Dara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I remember being phoned by Deputy Niall Collins the day before that, but we will talk another day about that matter - the integrity of the Fianna Fáil Party.

I am very much pleased to wrap up this debate on the December European Council. Some areas were not touched on in the questions and answers. The Taoiseach said that I would focus on energy union and a forward-looking climate policy.

As expected, the European Council discussions dealt with both the historic agreement reached in Paris on climate change and the legislative package needed to advance the energy union project, which had been endorsed by energy Ministers in November.

It is worth welcoming again in this House the new Paris agreement, which sets the framework for a truly global response to the enormous challenge of climate change. The December meeting of the European Council gave a clear endorsement of this achievement and rightly congratulated France in particular for its presiding role in COP21. The European Council agreed to request an assessment of COP21 and the next steps in light of the 2030 climate and energy framework in particular. The Commission, with the Council, will prepare this in advance of the European Council next March. There are 196 signatories to the Paris agreement. It is both ambitious and legally binding and puts all countries in a position to take significant action to cut greenhouse gas emissions and to build resilience. All actors and all stakeholders, from the private sector to citizens to civil society, can clearly see that governments are serious about the challenge of global warming and about taking the necessary steps to confront it together.

Collectively, we are now committed to keeping the rise in global temperature to well below 2° Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and also to keeping the more stringent target of below 1.5° Celsius in sight. The agreement strengthens the financial and technical supports necessary for the most vulnerable countries and, crucially, through its transparency mechanism, ensures that each country can have confidence in the others' progress.

We can be proud that Ireland played a key part within the EU’s very effective negotiations in Paris. In the coming months, the EU will look at how each member state will contribute to achieving our collective obligation as set out in the EU climate and energy targets for the year 2030. I want to recall once again that Ireland has been clear and consistent in wanting a fair and achievable target that does not place a disproportionate burden on any one country but allows every country to play its part.

As expected, the December European Council encouraged swift implementation of the Commission’s energy strategy as set out in the energy union package. The goal of this package is to achieve an energy resilient Union with a forward-looking climate policy. To achieve this, the energy union encompasses a wide range of policy areas, including climate, transport, industry, research, the digital economy and agriculture. We in Ireland strongly support energy union. As a poorly interconnected member state, it is critical for us that we diversify the routes and sources of our energy and put in place appropriate supporting infrastructure. Regional co-operation will assist us in achieving EU-wide market integration and will further contribute to unlocking the full potential of renewables.

In the discussions at the December European Council, several member states raised the proposed Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline which would create a second direct link from Russia to Germany. The Commission is considering the proposal and will give its opinion in due course. Under the energy union legislative framework, member states will be required to produce national energy and climate plans by 2019. By definition, these plans will be closely linked with work on achieving the EU’s targets for 2030 under the climate and energy framework. In Ireland’s case, the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act has set work in progress on the development of a national mitigation plan and a national adaptation plan. The launch of our new White Paper on energy sets the framework for Ireland’s transition to a low carbon economy and society by 2050 and aligns fully with the principles set out in the energy union strategy. I thank Deputies for their contribution.

See this speech in context