I welcome the opportunity to have a debate here on climate action and commend the Green Party on bringing forward this motion. The frustration for me when we have debates on climate action is that, in part, yes, the debate is framed around carbon taxes, which is one part of the overall strategy, and we have our view on whether or not it is effective, which was very clearly set out by my colleague an Teachta O'Rourke. The other is that we have a discussion about high-level targets which we never meet. Any climate action target I have ever seen this State commit to we have not met it. I do not see a sense in our continuously setting high-level targets which we cannot reach and not having a debate about how we will actually meet them or having concrete plans, Department by Department, area by area, as to what we are doing and what we can do to meet those targets. I will give one example of this in my constituency because it is really important to me and I have been out there a number of times and am a really big supporter of it. I refer to Waterford Port. Waterford Port and, indeed, Rosslare Europort in Wexford are uniquely placed to play a really strong part in offshore renewable energy. They want to do it. They have the capacity to do it. They have the ability to do it, the plans and the drive, and it would be transformative for Waterford and for the south-east region. In fact, if we want Waterford to become a zero-carbon city, then this is the game-changer. The port has submitted its landmark planning application to An Coimisiún Pleanála. It is a multimillion euro terminal that is being proposed at Belview. The Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, MARA, has granted the maritime area consent. The plans consist of a 250 m extension of the existing wharfs, land reclamation, more operational facilities, office space, a new electric substation and solar panels for enhanced solar power, so it is transformative. Here we have a port that wants to play its part. It is moving through the planning process; I get that. However, there is a concern, as with lots of these big projects, and I think this is critical, that in the final analysis it may not get the backing and the funding from the Department and Government that it needs. I want the Government to prove everybody wrong. It goes back to what I said. High-level targets are one thing. Here is a plan, a planning application and a funding ask that will come very quickly and will be transformative. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating. If we are serious about this, the Government will fund it. I want to impress upon the Minister and the Government the importance of this for Waterford and the south east. For those of us who will go out and aggressively sell the advantages of offshore renewable wind, there will be some kickback, as there always is. I will be one of those who will go out and say what we need. We need to have the backing of the Government and the Departments to make this happen when push comes to shove.

Sentiment score: 0.13