Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore has called for the Climate Action Bill to be introduced in the Dáil without delay.
Deputy Whitmore, who is the party’s spokesperson for Climate Action and Biodiversity, said:
“It is now four and a half months since the Bill was first published and it still has not been introduced in the Dáil. This important piece of legislation has already been through pre-legislative scrutiny stage at the Climate Action Committee. As a member of that committee, I proposed a series of amendments to strengthen the Bill, including on biodiversity, just transition and more ambitious emission reduction targets.
“It has been close to two months since the Minister received the Climate Committee’s recommendations on the Bill and there is clarity needed as to when exactly it will be introduced.
“Now that Minister Eamon Ryan has committed to banning future oil and gas exploration within this new Bill, it is imperative that he progresses it as soon as possible to enable a democratic debate on its important aspects.
“Once the Bill is before the Dáil, I will be putting in amendments which seek to strengthen the legislation to reflect the worsening scale of the climate and biodiversity crisis we are facing. The clock is ticking on addressing this societal challenge and we need to treat this with urgency.”
February 11, 2021