Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Is cúis áthais dúinn í sa Chomhaontas Glas an Bille seo a thabhairt os comhair na Dála anocht. Climate change is the greatest threat we face and our response to it must be swift and far-reaching. It must also be socially just. There are no jobs on a dead planet, but there are green jobs in a new green economy. This Bill is designed to ensure that workers and communities have a real opportunity to shape our transition away from fossil fuels and ensure that all Government decisions on climate change take workers' employment into consideration and create decent, high value jobs as a function of their implementation. No one can be left behind.

Some 1,700 workers are directly employed in the peat extraction industry, while a further 2,500 are employed in support roles. There have already been job losses in the sector in recent years and the Government's response to protecting the futures of these communities has been wholly inadequate. There are similar warning signs in the oil and gas industry and this issue will only become more apparent as time goes by. We know that these industries are unsustainable, so there is no excuse not to act now to provide a safety net for those who work in them. We cannot simply leave these workers behind and create a post fossil fuel rust belt in the midlands. Workers who have lost jobs in fossil fuel industries should be able to redeploy to new sectors and it is incumbent upon the Government to provide retraining and opportunities to facilitate this. Providing for that changeover is at the heart of the Green Party's Just Transition (Worker and Community Environmental Rights) Bill 2018.

The national just transition commission that this Bill seeks to create provides a range of measures to address this. It will bring together communities, workers, ecological experts and government to provide for dialogue and mediation in finding meaningful solutions for the communities affected by a wind-down in our fossil fuel industry. It will also play a crucial advisory role to the Government and other State agencies in providing them with the expertise they need to maximise the employment opportunities of a low-carbon future.

By taking action and planning for a just transition now, we will reap the dividends of a new green economy tomorrow. If we have the vision to grasp the benefits of a decarbonised economy, we stand to benefit from job creation in climate-smart agriculture, in the smart-grid sector and in expanded solar photovoltaic and wind energy. With this Bill, we will have the opportunity to create a fairer economy while protecting our planet.

Before I conclude, I would like to express my sincere thanks and míle buíochas to Sinéad Mercier for her Trojan work in drafting this Bill. She has been a tireless advocate for the principles of a Just Transition and this Bill is a testament to her commitment to workers' rights and climate justice. I hope the Members of this House will support our Just Transition (Worker and Community Environmental Rights) Bill 2018 and stand with us in defending workers and creating a more equitable green economy in the future.

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