Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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241. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in view of the importance of the issue of climate change and in view of the commitment in the programme for Government to produce a national low carbon transition and mitigation plan and following the establishment of the Climate Change Advisory Council, if the council will issue a public advisory statement ahead of the publication by his Department of a draft plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29056/16]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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242. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in respect of the national low carbon transition and mitigation plan, the person who will be consulted in its development; the process that will be undertaken to develop the plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29057/16]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 241 and 242 together.

In accordance with Section 11(3) of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015, the Climate Change Advisory Council is independent in the performance of its functions. It is, therefore, a matter for the Council to determine if it will issue of a public advisory statement ahead of the publication of the draft National Mitigation Plan (NMP).

Development of the NMP is being guided by a long-term vision of low carbon transition as set out in the National Policy Position on Climate Action and Low Carbon Development 2014, based on:

- an aggregate reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of at least 80%, compared to 1990 levels, by 2050 across the electricity generation, built environment and transport sectors; and

- in parallel, an approach to carbon neutrality in the agriculture and land-use sector, including forestry, which does not compromise capacity for sustainable food production.

The ultimate objective of successive NMPs is to incrementally achieve this vision by 2050.  The first iteration of the NMP will place particular focus on the putting in place the necessary measures to address the challenge to 2020 and also on planning ahead to ensure that appropriate policies and measures are in place beyond that. Work on this task, which is being co-ordinated by the NMP Steering Group, is well underway by all Departments concerned.  Key sectors in the low carbon transition process - electricity generation, transport, built environment and agriculture - are currently developing sectoral mitigation measures in tandem with Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA) processes and financial analysis during which measures will be further developed and prioritised.

In the interests of transparency and inclusiveness, consultation has been a key part of the process to date and a number of non-statutory consultations have already taken place. Each of the Departments with responsibility for the four key sectors have already undertaken stakeholder participatory initiatives to input into the decision making process on policies and measures to be included in the respective sectoral mitigation measures. Last year, a consultation document issued informing the public of the context for the NMP, the process by which the NMP was being prepared, the proposed outline structure of the NMP and invited early stakeholder engagement on Ireland's national transition to a low carbon future.

In terms of statutory consultation, in accordance with Section 4 (8)(a) and (b) of the Act, it is intended to publish a  draft NMP for public consultation before the end of 2016. In advance of that, in accordance with Sections 4(3)(d) and 4(9)(b) of the Act, the advice of the Climate Change Advisory Council and relevant Ministers of Government will be sought in relation to the development of the NMP and associated sectoral mitigation measures.