Pauline O'Reilly (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I do not fully agree with the definition. To return to the original point, I did not say the reason we should not have a definition is we cannot all agree in this Chamber.What I said was that there are many different interpretations and definitions possible, including, I would say, this one. It leaves out intergenerational justice, for instance. The Bill, when looking at just transition, refers to maximising employment opportunities and supporting persons and communities that may be negatively affected by the transition. It is not just about current workers, their trade unions and public participation with people who are now living on this planet; it is about the generations to come as well. I believe that what has been stopping much of climate action is that we are solely focused on the jobs and workers that currently are in place and are feeling afraid to move into the unknown. This Bill states that we have to move into that because there is a climate crisis and we have to move. We must also find a just transition for workers. It is not limiting it and if I am honest, this amendment does limit it. The climate action committee did have sessions on a just transition and no one came to us, that I can recall, with a perfect definition. The whole point is that our understanding of this changes over time - it has changed in relation to farmers - but we have to keep the Bill and just transition open enough to ensure that we can adjust as we go on. I do not believe one will find any political party here does not want workers' rights, farmers and the midlands protected. That is top of the agenda for any politician but what we are saying is that climate action must also be top of the agenda. We cannot put one above the other. Core to the Green Party is a just transition because we are a social and an environmental party and that will remain. The amendment that was accepted was quite significant. What was in the Bill originally was to promote climate justice. Our amendment was to promote climate justice and just transition so it is not just about just transition but also its promotion. The Sinn Féin Senator has called it tokenistic, but Sinn Féin had tabled an amendment to the Long Title to insert one word. If that is not tokenistic, I do not know what that is. I believe there is something quite substantial about not only putting in a just transition but in its promotion.

As I have said before, throughout the Bill there is something that goes far beyond the Aarhus Convention. It is the true meaning of public participation, it is stakeholder engagement, the just transition and climate justice. It refers back to the Paris Agreement and to the UNFCCC, all the time. I believe it is an incredibly strong Bill as is and I do not think that this captures exactly what my interpretation of a just transition would be, which would take into consideration future jobs, future workers and my children and our children's children.