Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 5:

In page 8, line 8, after “provisions” to insert “and will continue in operation until 2 March 2024”.

This is a simple, self-explanatory amendment. It provides for a sunset clause in the legislation, stipulating that it can only remain in operation until 12 months after its publication. The Government has waived pre-legislative scrutiny.

6 o’clock

Unfortunately, it was waived through a vote at committee, which is not good practice. We are waiving the existing provisions with regard to licensing, which is a bit hypocritical, for diesel-powered electricity generation on sites where we wanted to have a biomass plant generating electricity. I know the communities in the midlands feel quite aggrieved about the approach that is being taken on this. However, last night we were talking about how two power plants had a ten-year lifespan remaining and could burn, without adaptation, 100% biomass and replace one of those plants with diesel generation.

While the Minister will come back to argue the two sites have now been designated for this, there is wriggle room within the drafting, whereby an alternative site could be looked into at a future date in the coming period, or the Minister would come back with an amendment to extend the remit of this particular provision. We have seen this with regard to Covid legislation and regulations. I tabled a sunset clause to that legislation. Thankfully, the Government agreed to it, because it would have usurped the democratic process had that not happened and it forced the Government to come back in here and justify, on numerous occasions, why it was extending the legislation. If it is the case that this has to be extended beyond the sites in Tarbert and Shannonbridge, the Minister must come back to the House to justify such an extension. It is a sensible approach to have this sunset clause. I hope the Minister can accept this amendment.

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