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

I move:

That Dáil Éireann:

notes that:— in February 2018, Dáil Éireann agreed the second reading motion of the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018 and referred the Bill to the Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment;

— pursuant to Standing Order 141, detailed scrutiny was undertaken by the Joint Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment prior to Committee Stage consideration;

— in December 2018, the Joint Committee divided on the Question on the draft detailed scrutiny report (which recommended that the Bill progress to Select Committee consideration), and, as there was an equality of votes, the Question was, pursuant to Standing Orders, decided in the negative;

— at a subsequent Joint Committee meeting in February 2019, an amendment to the scrutiny report was agreed in the following terms:

‘The Joint Committee having completed its scrutiny of the Bill has to report that it finds itself unable to recommend for or against the Bill proceeding to Third Stage.’;

and

— when a separate vote was taken to adopt the amended report and lay it before both Houses, there was again an equality of votes and the question was decided in the negative and the Committee therefore arrived at no decision;further notes that Standing Order 141, while allowing a Joint Committee to undertake detailed scrutiny, did not anticipate that the Joint Committee would fail to report to both Houses; and therefore agrees that the requirement for the Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment (having embarked on scrutiny in Joint Committee, pursuant to Standing Order 141(c) to report, prior to Committee Stage, on its detailed scrutiny of the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Amendment) (Climate Emergency Measures) Bill 2018, is hereby discharged.

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