Pauline O'Reilly (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

There is a difference between politics and taking cheap, populist shots at other people who have spent hundreds of hours on this Bill. I will point out to Senator Gavan again that he was absent during those hours and his colleague, who was present, is not here today. We absolutely put a just transition at the centre of everything we do. I intend to propose my own amendment, No. 142, which is about a just transition. It is important to ensure that a just transition is part of the Title of this Bill. We discussed climate justice earlier and it is important to include both climate justice and a just transition in the Title of the Bill. Climate justice is in there already and my amendment would insert a reference to a just transition. I ask the Minister to support that amendment from the Green Party Senators.

I will, however, point out that at every point in this Bill, there are checks relating to just transition. Additionally, we are putting money into a just transition outside of this Bill. This legislation is one part of climate transition. As everybody knows, we have already put in €108 million into the midlands for re-wetting and for supporting Bord na Móna workers. However, Senator Ruane is quite right that a just transition is also about the custodians of the land about whom I spoke earlier. It is about farmers. The Minister earlier accepted amendments intended to support farmers. Farmers have been vilified in the press but certainly not by the Green Party or by our Minister of State, Senator Hackett, who has responsibility for biodiversity and land use and is a farmer herself or by the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. We always stand up for farmers because getting farming right and supporting farming families is also about supporting the planet.

I will leave my contribution at that. I hope the Minister will say he will support amendment No. 142. It is preferable to Sinn Féin's amendment, which merely inserts the word "just" but does not talk about promoting climate justice and a just transition. I believe that we will get support from environmental NGOs in that regard.