Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Those are Government strategies and initiatives and some of them are welcome. The funding for them is too low, given the scale and speed of the crisis. I know the levels of funding are not entirely within the gift of the Department but I would like to see more funding in those areas. Nonetheless, while those are positive initiatives arising from the original Joint Committee on Climate Action recommendations, my amendment is really on future recommendations that might arise from the Joint Committee on Climate Action subsequent to the hearings we are expecting in the next month. I appreciate that any Member of the Oireachtas or any member of the public may participate in a public consultation, but allowing for public consultation is not the same as reflecting the considered proposals or recommendations that may emerge from the cross-party work of an Oireachtas committee that is directly tasked with the issue of climate action. I would prefer if the Minister of State was able to accept the amendment. I commend some of the schemes and initiatives he has mentioned. They are positive but I am trying to allow for something that would pertain in the future.