Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We need to act to stop climate change. If we do not, many more jobs will be lost through the climate chaos that would ensue. We need to think short, medium and long term when it comes to the trade-off between jobs and industry on the one hand and protecting our environment on the other. If we do not stop climate change, the impacts o Ireland could be severe on many of our industries, not least agriculture and tourism.

In terms of the climate actions we take, we need to ensure we do it in such a way that we do not see a net reduction in employment. That is what our plan is about. I think the just transition plan is a good one. I appreciate the Deputy may feel differently. It is funded with money from the carbon tax. To give one example, the bog restoration and rewetting programme is transferring people in Bord na Móna who would have been cutting bog and releasing CO2 into a new role where they are rewetting and restoring bogs, which makes them a carbon sink. I will take on board what the Deputy said and make sure the just transition commissioner and his team are aware of her comments.

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