Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 June 2012
143 Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if drafting has begun on the Heads of Climate Bill promised in the roadmap for climate policy and legislation; and when this Bill will be published. [28550/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra144 Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will ensure that the promised climate law is a strong, effective tool in the transition to a more sustainable economy. [28551/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra156 Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if drafting has begun on the heads of the Climate Bill promised in the Roadmap for Climate Policy and Legislation; when same will be published; and the way he will ensure that the law is a strong effective tool in the transition to a more sustainable economy. [28597/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI 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.
