Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:

"notes that: — the Government is keenly aware of the growing pressures that families and businesses are under, and Budget 2023 announced a package of support measures amounting to €2.5 billion, including a lump-sum payment for recipients of the Fuel Allowance and a broadening of the threshold for that allowance, and this follows a previous €2.4 billion package of policies and measures in place to support people since October 2021;

— any proposals to amend the electricity market structure should be based on a detailed analysis and evaluation of the potential impacts of any changes;

— through the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 and the Climate Action Plan 2021, the Government is committed to delivering a climate resilient, biodiversity-rich, environmentally sustainable, and climate-neutral economy; and

— the Government is strongly committed to providing all citizens with reliable and realistic sustainable mobility options, and public transport plays a key role in the delivery of this goal; further notes that: — electricity and gas retail markets in Ireland operate within a European regulatory regime, wherein electricity and gas markets are commercial, liberalised, and competitive, and responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets is solely a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities;

— the European Commission is carrying out a review of the electricity market and may propose adjustments following an impact assessment, which is welcome as any proposals to amend the electricity market structure should be based on detailed analysis and evaluation of the potential impacts of any changes, and Ireland will engage with this programme of work with a view to maintaining the integrity of the all-island Single Electricity Market;

— under the Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022, all domestic electricity accounts, including pre-pay accounts, will be credited with €550.47 (excl. Value Added Tax) in three payments through the November/December 2022, January/February 2023 and March/April 2023 billing cycles at an estimated cost of €1.2 billion;

— the new Energy Poverty Action Plan, which is currently being finalised, sets out the range of measures that were implemented ahead of this winter, as well as key longer term measures to ensure that those least able to afford increased energy costs are supported and protected, and the development and implementation of the plan was overseen by a cross-departmental Steering Group, chaired by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications;

— following the Government's statement on data centres in July 2022, any new data centres are expected to bring onsite dispatchable generation (and/or storage) equivalent to, or greater than, their demand, so that any new data centres developments ensure their own security of supply and thus reduce their impact on the wider electricity system, which will help to balance the demand for electricity with the critical role that data centres play in Ireland's enterprise strategy;

— in Budget 2022, the Department of Transport secured circa €538 million of funding for Public Service Obligation and Local Link services provided by State operators and under contract by the National Transport Authority this year, and more recently, €563 million has been secured as part of the Budget 2023 negotiations for the continued improvement of these services;

— the substantial investment in transport in recent years and the planned ramping up of major projects such as BusConnects in every city, Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan, Cork Area Commuter Rail programme, Dublin Area Rapid Transit+ Programme and MetroLink means that the national public transport landscape will continue to transform for the better in the coming years;

— the Climate Action Plan 2021 commits to achieving at least five gigawatt (GW) of offshore wind by 2030, and includes a suite of actions to realise the potential of Ireland's offshore renewable energy resources, and further to the recently approved Sectoral Emission Ceilings, the Government is targeting the delivery of an additional two GW of offshore wind for the production of green hydrogen;

— the recently approved Sectoral Emission Ceilings set out a framework for meeting our Carbon Budgets and Ireland's commitment to a 51 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030, which will be reflected in the next Climate Action Plan due to be published by the end of 2022, and this plan will build on the 2021 plan and set out the measures and policies to keep us within our carbon budgets and on the pathway to a zero-emissions economy by 2050, and the process to deliver this new Climate Action Plan will include the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications engaging with other Government Departments and State Agencies to identify opportunities for accelerating our climate action; and

— a significant and substantial transformation of all sectors and systems is required, bringing with it opportunities for more resilience, income diversity, food and energy security, healthier patterns of mobility and for further carbon sinks across Ireland, and these changes will require a collaborative effort by Government, businesses, communities, and individuals to implement new and ambitious policies, technological innovations, systems and infrastructures."

I thank Deputies for bringing proposals today. They are always welcome. I am glad to hear alternative voices.

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