Those warnings were calls for compliance. Check out the facts. They are the facts.

The Critical Infrastructure Bill is a central pillar of the Government’s Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan and represents a significant step forward in strengthening delivery across all key sectors, including energy, which I will turn to in a moment. Accelerated delivery of infrastructure does not disapply our climate commitments or our targets at national level, but recognises an urgent need for the completion of major infrastructure projects in the State. Many new infrastructure projects, includi…

If the Deputy takes our offshore wind projects that are in planning right now as an example, she will see that many of them are the subject of requests for further information. We have already had groups say to us that if and when they are granted, these projects will be subject to a judicial review, JR, and will be brought to the High Court or the Supreme Court. That is not acceptable either. We are talking here today, and rightly so, around energy security and the acceleration of renewables, which, thankfully, we…

I do not think it does. I respect what the Deputy says but I disagree with it. Take the example of the floating gas reserve - the floating storage and regasification unit, FRSU - which we absolutely need. That is consistent with the climate Act in relation to the energy security of this country. That needs to happen. It will be debated in the Dáil and we will see whether it receives the support of the Dáil. It needs to happen. We are in no way setting aside the climate Act. What we are saying is, for critical infra…

Is the Deputy trying to get rid of me?

I propose to take Questions Nos. 94 and 151 together. We are committed to delivering on Ireland’s responsibility to address the climate crisis and work remains ongoing across Departments to carry out climate-mitigation efforts every day, as evidenced by the roll-out of retrofitting, renewable energy development and deployment, and more affordable electric vehicles. All that continues at pace and is progressing well. These ongoing efforts are supported by the Climate Action Plan 2025, in tandem with its predecessor,…

I fully accept the need to provide clarity on timeframes. I just want to explain what is happening on this. The last two climate action plans for 2024 and 2025 are still in place and the actions within them are still being worked through. I want to enable us to set climate priorities. The Deputy has previously asked me in the House about our climate targets. I have just said very clearly that while our projections and carbon emissions are going in the right direction, it does not look like we will hit our 2030 targ…

I will take a couple of examples of where the commitments are. I agree with the Deputy. The next plan has to question how we can look to bridge the gap. We need to recognise the progress that has been made by our people and by successive Governments in this regard. That is why, looking at our retrofit programme, we have made some very significant changes to the grants to make them more accessible. People are responding to that already, just short of two months since we made those changes. We can do a lot of things …

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as a smaointí ar an ábhar an-tábhachtach seo.  Aontaím leis go bhfuil sé fíorthábhachtach agus go gcaithfimid athruithe breise a dhéanamh ar son fuinnimh in Éirinn agus fud fad na hEorpa go háirithe. I agree with the Deputy. We need to accelerate the changes we are bringing in given the existing crisis. Ireland has been to the forefront of many of the renewable energy generation initiatives. The past ten years have been good. Last year was particularly good but we need to accelerate…

Aontaím leis an Teachta arís. Next week the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, and I are meeting the EU transport Ministers. We have already taken measures in respect of our supply chains. There has been no direction or unified approach by the European Union, which is regrettable. It is also regrettable that we are still waiting for the details of the toolbox - as it is now referred to - of what the European Union can do on behalf of its citizens. That needs to be done now and I will be reflecting that. On plug-in s…

I will keep the Deputy informed of the progress. We are trying to make it easier to deploy renewables. That is why the critical infrastructure legislation on bigger projects will be really important. There are things that households and communities can do. We have seen the growth, with 33,000 solar grant applications granted last year. We will accelerate that further this year, with about 73,000 retrofits. Plug-in solar is not an extremely new technology but there might have been some concerns with it. However, it …

Cop on.

What is it about?

I thank all Members who were here earlier and contributed to the debate. A number of good examples have been raised of improvements to air quality. I will give my own area and local authority of Fingal County Council a plug. A scheme was brought in in 2019 called school streets. It was brought in by Councillor Eoghan O'Brien, who was mayor at the time and who happens to be my brother, on a pilot basis in one school, St. Oliver Plunkett National School, Malahide, one of the largest national schools in the country. T…

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy pursuant to Standing Orders 103 and 188.

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes that, the Government: — remains deeply concerned about the conflict in the Middle East and Gulf; — affirms Ireland's long track-record of support for international law and the United Nations; — continues to seek de-escalation through dialogue and diplomacy so that these issues can be resolved; — is acutely aware of the impact on households and businesses of the recent increases in fuel prices, and is actively monit…

Did you meet them?

Sinn Féin voted against the last excise cut.

Two minutes of this debate have been lost as a result of this interruption.

I obviously want to support the motion of confidence in the Government. I want to commence my remarks by thanking the Garda, our bus drivers, the public sector, and all the front-line workers who had to put up with a lot over the last week or so. I am a TD in Dublin. I and all my colleagues on the Government side know our constituents. We understand the difficulties that people have and the pressures they are under. We also understand that this is a global crisis. We here in Ireland are grappling with a global cris…