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MINISTER FOR CHILDREN Roderic O’Gorman has criticised members of the Rural Independent Group of TDs for their repeated interruptions of Minister Eamon Ryan’s speech on the Climate Action Bill in the Dáil earlier today.
The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications today opened the Dáil debate on the bill, which commits to Ireland becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
Ryan was interrupted a number of times by TDs from the Rural Independent Group, who complained that they had not been given a copy of the minister’s speech, which they were hearing live at the time.
Danny Healy-Rae accused the minister of “trying to hide from the people of Ireland what you’re doing” and claimed he was attempting to “finish off” the people of rural Ireland. Michael Healy Rae also accused the minister of attempting to conceal something by not providing a written copy of his speech ahead of delivering it live in the Dáil.
“What are they trying to cover up and hide in this bill?” he asked.
The minister was eventually allowed to continue, but the heckling was later condemned by party colleague Minister O’Gorman.
“Deputies come in here and say they’re fighting for rural Ireland and say that they are the sole voice of rural Ireland but when the hard work was being done on bringing this legislation forward in the joint Oireachtas committee, I have to ask again: Where were those deputies?” he said.
Because it’s very easy to be in here today when the cameras are on and when you know you’re going to get a snippet on [RTÉ] Six One or you know you’re going to get a nice little video for Twitter and Facebook, but when the difficult work is being done, the boring, long hours going through section by section, that’s when the real changes happen and that’s when deputies who are so irate today could have made an input, but they didn’t.
Speaking to The Journal this evening about the interjections, Minister Ryan said he was “used to it”. He said despite suggestions from some TDs in the Dáil today, this legislation will be good for rural Ireland.
“It wouldn’t work if it wasn’t,” he said.
In his speech earlier Ryan said there is hope now in relation to the pandemic, that brighter days are ahead, but the issue of our health and our treatment of our climate are “inexplicably linked”.
“Listen to what Mike Ryan of the World Health Organization says. From his extensive experience, these pandemics are coming because we have not, in our time, protected the natural world,” he said.
“And the destruction of the biome, as he puts it, is the reason we’re seeing these pandemics coming at us in a way that is destroying our lives.”
He said there are benefits for people’s health in the legislation’s provisions, such as more active transport systems, cleaner air from not burning fossil fuels and “building on a connection to nature”.
“It’s clearly time for us to act because the natural world is in crisis, it’s being destroyed before our eyes. We are witnessing it within my lifetime and we have to stop that.”
The minister acknowledged that climate policy needs to move away from placing “blame and shame and pressure” on the consumer to do the right thing, and instead change the system so it is easier for people to do it.
The bill commits Ireland to carbon neutrality by 2050 by cutting its emissions by 51% between 2018 and 2030 and to net zero no later than 2050. It’s hoped this reduction will be achieved through targeting the transport sector and industry, as well as an increased reliance on renewable energy.
All forms of greenhouse gas emissions will be included in future carbon budgets and governments will be required to adopt sectoral ‘emission ceilings’ within the limits of each budget.
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Just a normal day on the chaos that is the M50. Expect two or three crashes later on just in time for the evening rush.
@Dave Murray: find it easier to go through town now with less likely chance of crashes
From my own personal observations and IMHO it would appear to me (without any scientific measurements) that most collisions happen due to McDonalds Queuing Symptom. That other lane is moving faster, a little gap to the right or left……..and go ffs….just go…….oooops! And as for the pathetic rubber neckers on the other side of the road!
@Dave Murray: Drivers are driving to close to the vehicle in front and no time for reaction I have seen drivers continually hitting the brakes on the M50 when there’s no need to thus creating a chain reaction from behind. Lots of drivers don’t heed this warning. Overhead cameras should be used to pull in drivers and given a warning .
@Alan Scott: Or a helicopter with a bloke with a huge big stick to bash them in the head with
@A H:
Ok laugh on.
theres always enough Idiots to go around on the Journal.ie
The toll should be waived if there are delays.
