Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour) | Oireachtas source

These proposed amendments call for the complete removal of ex officiomembers from the climate change advisory council. The council has 11 members and is chaired by Professor John FitzGerald. There is international expertise in Professor Ottmar Edenhofer, who has been the chair of BCL working group III. There are five other members who bring a wealth of experience to the group. I would be concerned that calling for their removal would rob the advisory council of valuable insights into the realities and practicalities of policy implementation in Ireland. The point about the practicalities is very important. We have renowned international expertise on the panel. We are all in favour of robust mitigation policy measures being developed and implemented in a timely fashion. The role of the advisory council is to provide advice in this regard.

It would be strange if the council did not have at its disposal, as full members, experts in policy implementation. The four relevant organisations, the EPA, SEAI, Teagasc and the ESRI, all have great expertise in policy implementation. They also have a wealth of talent and infrastructure behind them to lend assistance to the council when and if required, particularly where relevant research is concerned. Foregoing this support around the main table would do a disservice to the requirements and demands of the low-carbon transition agenda.

Moreover, the advisory council has already been established on a non-statutory basis and is already working on its various tasks. Changing its composition now would be problematic and impractical. Accordingly I cannot accept these amendments.