James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will make a point on the climate action plan I have made in the House before around the calculation of the emissions budgeting for different Departments and sectors of our economy. As we all know, according to what we released in the most recent census, Ireland has a rapidly growing population. As a consequence,we need to engage in very serious work around infrastructure development, whether it is roads and transportation infrastructure, rail or any of the climate friendly transportation projects. Unfortunately, the undertaking of these projects have very large emissions, as does the construction of housing and expansion in Irish agriculture.

We have set ourselves a target to try to reduce our carbon budgeting to 2018 types of levels. However, I have highlighted a concern in the area of transport in particular. I was very dissatisfied by the response I got in this House from the Minister, Deputy Ryan, who went on quite an extensive speech about the planet burning rather than answering the question he was asked. This is about the current national development plan, NDP, the Government painstakingly tried to negotiate.

I make the point to the Minister of State that if we are trying to calculate our carbon budgets on 2018 emissions for future development of infrastructure, there were very few major infrastructure projects under way. We are talking about several projects listed within the NDP, whether it is the Cork metropolitan area transport strategy, CMATS, around public transport infrastructure in Cork, the Cork-Limerick motorway or a number of important key rail and road developments including the construction of a €22 billion metro network in our capital city. The point has to be made that the 2018 targets are wholly unrealistic. I ask that the Departments of Transport and of the Environment, Climate and Communications go away to do the work, do an audit of the projects in the NDP and come up with some type of a palatable and realistic solution rather than coming in here to talk nonsense.

I am very concerned by what is being presented as a backbencher supporting the Government through its legislation. It is a difficult place to be when one wishes to get a point across or when one has a problem with something. Perhaps the Minister, Deputy Ryan, may take up on that again in the new year.

I wish all the staff and the Ceann Comhairle a very happy new year.

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