Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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6. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on environment and climate change will next meet. [44839/22]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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7. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on the environment and climate change will next meet. [48034/22]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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8. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on the environment and climate change will next meet. [48334/22]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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9. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on the environment and climate change will next meet. [48337/22]

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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10. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on the environment and climate change will next meet. [48472/22]

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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11. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on the environment and climate change will next meet. [49711/22]

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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12. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on the environment and climate change will next meet. [49712/22]

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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13. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on the environment and climate change will next meet. [49951/22]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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14. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on the environment and climate change will next meet. [50011/22]

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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15. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on the environment and climate change will next meet. [50013/22]

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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16. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on the environment and climate change will next meet. [50016/22]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 to 16, inclusive, together.

The Cabinet committee on the environment and climate change oversees the implementation of the ambitious programme for Government commitments in respect of the environment and climate change. The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 sets out Ireland's key climate change commitments. It sets challenging carbon reduction targets for the period to 2030 and a statutory commitment to achieving a climate-neutral economy by 2050.

Following the approval of the carbon budget programme by the Houses of the Oireachtas in April, sectoral emission ceilings determining the upper limits of greenhouse gas emissions for all sectors have been agreed by the Government, save for the land use sector, which requires further analytical work to be undertaken over the coming 15 months. Agreed policies and measures designed to ensure sectors quickly and significantly reduce their emissions have been set out in the Climate Action Plan 2021. The plan will be further revised this year to ensure the actions it contains are sufficient to meet the reduction targets made explicit through the setting of the carbon budgets and sectoral emissions ceilings.

The next meeting of the Cabinet committee is scheduled to take place on Thursday, 27 October, and it will continue to meet regularly to progress all aspects of the Government's ambitious climate action and environmental policies.

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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In less than a month, COP27 will take place in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. It is hard to believe it has been almost one year since Greta Thunberg famously described COP26 as "blah, blah, blah". I have just read an article by Naomi Klein describing COP27 as "blood, blood, blood", because it is taking place in one of the most brutal and oppressive regimes in the world, in Egypt, where about 60,000 political prisoners face brutal torture daily by this oppressive regime. Many of them have been censored in silence from even writing letters to their families concerning the climate crisis. In one case of a famous political prisoner, a letter to his mother outlining his concerns about 30 million people being displaced in Pakistan by the recent floods was intercepted and censored.

Does the Taoiseach agree with Naomi Klein that this summit is going well beyond greenwashing a polluting state and is actually greenwashing a police state? When world leaders meet on Thursday, 27 October, will he raise this issue, along with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, and ensure the Irish State will give no succour or solace to the COP27 cover-up of this most brutal, oppressive and anti-environmental regime in that part of the world?

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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As the Taoiseach knows, solar is a renewable energy source that is quick to deploy, but it faces many of the same institutional barriers as wind. Changes in planning for rooftop panels on residential and other buildings will finally bring Ireland into line with the EU's solar rooftops initiative. However, issues remain for larger projects that are reliant on a decision by An Bord Pleanála. A solar project can take three months to construct but a year and a half to go through the planning process and even after all the delays, the Government has still managed to overpromise and underdeliver on microgeneration.

Is the Taoiseach aware households will not receive payments for the excess energy they generate until the end of this year at the earliest and are being offered as little as 14 cent per kilowatt-hour, which is ridiculous? It has been promised all schools will get solar panels. Will the full cost of those projects be covered for those schools or will it be just partial costs, as in the case of the microgeneration installation scheme the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications announced yesterday?

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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As the Taoiseach knows, we are in not only a climate emergency but also a biodiversity emergency, and often the latter is forgotten and neglected. That is particularly important when we think about our marine area and the protection of it. Not only is that sea an unparalleled store of biodiversity but it is also the most important carbon sink. If we destroy marine biodiversity or if we do not have a proper system for ensuring it is developed in a sustainable way, we will do double the damage to both biodiversity and the attempt to battle climate change.

Against that background, I strongly urge the Taoiseach to study the identifying areas of interest for marine protected area, MPA, designation produced by the Fair Seas group. It castigates the Government for the fact that only 2% of our areas have been designated whereas we need to have a minimum of 30%, and points out that many of the self-selected sites for offshore industrial wind are on sites that would destroy potential marine protected areas. Will he look into that and ensure our marine is not destroyed by profit-driven companies?

