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Oireachtas TV

'Only the beginning': Ireland's first-ever carbon budgets pass through the Dáil

A motion to approve the budgets passed through the Dáil without a vote due to little opposition.

THE DÁIL APPROVED Ireland’s first-ever carbon budgets last night, setting a limit on greenhouse gas emissions the country must stay under to reach important climate targets.

A motion to approve the budgets passed through the Dáil without a vote, which was deemed unnecessary because of a lack of opposition.

When a vote was called on a motion, only the Rural Independents group and Independents Michael Fitzmaurice and Verona Murphy stood to oppose the motion, which was fewer than the 10 required to carry out a formal vote.

Though the budgets passed with little dissent, the debate saw TDs in favour of climate action raise concerns about weaknesses they identified in the budgets, while the Rural Independents argued the budgets would be detrimental to farmers.

The first proposed carbon budget cycle, which lasts until 2025, allows for a total of 295 million tonnes (Mt) of emissions to be produced.

The limit is 200Mt between 2026 and 2030 and 151 Mt between 2031 and 2035.

Proposing the motion to approve the budgets, Junior Minister Ossian Smyth said it was the “final step in the adoption of the carbon budgets but it is only the beginning of the implementation process”.

“Once these overall, economy-wide carbon budgets are adopted and have come into effect, the Minister and his Department will begin the process of preparing the sectoral emissions ceilings,” Smyth said.

“These ceilings will determine how each sector of the economy will contribute to the achievement of the carbon budgets.”

He said the sectoral limits should be presented to the government for approval by the end of June.

The Climate Action Plan 2021, which was published back in November, published draft target ranges for how far each sector would need to reduce its emissions, compared to 2018, to cut the country’s overall emissions in half by the end of the decade:

  • Electricity – 62% to 81%
  • Buildings- 44% to 56%
  • Transport – 42% to 50%
  • Land and forestry emissions – 37% to 58%
  • Industry – 29% to 41%.
  • Agriculture – 22% to 30%

Some of the issues raised during the debate concerned whether the carbon budgets go far enough to fulfil Ireland’s international obligations; the need to protect people who may be vulnerable to changes that the budgets bring; and the unbalanced “backloading” of the budget that puts off some of the burden to the later years. Many TDs highlighted worries that the government’s climate policies are not doing enough to tackle the crisis.

Sinn Féin TDs welcomed the budgets but repeated the party’s call for the carbon tax to be quashed.

Newly-appointed Labour leader Ivana Bacik pointed out there is a “degree of backloading of our reductions between 2025 and 2030″.

“I acknowledge this is to facilitate the adoption of new policies and practices but, again, we need to see a greater sense of urgency in these budgets,” Bacik said.

“The IPCC was clear that there is a very small window of three years to meet targets. We know the effects of global warming are cumulative, so we will be worse off for not taking quick action now.”

Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitemore said that the carbon budgets do not live up to the promises of the Programme for Government.

“The Programme for Government states that the government is ‘committed to an average 7% per annum reduction in overall greenhouse emissions”. This is reiterated four times over two pages,” Whitmore said.

“There is reference to a 7% average reduction and yet when we get the carbon budgets and get the opportunity to scrutinise them, it turns out that it is not 7% but 5.7%.”

Green Party TD Brian Leddin, who chairs the Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action, said that figure is “an interpretation that we do not agree with”.

Whitmore responded that it is “not an interpretation, it is a fact, that is what the CCAC said”. Leddin insisted: “That is its interpretation.”

“Okay, so the organisation that deals in science, which is what Deputy Leddin said at the beginning of his contribution, is now interpreting,” Whitmore said.

Whitmore, who is a member of the Oireachtas committee, said:

When I look at the key actions promised by Government I absolutely hope that it gets this right because in three years’ time when we are facing into another election, I do not want to realise that the targets are not being met and the implementation is not there.

“At that stage, we will not have the time to ramp up to get it done properly,” she said.

People Before Profit/Solidarity TD Paul Murphy proposed an amendment to delete the text of the motion and replace it with one that would decline the carbon budgets for 2021 to 2025 and 2026 to 2030 following the IPCC’s latest report, which warned of the closing window to mitigate the climate crisis.

The amendment, which did not pass, called for a motion that would describe the budgets as not being aligned with the State’s commitments entered into under the Paris Agreement.

It called on the Minister for Climate Eamon Ryan to consult with the Climate Change Advisory Council again and amend the budgets accordingly and for the third budget to be revised “to ensure it reflects our climate obligations based on the latest science and the principles of climate justice”.

In a statement after the Dáil debate, the Rural Independents group called the carbon budgets “crazed” and criticised other Opposition parties for not voting against them.

“It goes to highlight how many TDs are disingenuously playing both sides – doing one thing in the constituency, but another in the Dail, hoping for un-detection,” Deputy Mattie McGrath said.

The rural TDs argued the carbon budgets would hurt the farming industry – though the Irish Farmers Association previously told the Oireachtas committee that a 22% emissions reduction in agriculture would be “challenging but achievable”.

