil concludes for an election, and will he consider meeting the Opposition leaders, but on a proper clár or agenda, to discuss any new constitutional or citizens' convention to agree a format and maximise the potential for positive change?

See this speech in context