Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 8:

In page 9, line 13, to delete "24 months" and substitute "12 months".

Section 5 provides, "The Minister shall, not later than 24 months after the passing of this Act, make, and submit to the Government for approval, a plan, which shall be known as the national climate change adaptation framework." In tabling this amendment I was trying to secure a faster speed of action than having to wait for the 24 months timeframe provided.

I was delighted to find that this advocacy is shared by An Taoiseach. I would like to read what he said when he addressed the United Nations in New York in September 2014. The report states An Taoiseach spoke out powerfully about the looming global climate change crisis and the duty of those who exercise political power to act now and to act decisively. He said, "The hand of the future beckons, the clock ticks and we have no time to waste." I wonder if the Taoiseach was here today would he vote against the 24-month delay provided for in the Bill. The Taoiseach went on to say:

Global warming is a stark reality that can only be dealt with by a collective global response. We are all interdependent and interconnected [...] we share a common humanity [...] each of us must play our part.

The Taoiseach obviously thought in New York in September 2014 that this was a matter of some urgency and perhaps his supporters on the other side of the House might like to share that sense of urgency. It was a very powerful quote from him.