Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 6:

In page 11, to delete lines 38 and 39 and substitute the following: "(4) The Climate Action Fund shall consist of the following accounts and any other accounts as the Minister may determine:

(a) just transition climate action account;

(b) biodiversity climate action account;

(c) circular economy climate action account;

(d) local authority climate action account;

(e) community energy action account; and

(f) primary and post-primary education climate action account.".

This comes back to the general theme that we cannot just limit this climate fund to the technological responses to climate change.

The Minister said that other issues such as nature-based solutions, just transition or the circular economy will be dealt with in the climate action Bill. However, as it stands, this Bill will limit them. It only refers to technological solutions and to emissions reductions and renewable energy. Essentially, that frames this document, the governance and how the fund will be allocated. There is a serious risk that they will be the only types of projects that will be covered.

The Minister agrees that nature-based solutions are an important component of this. He believes that it should be community-based, that this fund will cover projects within the community and that it should be a bottom-up fund. That will not happen unless it is specified in the Bill. While it is his intent that this will happen, that might not be the intent of the next Minister. We must strengthen this Bill and ensure we incorporate the full remit and scope. Climate is not just about renewable energy, and our climate response is not just about technological solutions. We must incorporate other solutions and nature must be a major component of that.

We are discussing the Bill but the Minister is saying there is no point because we cannot amend it, so I wonder why we are here today at all. No matter what we said and no matter how brilliant or important our amendments were, they were never going to be incorporated. What is the point of us coming here this afternoon, tabling the amendments and having this discussion if none of the amendments was ever going to be incorporated? It is a very sad sign that engagement with the other side of the House will not happen during this Government's term. This amendment outlines the different funds that should be specified in the Bill to ensure there is a possibility to ring-fence money for certain projects. I have proposed that just transition, biodiversity, circular economy, local authority, community energy action account and primary and post-primary schools be included, but not preclude any other.

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