Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate. I would like to address some of the concerns people have with it and the misinformation and false claims that are being put out there in terms of what it is about and what we intend to do. It was claimed that the intention is to reduce the size of the national herd by more than 50%. That is simply not true. It was claimed that the aim is to curtail international tourism and flights into and out of Ireland. That is simply not true. I would like someone to point out to me where there is any mention of reducing the size of the national herd by 50% or curtailing national flights in the Bill or the programme for Government. It is not true, and that is why people will be unable to point that out.

It was also claimed that farmyards right around Ireland would somehow be empty after the Bill is passed. That is not true. Farming is, and will continue to be, an unbelievably important part of the fabric of rural Ireland. Tourism, including international tourism, will continue to be an incredibly important part of the economy and, in particular, the regional and rural economy.

I want to address those points, speak the truth and talk about the facts. The fact is that the Bill is not about decimating or targeting particular sectors. The Bill is about achieving ambitious targets when it come to a reduction in emissions and reacting to the calls of the thousands upon thousands of young students who took to the streets of Ireland and called for leadership and action when it comes to climate change. This is our way of showing that leadership.

The Bill is about missed targets. Ireland has consistently missed its international targets in regard to climate action and emissions. The Bill is about acknowledging the fact that climate change exists. Some Members want to deny that fact, but it exists and we cannot stand by and watch it happen. We have to take action. That is what this Bill is about.

The planet is, unfortunately, in big trouble. We do not have to look at bush fires in Australia, melting ice caps in the Arctic or Texas freezing over this winter. We can look closer to home, at the towns and villages that, time and again, are experiencing serious and more frequent flooding events. We can look at the coastal locations that are experiencing coastal erosion at a far more rapid rate because of more severe weather conditions.

This is happening right here before our eyes.

The biodiversity crisis is not just a global issue, it is something happening right here in Ireland. This week BirdWatch Ireland produced a report which indicated that 26% of Irish bird species are now on the red list, meaning they are critically endangered. These are species with which every one of us is familiar, including the kestrel we all see hovering over the side of the road, and the puffin, which is used in Ireland's marketing brochures and material and our postcards. They are critically endangered. Today is World Curlew Day, a bird which was the sound of Irish summers in years past. In the 1970s, there were 8,000 pairs of breeding curlew. We are down to 135. That is why this Bill is important, why we must take action and can no longer stand by and let others do the heavy lifting.

People do have valid concerns. We have to listen to those concerns and I agree with many of them, particularly around fuel prices, especially home heating. I can understand those concerns, which is why we have to accelerate and bring forward our warmer homes scheme and retrofitting programmes in order that we can address that and ensure people can heat their houses and keep them warm and at a cheaper cost. That is incredibly important, and without it, these measures will not work.

There will be opportunities, which we must embrace. These will be in employment, where there will be upskilling of tradespeople for the retrofitting programme. There will be job opportunities in renewable energy. When renewable technologies are rolled out in an area or there is a jobs announcement in it, I can guarantee the same Deputies who will criticise this Bill will be the same Deputies who will be the first to take to their Facebook pages and go to the newspapers to welcome the fantastic jobs announcement.

This is about getting the balance right. On the one hand, people are saying we are going too far, and on the other, there are those who say we are not going far enough. This is an incredibly important Bill. The simple fact is, as a nation and as people, we are thinking about the here and now and we are not thinking about the future. We owe it to the young people living in Ireland and across the globe and to future generations to take action now. This Bill is a first step in that. I very much welcome it and hope Members support it.

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