It should be lost on no one, today of all days, that climate change and the associated issues in energy security, water infrastructure and transportation infrastructure are of paramount importance for the future of our country. I welcome the Government focusing on the acceleration of the delivery of such infrastructure so we can meet this climate century and navigate it more securely for the shared prosperity of our people. However, the Bill may enable travel in the opposite direction. I thank in particular the Oireachtas Library and Research Service for the comprehensive Bill digest, through which I was able to scrutinise the legislation and specifically section 7 of the Bill, which allows for the provisions of section 15 of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 to be disapplied. As the Bill digest states, contrary to the Minister's opening remarks, this in effect would mean exempting critical infrastructure projects from being consistent with the most recent climate action plans and strategies, adaptation frameworks and plans, and national climate objectives, including mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. It is notable that the infrastructure in the Bill is circumscribed to energy, water and transport but it further defines infrastructure as any that enables essential facilities and systems of the State to function effectively and is not limited to these areas. Combined with the powers of section 3 to entrust the Government with designated orders, this definition effectively allows the Government, or any future Government, to designate any project or programme as a critical infrastructure project, public or private. Additionally, should the fast-track, one-stage planning process in the Planning and Development Act 2024 not yet executed be executed, we may be in the extraordinary situation where this Bill effectively allows the Government to unilaterally designate any piece of infrastructure, private or public, in the State as a critical infrastructure project to be fast-tracked beyond all normal processes, entirely exempt from climate requirements, with virtually no oversight or recourse by the Oireachtas or anyone else. This seems problematic. I will even go so far as to say it may be constitutionally suspect and may be challenged in the courts. In practical terms, this would mean the Government could fast-track a data centre, an industrial farm or an oil rig. Could the Bill perhaps be used to override all normal processes for the proposed LNG terminal in Kerry? If that is the case, it is deeply concerning. I hope the Minister, the Department, the committee on Committee Stage and others consider the balance of climate action carefully before proceeding with the Bill.

Sentiment score: 0.12