In January, the Oireachtas Committee on the Environment and Climate Action scrutinised the proposed budgets, which were drawn up by the Climate Change Advisory Council, over several days, hearing from CCAC members, scientists, and sectoral representatives.

The Oireachtas committee voted in favour of approving the proposed budgets in February and published a report that recommended an ongoing review of ‘backloading’ – which makes the budget lighter now and heavier in the future and was identified as a concern – and for the government to ensure the transition is just in all sectors of society.

Speaking in the Dáil yesterday, Leddin, who chairs the committee, said that “in the end the budgets were endorsed by joint committee but not unanimously”.

“It was a difficult process. We are a highly collaborative committee and each and every member works very hard and diligently, week in, week out,” he said.

“People took their positions fairly and legitimately. In the end we did endorse the proposed carbon budget by a strong majority. I respect those who have different views.”

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41 Comments
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    Mute Kieran Ferrett
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    Jun 23rd 2024, 10:34 PM

    Scotland weren’t Hungary enough

    112
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    Mute Stiles
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    Jun 24th 2024, 12:08 AM

    defo peno.. ref was muck.. hard luck Scotland..

    74
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    Mute Kevin Kennedy
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    Jun 24th 2024, 12:12 AM

    @Stiles: Thanks Johnny

    11
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    Mute Sean O'Dhubhghaill
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    Jun 24th 2024, 6:28 AM

    @Stiles: Scottish player was pulling Hungarian player by shirt. Both fell.

    38
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    Mute Nodon
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    Jun 24th 2024, 3:27 PM

    @Sean O’Dhubhghaill: correct and all the pundits ‘missed’ that though it was perfectly obvious in the replays.

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    Mute Sean O'Dhubhghaill
    Favourite Sean O'Dhubhghaill
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    Jun 23rd 2024, 10:21 PM

    What happened Varga? I have seen 3 or 4 replays and can’t see what happened. Good news us that apparently he is OK.

    39
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    Mute Kevin Collins
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    Jun 23rd 2024, 10:24 PM

    @Sean O’Dhubhghaill: Took an elbow to the head and knocked clean out. Hopefully nothing more than concussion.

    53
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    Mute Fergus O'Connor
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    Jun 23rd 2024, 11:06 PM

    @Sean O’Dhubhghaill: From the still image the keeper caught him with his trailing left arm after punching the ball clear with his right. Could have been a head or neck injury nothing been confirmed other than he’s now stable in hospital.

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    Mute Sean Money
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    Jun 24th 2024, 9:59 AM

    @Kevin Collins: any GAA player would have kept playing

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    Mute Helen McKernan
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    Jun 24th 2024, 12:34 PM

    @Sean O’Dhubhghaill: broken bones in his face & eye socket & bad concussion aparently.good to see hes awake though and stable in hospital.was scary enough watching can only imagine how frightened his family were. Speedy recovery!

    6
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    Mute damien leen
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    Jun 24th 2024, 3:24 AM

    0 shots on target…again! Says it all.

    36
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    Mute Ann Nugent
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    Jun 24th 2024, 1:37 AM

    Hard luck Scotland ,from Ireland ,we Celts. Xxx When you know you know. X

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    Mute Christopher Fealy
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    Jun 24th 2024, 6:43 AM

    @Ann Nugent: no way hard luck. DEFINITELY DELIGHTED SCOTLAND GONE..DONT FORGET THEM AND WALES VOTED FOR FRANCE TO HOLD RUGBY WORLD CUP LAST YEAR . TOOK THE BIG FAT BROWN ENVELOPE. AT LEAST ENGLAND

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    Mute sean weir
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    Jun 24th 2024, 7:23 AM

    @Christopher Fealy what a strange comment,a dub obviously

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    Mute Sean O'Dhubhghaill
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    Jun 24th 2024, 9:35 AM

    @Christopher Fealy: At least England………….. what?

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    Mute Gerry Campbell
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    Jun 24th 2024, 9:39 AM

    @Sean O’Dhubhghaill: Voted for us…he has a point.

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    Mute James T.Kirk
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    Jun 24th 2024, 9:50 AM

    @sean weir: Don’t worry bog warrior.

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    Mute sean weir
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    Jun 24th 2024, 7:20 AM

    Any one but ENGLAND ,and that was definitely a penalty for Scotland

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    Mute Sean Money
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    Jun 24th 2024, 8:31 AM

    @sean weir: I looked this morning expecting to see a stonewall penalty after ready all the comments. Not a penalty, the scot player manhandled him.

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    Mute reg morrisey
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    Jun 24th 2024, 9:02 AM

    Definitely a penalty. Ref needs glasses.

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    Mute Sean O'Dhubhghaill
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    Jun 24th 2024, 9:36 AM

    @reg morrisey: Scottish player pulled him. Both fell.

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    Mute Michael o Dwyer
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    Jun 24th 2024, 9:44 AM

    @Sean O’Dhubhghaill: it was definitely a penno. Caught the Scottish player with his knee before. I’ve seen pennos given for a lot less

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    Mute Sean Money
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    Jun 24th 2024, 5:17 AM

    I suppose you’re wondering what’s under me kilt!!!

    7
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