Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left) | Oireachtas source

Yes, we will, because all the amendments are related to the heart of this Bill and how this Government proposes to fulfil its responsibility to reach our climate change targets. That is what this Bill is about and the amendments are dealing with giving the Seanad a role in that regard. I would, therefore, like to make points about it. The problem is that, with these amendments, the Seanad is trying to buy into a process but the Government's Bill is light on targets, action and substance. The Government speaks about reductions in emissions but, in actual fact, there is no plan on how to achieve them and there are no binding targets. The Seanad seeks to involve itself in the process but the process is a hollow one.

We have to put this in context. Ireland currently emits 75% more greenhouse gases than China on a per capitabasis. We are the second worse per capita polluter in Europe after Poland. Total greenhouse gas emissions for Ireland, which has a population of 4.5 million, amount to more than the total for almost 400 million of the planet's poorest people. It is an absolute disgrace to have to listen to the commentary of the Taoiseach in Paris this weekend and comments of other colleagues of the Minister, such as the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Simon Coveney. Some 30% of Ireland's emissions come from agriculture but the agriculture sector is, in essence, getting a free pass from the Government. The Seanad seeks to bind itself into the oversight provisions but it is overseeing nothing. Overseeing a plan, when it does not have any targets, is an unachievable goal.

We heard more truths come out in Paris. The Minister's Government has consistently been in denial about these issues but it is worse than denial. It is a downright false presentation of facts. When presented with the reality by the EU Commission that Ireland was not going to meet its 2020 targets, Brian Hayes MEP is on the record as saying the complete opposite and that Ireland was on course to reach its targets. This was the absolute opposite of what was contained in the report. Within hours of his saying that earlier this year, the Minister came out and admitted ahead of the Paris talks that it was no secret that we were not going to meet our 2020 targets.

The Minister then went on to assert, incorrectly, I might add, that while we will not meet our targets, we are on track towards achieving them. Evidence from the EPA flagrantly contradicts what the Minister is on the record as having said. The EPA states that Ireland is not, in line with the climate action and low carbon development plan, on track towards decarbonising the economy in the long term and that it will face steep challenges post-2020 unless further policies and measures over and above those envisaged between now and 2020 are put in place. I cannot understand how the Seanad would look at the Bill, see the reality of the situation, which clearly spells out that we are not going to achieve our targets, and decide that the only amendments it sees fit to make are toothless ones that give it an oversight role.

We are not doing anything near enough in terms of climate justice and other measures. It is a real indictment of the Government's handling of the issue that it appointed Professor John FitzGerald to the expert advisory council on the climate. Professor FitzGerald is an able person but he is an economist. He is not a climate change expert. This sets the tone for how the Government views the issue and demonstrates it is not at all at the races in terms of this global challenge. It is frightening that Professor FitzGerald said it is our grandchildren and great-grandchildren who will benefit from this Bill, something which was echoed by the Minister a minute ago.

The Minister is way behind on this. It is our lives and those of our children which will be impacted by this crisis. This is urgent but the Government has done nothing to recognise that climate change is already real. Its consequences are not something that we will see in 100 years' time; parts of this globe are already experiencing the consequences. The climate disaster is the biggest contributor to the refugee situation which will only get worse in the coming years.

Thousands of people demonstrated on the streets of Dublin last weekend on this issue. They were part of a global movement of hundreds of thousands of people who are calling on world leaders to put a stop to this madness. It is absolutely reprehensible that the French Government chose to use the excuse of terrorism to lock down legitimate protest activity in Paris when it had no problem with other social gatherings in the city. Sadly, what we saw was an abuse of power to curtail democratic debate.

Ireland is sadly wanting on this issue. The only positive is that we are on the eve of an election and hopefully we will get a new Government which will treat this issue with the seriousness it deserves. This Government has been very poor in its handling of these matters.

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