JOINT COMMITTEE ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY SECURITY debate -
Wednesday, 30 Jan 2008

Business of Joint Committee.

Chairman

I wish everyone a happy new year. I presume members enjoyed the break. There is a clash of committee meetings owing to the cancellation and postponement of meetings and I am anxious to move on.

Before formally welcoming the delegation from the Environmental Protection Agency, I must first deal with some housekeeping matters. Apologies have been received from Senator Coffey and Deputies Ferris and Fleming.

Are the minutes of the meeting of 19 December 2007 agreed? Agreed. Are there any matters arising?

Senator Joe O’Toole

Let me make a suggestion that may be helpful to the committee. As regards the clash of meetings, it might be useful if we selected a particular week in the month in which to have our meeting. Meetings of this committee regularly clash with those of the Joint Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. Perhaps we could select the first or third week as our preferred choice for meetings.

Chairman

A time slot for meetings has been agreed.

Senator Joe O’Toole

I apologise; I did not realise one had been agreed.

Chairman

We got everything we asked for. Our time slot is 2 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month in this room, as requested by the Senator.

Senator Joe O’Toole

I thank the Chairman.

Chairman

There is a clash today because a number of committee meetings were cancelled due to the inability of witnesses to attend. However, this should be the only occasion on which there is a clash.

Senator Joe O’Toole

Can we operate the computer screens?

Chairman

The clerk will upload the information for members.

No. 1 is the European Commission legislative work programme for 2008. Is it agreed to note this correspondence? Agreed.

Deputy Phil Hogan

It would be helpful in the current climate and in the run-up to the Lisbon treaty referendum if the committee invited a Commissioner to visit Ireland and address this committee. I am thinking of Commissioner Dimas whom I met recently with the clerk. He was informative and receptive in respect of requests for information. Members will appreciate that Ireland is the only remaining country to ratify the treaty. Such an invitation would receive a fair hearing from the Commissioners involved.

Chairman

The clerk will issue an invitation to the Commissioner. I have spoken to the clerk about the Commission's proposals and suggested to him that we deal with that particular at a separate meeting. It would be ideal to have the Commissioner attend that meeting. I thank the Deputy for his suggestion.

On the work programme, if any member has a submission to make, he or she may communicate it to the clerk; otherwise the programme will be reviewed at the meeting immediately following our next meeting and formally laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.

No. 2 is a list of proposals for legislation sent to this committee for its information by the Joint Committee on European Scrutiny. Is it agreed to note this document? Agreed.

No. 3 is a letter from the National Offshore Wind Energy Association of Ireland seeking permission to make a presentation to the joint committee. I would like to facilitate groups such as this. We will acknowledge the request and undertake to communicate with the association about a date for a meeting when the work programme has been agreed. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Senator Joe O’Toole

I agree with the Chairman's proposal. Is there a broader group than this one? I ask because of Mr. Eddie O'Connor's proposal that wind energy be harnessed throughout western Europe availing of different weather systems. Are they covered by that? Perhaps the clerk to the committee knows.

Chairman

I do not honestly know.

Senator Joe O’Toole

We can put the question to them.

Chairman

We will certainly make inquiries. Later, when we go through the correspondence, I will make a proposal about the appointment of a consultant to the committee in this area, to whom requests for that kind of information can be put.

The next item is an invitation from our colleagues in the Environmental Protection Agency to attend a series of lectures on climate change. The dates are 5 February, 26 February, 11 March and 8 April. Any member interested in attending can notify us and we will pass it on. It will be well worth attending some of the lectures and I recommend doing so. I thank the EPA for organising them.

Item no. 5 is an invitation to a debate in Brussels on a future common energy policy but it was held on 22 January. We were not represented at that because the invitation arrived late. However, there will be other opportunities. No. 6 is a letter dated 31 December 2007 from the Taoiseach, acknowledging our letter of 20 December seeking information on the climate change campaign and requesting that he attend a meeting of this committee. The reply is only an acknowledgment, not a formal reply but I intend sending a reminder and I will keep members informed. As Chairman of the Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security I am very anxious that he address the committee and inform it as to progress in that area.

No. 7 is an e-mail of 8 January from the Oireachtas representative in Brussels, listing policy priorities for the Slovenian Presidency, which is noted.

Deputy Bobby Aylward

Will Deputy Hogan make a contribution to the Slovenian Presidency?

Chairman

The next item is a January newsletter on climate change from the European Parliament, which is noted. GLOBE Europe's European policy update No. 63 is also noted.

