Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish the Ceann Comhairle the very best. I welcome this opportunity to examine the Government's proposed Climate Action Plan 2021. The science on climate change is clear. As temperatures continue to rise, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, with increased risk to global food supplies and security. We now have to act. We can build a greener economy and society which create opportunities for us all.

The plan lists actions needed to deliver on our climate targets. It sets indicative ranges of emission reductions for each sector of the economy. I will briefly touch on three aspects in the time available to me. I welcome the Minister of State's comments that a one-stop shop will be established to help people retrofit private homes and that details of suppliers, contractors and finance options will be available. This mirrors a call I made recently in that regard. Perhaps the Minister of State in his closing remarks will provide an update on plans to retrofit council housing stock.

As energy prices continue to rise, many people living in council housing will be eager to see the benefits of retrofitting. We need county-by-county targets and detailed timelines so people know where they stand. Perhaps the Minister might also touch on plans to increase afforestation. Ireland currently has one of the lowest levels of forestry in the EU at 11%. That is just ahead of Netherlands on 10% and Malta on just 1%. We need serious ambition in this area to at least double the level of afforestation, which would still leave us at half the EU average of 39%. I also appeal to the Minister to do everything in his power to inject a sense of urgency into Government agencies that manage and deliver public transport. We need more urgency around major projects.

Many constituents are onto us about retrofitting schemes, particularly the elderly. While the forms are simple and easy to use, and I commend their simplistic nature which will ensure that everybody can avail of them, the Minister will be aware of the timeline and delay associated with these schemes. We need to do more. If people want to work with us to ensure they have warmer homes, we need to do everything we can on the other side to facilitate that as much as possible, be it for public or private homes. There is a great yearning from the public to assist the country in achieving its targets, whether for 2030 or 2050. Many of those targets are ambitious but it is incumbent on all of us to work as clearly and collectively as possible to ensure we reach those targets.

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