Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for choosing this matter and the Minister for being here. During the programme for Government discussions there were a number of conversations about this proposed competition. It did not make the final draft but it was something that we engaged on.

We must mobilise communities right across the country in the climate change challenge. The green schools initiative has been a particularly good example of mobilising the next generation and we must bring that sense of spirit and adventure to communities.

My town of Ballina is very proud of its daughter, Mary Robinson. At the last major public gathering in the town before Covid-19 arrived, she set a challenge, saying that if somebody does something on their own, we wonder what difference it makes, but what if whole communities do it? She said that if the entire population were to live differently, it would change the system. With those words in mind, a large number of groups have come together, including Ballina Chamber and the Ballina Community Clean Up. One of our natives, Mr. Kevin Loftus, is a young man from the town working with a Dutch-based architectural practice in urban regeneration. All these people and groups are looking at how we can make Ballina Ireland's greenest town.

There are a number of commitments in the programme for Government, including a commitment to "mobilise "Challenge Calls" to identify and fund fresh, disruptive ideas to help meet our targets from broader society". If the Minister issues such a call and gives me the details, Ballina will answer that challenge. The programme for Government also commits to expanding the environmental fund to invest in biodiversity and climate initiatives. I invite the Minister to come to see the work being done in the town this year alone around biodiversity through the work of the "Beelieve in Ballina" initiative led by Ballina Community Clean Up. Supporting towns in an ambition to be the country's greenest town is a perfect fit for that fund, and there is also a commitment to a local environmental innovation fund to enhance community participation.

All this could be based on the very successful European Green Leaf Award, which involves towns that are bigger than I would envisage - between 20,000 and 100,000 people - but we could adapt the model. Limerick has previously been a winner in the competition. The European Green Leaf Award recognises urban centres with good environmental records and commitments to generating green growth and it encourages centres to actively develop citizens' environmental awareness and involvement. It also encourages centres to be green ambassadors and to encourage other towns and communities. Ballina is up for that challenge and many other towns across the country are up for it too.

I remember in the very early days of the Internet there was an Information Age Town competition, which mobilised towns across the country in seeking the benefits of the Internet and how they could apply them. We should do something similar to bring people on board with this challenge and get them to recognise the urgency of this matter. We must realise that we can no longer put this on the long finger but at the same time we can see the positives of communities uniting that can be brought to people's daily lives. The best thing we can do in taking on this challenge is to do this as a collective and a community.

As I mentioned, the programme for Government speaks of a challenge and we are up for that challenge in Ballina. I am sure many other towns in the country are up for it too. If the Minister sets the challenge, we will take it on.

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