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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I ask that the Cabinet committee on the environment and climate change take account of three matters, first the need for more transformational transport projects, such as the Labour Party's call for a €9 per month climate ticket for unlimited public transport journeys. We certainly welcome the plan to deliver 30 Pathfinder public transport projects, such as the phasing-out of cars from College Green in Dublin, but we need to see more radical policies introduced.

Second, I ask that the Government support my Dublin Bay Bill, which would transform the governance and oversight of the bay area of that wonderful natural amenity. I met the SOS Dublin Bay group earlier and I know there is a strong public view that we need to move on greater protection of the wonderful biodiversity habitat that is Dublin Bay.

Third, I raise the issue of energy security, specifically for those in apartments and complexes heated through a shared or district heating system. These people are being hit with extortionate price increases because the supplier is the purchaser of the fuel and is charged a commercial tariff. Tenants and homeowners have no choice of supplier in such complexes but are seeing price rises of nearly 600%, which is not sustainable. They need a gas price cap now. Will the Taoiseach urge the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to raise this at EU level, where there are ongoing discussions about a European-wide cap?

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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I bring to the Taoiseach’s attention a headline in my local newspaper, the Southern Star, that states, "Forget the climate for now says TD". The newspaper attributes that comment to a public representative in my constituency. This is in the context of people drowning in floods across the globe, dying in forest fires that are out of control, sea levels rising and thousands of young Irish people having taken to the streets calling on us for action, yet there are public representatives in the House, climate change deniers, who are saying, let us do nothing; forget about it.

I ask the Taoiseach to ramp up our climate actions, our offshore renewable energy and our retrofitting scheme so it is targeted at the people who need it most. I ask him to ramp up our renewable energy so we can silence these climate change deniers.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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Dawn Meats was given permission by Meath County Council to install a 7.2 km pipeline that would pump treated effluent in the Boyne river, a special area of conservation. The pipeline would dispose of 400,000 l of wastewater into that historic river daily.

The Save the Boyne campaign was founded to protect against this. Its spokesperson, Peter Whelan, has stated that the river is the source of drinking water for 70,000 households, and it is also home to wildlife including otters, salmon and lampreys.

It is also the location of some the most important Neolithic monuments in Europe. Some 400 submission were made to the council. It has been given planning permission, however, and is now with An Bord Pleanála. This summer, especially, has seen exceptionally low water. I have lived by the River Boyne all my life and I have never seen the water this low. In parts of the River Boyne, there is no flow and no water at all. There is literally no water behind weirs and yet, this particular factory is going to be given a licence to put 400,000 l of wastewater into it. Will the Government come out against this particular project and make sure we protect our rivers for the wildlife and for people?

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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Thanks to a parliamentary question submitted by my colleague, Deputy Paul Murphy, we now know that data centres are to be included in the temporary business energy support scheme. Under the scheme, businesses can be compensated for increased electricity and gas bills up to a limit of €10,000 per month. The scheme is to be backdated to September and is expected to run until at least February of next year. There are currently approximately 70 data centres in this State. They are, in very significant measure, responsible for the energy grid crisis in this State and the threat of blackouts this winter. Yet, by my calculations, on the Government's scheme, 70 data centres at €10,000 for six months at a minimum means a potential subsidy of €4.2 million from this State to these companies. Can the Taoiseach tell me and the country that this is not so?

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Carlinn Hall in Dundalk is one of these communal district heating systems with in or around 200 homes. The fact is that at the minute, the prices have risen. We are now talking approximately 42 cent per kWh. Frontline Energy provides heat. I have dealt with the Ministers and the Department. It looks like the long-term fix is the possibility of biomass or geothermal energy. We need to ensure we have the grant schemes that can deliver on that. While I would like to see a cap, I definitely think we have to facilitate making available electricity credits to these people. We should also possibly look at the idea of a business energy support scheme. Were Frontline able to avail of it once delivered, the savings could be passed on to those people who are obviously under incredible pressure. The long-term fix is already under way but we need a short-term fix to get people through what will be a brutal winter.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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In response to Deputy Bríd Smith, there is a dilemma here. In the first instance, the response to climate change must be global. It has to involve all the states insofar as that is possible. That includes Egypt and many other states whose political systems or systems of governance are obviously not what we would be happy with. Through the European Union, we consistently raise issues of human rights in respect of what happens in Egypt and, indeed, other countries within the Middle East, as well as across Asia and Africa. I do not believe COP27 is about greenwashing a police state; I think it is a genuine attempt to follow COP26, which was far more effective than people would have anticipated given that a year or two earlier, President Trump, who did not agree with any of this, was in office. There was actually a degree of agreement between some of the major states at COP26. We need to continue to build on that. Each member state needs to play its role and part.

