Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. This Bill is a recognition that we need to balance the relationship between human beings and the natural systems on which we rely. The destruction of our earth, the land and sea, is imperialist- and capitalist-led. The current model of our society based on elevated consumption of fossil fuels is unsustainable on environmental and social grounds.If we do not stop it, it will lead to human misery on a scale never before witnessed. The climate crisis is a result of a stage of capitalist development that uncontrollably devours absolutely everything in its path. We are literally destroying the earth that sustains us. That destruction is imperialist- and capitalist-led.

I spoke recently - and I will say it again since I think of it - about the need to lift the patents on Covid vaccinations. The rest of the world, millions of people, is without a vaccine. The rest of the world, by which I mean the global south, will view this as a betrayal, and it will do nothing for the challenges we face in this area.

Addressing the climate crisis will require action from every facet of our society. I will touch on a couple of areas, including housing and youth. I thank the climate protestors. They really helped enable the passage of our first real climate legislation. They are looking to us as legislators to make sure we deliver a framework that does justice to their effort. The climate policies introduced today will have a massive impact on young people and future generations. For that reason, it makes sense to empower young people to give them a say in the democratic process. Our response to the challenges we face has to be truly inclusive, allowing everyone, including young people, the opportunity to partake in the conversation, to take ownership of the narrative and to hold political leadership to account. That is critical.

I know the Minister supports lowering the voting age, but will he act on that in government? Climate action demands active citizenship. Lowering the voting age is an issue that needs to be led by the Green Party in government. We hear people say they are so proud of our young people and that young people are brilliant. They should be given the vote. They should be allowed to hold us to account on the work we do here.

The youth assembly on climate made a recommendation in 2019 that Ireland ban the importation of fracked gas, and Sinn Féin will table an amendment to that effect. The youth assembly also called on us to invest solely in renewables, with investment in industrial hemp processing facilities to provide a viable, sustainable and alternative land use for farmers as well as employment in rural Ireland. The assembly called on Ireland to outlaw acts of ecocide, being the widespread and systemic loss of ecosystems, including climate and cultural damage. It called for mandatory sustainability education from primary level to the workplace, including a new compulsory junior cycle subject and an optional leaving certificate subject.

On the issue of housing, the residential sector is responsible for 24% of emissions. Housing policy is climate policy. There are 183,000 vacant homes, excluding holiday homes, in the State. Vacant housing is antisocial and irresponsible and there is enormous untapped potential in it. Tackling vacancy is urban regeneration that is socially, environmentally and economically sustainable. These properties do not need new schools or new roads. They have services such as water. Their turnaround cost would be a fraction of the cost of the new builds. Rebuilding Ireland has failed miserably to tackle vacant homes. The policy has a target of bringing back into use 5,600 vacant homes by the end of this year. However, the latest figures show that just over 1,600 homes have been delivered to date via three Government schemes: the repair and leasing scheme, the buy and renew scheme and the Housing Agency fund.

In the minute I have remaining I will talk about the arts. In any movement artists have always pushed the envelope, shown deeper meaning and given expression to complex ideas, and the climate crisis is no different. This State has a role, and plays a role, in supporting creative industries to find solutions. We need more investment in the arts on this front, and I know the Minister will agree with that.

I know amendments were not accepted in the Dáil; I hope amendments will be accepted here. We will engage constructively via our lead spokesperson, Senator Boylan. I thank the Minister.