Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We have seen over the past number of decades, and especially in the recent past, the need for progressive climate action. We hear it from our children and, for those of us lucky enough to have them, from our grandchildren. Thankfully, the debate has largely shifted from one about personal responsibility to a whole-of-system approach. The public at large are doing all that they can and more to tackle the climate crisis and that has to be matched, or even bettered, by the various sectors of the economy and businesses within it.

Nobody said achieving these emissions targets would be easy but there is no other way. Reducing our emissions and tackling the climate crisis is the only show in town. Nevertheless, the State has a role to play, not only in setting the targets but in ensuring that businesses in each sector can reach them. This means that people, businesses and the different sectors of the economy can transition in a fair and, indeed, fast manner.

Ensuring that there are alternative fuels for sectors such as the concrete sector will help with decarbonisation of buildings, and supports and help for the SME sector are key. Anyone who speaks to businesses in the SME sector will tell the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, that access to simplified information, time and definitive support from the State are key to helping them reach their targets. In this way, the climate toolkit for business is a useful tool, and I welcome it.

However, where businesses need to transition, they need greater support to do so, such as greater access to funding, facilities and renewables. Businesses will transition if it is simplified for them and if they are supported and encouraged to do so but if the renewables are not there, if the support is not there and if the simplified information is not there, they will not or they will struggle and this will affect their ability to operate and will, indeed, cost jobs.

As for the changes that are needed in the public sector, this is where the State has to be a leader. We cannot have a situation of do as I say but not as I do. In that regard, I reference the fact that local authorities have recently called all of their staff back to the office. Central to achieving the targets in the public sector is remote and hybrid working. I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, to speak with the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Varadkar, and to encourage him to bring forward remote working legislation that is fit for purpose and delivers for workers and to ensure the State is a leader in this area.

See this speech in context