Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Today's report from the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, makes for truly alarming reading. Even in the unlikely event that we meet all of our goals in the climate action plan and see those policies fully implemented on time, we know our greenhouse gas emissions would only fall by 28% by 2030, just half of what is legally required in accordance with the Government's own laws. Labour has offered constructive engagement with the Government, we support the ambitious climate targets and along with most of our colleagues in the Opposition we have worked with the Government to ensure we will meet the targets. This report is alarming and I want to hear from the Taoiseach what the Government proposes to do about it in the short-term. In particular we want to see that those sectoral emissions ceilings will be brought before us in the lifetime of this term of the Oireachtas. The Taoiseach said earlier that the sectoral emissions ceilings would be brought to Cabinet and the Dáil in the short term but we only have five sitting weeks left before the summer recess. We do not want to see this done at the eleventh hour; we want to have time as an Opposition to debate these issues.

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