Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2023
350. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if section 14 of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 applies to him and requires him, upon request, to attend the Joint Committee of Environment and Climate Action; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47583/23]
View answerSection 14A (2) of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 stipulates that each Minister of the Government shall, in each year after the publication of the Climate Change Advisory Council's annual report and the Environmental Protection Agency’s report, at the written request of a joint committee, attend before the committee to give account of the matters specified in subsection (3).
Subsection (3) of the Act outlines that each Minister of the Government shall, in relation to the sector for which the Minister of Government has responsibility, give an account, for the period of the annual report, of the following matters:
1. sector specific progress under the most recent approved climate action plan, including the policies and measures that have been adopted and any significant failure to implement such policies and measures, or to achieve sector specific targets;
2. whether there has been a reduction or increase in greenhouse gas emissions based on the Agency’s reports;
3. compliance with the sectoral emissions ceiling and any measures envisaged to address any failure to so comply;
4. the implementation of adaptation policy measures and any adaptation policy measures envisaged, where a sectoral adaptation plan has been prepared.
On 28 July 2022, Government agreed the initial allocation of Ministerial responsibilities for the Sectoral Emissions Ceilings. No sectoral emissions ceiling was assigned to the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. While I do have a joint coordinating role across various Departments within the Public Sector, the Minister the Environment, Climate and Communications is the Minister with responsibility for this sector, and for reporting on progress as outlined above.
However, as advised to the Chair of the Committee, in recognition of the important role of my Department in supporting the achievement of the Government’s objectives in the area of climate action more generally, I am eager to assist the work of the joint committee to the fullest extent possible. I have already provided updates on the key areas the committee wishes to discuss, and am currently in the process of identifying a suitable date to attend the Joint Committee.
