Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I am sorry if I was changing the order there in a sense. I apologise because I was unable to be in the Chamber for the Second Stage debate last night. It clashed with a Cabinet meeting that I had to attend. I was liaising with the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, and I gather it was a good debate. I hope we can continue that today.

There is a critical timeline with this debate. The sooner we pass the legislation, the sooner we will be able to draw down funding for some of the solutions that we are going to discuss. That is the critical reason we are pressing ahead. I cannot remember the exact amount but every additional month will provide €10 million that we can bring towards the solutions that we all agree are needed. That affects the timelines. I mention this because it also affects our ability to accept amendments. I will not be able to accept the amendments set out. However, I am hoping to discuss how we may be able to pick up some of the amendments in a climate Bill due later this Autumn. We are not ruling out the prospect of taking on board some of the ideas mentioned.

I will start by explaining why these amendments are not being accepted and why they have been grouped together. They are concerned with expanding the scope of the climate action fund, including providing for it to have the ability to support projects which improve air quality and biodiversity.

I thank Deputies Naughten and Whitmore for their positive amendments on these project types and for including carbon sequestration projects under the projects supported by the fund. I agree with them that measures in these areas are important. However, I am reluctant to expand further the range of project types that may be supported by what is already likely to be a heavily over-subscribed fund. To do so would risk diluting the fund's impact across a large range of sectors and areas, rather than the fund being targeted for maximum impact, primarily towards greenhouse gas reductions.

Recently, my Department held information briefings which were attended by a large number of groups and potential project promoters interested in applying to the fund for support. A subsequent expression of interest process indicated that the fund was likely to attract a large number of developed and worthwhile projects. For this reason I think it is wise not to amend the Bill to enable climate action fund support for measures to improve air quality and biodiversity, notwithstanding the fact that it is necessary to promote and support measures in these areas.

At the moment the Bill limits the projects that can be supported to those which will impact on the State's ability to meet its greenhouse gas emissions' targets and those that provide help to workers and regions that are impacted by the State's transition to a low carbon economy. The provisions for the fund included within the Bill are targeted at certain activities which can be directly linked to Government targets and obligations, such as national and international climate and energy targets as well as providing assistance to communities as they transition from a dependency on high carbon activities.

I am keen to refer in particular to amendment No. 11 from Deputy Naughten. While not accepting the amendment now, I thank the Deputy for what I believe is a positive and constructive amendment. Deputies will be aware that measures to promote carbon sequestration relating to how we conduct forestry and manage soils offer extraordinary potential to increase the natural storage of carbon.

A land use review will be undertaken in due course by Government. It will include forests, farmlands and peatlands to ensure that future decisions and policy formation are informed by consideration of how land may best be used. This will take into account carbon sequestration benefits as well as climate adaptation. There is scope to consider further if and how the climate fund can support sequestration projects, initiatives and research and I will examine this.

Deputies will be aware that as part of the programme for Government I will shortly be progressing the climate action Bill through the Oireachtas. I think there could be scope for this Bill, after a closer consideration of relevant issues, to provide for the climate action fund to support carbon sequestration projects in the State and also potentially for projects to improve climate resilience. I note that Deputy Whitmore has referred to the fund supporting community based transition solutions in amendment No. 16. Again, I will look at what can be done within the climate action Bill possibly to amend funding capabilities. I agree absolutely with Deputy Whitmore that addressing the climate crisis has to go hand in hand with addressing the biodiversity crisis.

The two go together. A lot of the solutions we will use to fight climate change will inherently provide benefits for biodiversity, depending on the type of forestry we do. If we go with close to nature continuous coverage forestry solutions, we will see significant improvements in biodiversity, as well as the delivery of high-quality timber, the creation of a significant number of jobs and the development of rural Ireland. I could go on. The land use plan is critical so that we address biodiversity and the climate crisis at the same time.

The former Minister, Deputy Naughten, has a deep knowledge of this area given his former role in the Department. I agree with him that the air quality issue is also connected. The two go together. As we move away from fossil fuel use, that will provide potential benefits in terms of addressing air quality. I am trying to remember my briefing notes on this area, but my understanding is that the air quality review is due to be published shortly or is close to being completed.

My knowledge of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine report is, I am afraid, much more scant. I will ask the Department to dig up that body of work. I thank the Deputy for reminding me of its existence. I will track it down and report back to him.

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