Dáil debates

Wednesday, 9 September 2020

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions

 

12:30 pm

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do not know if the Taoiseach realises the significance of the judgment. The mitigation plan has been declared invalid by the highest court in the land. This is beyond a matter learning lessons; it is a matter of acknowledging that the plan was utterly defective and telling us a timescale for the new plan. Under the 2015 Act there is a particular process of consultation. I therefore ask the Taoiseach to tell me what steps have been taken, when the national mitigation plan will be published and the date for its enactment.

As for the Climate Change Advisory Council, there are two female members out of 11. On the adaptation committee there are two female members out of ten. That is totally unacceptable.

I have looked at the programme for Government - I have it here in front of me - and the aspects of it that pertain to this question. I could not disagree with the Government's language. It is wonderful language: "transformative action", "facing the challenges", "learning from Covid", "not going back". I could not agree with the Government more on the language used, but the message going out daily is quite contrary to that. Because of Covid, the Government is telling us not to go on public transport. It is actively advising us not to do so.

In relation to Galway, the Government has utterly failed to respond to 24,000 people begging it to do, at the most basic level, a feasibility study on light rail to fit in with its national plan. I am conscious of time.

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