Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My point is that rather than divide the House, we should accept that the Minister is unavailable. I understand the Senator's motivation in seeking the debate. If he wants to have it without the Minister, he can do that this afternoon, but it will not serve what I think is his purpose. If the Senator withdraws his proposal to amend the Order of Business, we will endeavour to facilitate a debate next week or, if that is not possible, the week after we come back from the mid-term break. I have checked for the Senator and it is genuinely the case that the Minister is unavailable.

Senator Grace O'Sullivan referred to climate change. We have already had a debate in the House on that and have four further debates coming on the national transition standards and with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Department Housing, Planning and Local Government and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment itself. The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Naughten, will be in the House. The Minister has gained in the budget an increase in funding for energy efficiency and the move away from diesel and petrol to electric cars. He is taking renewable energy very seriously as part of our plan to meet emissions reduction targets and he is very committed to meeting our commitments, not to renege on them. I would be happy to have him come to the House to discuss the matter Senator O'Sullivan raised. She referred to the status yellow warning for the weekend. It is another issue that is not going to go away. We are going to have more severe weather alerts and events as a consequence of global warming. Senator Warfield referred to President Trump and there are other Members of the Oireachtas who think global warming is not here when it is. It is not going away. As a nation, we have a duty to work to ensure our environment is protected and that we mitigate the effects of global warming to improve our outcomes. I would be happy to have that debate.

I will come back to Senator Nash with the signature of the Tánaiste on the order. He will have that. The issue the Senator raised is important as it is about construction workers. However, I do not have the answer for him now.

Senators Coghlan and Wilson raised the issue of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution which met yesterday. The committee's work is continuing to the end of the Dáil and Seanad terms on 20 December or thereabouts. Yesterday, the committee decided to have a vote, but some members of the committee were not of that view. However, we decided as a committee to vote in a modular manner. It is a very complex and sensitive matter and there are differing viewpoints. I challenge and urge all Members to read the papers presented to the committee. It is fine to have a predetermined outlook, but the whole purpose of the committee is to have an informed debate on a very complex matter which has bedevilled our society. There are differing viewpoints which we must respect. What the committee took a decision on yesterday was to vote not to retain Article 40.3.3o. The committee is continuing to examine the matter but no decision has been made by it on the question to be put to the people. What was decided was that there would be a referendum in which the people will decide. That is all that has been decided. Ultimately, the people will vote "Yes" or "No" in whatever way they want.