Dáil debates

Tuesday, 26 April 2022

Home Heating Fuels: Motion [Private Members]

 

7:25 pm

Photo of Jennifer WhitmoreJennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank Sinn Féin for moving this motion. It is an important discussion and I was hoping we would get some clarity on the issue of the turf ban. Nothing but confusion has been generated in the media by Ministers and Government representatives in the past fortnight. It has fuelled fear for many people in rural Ireland regarding what is going to happen to their ability to burn peat for fuel this winter. Looking at the Minister of State’s proposed amendment, there seems to be no real clarity as to what is happening. The final regulations are still to be agreed. Therefore, I wonder what the past two weeks have been about. Ministers said there would be a ban, and then that there would be no ban, that grannies would not be arrested and people would still be able to sell turf to their neighbours and to family members. I was hoping for clarity here but, unfortunately, we have not been presented with it this evening.

I was also hoping that the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications would be here. It is important he listens to this debate, understands the impact the lack of clarity and the resulting confusion has had on people, and listens to the constructive suggestions being made by the Opposition regarding this issue. I found the past couple of weeks incredibly frustrating, and not just because much angst and worry has been caused to many vulnerable people and those struggling with the cost of fuel. I have also found it frustrating as an environmentalist because important messages on air pollution and health, carbon capture and storage, and biodiversity have all been lost in this debate. With the Green Party in government, the hope was we would see some progress towards addressing the environmental challenges we face. What I am seeing now, however, is a lack of ability to convey the message about these issues, to communicate properly with people and to listen to them. It is like death by a thousand cuts to the environmental message. I find that not only frustrating but incredibly concerning.

This aspect concerns not just the turf ban. We also saw it regarding the carbon tax. I refer not only to the Government’s inability to convey that message properly and to be honest and truthful with people about what the carbon tax was, how much was going to be taken in and where it was going to be applied. The Government also failed to protect people and to assist them to meet their climate change and energy needs in a way that could be done in balance with our environmental requirements. That has caused significant problems and has done untold damage to our ability to weather the environmental storm we are experiencing now and that we must continue to weather and address. That is unfortunate.

The fundamental issue underpinning all this is that when the Government is making decisions and developing its policies, it is not doing it in the manner of a just transition. This is the key element. I suggest that not only the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications but all Ministers making major policy decisions in this area should print out copies of the just transition principles, stick them beside their desks and look at them to see if they are ticking the boxes every time they do something. I refer to checking whether they have considered rural communities, vulnerable communities, minorities and workers. Will the measures they are taking be done in conjunction with communities and will they assist communities? This is a critical facet and it is a major failing. I would like the Government to move away from just using the words “just transition” as a catchphrase thrown into debates, conversations and media presentations. Instead, it should work to take on board the just transition principles and their meaning.

I ask that the Minister read the Just Transition (Worker and Community Environmental Rights) Bill 2021. I introduced it last year to establish a just transition commission. It is an excellent Bill, and I am not boasting on my own behalf because it based on a Bill written by Deputy Eamon Ryan in 2018. I updated that proposed measure to include just transition principles and what that would really mean. Therefore, I ask that the Minister for Finance and other Ministers read that Bill, because it is important. The definition of “just transition” is "a transition that ensures the economic, environmental and social consequences of the ecological transformation of economies and societies are managed in ways that maximise opportunities of decent work for all, reduce inequalities, promote social justice, and support industries, workers and communities negatively affected, in accordance with nationally defined priorities, and based on effective social dialogue". It is wordy, but it is important and something that must be taken on board. Ultimately, it means this Government cannot leave people behind and that those least able to take the climate action, pollution and land-use measures we need them to take are supported to do so. Those people should be listened to and supported, but this is not happening.

Taking the proposed turf ban, let us ask what we would have seen being suggested by the Government if a just transition had been applied to that policy. What would the resulting policy look like? The first thing we would have seen would have been a coherent policy. I am talking about one developed as part of a consultation process, based on data and evidence and properly communicated to people. It is clear this has not happened. This process has shown a complete lack of respect from this Government and the Minister for people living in rural communities. I refer to the fear and confusion caused.

It is not acceptable, justified or warranted. If some forethought had been put into this it could have been avoided. I note the manner in which the different Government parties are fighting on the airwaves at the moment to object. Some Fine Gael backbenchers are online at the moment talking about how this should not go ahead. That is wrong. They are part of a Government and need to show leadership in this. They need to work together. It causes confusion and creates angst for people. It is completely unnecessary.

In respect of a just transition, the measures taken need to be fair and need to make sense to people. One day this week in the Irish Independentwe had the headline "Fuel rationing on cards as public told energy efficiencies are now urgent". The next day in the same paper, we saw "data centre in Meath that will use enough energy to power the whole of Kilkenny [city]". That does not make sense at all. When the Social Democrats brought forward the motion last year for a moratorium on data centres, this is why. We knew what was coming down the road as did the Minister. Everyone knew. The Government failed to prepare and plan for it and we are now facing the results.

We need people to be helped, which means targeting those who are most vulnerable and least in a position to upgrade their homes and helping them with retrofitting. A pilot programme was developed for the midlands to do just that. In 2020 there was a proposal for 750 retrofits to be done on local authority houses in that area. As of last November, 100 had been done, with 12 in Roscommon. It is just not good enough, quick enough or deep enough. It is not going to help people. We cannot say we need people to reduce their energy use and move away from these fuels when the whole power of the State cannot retrofit more than 100 properties over the course of two years. Every time we ask these questions we are told there is Covid. Now there is the Ukraine crisis. As a witness at the climate committee told us recently, the Government does not have the luxury of dealing with one crisis at a time any more. It needs to be able to deal with multiple crises. I ask that it puts focus into doing that.

I am glad we have had this opportunity to debate matters. The Government needs to grow up when it comes to this issue and actually support people and show some leadership. It should stop the infighting. Its policies should be evidence based and properly thought out and it should stop with the kite-flying in the media. All that does is cause difficulties for people.

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