I propose to take Questions Nos. 143, 144 and 156 together.
The programme for climate policy and legislation which I published on 23 January 2012 set out my approach to the development of national policy and legislation over an 18 month period. The principal milestones include:
a public consultation (which ran from 29 February to 1 April 2012);
in the second half of this year, the publication of an initial report by the NESC Secretariat on potential climate polices and measures, and the development of heads of a Climate Bill for consideration by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Environment, Transport, Culture and the Gaeltacht following Government approval; and
consideration of the final report by the NESC Secretariat and the heads of the Bill by the Committee in the first half of 2013.
As I indicated in the programme for climate policy and legislation, I will publish the heads of a Climate Bill in the fourth quarter of 2012.
In my presentation to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on 15 December 2011, I set out my approach to ensuring that we develop the necessary policy mix to support an ambitious but realistic national direction towards a low-carbon future. I advised the Committee that robust institutional arrangements will be essential to support the decisions we make on the way forward, but a clear understanding of how we propose to meet our commitments and pursue our objectives is essential to identify an appropriate support structure.