Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

I really welcome the opportunity to bring the Just Transition (Worker and Community Environmental Rights) Bill 2021 to Second Stage and have it debated here in the Chamber. As we move closer and closer to the 2030 and 2040 targets, as our world becomes more vulnerable and we can see much more clearly the impact of climate change and the need to change how we are operating, this Bill is becoming increasingly important.

This Bill provides for the establishment of a body to be known as An Coimisiún Náisiúnta um Thrasdul Cóir, or, in the English language, the National Just Transition Commission, to oversee the bringing together of workers, communities, employers and government in social dialogue to drive the plans, policies and investments needed for a fair transformation to a low-carbon economy; to require the preparation, by certain prescribed bodies, of just transition plans; to provide for the conferral of other functions on the said body; to amend the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015, as amended; and to provide for related matters.

What do we mean when we talk about just transition? I do not particularly like the term "just transition". Many people do not understand it or know what it is about. It actually puts a lot of people off. What we really mean when we talk about it is ensuring that as we move to a more sustainable way of living, no one is left behind and we do not disadvantage anybody by the transformation. It is a really important principle of climate action and climate justice. The Paris Agreement recognised that workers are at the interface of the upheaval that climate change threatens to impose and that states need to adopt a just and fair transition to a zero-carbon economy.

It is a quite technical term and when you start trying to work out exactly who it should be for and what it should mean, you find it gets quite technical. Technically, it means that people, workers and communities who may face significant changes to their lives as a result of the need to move to a zero-carbon society are supported in making those changes. It means a fair deal for workers, farmers, fishers and communities and it means protecting their rights. We cannot have a successful transition without buy-in from all these workers, including those who produce our food, catch our fish and work and live in urban and rural communities. They must feel secure and supported as things around us change. The just transition needs to be across society.

To date, we have had work on a just transition but it has focused primarily on the midlands. It was important to ensure those who worked in Bord na Móna or on the bogs were supported in making the transition. However, what is entailed is so much broader than that area and that cohort of workers. We need to recognise that moving to a more future-proofed economic model will impact everybody in different ways and we have a responsibility to ensure that no one is left behind and that all members of society are in a position to grasp the opportunities a just transition will bring.

Our just transition needs to apply to our farmers as we move away from intensive practices. It needs to apply to our fishers as we implement marine protected areas and better stock management. It needs to apply to our industrial base and our businesses, including those of the mechanics. As we move to a position where we have more electric vehicles, the whole motor industry needs to change, including in respect of workers such as mechanics. Just transition also needs to apply to people who are vulnerable or at risk of energy poverty.

At present, we are seeing huge problems and vulnerabilities when it comes to energy and pricing. We see many families struggling and energy prices going up exponentially. This is not going to go away as we move further into a situation in which we are trying to move away from fossil fuels. People are vulnerable but there is a genuine opportunity to make households more resilient and more self-sufficient when it comes to energy usage.

The Social Democrats have always been very strong proponents of solar power. Solar is one way we can assist in making homes more resilient. There are many changes we can make that would benefit people and our environment at the same time. People need assistance to make the changes and we want and need the Government to step up.

Part of the just transition is providing a mechanism for workers and their communities to hold to account the Government, including its Departments, State agencies and other bodies, in the development and implementation of climate action plans and mitigation and adaptation strategies that underpin our national response to climate change. At present, there is no legal mechanism for workers and their communities to hold just transition policies to account.

The Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, is available to workers, as are the courts, but neither specifically deals with the disruption caused by the transition to a zero-carbon economy and the implications of this for workers’ rights and employment issues. The programme for Government commits to establishing a just transition commissioner on a statutory basis; however, unfortunately this has not been carried out to date.

I welcome the fact that the Government set up a just transition commission. I was very pleased to see that and that its members are very good and strong in their expertise. While it is a very valuable commission, it is not on a statutory footing and so needs a legislative framework. This Bill could lay the foundation for that legal underpinning.

The just transition commission proposed in this Bill would be similar to the WRC. It would bring together workers, communities, employers and the Government into a social dialogue that would drive climate action plans, mitigation plans, adaptation plans, and the policies and investments needed for a quick, fair and just transition to a zero-carbon economy.

If we look to our neighbours across the channel in Scotland, we see a great example to follow. Scotland established its own just transition commission in 2018 with the intention of centring its just transition plans on partnership between those impacted most by the transition to net zero, with co-design and co-delivery at the core. At the start of each year, Scotland’s minister for just transition writes to the commission to inform it of planned government work that can help inform the development of the commission’s work plan. It publishes an annual report on Scotland’s progress and is available to all Scottish ministers who seek its advice and support.

