Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

First, €350,000 is allocated for this year in that regard. If the Deputy has any suggestions or thoughts as to how we can engage with communities throughout the country, I am quite happy to hear them. Suggestions have been put to me about the public participation networks and how they could be involved in the national dialogue. I also want to see schoolchildren involved in it because the reality is that action or inaction now will have implications for young people today in getting employment in the future and having to deal with the consequences if we fail to deliver the targets for 2050. Therefore, it is important that young people also be engaged with this.

Based on the European Commission projection, we will fall short of our targets, but I want to try to see if we can hit that 2020 target and start working towards our 2030 target. It is important to point out that we are leading the world in having test sites for renewable wave and tidal energy. We are leading in some areas. In fact, the European Commission today published a very complimentary report on our management of waste.

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