I thank the Rural Independent Group for bringing this motion forward. I accept that we have spoken at considerable length about the energy crisis in the past year, but it is important that we continue to do so because many people are still being left behind and the future for many in the community is very uncertain as the energy crisis continues. Therefore, it is a very important issue to discuss. I do not want to repeat previous contributions that I made on the issue, so today I wish to speak about what I see as t…

One of the key asks of developing countries at COP27 is the development of a loss and damage fund to compensate them for the damage we, the developed countries, have done to them in the past number of decades. This is an issue not only of climate justice but of basic fairness. However, the concept of loss and damage has been around since 1991 and there has been no progress on it. I ask that the Government take a leadership role at COP27 when it comes to loss and damages and that we establish a fund ourselves. We sh…

This question is to ask the Minister to provide an update on Bord na Móna’s proposed Derryaad wind farm; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

In saying this is a commercial matter, what we as a State must think about is whether this is the best use of State land. During the discussions we have had in the last two and half years, since the start of this term and concerning the climate Act, it has become absolutely clear that when we have climate action we must also have biodiversity action. These are essentially two heads of the same coin and we should not have one without the other. While a wind farm on peatland may reduce emissions from an energy effici…

I absolutely agree. I believe there is a strength in Bord na Móna working with communities. What I think it must be doing, however, is working with communities to restore, protect and rewet those peatlands. There should be a just transition for those communities. There were proposals for a mid-Shannon wilderness park in the midlands. Is this a concept that the Minister supports? There is great potential in this area to have a wilderness park and a very natural area of this type. Considering it is State land and, as…

Before I begin, I want to welcome three very special guests in the Gallery this evening, my daughters Caoimhe and Aoife and their friend Ciara, who are students from St. Laurence’s school. I had no babysitter today.

They will behave very well. It is important we recognise that a lot of time when we talk about energy security, we talk about immediate needs and the here and now. Obviously, that is what people will be the most concerned about – this and the following winter. However, we also need think ten or 20 years down the road for when these children, their friends and children like them are adults. What kind of Ireland and energy security will we have at that point? Will they get to live in an Ireland that has secure, safe …

I welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter. Like my colleagues, however, I have concerns about the amount of time allocated for the debate and the process that has been followed. Unfortunately, it seems to be the go-to solution for this Government that whenever anything difficult or controversial or there are things it wants to do quickly that it undermines good governance by seeking to bypass pre-legislative scrutiny. The information given to the joint committees are given literally before meetings are held;…

I move amendment No. 1: In page 4, line 15, to delete “or at alternative appropriate sites” The reason this amendment has been tabled is that this Bill gives carte blanche to the Government to develop any site and not apply the provisions of the planning Act to that for the purposes of environmental assessment, which is far too great a power. The briefing on the Bill states that section 2 provides that specific electricity generation projects can be designated developments for the purposes of the Bill and that thes…

I raise the matter of a young girl from Greystones in County Wicklow. Her name is Miley McKee. She is 12 years old. She has a smile that would light up this entire Chamber. She is profoundly disabled and has had scoliosis for eight years now. She has been on the waiting list for an operation for two years. Her spine has a curvature of more than 100°, which according to some experts is very rarely seen in the developed world, except for people in Ireland who have scoliosis, unfortunately. Everyone is ready to go to …

Miley needs that surgery and she needs it urgently.

Public transport in Wicklow is not fit for purpose. Today, I will talk about the Go-Ahead Ireland services, specifically the 184, 185, 145 and 45A. They do not show up and drive by empty. The drivers refuse to stop to let people off buses at designated stops and leave young girls stranded in the dark at train stations and bus stations. It is completely unacceptable. I suggest that the Minister for Transport consult the Greystones Open Forum to learn about the exact impact on constituents in Wicklow. We have had eno…

Will the Minister come back to me with proposals?

Every parent knows about milestones in their children's first two years. They know about the importance of them. They know when they are meant to hit particular developmental targets. They await the targets anxiously and burst with pride when their children meet the targets. This is ingrained into every parent but it is also ingrained into every children's medical specialist. It is through these milestones and timelines that we can ascertain how a child is developing, whether there are any difficulties or issues an…

The student accommodation crisis is making equal access to third level an impossibility for many students throughout the country. Access to third level should not depend on where one’s home place is or how wealthy one’s parents are. Anything less than full access for all students is discriminatory, bad for society and bad for our economy. I express solidarity with all those students who were out protesting today. I hope the Tánaiste listens to their voices. What actions will Government take to make sure that they h…

I move amendment No. 4: In page 5, between lines 17 and 18, to insert the following: "(5) The Minister will establish a committee to look into ways by which future schemes, in relation to the provision of electricity costs emergency benefit payments, are allocated in a targeted manner direct at individuals most vulnerable to fuel poverty or who are financially vulnerable. The Committee shall include, but not limited to, representatives of the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, the energy industry, and poverty …

I will come back in again. The amendment made an important point which I think the Minister of State has missed. I am pleased there is a cross-departmental stakeholder group looking at energy poverty. That is important. However, this amendment also says the results and analysis of the committee will be incorporated into any future schemes with regard to this electricity emergency Bill. It is not just on energy poverty. We are saying the next time the Minister of State brings this Bill to us, which I imagine he will…

Where in this Bill is the committee's advice? Where is it reflected? There has been zero targeting in this Bill. We are seeing €34 million going to people who have a household income of more than €200,000. A figure of €170 million is going to people whose household income is €120,000 and €50 million is going to people who have holiday homes. There has been zero targeting. Was the advice from that committee incorporated and then discounted? Did the Minister of State incorporate it at all? He did not incorporate it. …

There we have the answer. I am glad there has been some honesty regarding this particular aspect. When it first came to the Dáil and was discussed in December, the reason we were told it was not targeted was because the capability and mechanism was not there. Now, there is an acknowledgement that this was never to be a targeted mechanism of getting money out and that it was always going to be universal. That is the key point. I will be pressing this amendment.

I have an incredible sense of déjà vu today as we talk about this Bill. In December 2021, the Government announced a €200 energy credit to deal with the energy price hikes people were seeing. That Bill was debated in March of this year. That was also called an electricity emergency Bill. I find it staggering that less than a year later we are debating essentially the same Bill, also termed an emergency Bill, without the Government having learned any of the lessons or taken on board any of the comments the Oppositio…