Legislating for the just transition commission in Ireland now would demonstrate a long-term, cross-Government commitment to fairness that survives political cycles and changing Ministers and their respective agendas. We have an opportunity to show that Ireland is serious about a fair transition, not just reacting to the pressures of 2025 but also building a durable structure for the future.

We all know we have significant changes to make, and we all know we have major targets to meet. There is a general acceptance that we will strive to do our best to meet those targets. However, the question of how we meet them is fundamental. We must meet them in a fair and just manner and this must be driven by the Government.

Crucially, this Bill also amends the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 to include, for the first time in Irish legislation, a definition of just transition and its principles. Unfortunately, this was left out of the legislation when we debated it and passed it in the last Dáil. It is a fundamental piece of the information that people need and it needs to be in the legislation to ensure a just transition.

This Bill’s explanatory memorandum defines a just transition as "a transition that ensures the economic, environmental and social consequences of the ecological transformation of economies and societies are managed in ways that maximise opportunities of decent work for all, reduce inequalities, promote social justice, and support industries, workers and communities negatively affected, in accordance with nationally defined priorities, and based on effective social dialogue".

It defines just transition principles as being the importance of taking action to reduce net Irish emissions of greenhouse gases in a way which supports environmentally and socially sustainable jobs, supports zero carbon investment in infrastructure, develops and maintains social consensus, creates decent, fair and high-value work in a way which does not negatively affect the current workforce, and contributes to resource-efficient and sustainable economic approaches which help to address inequality and poverty.

Centring climate action on a just transition approach is a unique opportunity to deliver climate solutions that not only cut emissions but also improve lives by creating better jobs, warmer homes, cleaner air and a more resilient and self-sufficient society. Ultimately, change is scary, and this is a change that is happening to us in Ireland and globally. People are afraid. When we talk about climate change, it is often framed in the negative. When we talk about climate action, people think it will be punitive, will cost them more and will be socially difficult. Ultimately, though, if we get our just transition right, it will lead to a much fairer society where people's homes are warm, there are buses they can take and they work in jobs where they also have a good work-life balance. This is about moving to a much better, much fairer way of living.

Without stronger commitment from Government and a clear strategy for just transition, the potential for an unjust transition in Ireland will continue to grow. Since 2021, just transition has become central to national and international climate governance. The case for embedding fairness into climate action has never been stronger. In the coming years, we will be asking a great deal of society in order to meet our climate targets and to respond to the realities of climate change. Public awareness of inequality and vulnerability linked to climate policy is at an all-time high, creating political and social momentum for action. With major climate policies, change is being rolled out across energy, transport, buildings and agriculture. This is our chance to ensure that fairness is built in from the get-go. Ireland has an opportunity to show that climate action can improve lives, strengthen communities and build a fair economy, rather than deepen inequality. As Ireland makes the shift from planning to implementation, it is crucial that we embed fairness into the foundation of Ireland's climate response and see ambitious, science-based targets and social justice not as competing priorities but, rather, as two sides of the same coin.

There is no reason that the Government should oppose the progression of this Bill. I hope the Minister of State will be able to support it. I acknowledge the work of Sinéad Mercier, who worked with me on this Bill in the previous term. I know she worked with Eamon Ryan on this Bill. I acknowledge the unions, which contributed greatly when we first developed this Bill. This is important legislation and I hope the Minister of State gives it full consideration.

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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I congratulate Deputy Whitmore on bringing this Bill to the floor. It is well researched, well prepared legislation that allows for the establishment of what should be and must be a core part of the infrastructure that shapes Ireland's response to the climate crisis. As Deputy Whitmore described, we have two choices in how we face the climate crisis. We can see it in a way that allows us to flounder, to see the negatives and everything else, or we can see the opportunity that presents itself when we think about our response. For me, this Bill sets on a clear, statutory footing the important dialogue that needs to happen so that communities and workers are protected throughout the climate crisis.

I want to introduce a couple of ideas within this concept. I believe that another crisis we are facing is the automation crisis that is coming about through AI. Automation is something we have to grapple with as a society. AI is currently proving to be a catalyst for labour displacement across multiple sectors, so it really is going to be disruptive in a way that we have not thought about as a society and that we are certainly not facing up to as a society or dealing with in any helpful way. I believe the just transition needs to deal not only with the challenges that the climate crisis presents to us but also those that are presented by automation.

