Emer Currie (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the opportunity to engage with the Minister on this Bill. I know it has a long name and we refer to it as NORA, but what we are really discussing are the benefits of the climate action fund, the projects that have been approved and potential projects. As previous speakers acknowledged, we are all working towards a transition to a low-carbon economy, while reaping the benefits of that from the point of view of quality of life, work-life balance, the provision of a just transition and secure employment, and climate action in biodiversity.

I have some questions for the Minister. Can the climate action fund be used to develop an ecosystem around remote working? We have a real opportunity at the moment to change the model of how we work and move away from what has gone before in terms of getting up in the morning, commuting into town and coming home. We have an opportunity to bring everything more towards communities by developing community infrastructure around remote work and making a more sophisticated network of co-working spaces.

We frequently talk about the benefits for rural areas from this. We do not necessarily focus on the benefits for suburban life. I live in the constituency of Dublin West. I have always felt there is a great opportunity there in terms of the pressure on our public transport and the pressures parents and commuters feel. In the long term it is about changing the model of how we work and investing in community infrastructure around that. Does the climate action fund have potential to drive that forward?

I want to ask about start-ups. We have rightly spent much time in the House talking about SMEs. Is there potential for start-ups in the climate action fund? Obviously, innovators have also been hit by Covid.It is not necessarily through jobs yet but it is the time and investment they put into their projects. We have to make sure that the opportunities still exist for them because we need them in this transition to a low-carbon economy and the future of the country.

The third question, which other Members raised so I will not labour it, is the potential for apprenticeships and reskilling within this project.