It is difficult to disagree with many of the points made by speakers across the House. I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. Yesterday I chaired an important meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action. Senior officials from the SEAI were at the committee to discuss the progress they are making and the challenges they face in carrying out their ambitious task of overseeing the upgrading of 500,000 homes to B2 standard by 2030. The policy and plan are clear and SEAI is movin…

Households across Ireland and Europe are under severe financial pressure this year because of the energy crisis created by the Russian tyrant, his occupation of an independent and sovereign state and his control of the natural resources we in Europe rely on so heavily to light and heat our homes and to run our industries. Nobody should be under any illusions about this. The reason energy costs are surging is because of Vladimir Putin. It is important to state that because speaker after speaker, with the exception o…

It is not my place to try to answer Deputy Boyd Barrett's question but I will propose a solution that I would like the Minister to listen to. I would make a case for my home of Limerick - I am sure that the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, makes this case to the Minister daily - as a solution to the challenges facing Ireland. As Deputy Boyd Barrett outlined, it is difficult for people to purchase homes in Dublin. Dublin faces significant challenges - it is crowded and expensive. Limerick offers a solution. The …

I am at risk of repeating much that has been said about this budget this week already. However, I cannot but acknowledge the many good things that have been secured in this budget that will make our society better and fair. My Green Party colleague, the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, secured significant cuts in childcare fees. There is a 25% reduction in fees this year, moving to a 50% cut in two years. Funding for more childcare places and affordable childcare are critically important for our society, for parents, chi…

Yesterday, the Government published its summary report on the sectoral emissions ceilings for the two carbon budgets that have been agreed through to 2030. It is clear we have a huge challenge ahead of us in all sectors but I want to speak about transport. The climate action plan has a transport section and there is some really good stuff in it in terms of getting more people onto public transport and more people walking and cycling. However, we could do all of that and still not get the transport emissions reducti…

I move amendment No. 1: In page 52, line 11, after “fixed” to insert “and mobile”. This is a straightforward amendment to make this part of the legislation less prescriptive. My suggestion is to include the words "and mobile" after "fixed", so that it captures the possibility that cameras and closed-circuit television, CCTV, can be mounted on buses, etc. This is the intent behind this proposed amendment. Another solution would be to remove the word "fixed" to make this provision less prescriptive.

I move amendment No. 2: In page 53, line 37, to delete “and refuelling infrastructure”. I will take all these together. Amendments Nos. 2 and 10 to 16, inclusive, are about clarifying the legislation around zero-emission vehicles. The existing draft goes some way to explaining what a zero-emission vehicle is, but it does not go far enough. The Minister is on the record as saying a zero-emission vehicle goes beyond electric vehicles and includes electric bikes, cargo bikes, etc. It is important that we get the legis…

Yes. My contribution captured all of them.

I very much agree with Deputy McAuliffe who spoke before Deputy Nolan. The thrust of this amendment actually chimes with some of the points the Rural Independent Group was making. It is not so much that is very much in favour of electric vehicles but that it is about broadening the remit of the zero-emission-vehicle office to other forms of electric mobility. That would be positive. The Minister has indicated the amendment makes sense but needs to be looked at and discussed with the Attorney General. I welcome the …

I move amendment No. 3: In page 54, line 11, after “importance” to insert the following: “and is primarily for the purposes of providing public transport or active (walking or cycling) transport infrastructure, only where the scheme or proposed road development will not contribute to carbon emissions from the transport sector and only where the scheme or proposed road development will not otherwise increase private vehicle travel, induced demand through the provision of road capacity for private vehicle use or indu…

Six months.

False.

It is not related to this at all.

It is the opposite. Please read the amendment.

Please read the amendment.

In the first instance, I do not think it is a good practice in this House that lies are told about anybody, and lies were told.

They are strong words, but a lie was said. I would ask Deputy McGrath to retract-----

I will pursue that because-----

It is not appropriate.

It is not appropriate. The Rural Independent Group Deputies spoke at length. They clearly did not read the amendment or understand the context of it, because what this amendment seeks to do is to not give the National Transport Authority, NTA, powers over local authorities. The group effectively argued for the amendment. I thank them for that. I want to commend Deputy O’Reilly of Sinn Féin who spoke very well on the challenges facing cyclists and pedestrians in this country. She referenced campaigner Neil Fox, who …