Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time with Deputies Ó Murchú, Patricia Ryan and Martin Browne.

I welcome the opportunity to speak to the motion. The carbon budgets were proposed by the independent CCAC and, after detailed scrutiny and engagement with stakeholders, were recommended for adoption by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate Action, though not unanimously. The advisory council’s evidence at the committee hearings was clear: we need immediate and urgent action, a whole-of-government approach and a complete reorientation and reprioritisation to ensure we can make the necessary changes now to help meet our targets in the years ahead. We heard from other experts who said the budgets do not go far enough, and that cannot be ignored. Nevertheless, what I took from the totality of the evidence and the deliberations, and I believe ours is a committee that is serious about its work, was that we do not have the luxury of more time. The time for talking on climate has passed; radical action is needed now. These carbon budgets are the advisory council’s best estimate and, if implemented, can deliver the 51% reduction in emissions by 2030.

We in Sinn Féin are in no doubt about the scale of the climate crisis facing the world and, in line with our support for our 2030 and 2050 targets, we will vote to approve these carbon budgets as proposed by the advisory council, although the third budget should be subject to further discussion. While we agree with the ambition and the targets, we disagree fundamentally with many of the policy decisions the Government is implementing. We will continue to bring forward constructive alternatives that we believe will help us meet our targets in a fair and just way.

This debate on carbon budgets is timely, given the major report published on Monday by the UN's IPCC. The contents of the report are incontrovertible and the consequences of failing to act unimaginable. It can leave us in no doubt that it is now or never if we want to limit global warming to 1.5°C. We are on track for an increase exceeding 3°C, with devastating consequences for the globe. We know what needs to be done and how to do it, and we now need the Government to lead and deliver the just transition that will reduce emissions and secure a liveable future, and not just talk about it.

The reduction in emissions set out in these budgets will be very challenging to achieve. This challenge has been made all the greater as a result of the failure to act in years gone by. It is precisely because successive Governments ignored repeated climate warnings from scientists and permitted our carbon emissions to accelerate over the past 20 years that we have been left scrambling to make radical changes now. Incoherent policies have also contributed to the challenges we now face in energy, transport, housing and elsewhere.

While public transport is rightly encouraged, many areas across the State remain without real options. The investment was not made. Major public transport projects such as MetroLink or the Navan rail line have been repeatedly kicked down the road and remain undelivered, leaving these communities without sustainable transport modes. In my constituency this week, a lifeline public transport route, the 136, used by elderly people to get to and from the shops once a week is being pulled. That is public transport in Ireland in 2022.

At the same time, the red carpet was rolled out for energy-hungry data centres with no regard for our electricity generation capacity or the impact the policy would have on our national emissions. Similarly, successive governments gave us and championed a system of developer-led development. Communities got houses, houses, houses and urban sprawl. It was the opposite of compact growth or transport-led development. It created dependency on cars. There were no amenities, public parks or green spaces, and creaking infrastructure.

Ratoath in my constituency is one example. The water infrastructure in that town is crumbling under increased pressure from the growing population, leading to frequent water outages which impact on businesses, families, young and old and people with disabilities. As the town grew and developers and the local authority made money, citizens were and are being failed by the lack of timely investment in water infrastructure. There is a plan involving the Windmill Hill reservoir and trunk water main, but the work is too slow and outages far too frequent. I implore the Minister of State to contact the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, to have that work expedited. It is an example of much talk but little action.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report highlights that in order to limit global warming, major change in the energy sector will be required. Thankfully, we have the tools and know-how, but now we need a focus on rapid delivery. Ireland is uniquely placed to become a world leader in offshore wind and reduce our emissions significantly, but we have heard from the wind industry that our 2030 renewable target is already in doubt. The Oireachtas climate committee in recent weeks heard that we have just a 50/50 chance of meeting our 2030 target of 5 GWs of offshore wind. This is at a time when the head of the EPA says we can expect emissions here to increase in 2022. They need to decrease by 4.8% to meet the carbon budgets.

We heard that we need greater numbers of personnel in the planning authorities like An Bord Pleanála and that we need to ensure our offshore planning processes are as speedy as possible. We heard we need investment in BirdWatch Ireland and other prescribed bodies to ensure planning is done in a sustainable way. We need updated and new regulations brought forward and investment in grid infrastructure. EirGrid is not fit for purpose. We need our ports to be developed to ensure we can build and maintain the turbines and develop the supply chain industry here. We should designate those ports today.

Green hydrogen goes hand in hand with offshore wind and offers the State huge potential for the export of this green energy to Europe. I brought forward a Bill seeking to develop a national green hydrogen strategy as soon as possible. We should strive to become a world leader in this field, and I hope the Minister of State acts on this soon.

In relation to onshore wind, we are still awaiting updated regulations, with the outdated ones having contributed to numerous development problems in the past. The delay in bringing this forward is unacceptable, and the industry says the same. If lessons are not learned from bad developments like Derrybrien, then we will not deliver the necessary onshore wind in the time ahead. There are weaknesses at every level of the system. It is not Sinn Féin propaganda to say that. The industry and the agencies say it, if not publicly, certainly privately.

Sinn Féin wants to see a more equitable retrofitting system, one that prioritises those living in fuel and energy poverty and targets grant support at those who need financial assistance. Middle-income earners who earn too much to avail of free energy upgrades but not enough to have money to invest in energy efficiency measures feel left behind.

We heard from the SEAI yesterday. It is behind on one-stop shop targets and on tackling the two-year backlog in the warmer home scheme. It has no plan for renters or for those just outside the eligibility criteria. The Minister of State can see a pattern here. Every scheme the Government builds, including retrofitting, EV grants and the bike to work scheme, fails the equity test. That is a problem. I am fed up listening to Government representatives congratulate themselves on climate. It is a reasonable estimate thatthis Government will miss every emission reduction target it set itself.

Government Members' defence is they are serious about climate because they have a carbon tax. This magic carbon tax is, on one hand, minuscule. The increase on 1 May will make no difference to people, we are told. On the other hand, it is the cornerstone of the Government's climate policy. It will pay for retrofitting, renewables and sustainable farming, all of which are behind schedule and have missed targets, and it will protect the most vulnerable. It will not and cannot do that. No single tax could do that. In the meantime, it will punish people for being poor and drive them against the climate agenda.

As always, there are alternatives. The money can and should be raised in a different way. For example, Sinn Féin proposed that the retrofitting budget be increased by €125m in 2022 and outlined tax increases in different areas that would fund this. A solidarity tax on those earning in excess of €140,000 and a tapering off of tax credits for those earning more than €100,000 are two examples. These two proposals would raise €408 million in a year and would not hit workers and families who are just about getting by as it is.

The science is clear, the targets are in place and we need a focus on rapid delivery from the Government if we are to meet our 2030 and 2050 targets. I echo the words of the IPCC chair: “We are at a crossroads. The decisions we make now can secure a liveable future.” Carbon tax and tweaking the market will not do. Sinn Féin will play its part. We are serious about this but we want to see it delivered. It will be delivered only if it is done in a fair and equitable way. We have real concerns about the approach Government is taking. Go raibh maith agat.

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