Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The proposed amendment would make it obligatory on the Government to lay a statement before the Oireachtas outlining the reasons for not accepting an assessment of the Climate Change Advisory Council. As stated in section 11, the principal function of the Climate Change Advisory Council is to advise and make recommendations to the Government on the approval of a national mitigation plan, a national adaptation framework and sectoral adaptation plans. It is not clear to me that such advice and recommendations would constitute an assessment of anything. I am quite sure the council's advice and recommendations will feature very strongly for all to see in its annual review and periodic review reports. Therefore, I do not believe it is appropriate to require the Government to respond in the manner proposed because approving national and sectoral plans is quintessentially its executive function, which is important to note.