Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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63. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans for implementing the outstanding recommendations from the Citizens' Assembly. [14251/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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As part of the Programme for Partnership Government the Government committed to appoint a Citizens’ Assembly to examine a number of key challenges for Ireland including the Eight Amendment of the constitution and how the State can make Ireland a leader in climate change. As in the former case this has been followed by the establishment of a Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action to consider its recommendations.The Citizens’ Assembly did very valuable work as has the Committee who held many hours of hearings under the chairpersonship of Hildegarde Naughton.

I was very pleased to participate in the debate in this House on 8 May in which the report of the Committee was unanimously endorsed and a climate and biodiversity emergency was declared.

This has provided a very solid foundation on which to build an ambitious all of government action plan for which I have been given responsibility by cabinet.

This plan will consider the detailed recommendations of the all Party Committee and of the Citizens Assembly which proceeded it.

The plan will set goals for all key sectors including electricity, agriculture, transport, industry, buildings, waste management, and the public sector.

It will have a strong focus on implementation including clear timelines and the steps needed to achieve each action.