Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 September 2014
1567. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to publish the full Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill; if the expert advisory group will be empowered to monitor Ireland's progress in reducing carbon emissions and transferring to a low-carbon economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34223/14]
View answerIn April 2014, the Government approved the General Scheme of the Climate Action and Low-Carbon Development Bill. The Bill, which is listed among the Bills expected to be published during the Autumn Session as part of the Government’s Legislation Programme, is currently being drafted within the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. Once the final Bill is approved by Government, my objective is to introduce the Bill and progress its passage through the Oireachtas as quickly as possible, with a view to enactment by end 2014, as set out in the Statement of Government Priorities 2014-2016.
The General Scheme of the Bill provides, inter alia, for the establishment of a National Expert Advisory Body on Climate Change which will provide independent advice to Ministers and the Government on the preparation of National Low-Carbon Roadmaps and National Climate Change Adaptation Frameworks and which will publish annual and periodic review reports.
In this regard, the General Scheme provides that the annual review report shall contain, inter alia:
- recommendations, as considered necessary or appropriate, as to the most cost-effective ways of achieving greenhouse gas emissions reductions for the purposes of the national objective of transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable economy to 2050; and
- a review of such recommendations, if any, as considered necessary or appropriate, in relation to compliance with any existing greenhouse gas mitigation obligations of the State under the law of the European Union or any international agreement.
