Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I am going to speak to amendments Nos. 2, 3, 6 and 18 together. I examined these proposals carefully to understand their implications because I appreciate what the Senators are trying to achieve, but I do not propose to accept them. The Bill provides that the Minister for Transport, in making the regulations under sections 44D, 44G(1B) and 44GA, shall consult the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications as well as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, and may consult such other persons as he or she considers appropriate. The Bill also provides that the Minister for Transport, in considering matters under sections 44G(1B), 44GA and 44Y must take account of the impact these measures have on carbon budgets and sectoral emission ceilings under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act. Therefore, I believe the Bill's provisions are broad enough to address adequately the requirement for comprehensive consultation by the Minister for Transport.

The high-level broad consultation provisions for the Government to consult the Climate Change Advisory Council are considered appropriate to the role of the council as included in the extant provisions of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act. Therefore, I do not agree with making the amendments proposed by the Senators.