@neuromancer:
Should the people causing the delay be fined to make up the lost revenue of the free tolling during delays?
@Nick Allen: the people who cause the accident should be banned from driving. And there should be spot checks on motorway behaviour. If someone is seen to not use the lanes and or speed properly they should be on a probation period where they have to be tested prior to be allowed go back on motorways.
People literally haven’t a clue.
@neuromancer: the toll should be doubled if they crash!!
Far too many design faults on this motorway. Most large cities have an outer/circular motorway (like the M25); we built half a circle and are suffering the consequences.
@Fank Pulman: You realise that one side of Dublin is the sea?
@Ben McArthur: Thus, a half circle wasn’t the answer…
@Fank Pulman:
What design faults on the M50 are leading to traffic jams on the M50?
@Richard Wright:
A tunnel from Blackrock to Sutton would be the Dogs
@Richard Wright: No. We were hooked on circles and/or half circles – as if there was no alternative. Few traffic problems in NYC for example – or Washington. And no circles/half-circles – just the grid system!¡
@Fank Pulman:
Few traffic problems in NYC? Have you ever been there? Have to ever got a taxi from JFK to the centre to NYC?
@Nick Allen: Yes to the 3 questions.
@Fank Pulman:
So if you have experienced NYC, how can you possibly say they don’t have traffic issues.
@Nick Allen: FFS – imagine the toll!!!
@Paul Furey:
Yes it maybe be a stiff toll alright
@Nick Allen: Lived in Manhattan. Traffic is not a problem – largely, I admit, because of people using taxis and the subway. Also – parking is at a absolute premium. But, can you not think of any alternative to the M50 semi-circle, like (say) a grid?
@Fank Pulman:
The M50 is great, yes there are some traffic jams at time but by and large it works very well. More disciplined drivers and a better public transport system would solve a lot of the issues on the M50.
@Nick Allen: Rough figures:- M50/28 miles/16 junctions. M25/117 miles/31 junctions – over 4 times as long, less than twice the number of junctions! The M50 tries to do too much!?
@Fank Pulman: no
@Fank Pulman:
M25 is also affectionately known as the largest car park in London.
That said the motorway network needs to be designed for the cities they serve. Fewer junctions in the M50 would only turn the M50 into a large Dublin bypass for people looking to avoid Dublin. The M50 needs to serve the people of Dublin to stop them using the city centre. If you reduce the access points you would reduce usage and also create new bottlenecks at the access points.
@Gareth Cooney: Fair enough – but the Federal Motorway 10, around Berlin (for example) – is the same length as the M25, with about the same number of junctions. Our M50 seems to have more than the norm¡
@Fank Pulman: it’s not the road, it’s idiot drivers!!!
@Lesley O Meara: Perhaps. The Peripherique(!) around Paris has a 45 mph limit! Vastly reduced accident levels.
@Jayo Breathneach: tks…didn’t know…
Footage of on board camera’s should be allowed to be uploaded to the Gardaí easily to prosecute drivers swerving in and out of lanes, tailgating etc. Send offenders a €90 fine, 2 penalty points and a link to the footage.
Keep it a secret, but there is a double lane duel carriageway type road running from Jobstown to Liffey valley completely under utilised, either this or get an amphibious car. I prefer the second option when going to Howth cause there’s no toll!
@Radioska: ssssssshaduuupp!
I do love my regular M50 news bulletins. Great crack
It’s Every day on the M50 we must have the worst Drivers if it’s not a brake down its a crash.
I think the National Roads Authority are proposing at peak times speed restrictions on all lanes north and south in effort to stop the relentless crashes that cause so much disruption.
@Austin Rock: unless it’s enforced all day every day it will be ignored.
If Gardaí given powers to enforce fines by using the existing camera technology on the M50 that would cut down a hell of a lot stupid road behaviour
Once summer is over it’s back to work from home from 08:00-9:30 (miss peak gridlock)and then head to office. Far more efficient use of time, more productive and way less hassle-Fully appreciate this scenario does not work for everyone.
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