Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senators for their contributions on these amendments. The national mitigation plans will, by their nature, contain our emission targets and we will note how we are doing in respect of them. There is no need to cite this specifically in legislation. It is important to remember that there are quantified legally binding targets under EU legislation already.

I do not agree with the proposals in the amendments. They are unnecessary and superfluous. The national mitigation plan is designed, as set down in section 4(2)(c), to take into account any existing obligations on the State under EU or international law. That is binding on the State. Each successive national mitigation plan will have to abide by our legally binding mitigation obligations, so specifying the quanta of emissions as each successive plan is implemented would be redundant. Accordingly, I cannot accept the amendments.

I note Senator Keane's comments on diesel car emissions and their impact on climate change. All sectors, with the main ones being transport, which includes cars, energy and agriculture, will be reviewed, analysed and researched. The plans will adopt plans to address those emissions in terms of new technologies, interventions that can be made and, indeed, human behaviour and how we respond to the climate change challenge together.