Kevin Humphreys (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will move quickly with this Minister. The song "Simply the Best" ran through my mind throughout the contributions because we are actually simply the worst in terms of the environment. Our emissions have gone out of control.

I will discuss a couple of points. I support the idea of developing solar energy, onshore and offshore wind, biomass and microgeneration. All of these are necessary, but we also need to consider what we are doing with Moneypoint. That station must close. We must build the infrastructure to allow for that closure and put in place a plan to protect and retrain its workers in order to ensure that they have a future in the workplace. Since 1998, this country has been told that Moneypoint should close. That is long overdue. The station is one of the biggest polluters in the country and we will not hit our targets as long as it remains open.

Senator Black touched on the issue of peat burning stations. When I raised it with the Minister previously, he told me that we could not create a rust belt in the middle of Ireland. No, we cannot, but we do have to plan quickly for the closure of the peat burning stations. We also must ensure that there is work for the stations' current employees.

We cannot keep making excuses for why our two largest polluters are operating without a clear plan for closure. That lies at the Minister's door. He has been in office for two years. We need to see action. It has been too long and there has been too much talking. Saying this is not popular. I am sure that I will get hundreds of emails when I return to my office because I am taking a stand on two areas, but we need leadership. We are getting none from the Minister or any other Minister. Instead, there has been a growth in emissions. It is unacceptable.