Another point I would add is that if we have learned anything from the Covid pandemic, it is that there is as much impact from a crisis that presents itself to society as there is from the State's response to it. We saw during Covid the way that certain cohorts of society were disproportionately impacted by the restrictions that were placed on society compared with the mainstream population. For example, we know that all children were affected by having to learn remotely, but those kids who were in care had a whole other suite of supports that were no longer available to them, including key workers, psychologists and so on. They had a very different experience of the effect of the Covid restrictions on them compared with the other children in society. It is important to recognise that Covid was a short, sharp crisis, compared with this, which is a much longer running crisis. We need to make sure, however, that the State's response to this crisis does not disproportionately punish any particular group in society. Well done to Deputy Whitmore and I welcome this Bill.

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I acknowledge the work of Deputy Whitmore in bringing forward this Private Members' Bill on the subject of just transition and her and her party's commitment to this topic. I also commend Sinéad Mercier and the unions, which I know worked with Deputy Whitmore on this. I thank Deputy Gibney for her intervention. This time three weeks ago, I was the Minister of State with responsibility for digitalisation, so I am particularly interested in what Deputy Gibney said about AI.

In line with the national climate objectives, the Government is fully committed to a just transition to a climate-neutral economy by no later than 2030. There have been significant developments relating to just transition since the Private Members' Bill was presented to the House in 2021. These include both policy and legislation changes, as well as the establishment of, as Deputy Whitmore said, the just transition commission of Ireland on an administrative basis last year. It is on the basis of these developments, which provide an established approach to just transition within climate policy, that the Government is opposing the Bill.

The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 provides for a just transition to a climate-neutral economy which endeavours, insofar as is practicable, to maximise employment opportunities and support persons and communities that may be negatively affected by the transition. To operationalise this provision, the Climate Action Plan 2021 introduced a just transition framework which guides the integration of just transition into climate policy. Just transition, as Deputy Whitmore said, probably is not the most obvious name, so let me outline for viewers watching at home what that framework looks like and means in practice. It consists of four principles focusing on the need for an evidence-based approach to plan our response to just transition requirements. It is about equipping people with the right skills to participate in the future economy. It is about ensuring that the costs are shared so that existing inequalities are not exacerbated, and it is about social dialogue to ensure impacted citizens and communities are consulted and empowered. All relevant Ministers are expected to formulate and implement their climate policies through the lens of this framework so that policies are informed by the need to ensure a just transition.

The just transition commission of Ireland, as the Deputies will be aware, was established last year as an independent advisory body. A key focus of the commission is to support the Government in its responsibility to provide that Ireland's transition to the national climate objective has regard to the requirement for a just transition to a climate-neutral economy. The mandate of the commission is to prepare and analyse strategic research in relation to a just transition; evaluate, advise and comment on sectoral climate policies; provide strategic advice and engagement on just transition; undertake proactive engagement with communities, sectors or regions facing challenges arising from the transition; and listen to and channel the public voice on just transition.

The Private Members' Bill before us today proposes the establishment of a just transition commission on the legislative basis with a focus on workers and communities. However, the existing commission's remit goes wider than this. While it accounts for the need to ensure a just transition workforce, its programme also includes the assessment of the implementation of the just transition framework into climate policy; strengthening engagement with vulnerable cohorts on climate matters; and recommending indicators to support the measurement of our progress as we continue to transition. The commission has made really significant progress in its work programme and it has already published its introductory report. This report provides some early reflections and recommendations on the implementation of just transition across climate policy.

The commission points to the need to develop a just transition strategy and the need for stronger governance, monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the just transition framework in climate policy. The Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment will develop a just transition strategy as a key deliverable under its 2025 to 2028 statement strategy. The just transition strategy will set out a clear vision for a just transition to a competitive, affordable, secure and climate-neutral economy and society.

My colleague the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment has assured the commission of the Government's ongoing support for its work through his engagement with both the chair, Ms Ali Sheridan, and members. It was very heartening to hear Deputy Whitmore commend the talents of the people involved in the commission and the good work that they are doing on behalf of Ireland.

