Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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Question 16: To ask the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the damage that climate change is doing to our environment; his views on whether this is an issue that can be put on the long finger; if he will give a commitment to bring forward the date of publication of a climate change bill to this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15629/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Climate change is widely recognised as the most fundamental and far-reaching environmental challenge to humanity, both globally and nationally.

Ireland has already signed up to meeting demanding legally binding targets for the purposes of the Kyoto Protocol and under the climate and energy package agreed by the EU in December 2008. By 2020, this country will be required to achieve the equivalent of a 20% reduction on its 2005 levels of greenhouse gas emissions in the sectors of the economy not covered by the EU emissions trading scheme, ETS. This legally binding target will have to be met, irrespective of national climate legislation.

This poses a significant challenge for Ireland and will require a robust, whole-of-Government response. Any new legislation on climate change must encapsulate and give overarching support to the objectives and binding commitments at international level in the context of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and within the ambitious EU agenda.

In the reply to Question No. 56 of 17 May 2011, I set out my planned timetable for the implementation of the programme for Government commitment to publish climate legislation. I believe the timetable is appropriate, given the importance of ensuring a widely supported and robust national climate policy that provides a basis for meeting the serious challenges we face in the period to 2020 and beyond. I look forward to the constructive engagement of all parties in the House when I publish the consultation paper on climate legislation early next year.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Does Deputy Ellis not get to go first?

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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There is no one offering. Deputy Ellis.

Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister said he would publish this paper early next year, but over the last number of years we have had major ups and downs and freak weather conditions, which are becoming more and more common. We have had snow, wind, rain and everything else in the last couple of years. The situation is serious. I wish we could move this forward now and not wait until next year to address it because it is so urgent.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I know Deputy Ellis was not a Member of the last Dáil, but I remind him that we have much ground to make up in terms of bringing people together after the unnecessary divisiveness that my predecessor created on this issue. I have asked my Department to take stock of our position on climate change. On foot of a commitment contained in the National Climate Change Strategy 2007-2012, the Department is in the process of developing a national climate change adaptation framework, which is an important step. It will help to position Ireland in the debate but it will also help us adapt to the inevitable impacts of climate change that the Deputy mentioned.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I apologise if I cover ground that has already been covered, as I came in late.

Could the Minister tell us whether we are facing fines? Where are we in terms of our EU targets for reducing emissions? Are we on track to meet these targets? I believe, although I cannot swear to it, that we are close to meeting our Kyoto targets, but are we close to meeting the EU targets, and are there fines pending if we do not meet them?

I was contacted by a resident of Bettystown, which is not in my own constituency.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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It is in my constituency.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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There you go. The Minister of State must not have responded to the call. Anyway, he had a very good idea, which I think is fiscally neutral - I see the heads pop up - for large-scale retrofitting of houses with insulation, thus reducing CO2 emissions, saving energy and potentially creating jobs, on the basis of a loan scheme at reasonable interest rates. This would make up the gap between the grants that are available, which do not cover all the costs, and the rest of the cost, which people might not be able to pay upfront. Who should we go to with good ideas such as that, and how can we discuss and make progress on them?

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I would be glad to receive any positive proposal the Deputy might have to achieve our national and international objectives. I do not anticipate any EU fines if we implement our national climate change strategy successfully. We will meet our commitments under the Kyoto protocol, largely because we are in recession, although that is not a good reason to meet our targets. We are now engaged in a process with sectoral interests to ensure we meet our Europe 2020 obligations, which are much more challenging; transport and agriculture in particular represent a major challenge. I look forward to receiving those proposals in due course from the Deputy.