Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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1. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on environment and climate change will meet next. [7944/24]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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2. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on environment and climate change will next meet. [8950/24]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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3. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on environment and climate change will meet next. [9141/24]

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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4. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on environment and climate change will meet next. [12452/24]

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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5. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on environment and climate change will meet next. [13013/24]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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6. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on environment and climate change will meet next. [10625/24]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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7. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on environment and climate change will meet next. [10628/24]

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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8. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on environment and climate change will meet next. [14091/24]

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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9. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on environment and climate change will meet next. [15185/24]

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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10. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on environment and climate change will meet next. [16355/24]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 10, inclusive, together.

The Cabinet committee on the environment and climate action was formally reconstituted last week. It oversees implementation of the ambitious programme for Government commitments in regard to the environment and climate change. The committee has met on 21 occasions since July 2020, most recently on 22 February. I intend to schedule its next meeting very shortly.

The committee considers the wide range of issues that require action in Ireland's transition to a low-carbon, climate resilient and sustainable future in which we take full advantage of the renewable energy potential we possess and move away from our dependence on expensive, imported fossil fuels. The Government's objective is for Ireland to play its full part in EU and global efforts to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change and to ensure we protect ourselves from the adverse impacts we are already experiencing and that we know will become more acute.

Climate action is a complex challenge. It demands major policy, regulatory, fiscal and sectoral initiatives across all of the economy, with implications for all communities and for every citizen. The realities of climate change and the commitments we have made at UN, EU and national levels demand a transformation in how we do things. The Government will continue to be ambitious in this area and will work with sectors, communities and households to ensure this transformation is done in a way that is fair and collaborative. We will continue to provide the incentives, protections and supports that are required to help people adjust.

Our ambition is that, working together, we can help to create a better Ireland that is well positioned to thrive, economically, socially and environmentally, in the rapidly changing circumstances climate change is bringing. Much work has been done since 2020. We are now starting to see those efforts bear fruit through reductions in the level of emissions. However, we still have a great distance to travel in the years ahead. The Cabinet committee will continue to oversee those efforts, including the implementation of the climate action plan and other environmental and energy commitments in our programme for Government.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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As there are many Deputies looking to contribute, I ask for their co-operation. Each speaker will have one and a half minutes.

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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I congratulate the Taoiseach on his election. I wish him the best of luck in the months ahead.

I raise the issue of emissions. The Taoiseach said in his response that we have, fortunately, seen a reduction in overall emissions. However, one area in which emissions are on the increase is transport. Electric vehicles, EVs, will play a key role in reducing emissions in transport, especially in more rural areas. EVs have their detractors. It has become a favourite pastime of some people to bash them or spread misinformation about them. However, they still have a key role to play. Comparing the first three months of this year with the first three months of 2023, there has been a drop in sales of EVs of 10%. That might be down to a lot of factors but one it definitely can be attributed to is that the grant has been reduced from €6,000 to €3,500 per EV. I ask that the grant be restored in full to once again incentivise the purchase of EVs. They play a key role in reducing emissions in the transport sector.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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There is a target to double the amount of energy generated from onshore wind between now and 2030 but delivery has fallen off a cliff edge under the Government's watch. The planning system is not fit for purpose. Wind energy guidelines are a case in point. The existing guidelines were published in 2006, which is a lifetime ago in terms of technology and everything else. In the meantime, as communities grow increasingly frustrated, we are told a landmark High Court ruling on wind farm noise, which has the potential to delay projects further, has been referred to the Attorney General. This situation is a mess of the Government's making. There are balances to be struck between the rights of communities and the need to develop renewable energy. Will the Taoiseach provide an update on the Government's response to the High Court ruling? When will updated wind energy guidelines be published?

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I am on record as saying that I would have much preferred for a general election to have taken place when the previous Taoiseach resigned. However, I wish the new Taoiseach luck in his role. There is no shortage of issues in front of him at this time.

I raise the ever-present issue for many elected representatives of problems in our dealings with Uisce Éireann. Lately, I have been dealing with issues locally in the likes of Tom Bellew Avenue in Dundalk. I will not to go into the details of the problem with a valve, which we are told will be replaced at the end of June. The valve can sense when demand fluctuates and this impacts on water pressure when people use their showers and all the rest of it. I will be getting answers at some stage regarding other estates where residents have the same issue. We are told there is no problem. I could also talk about Bay Estate in Dundalk. I have raised multiple issues. After the flooding, we asked about the drainage area plan and I submitted multiple questions. I am asking for the Taoiseach's aid in this matter because, unfortunately, there has been a refusal to have a meeting. Uisce Éireann keeps telling me to use its email address for elected representatives.

