Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

This motion relates to two particular issues, namely, Irish Cement being allowed to burn tyres by both An Bord Pleanála and the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, and unauthorised quarries, 150 of which were discovered by a recent programme. However it reflects wider concerns. These concerns involve two questions. Firstly, do we value the environment? Secondly, if we do, how do we go about protecting it? There are doubts about how much we value the environment. The issues at the core of this motion are just two aspects of a much wider debate. No one is blameless. Every Government in recent history has made disastrous decisions about the environment and ignored the right course of action. That also applies to many communities in Ireland. However, it is easy to pass the buck and say that the fault lies elsewhere.

I find it ironic that permission is being given for tyres to be burned by an Irish Cement plant in Castlemungret when every Hallowe'en there is a major problem in certain areas of Dublin with young people acquiring tyres for bonfires. Gardaí, community and youth leaders and teachers are all on the same wavelength in trying to dissuade young people from burning tyres. At the same time many young people are highlighting climate change. The Private Members' motion takes notice of the claim that the temperature at which tyres are burned means there will not be a significant impact on the environment. However, impact is impact, regardless of whether it is significant or not.

The motion also refers to complaints lodged by nearby residents about dust deposition. I know the effects of the burning of tyres at bonfires on communities in Dublin, not to mention the very costly clean-up required afterwards. I note that Irish Cement has faced fines for breaches, but a maximum fine of €4,000 is not going to make a difference to a company like Irish Cement. We have implementation with a small "i". The same can be said about the unauthorised quarries. According to the motion, it seems that enforcement notices issued by the local authorities were not effective. I wish to place those two issues, the burning of tyres and quarries, into the bigger picture of how we value our environment.

We know that global emissions are rising. There is more and more evidence of climate breakdown. The climate emergency is not in the distant future; it is affecting us now. There is a need for balance between going green and achieving a just transition for the affected communities. We must not exacerbate the poverty faced by certain groups. I want to acknowledge the work of Dr. Lorna Gold, who has produced very balanced, thoughtful and insightful speeches and articles on this, particularly addressing the need for balance. Green policies and social policies need to be complementary. Too often they are pushed into battle with each other. In one of her articles she writes, "Good eco-social policies are about a win-win of addressing inequality and emissions". She goes on to note that a just transition requires progressive welfare systems, social insurance and good social services. Practical measures include retrofitting of public housing for those on low incomes and good public infrastructure. We have examples of that already. Dr. Gold also calls for supports for those communities displaced by the transition to low-carbon sectors. There is a real need for forward planning, which is very difficult in political life. Nobody knows how long they are going to be here. That is why there is a need for consensus among all Members, regardless of which party or grouping is in power. This is not just a decision for whichever group or party is in power; it is a decision for all of us.

That leads me on to another aspect of the motion, namely, the need for greater public awareness, engagement and participation. Dr. Gold has noted that we need to identify the bigger polluters and support the principle that the polluter pays.

One of the proposals from the Youth Assembly is for a staggered corporation tax linked to emissions.

Recommendation No. 7 from the Youth Assembly is that Ireland would outlaw acts of ecocide, which is the widespread and systematic loss of ecosystems, including climate and cultural damage. This covers a multitude but we know how long it takes to bring in legislation, so we need to start the process now. The overall question is, of course, what will happen to the recommendations from the Youth Assembly.

There is an interesting recommendation on labelling on packaging with regard to distance travelled, which could be difficult to implement. What the assembly is trying to do is invaluable in this regard. It brings up the issue of online shopping because it involves a lot of packaging, which could be avoided if the customer was to go to into a real shop and bring his or her own bag. With online shopping there is a lot of travelling on the purchases.

Youth Assembly recommendation No. 9 is a targeted nationwide information campaign to educate the population about the climate crisis, its causes, effects and solutions. The two issues we are discussing today are included in that with aspects of the Fianna Fáil's Private Members' motion and the Sinn Féin amendment. The motion calls on the Government to prioritise prevention and recycling of waste over incineration, and to implement a community-led zero waste policy. The Sinn Féin amendment calls for an increase in the number of recycling centres and the range of items accepted, which comes back to the students' recommendation for a nationwide information and education campaign. This is vital because how can we recycle or work towards zero waste when there is a lot of ignorance and misinformation, and a lack of information, on recycling such as what exactly can be recycled and what we have to do with many items to make them recyclable.

I attended an event recently where a restaurateur spoke about the difficulty she faces in the restaurant when it comes to recycling. This is a person who is totally committed to recycling and climate issues. She said that to recycle a specific item, there were a number of steps she had to go through, some of which negated the effect of recycling the item. We need detailed and accurate information in a way that is readable, accessible and manageable. How many recycle bins are contaminated because of the lack of real information? Similarly, we need to know exactly what is supposed to go into compost bins.

I find more knowledge and awareness among schoolchildren, especially in the schools with a green flag. Those schools cover issues such as litter, waste, global citizenship, energy, water and biodiversity. We see children telling the adults what they are supposed to be doing in this regard.

Turning to the Houses of the Oireachtas and our efforts on waste, I have a particular gripe about the bins, which I have raised previously. I guarantee that we would find the same items in all of the bins in the Oireachtas. I may exaggerate slightly but I believe it is true because I do look at them. We need an awareness campaign in Leinster House and in LH2000. I cannot speak about Agriculture House or the Engineering Block because I am not there. We need bins for cans and for paper, and we need to know exactly what is recyclable. What happens to food waste here? There is also a question to be asked around energy and we could take the Bundestag in Berlin as an example. The idea of an independent regulator is also worth studying because I have questions around what happens to waste. Deputy Ellis referred to bottles and I would also query what exactly happens to the waste when the various bins are collected.

It is all very well using the bins, but we need guarantees that the next steps are also environmentally friendly and do not undermine the green agenda. The students also recommended that the subject of sustainability be made compulsory to junior certificate. Many of us were delighted to see history put back in its rightful place. We could make the same points about geography. Sustainability and climate could be included in that subject.

Regardless of Ireland not meeting its emissions targets the biggest polluters are the United States of America and China. While we can do our best, they need to be much more proactive than they currently are.

Dr. Lorna Gold's paper is called Is Ireland ready for a Green New Deal? We have to be ready and we need to move on to that page also. Dr. Gold referred to issues of power, privilege and prestige at play. This is the reality of the Private Members' motion. While this debate is very welcome, it must be part of the wider debate on waste and climate in the context of a green deal. We cannot go at this piecemeal or issue by issue. There must be an overall plan to tackle the issues.

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