Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I remember welcoming the Bill when I spoke on it on that occasion. That is eight years ago. This Bill is about our planet and environment.

In 1999, I was in a place called Tromsø, located inside the Arctic Circle in the north of Norway. I remember climbing a glacier and those who had climbed it previously had put down markers at points where it had reached two years previously. By the time I climbed it, it had melted substantially, by about 4 ft. That was an example of global warming being measured in a small way. We now see changing weather patterns and the severe flooding that has hit our shores, and the effect on lifestyles.

In my budget statement I mentioned that I would have liked to have seen a little bit of imagination in the budget and how to create a greater cultural awareness of our need to act in a more carbon friendly way.There are ways to achieve that and I will refer to them briefly. Many previous speakers referred to other issues but I will focus on this one. It is clear from reports that it will be a challenge to achieve the European Union targets on carbon reduction. The Taoiseach's approach is frequently to seek to have the targets reduced. Why does the Government not seek to offset our carbon emissions and incentivise companies, organisations and individuals to achieve our targets, rather than trying to get away with failing to reach them? I would like to raise awareness, affect outcomes and change culture.

The Bill presents us with an opportunity to tackle significant exhaust emissions in our car-dependent society. The lack of adequate public transport in urban and rural areas means that Galway, for example, from where I come, is choked with traffic because it does not have a school bus system. School transport would contribute significantly to improving the environment and reducing congestion in the city. When children are not at school, traffic flows rather well because large numbers of cars are taken off the roads. A school transport system would also significantly reduce our carbon footprint.

Section 4(8)(b) is concerned with obtaining input from members of the public and refers to feedback. When is this likely to occur? What is the general timeframe for the implementation of the legislation?

One step that could be taken would be to encourage businesses to consider how far their employees must travel to work and ascertain whether they are travelling by car. They could also work out what impact the business is having on emissions. This is another example of raising awareness.

Some exciting developments are taking place elsewhere in the context of offsetting a corporate carbon footprint. The most effective climate protection is to avoid emissions at source. However, measures to increase energy efficiency are useful and unavoidable emissions can be offset in a simple and cost-effective manner. The message to corporations is that they must position themselves as responsible companies by offsetting their carbon footprint. Let us call a spade a spade. What are the chances that corporations and companies will change their practices unless they are forced to do so? I am not necessarily arguing for using a stick because I believe we should also offer incentives. The budget should have been used to provide tax incentives for companies and organisations to reduce their carbon footprints. It would have been fantastic if companies in Galway, which is choked with congestion, had been offered an incentive to fund a school bus transport system. The reward would be a reduction in their carbon footprint which would benefit everyone.

There are many examples of good practice worldwide. For example, a climate neutral company label is available which allows companies to obtain a company carbon footprint that is certified and confirmed by myclimate.org. The United Kingdom's low emission buses are a good model for school transport. Why are we not adopting this model given that school buses operate throughout the country?

Some interesting submissions have been made in respect of 2020 Vision - Sustainable Travel and Transport. The National Disability Authority submission notes, for example, that mobility "is the key to equal citizenship in a society which sets a high value on personal independence and freedom to move around." The adequate provision of an accessible, sustainable public travel and transport service, it adds, is one of the significant services that impacts on the quality of all transport users, even to the most able-bodied, and issues relating to transport accessibility go far beyond the needs of people with disabilities. This, it states, is especially the case as people advance through the aging process because there is a high correlation between age and disability. A major component of a strategy, therefore, must be the adequate provision of an integrated, accessible public transport service which enables older and aging people and people with disabilities to fully participate in society.

My argument is that we face two challenges, namely, to reduce our carbon footprint and act positively on the issue of climate change. The lack of connectivity in our cities and rural areas is also a major challenge. I referred to rural areas of County Galway. With some joined-up thinking, for example, offering incentives for public transport and school transport schemes, we could favourably offset our carbon footprint. Companies may wish to invest in these areas.

As many speakers have noted on previous occasions, housing presents a significant challenge. Rural areas of County Galway have many empty houses but no connectivity. In other words, there is no way of travelling to them, which leads to rural isolation. The connectivity piece is missing. There are 10,000 people on the housing waiting list in Galway. If public transport were available, we could connect into communities and connect people with their place. This would also offset emissions and improve connectivity and quality of life for everyone.

I ask the Minister of State to comment on my proposals on incentivising companies, organisations and, where possible, individuals to offset their carbon footprint, reduce inefficiencies at source and improve public transport to increase connectivity and quality of life. Is he open to that proposal?