No. 10 is the European climate change strategy, which was launched last week. We will hold a special meeting on this subject and will invite the Commissioner, as Deputy Hogan suggested. From time to time we will address the targets set by the Government for carbon reduction. We will invite representatives to update us on if and how those targets are being achieved. I will keep members informed. No. 12 is an invitation from the French National Assembly, which seeks to establish an interparliamentary body for sustainable development. I recommend to members that we refer this matter to the interparliamentary section.

Senator Joe O’Toole

It is nice to know that France is thinking about a sustainable energy option. It comes as a surprise to me.

Deputy Liz McManus

I do not think we are in a position to criticise.

Senator Joe O’Toole

France is 80% nuclear so we still have a little way to go.

Chairman

The next items are reports. One relates to a visit by a delegation of committee members to Brussels last November, the other to a visit to the Bali conference. I thank Deputy Cuffe for attending the conference in Brussels. Deputy Coveney, Senator O'Malley and I attended the conference in Bali. It was very interesting and generated a report. I ask members to agree the reports so that we can lay them before the Houses. Is that agreed? Agreed.

The next item, for which I seek members' approval, concerns consultancy. I mentioned when the committee first met last November that we could use money to engage a consultant as professional back-up in discussing climate change and energy security matters. He or she would be available to advise the committee on technical matters and in following up on and analysing various reports. I daresay we are all learning as we go along. We do not have professional back-up and appointing two consultants would greatly help the committee. I propose that we place advertisements immediately seeking tenders.

Deputy Liz McManus

I support the Chairman's proposal. Does he intend to appoint a consultant to advise on energy security matters and another on climate change?

Chairman

Yes. Is that okay?

Deputy Bobby Aylward

How broad is our remit on energy security matters? What exactly does it cover? How far can we go?

Chairman

We can go as far as we like.

Deputy Liz McManus

Until we run out of energy.

Deputy Bobby Aylward

We could be out of it soon enough.

Chairman

That is the great thing about this committee, there are no restrictions. We are here to highlight issues, be informed, bring matters to the attention of the Government and both Houses. Energy security involves considering alternative energy sources. Is that agreed?

Senator Joe O’Toole

I completely agree with the idea of appointing two advisers to support us but do we not need researchers more than consultants? Are we appointing individuals to work continuously or do particular jobs? What do we envisage them doing?

Chairman

We need them to advise us and report on submissions made to us and to explain the jargon and information with which we are not familiar. We need somebody who can break this down in layman's language and will be available to us at any time to give us information. We are politicians, not experts in these areas. We need somebody to tell us what the information means and who can research certain topics such as solar energy and produce a report that will make sense to us, on the basis of which we might decide to visit certain sites. Whether we call it research or consultancy—

Senator Joe O’Toole

The Chairman has answered my question adequately. The people concerned will undertake research as well as giving a view on various issues. I would be comfortable with this.

Deputy Michael Fitzpatrick

Would it be possible to ask the people concerned to make short presentations to the committee before they were appointed?

Chairman

It depends on who replies to the request for tenders. When we receive the replies, I will consult the committee on the best way to go about making the appointments.

Deputy Michael Fitzpatrick

We should not speak with them.

Senator Fiona O’Malley

Do we not have to observe a procedure?

Chairman

Yes, we shall adhere to the procedure laid dowm, to the letter of the law.

Deputy Simon Coveney

Who will decide on the appropriate people to be appointed?

Chairman

The committee.

Deputy Simon Coveney

Okay. We may receive tenders from persons who are anxious to try to influence policy in this area.

Senator Joe O’Toole

Precisely.

Deputy Simon Coveney

There are many ways to skin the climate change cat. Experts in this area hold impassioned views, as Deputy O'Malley and I experienced last night at a meeting on climate change. We have an important job to do in choosing somebody who is balanced and understands what we are trying to do, rather than somebody looking to push his or her own agenda. That may be one renewable energy source or another factor of climate change. The person concerned must also understand politics and the challenges we face as a committee. It will be an interesting appointment. If we can narrow the selection process to four or five people, perhaps we can invite them to make a presentation on how they would help us.

Deputy Dara Calleary

I propose that we go ahead with the advertisement and perhaps set up a subgroup of the committee when responses are received. It could sift through the applications and make a decision.

Chairman

That is precisely what I was proposing. The committee should be informed when tenders are received. At that stage we can decide which way to proceed. For example, we could appoint a sub-committee to consider the applications received. I do not know how many will apply but think there will be quite a few.

Deputy Bobby Aylward

We will set the terms of reference.

Chairman

Exactly.

Deputy Bobby Aylward

That will dictate what can be done.

Senator Joe O’Toole

I suggest that, as part of the application, applicants be required to submit examples of work previously done in order that we can deal with the issue raised by Deputy Coveney.

Chairman

There is a procedure laid down. Anybody with suggestions can pass them to the clerk in the next day or two. We intend to proceed immediately.