John Ellis (Fianna Fail)

If we are going to go further than our European colleagues we will have serious problems with regard to our future competitiveness. As I said before Senator Bacik's intervention, world hunger exists and we are entitled to make a contribution towards its alleviation. Should we tie people's hands and prevent them from producing more food in this country? The most productive part of our economy consists of the agricultural and pharmaceutical industries when it comes to providing national income and dealing with the problems of the economy. Neither of those sectors should be hindered from expanding if they can compete in world markets but this is exactly what will happen.

In tandem with the Climate Change Response Bill I want to see initiatives to allow people reduce their carbon emissions. These measures cannot be brought into play without financial assistance. I refer to assistance with energy-related projects which would reduce the carbon emissions generated by the agricultural sector but farmers are not in a financial position to take them on. Despite the fact that the payback would be quite fast the financial institutions will not back them. This means a loss on the double in that it will mean a loss of future income from farmers, other than from direct production and it will result in more unnecessary emissions. Technology is available which could change the face of agriculture but people do not have the money to invest in it and neither can they get the money. I refer to biodigesters and other systems which can create electricity for the national grid and help to replace fossil fuels and this is only the tip of the technology which could transform agriculture. I am informed that if one had the resources to avail of all the agricultural sector technology, one could nearly become carbon neutral. However, the money is not there and I question, therefore, the need to introduce a Climate Change Response Bill without making available to the sector the necessary investment to allow it become self-financing. This is our problem. We are going down the wrong road if a proper investment programme is not provided in tandem with this Bill.

I refer to the horrific results of climate change seen around the globe in recent times, the recent flooding in Australia and in other parts of the world. However, even though we all acknowledge the effects of climate change, we should not attempt to penalise people in this country who are reasonably compliant. I think we are more compliant than some of our competitors in world markets. We cannot have a climate change Bill to the level as proposed without having some form of support alongside in order to reduce our carbon footprint, in particular, in the agriculture sector.

I do not approve of targets being set for a period of 30 or 40 years thence. Nobody knows what changes in requirements will happen in Ireland, Europe and throughout the world. In an era of food shortages, it is not right to tie the hands of food producers.

We must ensure this Bill takes into consideration all its knock-on effects. The carbon credits for land being set into afforestation must go directly to agriculture and nowhere else. Every saving made in a sector should be left in that sector. If sufficient finance is made available in tandem with this Bill to pay for the technology that will prevent emissions, this will make for a good result in lowering carbon emissions. However, without such financial support the Bill will not work in the long term. It will disadvantage future generations, whether in rural Ireland or working in the pharmaceutical sector.

If green technology were implemented, the country would significantly lower its carbon emissions. There are new methods for waste disposal which obviate the need for big incinerators. I believe some of the smaller systems are equally environmentally friendly. We must consider all the various alternative methods for dealing with waste and pollutants. Otherwise considerable damage will be incurred. I refer to alternatives to fossil fuels for use in the road haulage industry. I wonder if we are creating a tsunami of legislation without putting in place the necessary mechanisms to prevent this tsunami consuming the nation. This Bill will have a detrimental effect on the entire agricultural industry and the pharmaceutical and all other industries. Every industry creates emissions and is a pollutant, whether it is caused by product being transported from factories or other factors.

I appeal to the Minister to look again at this Bill before Second Stage is finalised. The review body will report at the end of this month and this Bill should be put on the shelf until that report is published and there is time to-----