Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Everybody has focused on this issue. All the Opposition groups and Senator O’Reilly, a Government senator, have brought forward amendments on it. One of the gaps in the Bill is the lack of sufficient recognition of just transition and engagement on it. We and others have taken two approaches to it in our amendments. One is to insert a definition of "just transition" and the other is to insert just transition principles. That is the type of approach taken in the Scottish Act where just transition principles were reflected in the legislation and in the climate policy arising from it. Those just transition principles are about environmentally and socially sustainable jobs, low carbon investment in infrastructure, decent, fair and high-value work, resource efficient sustainable economic approaches and, crucially, the development of social consensus through engagement with workers, trade unions, communities, NGOs and others. That is provided for in amendment No. 16. It is also reflected in amendment No. 15 tabled by Sinn Féin colleagues, which references social dialogue. Amendment No. 14 refers to social justice and social dialogue. All the definitions of “just transition”, including in our first amendment in this grouping, refer to social dialogue, which is important. It has been a concern that just transition seems to have been understood on a narrow basis, whereby we would give those who lose their jobs some other jobs rather than recognising what just transition really is. It is almost the reimagining of communities and new work opportunities and the dialogue unions led in talking about just transition but sometimes they do not always get to feature at the centre of it, rather than simply talking about the terms and conditions of specific workers in a specific company.

That is very much part of what unions are doing but the other element they are engaged in and want is social dialogue with the wider community to ensure the places and sectors affected by the necessary action on climate change can transform and reimagine themselves. I urge the Minister to note that all these amendments focus on and reference two elements. It is not only about employment but quality and sustainable employment and social dialogue, genuine engagement and empowerment. We have seen positive initiatives such as just transition communities and, for example, initiatives in Phibsboro and Donegal where there are community-led just transition projects. I commend NESC and, in particular, the researcher, Sinead Mercier, who has done incredible work on examining best practice in just transition across Europe and how to do it right and avoid the pitfalls that have been encountered in the past.

The concern is that without a definition of "just transition" or with a very narrow reference to the element of employment and one other element in the Bill, just transition may end up being interpreted in the narrowest way, as literally being some extra jobs or, in the worse possible way, in the context of the arguments against making transition. We talk about justice in the transition. That is not an argument against making necessary transition; it is about how we make the necessary transition in a way that is fair, socially just, that listens to people, brings people with us and ensures the most vulnerable in every society and community are protected across our island. The EU has asked Ireland to come forward with just transition plans and I understand researchers have been asked to do that work.However, considerable discussion and social dialogue will be needed on how we can do better than we have in our piloting of just transition in the midlands. We need a far more ambitious vision for what it is considering how many sectors and parts of the country are going to need to be reimagined.

The Minister can read all the proposed definitions. I agree with everybody else's definitions in addition to my own but I wanted to highlight to the Minister the three key elements: addressing social justice and poverty; community and social dialogue, including the voices of workers and unions; and high-quality sustainable employment. I ask the Minister to really take these on board and, ideally, do so by accepting one of the definitions or inserting his own.