Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 153: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will review the 3% annual reduction target in climate change in the Programme for Government which he has failed to achieve to date; the changes proposed to address this failure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26952/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Ireland is required to meet challenging greenhouse gas emission reductions under the Kyoto Protocol for the period to 2012. All relevant Government Departments are working on the development of further measures to reduce Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions. This work is overseen by the Cabinet Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security, which is chaired by the Taoiseach. I have been reporting progress to the Oireachtas on an annual basis in presenting the Carbon Budget. While the measures involved are relevant to our Kyoto compliance over the 2008-2012 period, their longer-term impact is of even more importance. Significant structural change is required across all sectors of our economy if we are to meet the much more demanding targets to which we are now committing ourselves. Under the recent EU climate and energy package, Ireland has taken on a target of a 20% reduction in emissions between 2005 and 2020, and this target will increase further when a new global agreement on climate change is reached, hopefully in Copenhagen in December 2009. I will be addressing the question of further legislation on climate change in the context of the review of the Programme for Government.