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Has the Taoiseach no objection to the location of the conference, given the seriousness of this situation?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I did not decide on its location.

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Can he not voice an objection as a leader?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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It has been decided; I am not going to change that.

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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The Taoiseach can voice an objection.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The issue for us is whether we attend. That seems to be what the Deputy raised. We have to have a voice on the climate issue. We made significant contributions at COP26, as did the European Union. If anything, the European Union and United States led the charge on climate at COP26. Together with Japan and other countries, there is now potential that we can get better outcomes. I refer to Canada, in other words. There was a strong convergence of states but we need others. We need to convince others-----

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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We do not have to locate the Conference of the Parties in them.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----and not just within Europe. We need to convert those outside of Europe as well and persuade them towards this agenda.

Deputy Cullinane raised the issue of solar panels. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, announced good moves recently around planning around schools and houses and so on. Basically, we want to make it as fast as we possibly can in terms of the planning process. The delivery of measures around climate and particularly solar is too long across the board. I will talk to the Minister in respect of what people are getting per kW from the grid. We will follow up on that. Suffice to say, we want to get as much solar and renewable energy in place as we possibly can. It is my understanding that the full cost will be made available to schools as we roll out that particular programme.

Deputy Boyd Barrett raised the issue of our marine protected area. I met representatives from the Fair Seas campaign who attended our Ard-Fheis in respect of this issue. We need to have increased designation. The Deputy used the phrase "offshore industrial wind". I do not know what that means. Is he in favour of offshore wind or not?

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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It means that developers cannot select their own sites at the expense of the marine.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The point is that we will need offshore wind.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Developers should not select their own sites.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The European Commission made a call on this as well, by the way. It is looking at a planning instrument to say the overriding public interest demands that we provide offshore wind.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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The developers are going to choose their own sites.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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No. It is to track climate change. They are not-----

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Here we go again with Fianna Fáil.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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They are not choosing their own sites here.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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They are; they have.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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That is not what the Deputy said or what he was talking about.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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The Government has designated the relevant project.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I assumed the Deputy was talking about the trade-off between how we designate marine protected areas and how we have offshore wind as well-----

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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That is exactly what I am talking about.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----and that is the point. The point is that there will be trade-offs. There will have to be compromises because the overall good will be served by offshore wind if we take out fossil fuels. That is to the benefit of biodiversity. It is to the benefit of climate. We have to make a call and make the hard decisions-----

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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The Government is going to destroy biodiversity.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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-----and hard decisions will have to be made about this. We cannot start one week attacking the fossil fuel and energy companies one week, however, and the next week start attacking industrial offshore wind. The bottom line of the Deputy's agenda is that anything to do with industry or anyone who is about investment is bad. That seems to be the Deputy's position.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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Was the River Boyne in that response?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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In terms of the-----

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Here we go.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I would say that-----

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Developers are on the loose again.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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We are the first Government to bring in a national marine spatial framework and marine legislation and we had the establishment of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, MARA. We want more marine designated areas.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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We are moving on.

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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What about Carlinn Hall?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I have a good few responses left. Will I finish them?

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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The Acting Chairman could let him finish.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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If I let him finish, the next group will not have time most of the previous Deputies had. The Standing Orders state there are 15 minutes for each grouping we have to go through.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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It will take two or three minutes.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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All the other Deputies will be pushed and will not get their answers. We will, therefore, move on to the next grouping.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I will just say that the Southern Staris a very august publication. However, if it is the case the headline read "Forget the climate for now", that is sounding the death knell for future and younger generations. That kind of approach is reprehensible and does not serve the young people of today.