Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

First, I have a general point to make, namely, that I do not consider the Bill has a sense of urgency about dealing with the problem of climate change and CO₂emissions. The reading of the Bill does not convince one that there is an enormous emphasis being put on that. There has been a bit of tinkering here and there but the overriding concern is with working and regulating the principles of the market rather than seeing this as a vital and urgent challenge to us all.

Neither does the Bill address why we are already missing our targets set for shifts to non-fossil fuels and towards renewables. In short, as I said on Committee Stage, the Bill seeks to rely on the market way too much rather than relying on necessary measures to set about trying to not just save the planet but to reach the targets we are expected to reach.

The first amendment relates to the board of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI.

I know Deputy Eamon Ryan is not too fond of this, but I want to see it included. I argued with the Minister at board level that we need a representative from the environmental pillar on the board of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI. It is not because we do not trust anybody else. We probably do not trust anybody else but that is not the reason why. It is to provide a balance that will correct the over-reliance on corporate interest that the board could have. We need to see somebody from the not-for-profit environmental pillar sector on it. I think it is fair enough that the Minister is willing to commit to his own amendment and individually and privately to have somebody involved from an environmental background. However, I think that our revised amendment of having somebody from the environmental pillar is very important.

On the access for community groups to the national grid, I consider amendment No. 3 very important, not just because I was asked by certain groups to pursue it, but also because the more I think about it and look at it, the more democratic I think it is. It will unveil part of a solution to our problems of CO2 emissions. If there are communities that are producing their own power and have excess power that they want to put on the national grid, it is absolutely ludicrous not to allow that to happen without forcing them to compete with the big players. We need to encourage community groups to develop sustainable and renewable energy in this way. Given that there is huge opposition at a local level to the big wind farms, this could be a really resourceful and imaginative alternative that works in favour of both the communities and the environment. I would like to push for that amendment. I repeat that the market is not helping the fight against climate change. It is hindering it. If communities are willing to do it in this way, we should definitely go down that road.

On the question of the National Oil Reserves Agency, NORA, and seeking a report on the impact of biofuels on developing countries, the last amendment on-----

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