Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Having observed and listened to the debate, it is becoming very clear why meeting our targets is at risk. On the one hand, there is a group of people in this House and the Seanad which is saying that we should take our foot off the pedal and not do too much too fast, start drilling for oil and gas and do everything that has led us to the situation in which we are in. On the other hand, there is criticism and some have said we are not moving fast enough or doing enough and we need to move faster.

The reality is that the Government has done more than any previous Government or administration to tackle climate action. Of course, more can always be done but we are putting the right measures in place to allow us to finally tackle this crisis which will have an impact not just on future generations but on us. We will see the impacts unless we act now, and we have done that We have introduced the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act and climate targets. We introduced a target to reduce emissions by 51% by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050.

We have introduced a new climate action plan and retrofitting and microgeneration schemes. We have done far more than any other Government, yet we are hearing a tug-of-war between those who think we are doing too much and those who think we are doing too little. That has to stop. If we really want to make an impact, we all have to be on board on this journey.

The most recent action has been the RESS 2 auction. Communities own the movement towards a more carbon-neutral economy and are leading on projects to generate their own energy. A perfect example of that is in my home town of Clonakilty. A solar farm, owned, built and run by the community, will generate enough energy to essentially take Clonakilty off grid. In other words, the energy generated by the solar farm will meet Clonakilty's energy demands, in particular in the summer months. That is proper leadership. People should look to towns like Clonakilty for an example of how to tackle climate change.

Of course, the rate and pace of change have to increase and we have to accelerate our actions in order to reach the targets. The school solar panel scheme was mentioned. We need to increase public transport provision, in particular in rural areas where we need to give people viable alternatives to cars because they are not there at the moment. We all see in front of our eyes that electric vehicles are becoming more and more common on the roads, but they could become even more common if proper charging infrastructure was put in place. Local authorities need to be dragged, kicking and screaming, along this journey. We need to ensure electric chargers are installed, in particular in tourist and peripheral areas, because that is important for people who take journeys by electric car. That needs to happen quicker.

No sector can get off scot-free, and agriculture is willing to play its role. Like many other rural Deputies, my office has been inundated with calls from farmers who want to participate in the microgeneration scheme and install solar panels, but they are being sent mixed messages. If they installed solar panels under TAMS, they would not get the rate for generation put back into the grid. They can avail of the microgeneration scheme. We need to be clear what the right option is for the farming sector in terms of energy needs.

A vital way in which agriculture can be involved in the decarbonisation journey is anaerobic digestion. It is important, but we have no strategy. All we do is put obstacles, including paperwork, in the way. We have no strategy on anaerobic digestion. It is a way for the farming community to come together in a co-operative manner. Waste products, including slurry, waste feed stocks from piggeries and chicken houses or whatever, can generate energy, reduce emissions and carbon and generate renewable energy. We need to start putting that strategy in place.

We have done a lot as a Government. I ask all Members of the House to be on the same page. We only have one shot at this, but we have more to do.

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