Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The similar Climate Change Delivery Board, CCDB, was established in Scotland in 2012 after cross-party consensus was reached on climate action. Scotland's rural ministry has played a central role on the board in achieving a buy-in from rural communities. We must have local buy-in, including in the case of the Moneypoint plant. For every direct job that is lost there, 1.5 indirect jobs in, for example, services will be lost in the community. We must support a just transition. We could as a consequence surpass our environmental targets, as happened in Scotland. We should learn its lesson and take the same approach, as we cannot afford for rural communities to be left as the hind tit taking crumbs from the rich man's table. Will the Minister of State confirm whether he has been briefed on the recommendations made in the joint committee's report, specifically those relating to a just transition and the need for local economic diversification plans? Will his Department play a significant role on the proposed climate change delivery board outlined in the Government's climate action plan?

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