Environment Minister reaffirms commitment to publishing climate Bill this year.

In the last few months Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan has answered several questions in the Daíl asking when the climate Bill will be published.

Thursday, 28th June, 2012.

158. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the drafting of the Climate Change Bill has begun; and if not when he intends starting this process.

172. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that if the Climate Change Bill 2012 is not drafted in the immediate future it will not be ready for publication by the fourth quarter 2012; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this will not present an image of Ireland taking the matter of climate change seriously, will not give Ireland and advantage to implement measures to counteract climate change and that this will therefore threaten Ireland's potential leadership role in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

He always refers to his answers from the 13th of June, where he states "I will publish the heads of a Climate Bill in the fourth quarter of 2012"

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (Deputy Phil Hogan): I propose to take Questions Nos. 158 and 172 together.

I refer to the reply to Question Nos. 143, 144 and 156 of 13 June 2012 which sets out the position in this matter.

143. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if drafting has begun on the Heads of Climate Bill promised in the roadmap for climate policy and legislation; and when this Bill will be published.

144. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will ensure that the promised climate law is a strong, effective tool in the transition to a more sustainable economy. [28551/12]

156. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if drafting has begun on the heads of the Climate Bill promised in the Roadmap for Climate Policy and Legislation; when same will be published; and the way he will ensure that the law is a strong effective tool in the transition to a more sustainable economy. [28597/12]

REPLY

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (Deputy Phil Hogan): I propose to take Questions Nos. 143, 144 and 156 together.

I refer to the reply to Question Nos. 143, 144 and 156 of 13 June 2012 which sets out the position in this matter.

The programme for climate policy and legislation which I published on 23 January 2012 set out my approach to the development of national policy and legislation over an 18 month period. The principal milestones include:

• a public consultation (which ran from 29 February to 1 April 2012);
• in the second half of this year, the publication of an initial report by the NESC Secretariat on potential climate polices and measures, and the development of heads of a Climate Bill for consideration by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Environment, Transport, Culture and the Gaeltacht following Government approval; and
• consideration of the final report by the NESC Secretariat and the heads of the Bill by the Committee in the first half of 2013.

As I indicated in the programme for climate policy and legislation, I will publish the heads of a Climate Bill in the fourth quarter of 2012.

In my presentation to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on 15 December 2011, I set out my approach to ensuring that we develop the necessary policy mix to support an ambitious but realistic national direction towards a low-carbon future. I advised the Committee that robust institutional arrangements will be essential to support the decisions we make on the way forward, but a clear understanding of how we propose to meet our commitments and pursue our objectives is essential to identify an appropriate support structure.