Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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164. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government in regards to the climate change policy, if he intends to establish a climate change strategy; if he further intends to publish a climate change bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10166/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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As I outlined in the reply to Question s No 141, 142, 143 and 150 of 22 January 2014 , the Programme for the development of national climate policy and legislation, which I issued in January 2012 in response to a request from the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht, is the process under which national greenhouse gas mitigation policy and climate change adaptation policy are being progressed. In addition to the comprehensive open consultation undertaken by my Department in 2012, the Oireachtas Joint Committee facilitated a round of stakeholder engagement on the final policy analysis report from the Secretariat to the National Social and Economic Council and the outline Heads of the Climate Action and Low-Carbon Development Bill which I released in February 2013. I am now considering the Joint Committee’s report, as well as a range of other issues, with a view to finalising the draft Heads of the Bill as soon as possible. Subject to the approval of Government, my intention is to publish the final Heads before Easter 2014.

In anticipation of the planned primary legislation, a National Low-Carbon Roadmap to 2050 is now being developed. At present, Departments with responsibility for the key sectors in the national transition agenda are currently preparing the sectoral elements for incorporation into the national roadmap. The key sectors are electricity generation, the built environment, transport and agriculture. To ensure that the roadmapping process is inclusive, informed and transparent, the public has already been invited, by the Departments concerned, to input to the sectoral work on electricity generation, agriculture and transport. A public consultation paper on the built environment, which is being developed jointly by my Department and the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources is at an advanced stage and will be issued for consultation shortly. Feedback through these sectoral consultations will input into the key sectoral contributions to the first draft National Low-Carbon Roadmap which I intend to release, together with a draft Strategic Environment Assessment, for a substantial period of open consultation later this year. My intention is to ensure that the first draft national roadmap will be informed and technically sound, and provide a solid basis for a constructive, transparent and inclusive open debate.

In parallel to the mitigation agenda, the National Climate Change Adaptation Framework, which I issued in December 2012 , provides for the development and implementation of sectoral and local adaptation action plans, involving extensive stakeholder consultation and engagement, which will form part of a comprehensive national response to the impacts of climate change. Under the framework, sectoral plans will be developed by the relevant Government Department or Agency and adopted by the relevant Minister. Draft sectoral plans are due to be published by mid-2014, and details of the lead Departments and Agencies are set out in section 4 of the Framework. Local adaptation action planning will be undertaken by local authorities through the spatial planning process, with full engagement of key stakeholders, which provides an established means through which to implement and integrate climate change objectives, including adaptation, at local level.