Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Acting Chair for coming back to me.

Is ar ábhar tromchúiseach atá an díospóireacht seo. Níl aon amhras ann ach go bhféadfaimis a bheith ag féachaint ar ghéarchéim dáiríre agus go bhféadfadh tionchar a bheith aige, ní hamháin ar an tír seo, ach ar an domhan ina iomlán, ar eacnamaíocht an domhain agus ar phobail ar fud an domhain, go mór mór iad siúd sna tíortha ina bhfuil ioncaim ísle.

The situation we face is undoubtedly urgent, grave and requires urgent action. In the past couple of years, discussions such as those at COP27 have become part of the domestic political calendar and have attracted more attention. As ever, there is a mixture of positive and disappointing outcomes. I welcome the establishment of the loss and damage fund, which will channel funding from richer countries to countries that will be the most impacted by climate change. It is undoubtedly the case that typically the poorer countries will see the worst effects and in developed countries it will be the poorer citizens who will see the greatest effects. Wealthier countries account for just 12% of the population but they are responsible for 50% of the greenhouse gases released from fossil fuels in industry.

We have a crucial role. We are a small country. It is not just a matter of the emissions that we expend, although per capitaours is well above much of the rest of the world. Every State has its responsibility and we must play our part and demonstrate leadership. Ireland missed its emissions cuts last year, we missed it in the previous year and we will likely miss it again this year. That is a cause for huge concern. We need significant resourcing of our planning agencies to speed up offshore delivery and a number of items, including the whole area of public transport. I have to acknowledge that there has been progress in relation to that and I welcome the announcement about Cork metropolitan rail today. More that can be done but it is significant and hopefully it will take a lot of cars off the road. Despite progress in that area, there is a lot of work that needs to be done.

I acknowledge some of the work that our spokesperson, Deputy Darren O’Rourke, has done over the last couple of years. In particular, the Green Hydrogen Strategy Bill 2022 identifies the lack of a Government plan to develop this source of green energy that holds big potential for Ireland and that can play a crucial role. It goes hand-in-hand with the role that will be played by wind energy and particularly offshore wind energy.

There is also the Planning and Development Regulations (Amendment) (Solar Energy for Schools and Community Buildings) Bill 2022. I will come back to it in a second, but it is a crucial area and it is low-hanging fruit for solar panels, schools and community buildings. There is also the public transport document which he been published, and which identifies where progress can be built on in that regard.

Finally, there is the document that we produced recently, Schools as a Catalyst for Climate Action. As education spokesperson, I had some role in developing it. If the Minister has not seen it, I ask that he consider it. It identifies a number of areas, such as curriculum. There has been progress in recent years in relation to the leaving certificate but there is still much more scope at primary and indeed at early years levels, obviously in an age-appropriate way, to ensure that climate change and sustainable development education are integrated.

In terms of the bricks and mortar side of it, there are 4,000 schools that would love to have solar panels. It is a no-brainer for them because it could generate energy when the schools are closed and because it would save money for schools that are already cash strapped. Schools are already places in which there is a huge awareness. We see green flags on countless schools across the State. They are already leaders in lots of ways. To me, therefore, it is a no-brainer and we need to expedite it. Those regulations went out for consultation. I would rather they were progressed; we need to progress them to ensure that they can happen and to back up the budgetary commitment, which we welcomed.

In the last seconds I have, I will raise the issue of school transport. Every child who wants a place should be able to get a place in a medium term. It makes sense for emissions, for traffic, for the cost for parents and for everyone.

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