In conjunction with its introductory report, the commission has also explored two key sectoral areas, transport and agriculture, and the cross-cutting topic of finance. In conducting its review, the commission has engaged with over 60 representative groups, officials and academics. It has conducted engagements with farmers, agricultural students and representative groups in Glasnevin's Wayfinding Centre. The commission is now preparing a report to reflect and provide recommendations on the respective sectors. In addition, the commission continues to develop links with similar bodies such as the Climate Change Advisory Council.

As noted earlier, the current just transition commission was established on an administrative basis. This followed on from the work of the just transition task force, which was tasked with seeking consensus on a long-term structure for the just transition commission. The task force convened in 2023 and was chaired by Mr. Kieran Mulvey. It consisted of representatives from the five pillars of social dialogue and senior officials from the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, the Department of the Taoiseach, the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation and the NESC. Their recommendations included that the commission should be established on an administrative basis to ensure timely establishment but that it would quickly move to a statutory basis. In approving the establishment of the commission, the Government noted that a review of the operation of the commission should be undertaken before moving it to a statutory basis. This will allow the commission to establish itself and for learnings on its current structure and remit to be reviewed and refined. That review is planned for the middle of next year.

In these circumstances the Government believes it would be premature to consider moving the commission to a statutory basis in advance of the review. It would also distract the commission from completing its work programme, which is the most important thing. We know that that transition will have different impacts on different people, communities and regions. The Government acknowledges this and has been investing significant resources into supporting the midlands, as the Deputy noted in her own contribution, because the midlands communities are most impacted by the transition away from peat.

One of the first measures that was introduced was the National Just Transition Fund 2000 to 2024, which provided over €16 million to the region. The EU just transition fund, which runs to 2027, remains active in the midlands, with up to €169 million available in the region. Since the launch of the programme in 2023, 15 calls for funds have been run and 172 projects under grant agreement have been approved in the sum of €121 million. The EU just transition fund is co-funded through the EU just transition mechanism and national co-financing.

As demonstrated, significant work is already under way to underpin the just transition through legislation, the implementation of the just transition framework, investment in the midlands and institutional arrangements. The commission and colleagues can be assured of the Government's ongoing commitment to a just transition as we continue to embed it in our policymaking. On the basis of these significant developments the Government has decided to oppose the Bill.

I note the Deputy has not been given a copy of my speech, so I will provide her with this one. We might see if we can get it photocopied.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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Is the Second Reading of the Bill being delayed or is it being ruled out?

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Bill is being opposed.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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That is a pity. Ba mhaith liom an Teachta Whitmore a mholadh as an mBille seo a chur os comhair na Dála. Molaim an Dr. Sinéad Mercier freisin. Is bean iontach í. It is essential that we talk about climate action and a just transition. When the climate committee was working on the climate Bill, we were desperately trying to get a proper definition in that. People did not feel that a just transition was in order or that it was actually about climate action through justice for people and workers.

The climate and biodiversity crisis that we face across this State and worldwide is existential. We need a radical change in how we do business if we are to reach any of our short- or long-term climate goals. It will require buy-in from everyone if we are to collectively reduce our emissions and convert to a greener, cleaner and more just future. To get that we really need universal buy-in and equality of outcome. Putting a just transition i lár gach aon rud is essential if we are to achieve this. People should not be punished for doing the right thing.

It is clear that there is an appetite for ambitious climate action in Ireland across different regions and life stages. That means that we have a unique opportunity to engage and empower communities to shape, lead and benefit from the transition. It should be seen not as a hindrance but as a golden opportunity. We can deliver climate solutions that not only cut emissions but also enhance people's lives, by creating better jobs, warmer homes, cleaner air and a more resilient society. We cannot wait until after communities or sectors are impacted to talk about fairness.

Engagement and planning must happen before the transformational changes arrive. Engagement here is key because we live in a different world from did five years ago. I was on the climate committee with Jennifer Whitmore in the last Dáil. We were never looking for Senators to come in to have a quorum. It was the one committee that worked really well across all the parties. It is completely different this time. It is not because there are fewer Green Party members on it, but because there is less interest.

While we want climate action, the world has not been so receptive because the world has changed. We only have to look at America. The President of America is anti-climate and anti-science. He has talked about climate change as a scam. These are really easy lies to peddle because people will always look for the easy option. It might be easier to just say it is not true, but we have to contradict that. The Government has to counteract that by including workers and communities in the green revolution now, not later. We know the climate transition will impact every community and every sector and each of our lives and livelihoods. We know it will affect countries and cause increased migration, an issue that is very topical now. I believe that everybody loves their own homeland and would prefer to stay at home. We need to do what we can in the developed world to make sure people can stay in their own homes if that is what they want.

