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

Will the mitigation plan be sufficient to meet our 2030 targets? No, not as it stands at present. First, this is a draft document and we are looking for feedback and submissions from the public on it. Second, this is a living, breathing document that will alter with the forthcoming budget and the review of the capital plan. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has directed that the issues and challenges that we face between now and 2030 are to be incorporated by Ministers in terms of their proposals for the capital plan. There will be a whole-of-Government approach. As Deputy Pringle noted, it is challenging. The heavy lifting has to be done by four Departments but there is a responsibility across Government to make the changes that are needed. For instance, the Department of Education and Skills has a role in terms of school building standards. Many other Departments also have a role to play. As the facilitating Department, we are actively trying to drive the type of change that is required and to engage directly with communities. This is why dialogue is so important. Up to now, we had the environmental lobby lecturing people and telling them how it was going to happen rather than engaging and working with them and assisting them with the active transition to a low-carbon society.

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