Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The Minister either did not hear my contribution or questions or he just did not have a defence for our climate targets, which are what I am asking about. While I obviously welcomed the Government MEPs voting for the nature restoration law, I did not ask the Minister about that issue, which is the only one he replied on. The reality is that independent expert groups believe Ireland is on course to massively miss our climate targets. If the Government cannot accept that reality, it is quite worrying. There is no denying the science. Continuing with an incomplete and inadequate climate action plan guarantees failure. Expecting the nature restoration law to change that course is guaranteed failure. If we do not act now, it will devastate the country. The people who will feel the impact first are our farmers, our rural communities and people living in poverty.

Will the Minister tell me what all of the experts who say we will miss our targets are missing if he does not agree? He did not reference our targets. The most recent offshore wind project is 20 years old. The Government promised that a low-interest loan scheme for retrofitting would be in place by 2020 but almost two years later, we still do not have it. A total of 85% of our protected habitats are in poor condition, with 46% in active decline. The list goes on. Does the Minister accept the reality that the Government will not meet its climate targets? He does not accept the science.

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