Seanad debates

Wednesday, 9 December 2020

Annual Transition Statement on Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015: Statements

 

10:30 am

Photo of Malcolm ByrneMalcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for coming into the House and for his strong personal commitment to addressing this issue. We all know the facts. Reports are coming out every week highlighting the extent of this crisis, the fact that we have to reach the target of 7.5% reduction in emissions each year between now and 2030 if we are to avoid a 1.5oC rise in temperature that will cause us so much difficulty.

The Minister was right in saying we must learn the lessons of Covid as we emerge from it and how that will mean we can recover better. This is about more than just the response of his Department or that of the Joint Committee on Climate Action. This is a responsibility of all parts of the State, of the public and private sector and of all Members of these Houses. I am glad we will have the climate crisis on the agenda in this House on a weekly basis.

I am conscious the Minister also recognises we not only have climate crisis but a biodiversity crisis. This is an issue that has been championed by my colleague, Senator Garvey, in this House and it is an issue about which all Members feel very strongly. I welcome also that the Minister recognises the importance of regional development. Rather than the lip service often paid to it, this is an opportunity for us to examine how we can properly regionally develop Ireland. In the context of the Minister's reference to taking traffic out of Dublin Port, he will not be surprised to hear me say that Rosslare Europort is a gem that is underutilised and there is an opportunity to develop there. As part of the Government’s remote working strategy, we must examine how we can support our rural towns and villages. What is required in that context as part of planning is that we address the need for a proper water and wastewater infrastructure for our villages. The lack of that infrastructure is the reason many people are not able to live in many of those communities.

I will make a rapid series of points on a number of issues related to the programme for Government, some of which concern timetables which the Minister might be able to address. There is a commitment to move more towards the use of electric vehicles. However, there is not an incentive for the average punter to buy an electric vehicles, as there is still a significant price differential and a shortage of charging points around the country.

I wish to raise the issue of the need for clean air legislation, which I have raised on several occasions. We need to address the burning of smoky coals, It is ridiculous we still have such pollution in terms of the number of particles per million in towns where the sale of smoky coal is supposed to be banned. Regularly in Wexford town, where the ban has been in place for many years, we still have poor air quality and it is also seen in other towns around the country. Legislation addressing that problem needs to be prioritised.

The Minister mentioned renewable energy. That will be significant and for the east coast and the Irish Sea it will be a game changer. The marine planning and development Bill is stated to be priority legislation in the programme for Government. It is critical for the development of this sector. What is the timetable for the bringing forward of that legislation? I welcome the €50 million allocation for walking and cycling infrastructure for areas outside Dublin. The reflects the motto, build it and they will come. This can be transformative for local authorities. It is a positive development. We will need more of it, therefore, it needs to continue.

On agriculture, I agree with Senator Boyhan on the importance of bringing people along with the Minister on this journey. It is clear the farming community accepts the importance of having a sustainable agricultural sector, sustainable environmentally but also sustainable to be able to support family farm incomes. An issue I have always had around the question of carbon credits is that if a landowner chooses to plant forestry or invests in a carbon sink, they do not get to own the carbon credits. Why not let the farmer or landowner own their carbon credits so that they will be able to trade in them? Again, it is about the sustainability of those farms.

As part of the debate we will have on this issue, I would like to hear set out in advance of the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, COP26, to be held inGlasgow next year what Ireland hopes to achieve from the conference and the agenda we want to set at it. I hope we will be ambitious. Given the scale of Ireland’s ambition, I suggest we would seek to hold a global climate change conference at some stage in the future and invite the composite parties to come here; we can show what we have achieved and what we are going to achieve.

Regarding our role within the European Union, in a G2 world that is increasingly dominated by the United States and China, there is an important role for the EU to use our soft power as well as our economic power to drive the kind of change internationally that we are talking about. Much of the concern must be around China because there is not much point in the European Union achieving all our targets if we do not use encouragement or influence to be able to impact on what China is doing.

I thank the Minister for his work and all I can say to him is to please continue to be ambitious.

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