Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have a long way to go to meet our obligations under the climate change agreements that we have signed up to, and also to reduce our emissions. We have 2020 targets, which are going to be very difficult to meet, and 2030 targets which may be somewhat more realistic to meet.

We should not forget the ways in which Ireland is different from other countries. We had a lost decade, ten years during which we were not able to afford investment in public transport, new energy and other things. That is changing now, and the ten-year investment plan in infrastructure will have a huge section on climate change and will outline some of the things we intend to do in those areas. We also have a very different economy. Many countries are achieving their climate change reduction targets because heavy industry is dying out and they are able to close down heavy polluting industries. We never had those industries in the first place. We have a lot of agriculture, which produces a lot of emissions. However, the emissions produced from agriculture are lower relative to the amount of food we produce than is the case in other countries. We have to bear in mind that we achieve nothing by displacing production from Ireland to another country.

The Deputy mentioned money from the Minister, Deputy Donohue's Department. Money does not come from the Minister's Department but rather from the people. It comes from the taxpayer and the taxes that are paid by hard working people and businesses all over the country, including in Cork. Given that it is the people's money, we have to make decisions on how it is best spent, and when it comes to transport investment, in some parts of the country that will mean investment in roads. In other parts of the country, it will mean investment in public transport and railways. It is not feasible, realistic, affordable or honest to say that we can do both in all areas. We have to make decisions as to the parts of the country in which it makes sense to invest in buses and rail and the parts of the country in which it makes sense to improve our road network. It is impossible to do both-----

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