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Climate Change Policy

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 April 2022

Thursday, 7 April 2022

Ceisteanna (100)

Alan Farrell

Ceist:

100. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if an update will be provided on the work of the national climate stakeholder forum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18871/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí ó Béal (7 píosaí cainte)

My question relates to the climate stakeholder forum which the Minister has already referenced. I ask him to go into further detail on the work of the forum.

I had the privilege of participating in the national climate stakeholder forum on 22 March this year. The forum was chaired by Professor Alan Barrett, director of the ESRI, and focused on realising the opportunities presented by the transition to carbon neutrality in a fair and equitable manner. The forum comprised a series of one-day deliberative workshops attended by more than 120 delegates, who discussed four priority areas where we aim to accelerate activity, as I said earlier. The areas were offshore renewables, retrofitting, sustainable mobility, including active transport and modal shift, as well as in the engagement, communications and climate literacy part that we need to get right in this regard. I received recommendations from each workshop. My Department will produce a short report on these recommendations that will inform the next climate action plan and sectoral policies. It is my intention that national climate stakeholder forum will meet three times each year. I will invite Government colleagues and Members of the Oireachtas to the next two events planned for later this year, where they will be offered the opportunity to hear from stakeholders to discuss the recommendations emerging from the March event and explore how we can deliver on them.

I thank the Minister. He will agree the forum is a critical component of establishing policy in this area. I certainly believe it will be very beneficial to the House, particularly to Members of the Oireachtas who have an interest in being invited. I am very pleased the Minister mentioned that at the next opportunity, this will occur. My desire is that the report the Minister mentioned, which will be created on foot of the meeting last month, would be made public. I am not sure if this is something the Minister intends to do but I am sure my colleagues and I would benefit from it being made available, particularly to the Oireachtas committee.

It absolutely makes sense for us to make it public. This is part of the answer to the question asked earlier about how we consult. This is an example of consultation and it is at the early stage. Before we have even established these task forces to accelerate delivery on some of the key areas, we are working in a partnership approach. We listen to the NGO community, trade unions and the business community and get them involved and engaged. What we have to do is beyond compare in terms of the scale and speed of change. One reason the four areas were picked for discussion is that they are the areas where some of the task forces to accelerate our activity will be focused and concentrated. I was there for most of the day. I had to slip out to come here for a vote. Other than that, I was able to go from one workshop to another. I can say with regard to the level of engagement that Irish people want to be good at this. If we approach it in this open way, whereby we listen and it is not presumptive, and whereby consultation is not a tick-box exercise after the fact but that stakeholders are involved from the beginning, this is what will work.

I thank the Minister. I completely agree. People want to have ownership of the processes into which we are entering in terms of a reduction on the reliance on fossil fuels and all of the associated energy sources we are now exploring.

One of the areas in which a great deal of engagement with the public is required was mentioned by Deputy Ó Cathasaigh in the context of a prior question. I refer to solar energy generation and the knock-on effects and impacts it has on farms in particular. Ideally, we should not put solar arrays on viable farmland, but, having said that, we will put them wherever is appropriate. There are concerns. These engagements and fora are very important, as is what flows from them. I welcome the Minister's comments on the publication of those documents, which will be very informative on an ongoing basis.

No one is forcing anyone to take on any of these measures. With regard to the likes of a solar farm, the landowner would obviously first have to decide to make an application. The success of such applications will be governed by grid connections and proximity to the transmission or distribution system as much as by anything else. The connection cost will probably be the key arbiter as to which projects are economic. With regard to something that Deputy Ó Cathasaigh said at a public meeting of concerned local people in his constituency last night, we will obviously have to look into matters such as visual impacts or other consequences for neighbours. We have to get this right but we can also see that we cannot just keep going at the current pace. It is not only that we have to act fast because we are in a climate crisis. There was an earlier question on energy security. Almost 70% of our energy is imported, which puts us at risk. That is a real fundamental strategic risk for us as a people. The more we can use our own resources, the more secure we will be.

Táimid thar am agus caithfimid bogadh ar aghaidh ach cuirim fáilte roimh na mic léinn thuas staighre. Tá sé tráthúil go bhfuilimid i mbun cainte faoi athrú aeráide agus cúrsaí fuinnimh.

Question No. 101 replied to with Written Answers.
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