There is now a need for a national just transition strategy, a clear actionable plan that shows how climate will benefit every community and every worker, especially those at risk. If we can build a consensus and bring communities with us on this climate journey now and for generations to come, the world will be a better place. I believe this is the moment for Ireland to show it is serious about a just transition.

I disagree with the Government opposing the Bill. It is a good Bill that would show communities that climate action can make their lives better. It can result in cheaper electricity. It is a real pity the Government is opposing the Bill outright.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I welcome the reintroduction of this just transition Bill. I thank Deputy Whitmore for doing so. I thank her for recognising those who worked on this legislation, including my party colleague Eamon Ryan, Dr. Sinéad Mercier and the trade unionists who have been involved in the past. Since this Bill was first proposed by the Green Party in 2018, much has changed in the legislative agenda and the policy direction of this country and indeed in the world as a whole.

The just transition has been recognised as absolutely essential. It is referenced in our own domestic institutions, it has been adopted within EU frameworks and it is included within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC, commitments as well.

Deputy Whitmore made the point about the use of the technical terminology "just transition" sometimes hiding or disguising what is being attempted and how that lack of clarity sometimes contributes to lessening support for the steps we need to take. Let us just remind ourselves what the intended outcome is here. The just transition is about improving people's quality of life while tackling the greatest threat in our lifetime, namely, climate change. That is what it is in a nutshell. It is about recognising that the workers who are employed in the parts of our economy that create a large amount of carbon will need the greatest amount of support. Not only the individual workers, the individual business owners, the individual farmers who are in carbon-intensive industries, but also the wider communities that depend on these people for their living. The just transition sees that people who are already vulnerable in our society, who already face poverty or relative poverty, will need the greatest support. We should always keep in mind that the impacts of climate change are going to be felt the most by the least well-off in our society, be that globally or in Ireland. It is the poor who suffer the most if rains fail in Ethiopia or when hurricanes are more severe in the Caribbean because of climate change. It is the poor who suffer the most from the energy price spikes we have seen here in Ireland. They are the ones most at risk of energy poverty.

Over the summer, I met the minister for climate action from Vanuatu, Ralph Regenvanu. He was visiting Dublin. Vanuatu is a small Pacific island nation on a range of islands. It has a population of just over 300,000 people. It is hugely at risk to natural disasters. It is hugely at risk to sea-level rise. Its very physical existence as an independent nation that is present is put at risk by climate change and by sea-level rise. For me, hearing from him about what his country is doing was a very real-world, tangible illustration of the existential threat that climate change represents for millions, and ultimately billions, of people living on our planet.

A number of Deputies referenced the 2025 report from our current Just Transition Commission of Ireland. I want to focus on three elements of that report. I note that, in this most recent report, the commission really focused on the fact that, to date, our approach to the just transition has been piecemeal. It has been too reactive and we have not adopted that all-of-society approach. It recognises that steps have been taken but it also strongly recognises that the communities I spoke of earlier that are most at risk of this transition feel left behind and that not enough has been done for them.

The second point it makes is that creating a better Ireland goes hand in hand with a just transition. Climate action at its core is not only about cutting the carbon emissions, but it is also about building a country where people can live secure, dignified and healthy lives. It is about improving things in all senses, for all people.

The final point I will raise about that report is the importance of faster climate action. At the Belém COP in recent weeks, we saw the huge preponderance of fossil fuel lobbyists who were there and who were able to influence the outcome of that COP to ensure the reference to the transition away from fossil fuels was not actually mentioned in the final text of the Belém declaration. The outcome of that in the medium-to-long-term is going to be more people in Ireland, more people across Europe and the world, having to experience the risk of energy poverty because of their dependence on fossil fuels.

I urge the Government to do more. As a country, we must choose courage over delay, we must choose fairness over fear and we must choose the opportunities that exist from this transition over obstruction. If we work and commit together to a just transition, that not only confronts climate change but ultimately builds a fairer and more just society for all of us in Ireland.

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputies for their feedback. As set out in my opening statement, the reason the Government is opposing this Bill is due to the fact that we have already set up the commission on an administrative basis, and we want it to get on with the work we have tasked it with and we then want to review that to see whether it is working. At that point, once we have the review, we will be making a decision around a statutory footing. Also, the landscape in which we are making this decision has seen significant developments around the just transition policy since this Bill was tabled in 2021.

