Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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383. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he has received the plans he requested from relevant Departments and agencies on climate change; and if these will be published prior to the publication of the promised climate change Bill. [26864/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I published the National Policy Position on Climate Action and Low-Carbon Developmentand the General Scheme of the Climate Action and Low-Carbon Development Billin April of this year. The National Policy Position provides a high-level policy direction for the adoption and implementation by Government of plans to enable the State to move to a low-carbon economy over the period to 2050. Proposed statutory authority for the plans is set out in the General Scheme of the Bill.

In anticipation of the planned primary legislation, a National Low-Carbon Roadmap to 2050 is now being developed. Electricity generation, the built environment, transport and agriculture have been identified as key sectors in the national transition agenda. The Departments with direct responsibility for these sectors are preparing the necessary sectoral elements for incorporation into the national roadmap. My intention is to release a draft of the national roadmap, together with a draft Strategic Environment Assessment, for a substantial period of open consultation later this year. I expect the sectoral input to be finalised having regard to that timeline.

I would like to see the Climate Action and Low-Carbon Development Bill published and progressed through the legislative process as quickly as possible. In the event of any unforeseen delay on the legislation, I will press ahead with issuing the draft national roadmap for public consultation.