Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister's plan is ambitious. It is good on detail relating to why we should implement it and what we should do, but it is glaringly light on how we should do it. Unfortunately, no big statements in the hallowed halls of the UN will move that position. It is important that we have the opportunity to concentrate on some of the commitments that the Government made at the UN summit. Even though they are both is intertwined, we can deal with the plan at a later stage. In particular, it is right that we would scrutinise the Taoiseach's statements here since he seems to be much more ambitious when he spends a number of hours travelling to the United States. Whether it is jet lag or whatever, when it comes to discussing climate change, the Taoiseach seems to be more giving of his time and consideration when he is abroad than is the case when he is inn this House.

This is particularly important from a climate justice perspective. In a joint article published just before the UN event, Trócaire, Concern, Oxfam and Goal noted that extreme weather due to climate change is affecting millions of people. This is something that Ireland will witness, with Hurricane Lorenzo due to hit tomorrow. For those of us who are talking to people on the ground, as the Minister is, they are starting to understand the implications of climate change. The organisations to which I refer highlighted that "The cruellest injustice of climate change is that it impacts first and hardest on the world's poorest and most vulnerable". They also stated that the summit would be an opportunity to showcase our tangible commitments in light of Ireland's campaign for a seat on the Security Council.

In his UN speech, the Taoiseach listed climate measures and stated that the Government is "responding ... with creativity, with imagination and with courage." I want to address his list and strongly reject any claim of creativity, imagination or, indeed, courage. First, we have not had sight of the necessary climate legislation that the Taoiseach referred to. The Taoiseach also highlighted fossil fuel divestment but we know that his party did not produce the relevant legislation. The Taoiseach noted the commitment to increase renewable electricity to 70% but did not mention anything about the planning obstacles for solar panels on roofs or ensuring community energy and community ownership of renewables, all of which are significant gaps that must be overcome to support climate action at local level. Unlike the leaders of other EU member states, the Taoiseach made no commitment to increase funding to the UN Green Climate Fund or to support a higher EU 2030 target. The Minister hinted at that earlier and indicated that while we are ambitious, we probably need to be more ambitious. That is the kind of stuff that we would liked to have heard from the Taoiseach at the UN convention. I do not believe the Government has showed creativity, imagination or courage. We have yet to see the "tangible commitments" that were called for. I do not believe the Government has responded to the recent children's protest.

The real problem has been that the Government knowingly neglected Ireland's climate responsibilities for the best part of the past decade. It is far from clear that Ministers are leading a co-ordinated response that will ensure that Ireland meets its commitments and avoids significant EU fines.

The Comptroller and Auditor General stated in recent days that Ireland's poor performance is already projected to cost up to €125 million in fines and that costs will escalate if the Government does not radically improve its approach. The Government must commit, before the election, to enacting the necessary legislation to introduce a net zero target and improve accountability across Government. I know of the Minister's personal commitment but I certainly would question the commitment of other Ministers and, indeed, of the Cabinet in its entirety.

The Taoiseach's announcement that there will be a phasing out of oil exploration initially appeared to be a step in the right direction. Although the announcement made for a good headline and got plenty of traction for a day or so, it looks less impressive when the details are examined. Unlike gas, Ireland does not have an indigenous oil industry and there have been no viable oil finds whatsoever. Making an announcement to ban something that is not there is like a child at Lent promising to give up the sweets he or she never had in the first place. The Taoiseach's comments to the media implied a complete ban on oil exploration but he later referred to a moratorium applying to 80% of Irish waters. The Department also produced a guide on exploration just weeks before. The Government must urgently clarify what steps will be taken to implement this moratorium. The Government should also have clarified an appropriate sunset period for the phase-out of oil and gas exploration, much like it did for the selling of petrol and diesel cars.

The Taoiseach also stated that he made his announcement following advice from the Climate Change Advisory Council. He failed to refer to the briefing from the council which accompanied that letter. The council provided further explanation in this briefing and noted that there are risks to achieving Ireland's 2030 and 2050 targets if large reserves of oil and gas are brought ashore and, in addition, that there are risks to the economy of stranded assets and lock-in to fossil fuel based energy systems. There is significant background information that very much qualifies the letter provided from the Climate Change Advisory Council. I have not seen that referred to by the Minister or the Taoiseach. The council also stated that a switch to renewables may be more cost-effective and that better interconnection may improve security of supply at less cost than offshore fossil fuels. I note the announcement today on the Celtic interconnector. Can the Minister confirm that this briefing was examined prior to the Taoiseach's comments and could he also outline the process around how the council came to write the letter in the first instance?

The Taoiseach also stated that he listened to the Citizens' Assembly and sought consensus through the Joint Committee on Climate Action, yet the Government is not respecting this consensus. It is failing to live up to deadlines in the committee's report. Indeed, they were not even included in the Government's new climate plan, despite Fine Gael committing to them in March at the committee.

On carbon tax, I welcome that the Taoiseach committed to support Fianna Fáil's position on ring-fencing carbon tax revenues both to pay for climate measures and to ensure that vulnerable households are protected. Fianna Fáil has been clear that it would be unacceptable to bring in a carbon tax increase without ensuring that the vulnerable are better protected from fuel poverty. Revenues should also be used to support behavioural change and directed towards helping citizens. I refer here to grants and incentives for retrofits, rooftop solar on farm buildings and initiatives to ensure a just transition.

In respect of a just transition, Fianna Fáil is also extremely concerned by developments at the peat stations in the midlands and at the Moneypoint coal plant, where the Government seems to be willing to let jobs be lost rather than engage with workers before the losses occur. These businesses have been central to rural communities for generations. Fianna Fáil has repeatedly stated that we need a just transition for all workers and communities. There is an urgent need to put in place supports that would lead to workers being retrained, communities assisted and peatlands restored to assist in carbon sequestration. This issue was a key focus of the Oireachtas committee which noted the need for a social dialogue through the creation of an independent just transition task force. Fine Gael committed to establishing this task force at the committee but unfortunately it did not form part of the Government's climate plan. Representatives were not even part of the regional forums set up to deal with the issue.

On air quality, It is important that we prioritise actions that will reduce emissions and enhance quality of life, particularly for our children. I am extremely concerned about levels of air pollution which are resulting in over 1,000 deaths in Ireland each year. The Government has failed to introduce a nationwide ban on smoky coal. We still have no sight of the national clean air strategy. Will the Minister clarify the steps he is taking to ban smoky coal so that we can see air quality improvements this year?

There is a knowing mismatch between the Taoiseach's UN statements and the action being taken domestically. There are real environmental, health and economic costs as a result of the Government's lack of leadership and ambition. We must treat the climate challenge as a cross-societal opportunity where action will improve the quality of our lives. All levels of society must be assisted both to shift their behaviour away from fossil fuels and to protect biodiversity in our communities.

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