Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 5: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of submissions received in response to the recent public consultation on climate change policy; if they will be published on his Department's website, as was the stated intention; the number of submissions that called for a law to make annual yearly reductions in emissions mandatory; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36913/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Government has put in place a range of measures which, collectively, will deliver an average 14.6 million tonne reduction in greenhouse gas emissions during the period 2008 to 2012, over which our compliance with the Kyoto Protocol will be assessed. That is the point I was making to Deputy Gilmore but he was not listening. Measures which will give a total of 8 million tonnes include strengthening energy requirements in the building regulations, accounting for 300,000 tonnes of CO2 per year; changes in transport, which I have mentioned; excise relief in last year's budget will produce a saving of 250,000 tonnes; the Common Agricultural Policy will take 2.4 million tonnes; and the Government's forestry programme will contribute to the removal of 2 million tonnes. Participation in the EU trading scheme will contribute a further 3 million which will take us up to the 11 million tonnes figure. The balance of 3.6 million tonnes which is recognised in the Irish 14.6 million tonnes suppression target is from the purchase of credits and it may not be necessary to do that.

A review of the national climate change strategy has taken place to assess progress and to identify additional measures. I recently launched a report on the review, entitled Ireland's Pathway to Kyoto Compliance to provide a basis for the public consultation.

Specifically on the consultation a total of 322 submissions were received by my Department to date. As analysis of these submissions is still being completed, it would not yet be appropriate to comment on them individually until that is complete. The submissions will be published on my Department's website in due course. The responses to this open consultation will inform the preparation of a revised national climate change strategy, which I intend to publish before the end of the year.

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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I do not know what was in the water in Citywest last weekend but I think it went to the Minister's head given his commentary about——

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Fluoride.

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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It was possibly the fluoride on which we are also awaiting action. It is rather like the climate change strategy, we might be waiting for a while. Will the Minister clarify the specific number of submissions received? He said he received 322 submissions. I know of one NGO which stated that the number submitted through it to the Minister was towards 500. Will he clarify the number of paper submissions and the number of electronic submissions he has received on this issue? He stated that they will be published. When will they be published? Has the Minister any intention to make annual yearly reductions in emissions mandatory? Future generations will judge him by the action he took on climate change. The compelling evidence is that the actions of the Government and of the Minister's Department have been increasing climate change emissions rather than reducing them. We cannot continue to build motorways as if the oil will last forever. We cannot continue with building regulations which make us look appalling in comparison to other European countries and a dedication to urban sprawl, led by the Minister, which is increasing long distance commuting times by car. What action is the Minister taking and will he be able to tell future generations he did the right thing on climate change?

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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In regard to Deputy Cuffe's question on whether there were multiple responses, one NGO had people send the same response several hundred times. That counts as one response.

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Did the Minister say 700 submissions count as one response?

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The same submission was sent several hundred times.

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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The submissions were sent by different individuals.

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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A submission with the same wording was sent by different individuals.

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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That implies several hundred different submissions were sent.

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy's statement is somewhat foolhardy.

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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The Minister is being economical with the truth.

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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If the same circular letter is sent 500 times ——

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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In any other forum, they would be seen as multiple submissions but the Minister has a way with the truth.

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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In answer to the Deputy's second question, I think we will reach our target. We have already identified 14.6 million tonnes of savings out of a target of almost 15.3 million tonnes, as well as a series of measures which were not calculated as part of the 14.6 million tonnes but will take us beyond the target. The bioheat programme could allow for reductions of 160,000 tonnes, a figure which did not form part of the earlier calculation. A further reduction of 300,000 tonnes could be made through the increased use of renewables in electricity production. As I mentioned earlier, we aim to more than double the proportion of renewable resources used, an increase which Deputy Cuffe correctly supported on the basis that it is the best option and because it saves tonnage. An additional reduction of 20,000 tonnes which will be made from the green homes scheme was not included in the 14.6 million or mentioned in the EEA report. An extraordinary 250,000 tonnes will be cut through the conversion of anaerobically digested waste into energy. A range of other measures mentioned in the Green Paper which have not yet been calculated will bring us beyond the target of 15.2 million tonnes.

Deputy Gilmore wrongly suggested, in his charming way, that Ireland stands alone on this issue. The Irish economy has grown by 150%, whereas greenhouse gas emissions have increased by 23%. It would be much nicer if the increase in emissions was only 13% but we are working towards that figure. Seven of the EU 15 have wider gaps to bridge than Ireland. Austria's gap stands at 29%, Denmark at 19%, Finland at14%, Italy at 19%, Luxembourg at 28%, Portugal at 14% and Spain at 33%. We will meet our responsibilities on emissions.

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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The Minister is using the same logic as a prisoner in the dock pointing out other individuals in the court who have committed worse crimes. He is putting an emphasis on buying our way out of the Kyoto agreement. Will he confirm, however, that he agrees buying our way out is not the best way of addressing the problem?

What percentage of submissions argued for the establishment of mandatory annual targets for emissions? I ask the Minister to determine the number of individuals who made such an argument, rather than referring collectively to several hundred different submissions.

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I do not have that information to hand but I will revert to the Deputy with it. The submissions will be published in due course. I do not agree with the hypothesis that Ireland, uniquely, should establish a legal mandatory limit.

Of course it would be better if we did not have to buy carbon credits but, whether a tonne of carbon is produced in Dublin or New Delhi, the same problem arises for the atmosphere. The mechanism we are establishing for carbon trading is specifically mentioned in the Stern report as being one of the solutions to the problem.