Kevin Humphreys (Labour) | Oireachtas source

The previous Government did considerable work on climate change. Ireland is one of the few countries to have climate change on the Statute Book. I refer to the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015. The Act has two key elements. An independent advisory council was to be set up and each Minister was to have the responsibility to report annually to the Dáil about emissions and reducing our carbon footprint. As the Bill was passed last October, those reports are now due. We should see all Ministers give an account of their Departments and how they are working to reduce greenhouse gases.

In the space of new politics, Government business in the Dáil has now been restricted to five hours and it is difficult to see how that reporting mechanism will be facilitated in the House. I ask the Leader to consult with the Ministers and ask them to consider to coming to the Seanad in the first instance to give their report on the work their Departments are doing to achieve the greenhouse gas targets.

In the House in the past couple of days Senators have very ably described what has been happening to tillage farmers in the west. During the Committee Stage debate on the climate change legislation it was emphasised that even though Ireland is a small country, with climate change the rain patterns would greatly change with heavier rainfall along the western part of the country and it would be drier in the eastern part, which is what we are seeing. Tillage farmers in the west are under great pressure. The level of the Shannon is already considerably up on previous years. This will be a constant measure. We should ask each Minister in turn to come in and give a report under the legislation that was passed.