That is not good enough. I have had reports back from the company and have questions. I would be forever following up with my secondary questions, so I need to have a meeting with the company. I have asked the chief executive for one in the past while. I will give one of the answers I have got on my own estate, Bay Estate. It claims the estate is in a very poor state of repair, with frequent blockages, and prone to groundwater leaking into the network. It adds that it is proposed to undertake surveys first and then follow up with rehabilitation works under the infiltration reduction programme. However, I have major questions on capacity with respect to dealing with floodwater and wastewater, and I really need a meeting.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I was not aware until a bus driver who works for Dublin Bus contacted me that a major transport conference is taking place in Dublin this week. It is the Transport Research Arena conference, which I believe the Minister for Transport, Deputy Ryan, and the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, are at to discuss sustainable transport. The driver asked me why there are no bus drivers at the conference. The same driver keeps me informed about issues affecting bus workers. He outlined what is required if the authorities want to know how to make public transport actually work and indeed recruit and retain bus drivers, which is critical to having a system that is more reliable and with more frequent services. A huge part of the problem leading to a lack of reliability in public transport in places like Dublin is that the company cannot recruit and retain enough bus workers because the conditions are crap. If someone is working in the privatised part of the system, it is worse. Therefore, there is very little incentive to work for the companies that run the routes that are privatised. The driver I spoke to made a very good point. He asked where the representation for bus workers is at the discussions on how to modernise and make sustainable and functional the public transport we need if we want to get people out of cars and into public transport. The same thing could be said about representatives of taxi drivers.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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There is a growing movement around the world, including on this island, to defend the rights of nature. Increasingly, people understand that without the protection of the rights of nature, there cannot be a human right to a healthy environment. Human rights and the rights of nature go hand in hand. On Thursday, campaigners for the rights of nature will gather at 11 a.m. outside the Dáil ahead of the debate we will have in the afternoon on the Oireachtas environment committee's report on the work of the Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss. Our committee, in line with the citizens' assembly, recommended that a referendum be held on inserting the rights of nature and the right to a healthy environment into the Constitution and that an expert group be established during the lifetime of the Government to begin preparing the referendum questions. Does the Taoiseach support the holding of such a referendum? Have there been any moves to establish such an expert group? If not, will he ensure there is movement on it?

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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The Taoiseach has six minutes.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I will do my very best. I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I am learning that these questions have covered a wider area than that covered by the tabled questions, which concern when we will hold the next meeting of the Cabinet committee. It will be scheduled shortly.

I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for his kind wishes. I look forward to working with him. I thank him also for highlighting the importance electric vehicles. His view is one that I share. I believe it is also one that the Tánaiste shares. We all signed up to a programme for Government that was anti-carbon, not anti-car, and therefore have to consider how we can use new technologies to enable people who require cars to use them more sustainably. The financial barrier to ownership of an EV is an issue. It is probably not the only one but it is one that I know people are factoring in. Issues regarding the level of a grant will be a matter for the budgetary process, as the Deputy will have expected me to say, but he is getting his speak in early on the matter. I will certainly reflect the Deputy's views to the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and also seek his views. The Government's scale of ambition for EVs remains the same and therefore we need to consider every lever we can pull to continue to drive on – pardon the pun – the progress we need to make on electric vehicles. There has been good progress but much more needs to be done.

I thank Deputy O'Rourke for raising his question. I will get him an answer directly on where we are and the timeline for the wind guidelines; however, offshore renewable energy remains a very major part of-----

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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Onshore.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Onshore; my apologies. I will get the Deputy an update on the wind guidelines. I am aware that the Attorney General's advice was being sought. I will ask when we should expect the outcome in that regard and revert to the Deputy directly.

I learned a long time ago that it is easier to offer Deputy Ó Murchú a meeting than not do so, so I advise Uisce Éireann to follow the same approach. It is important that State agencies be accessible to elected representatives. Of course, the format in which such meetings can take place can vary. People can use Zoom and everything else these days. The Deputy clearly has a number of important issues of concern regarding Uisce Éireann for his community and constituency. I hope Uisce Éireann can facilitate his request. I will certainly take it up on his behalf with the line Minister.

Deputy Boyd Barrett referred to the conference taking place in Dublin. I am not across it but I take the Deputy's point. Listening to the voices of workers is a very good thing to do. I am obviously not the organiser or issuer of the invites but I recently had a conversation at Dublin Bus on apprenticeships, how to attract more people into the industry, the issue of preparing for the very significant transformation the bus fleet is going to undergo, the skills that will be required to maintain it and the job opportunities that exist, but also the challenges presented by having to learn new skills. I will relay the Deputy's views to the Minister for Transport and the Minister of State. It is important in general, when approaching the issue of climate action, to adopt the approach of trying to bring people with us, listen to them, talk to them and engage with them. Certainly, workers are a very important part of that.

Deputy Paul Murphy referred to the rights of nature. I am a supporter of the nature restoration law. I will continue to articulate that view in Europe. I will be at the European Council this week and I will be making the point on the new European strategic agenda, which is basically the five-year roadmap for the vision and values of Europe. The climate needs to be stressed much more strongly in the draft document than it currently is. I am aware that there are some views on that.

I understand the Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss published its report in March 2023 and agreed 159 recommendations, 73 of which were high level and 86 of which were sector specific. That gives us a sense of the depth and breadth. The recommendations of the assembly were deliberated upon by an Oireachtas joint committee. I believe it had a series of engagements with stakeholders, including the Children and Young People's Assembly on Biodiversity Loss. The latter published its report in December and it contained 86 recommendations. My note tells me that 93% of the recommendations of the citizens' assembly and 95% of the calls to action of the children and young people's assembly have been implemented or are in progress. The phrase "in progress" is one we always need to watch in politics.

On the specific recommendation on a referendum, Ireland's 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan 2023–2030, published in January, contains an action whereby the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage will explore ways in which the rights of nature could be formally recognised, including, potentially, in our Constitution. I understand it is due to conclude its deliberations this year, and these will inform Government thinking.