I must now deal with a postponed division relating to Second Stage of the National Standards Authority of Ireland (Carbon Footprint Labelling) Bill 2021, which took place on Wednesday, 17 November 2021. On the question, "That the amendment to the motion be made", a division was claimed, and in accordance with Standing Order 80(2), that division must be taken now.
National Standards Authority of Ireland (Carbon Footprint Labelling) Bill 2021: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members]
The following motion was moved by Deputy Ivana Bacik on 17 November 2021: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."
Debate resumed on amendment No. 1:
To delete all words after “That” and substitute the following:
“(a) Dáil Éireann resolves that the National Standards Authority of Ireland (Carbon Footprint Labelling) Bill 2021 be deemed to be read a second time this day twelve months, to allow for further consideration and analysis, including a Regulatory Impact Assessment, of how the Bill will achieve its objectives; and particularly in light of developments at European Union (EU) level on the proposal for a Sustainable Products Initiative where the EU single market for products requires that labelling on products is developed and implemented on an EU-wide basis with EU-wide adoption. The Sustainable Products Initiative sets out a comprehensive and ambitious proposal in this regard including minimum sustainability standards on a significant array of products, a digital product passport, requirements for circularity, repairability and durability while also proposing the expansion of the Ecodesign directive to apply significant energy and sustainability standards on the most environmentally impactful product types; and for developments on these EU initiatives to be such considered in further scrutiny of the Bill; and
(b) notes that the Private Members’ Bill, as initiated, gives rise to several matters, some of which would present concerns and therefore require further consideration after passing Second Stage. These include its interaction with the EU energy label which follows a standard format which is easily recognisable to consumers; the viability of the Bill in achieving the policy objective of carbon footprint labelling at national level, its 2067 interaction with the existing NSAI Ecolabel standard, potential barriers to trade that could be created by Ireland applying national standards that could be considered inconsistent with freedom of movement of goods within the single market; its compatibility from a trade perspective with the World Trade Organization particularly regarding their principles of national treatment and non-discrimination; and the costs and benefits for companies including those additional costs in operating under both an EU and separate national carbon specifications.”
- Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (Deputy Ossian Smyth)
With the Deputy dissenting who are claiming a division please rise in their places?
Deputies Michael Collins, Danny Healy-Rae, Michael Healy-Rae, Carol Nolan and Richard O’Donoghue rose.
As fewer than ten Members have risen in their places, I deem that the question has been carried. In accordance with Standing Order 82, the names of the Deputies dissenting will be recorded in the Journal of the Proceedings of the Dáil.
Amendment declared carried.
Motion, as amended, agreed to.
The Dáil adjourned at 9.18 p.m. until 9 a.m. on Thursday, 18 November 2021.