The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 and the Climate Action Plan 2021 set the legislative and policy direction for just transition, with the just transition framework outlining the broad nature of a just and fair transition. The just transition framework recognises that people need the right skills to participate in a climate-neutral economy, but it also recognises the need for evidence-based climate policy, the need to ensure that costs are shared equitably and the need for social dialogue with impacted citizens and communities. The overarching nature of the framework is reflected in the existing Just Transition Commission's mandate and work programme. The Just Transition Commission will examine the workforce implications of the transition but also has the remit to evaluate sectoral climate policy, proactively engage with impacted communities or sectors, and provide strategic advice and analysis in relation to a just transition.

The existing commission is providing impartial advice to the Government and is doing so to support a just transition to climate neutrality. While the commission was established on an administrative basis, the just transition task force recommended that the body be moved to a statutory basis. The Government is committed to reviewing the operation of the commission in a manner that allows the commission to establish itself and for learnings on its current structure and its remit to be reviewed and refined. Any decision on moving the commission to a legislative basis before this review would be premature.

As previously noted, under the commission's recommendation, the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment will develop a just transition strategy, which will set out a clear vision for a just transition to a competitive, affordable, secure and climate-neutral economy and society. The commission's forthcoming report on agriculture, transport and finance will further its guidance and support to the Government and the respective Departments.

The Government feels that moving to establish the commission on a legislative basis at this point could distract the commission from its current work programme and hamper the momentum it is building as a new body.

Finally, I reiterate that the Government is committed to a just transition and a climate-neutral economy by no later than 2050. However, due to legislative, policy and institutional developments since 2021, the Government is opposing this Private Members' Bill on the basis of the progress since then.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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I thank everybody for their contributions this evening. It is a very important issue and debate. I take the Minister of State's point in relation to the current commission and the work it is doing. I understand that the Government is afraid that legislating for this now may distract from its current work programme but I ask that the Minister of State or the Minister go and discuss this with the commission. When we look at its first report, it is very clear about what needs to be seen. This is a really positive message when it comes to just transition. According to the commission: "A just transition offers a powerful opportunity, not only to manage the risks of the climate transition but to reimagine and reshape Ireland’s economy and society to be more inclusive, resilient and sustainable." That is from the Just Transition Commission's press release about its first report. It also says that Ireland must move much faster. So, the Government's fears about taking this too fast are misplaced. The commission says:

Ireland must now move much faster and with much more ambition if we are to keep the people and places we care about safe from the effects of climate change, and to seize the unprecedented opportunity that a just transition offers to build a fairer, more inclusive, and resilient society.

It also made the point that Ireland's approach since 2021 has been piecemeal and reactive, rather than a whole-of-society approach and that the just transition framework the Minister of State spoke about is in place but is not being utilised. It is very clear that just transition must be embedded structurally and that is what I am attempting to do with the Bill. The Bill would embed it in the legislative framework so that it is in place going forward and is not reliant on a favourable Government or Minister. Rather, it would work for the people across the country. It would be consistent, clear and cannot be removed at the whim of any Minister or Government.

The first report rings an alarm bell. It states that the current approach leaves Ireland on a trajectory towards an unjust transition. While I can understand the rationale that the work is ongoing, and we do not want to slow that down or distract from it, what the commission has said is different. From what I have read in its report, its reaction is different. I ask that before we vote on the Bill the Minister of State discusses this with the commission. The just transition commission would appreciate having that legislative framework available to it.

The Government has put a 12-month timeframe on the latest few Bills that have gone through the Dáil. I would be okay with that. It would be a much better result than plainly saying "No" to the Bill. I ask the Government consider putting in place a 12-month timeline and using that 12-month period to work with the commission and ensure that the Bill or principle of just transition and the commission are put on a statutory basis. That is what we need to see.

The risk of not getting this transition right cannot be understated. Ireland is not immune to this. Many countries have been torn apart and societies and communities fight each other when it comes to the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss and the approach of Governments to managing it. It is important that we are very strategic and proactive in how we deal with this so that we provide supports before people are afraid and start thinking that they are being left behind. When people feel like they are being left behind, that is when the trouble will start.

I ask the Minister of State to speak to the Minister and ask him whether he would consider putting in place a 12-month timeframe. That would be a welcome result. I ask the Government to not say a blanket "No" to this; it is too important.

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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In accordance with Standing Order 85(2), the division is postponed until the weekly division time next week.