Ciarán Cannon (Fine Gael)

The proposals in the Bill run counter to the ambitions set out in Food Harvest 2020. The legislation must recognise Ireland's role in meeting increasing global food demand in an environmentally sustainable manner and guard against the negative global consequences of carbon leakage in other regions.

The economist, Dr. Colm McCarthy, recently wrote an interesting article about the legislation in the Irish Farmers' Journal in which he stated the policy proposed needs to be assessed critically from two perspectives. First, we must assess the extent to which Ireland can usefully contribute to emissions containment. We have a responsibility in this regard and, as a nation, we are more than willing to live up to this responsibility. The second perspective, which is equally important, is how this can be achieved at a minimum cost to the farming sector and the potential for job creation.

If we are to approach this issue in a balanced and measured manner, we must acknowledge that if one small country such as Ireland outperforms other countries in emissions reduction, the global impact is tiny and could be offset by serious indiscipline elsewhere. Dr. McCarthy concluded that in recent years the monthly increase in emissions from China has been approximately equal to Ireland's total annual emissions. If Ireland were simply to shut down the economy, including agriculture and job creation efforts, tomorrow, China would make up for our annual emissions saving within one month. This demonstrates how irrelevant our input into global carbon reduction could be, although I accept the importance of setting an example and being seen to play our part in carbon reduction efforts. Nevertheless, a degree of perspective is necessary in order that we accept that our willingness to reduce carbon emissions will have a tiny global impact. The Government appears to be about to commit to achieve emissions reduction over and above our international obligations. This would be fairly pointless in a global context.

Ireland has a part to play in reducing global carbon emissions. We have led the way in introducing many other ground-breaking laws, including the smoking ban. The ban was brave and excellent legislation introduced by a Fianna Fáil Party Minister in the face of massive pressure not to proceed with it. Many other countries in the European Union and elsewhere have followed the example Ireland set on smoking.

Although we have a responsibility to lead the way, in doing so we should not impose avoidable costs on an already weak economy. The Government will be out of office in ten weeks. This is a strange statement to make as it is unprecedented in this State to be certain that a Government will change. Given that this is the case, why is the legislation being rushed? Green Party Deputies, both in Opposition and government, have made statements on rushed legislation. In 2006, for instance, Deputy Cuffe, speaking on the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill while on the Opposition benches, stated that rushed legislation is bound to be flawed. In July 2009, while Minister of State, the Deputy stated that passing legislation as profound as the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill in a mere seven sitting days did not do the House any service. He added that scrutiny is a key role of Parliament and argued that the full implications of the legislation needed to be teased out and ventilated. The Minister, Deputy Gormley, spoke on the Garda Síochána Bill from the Opposition benches in June 2005 when he stated that rushed legislation was always bad legislation. I ask Senators from the Green Party to take on board their own advice because this is rushed legislation which needs to be teased out.

The Bill before us should form part of a new programme for Government. All relevant stakeholders should be engaged in drawing up new legislation which makes the aspiration of playing our part in reducing global carbon emissions compatible with the aspiration of setting Ireland back on the road to economic recovery.