Speeches:

Dáil Reform

Dáil Speech Tuesday 17 2008

I am glad to see the Green Party's commitment to an increase in Dáil sitting times come through the House today.  The Dáil will sit for an extra week in July to discuss the results of the Lisbon referendum and the prevailing economic situation.  That is movement in the right direction.  If we were to propose sitting for several more weeks into July, there would be discomfort on the Opposition benches. 

The issues outlined in the motion are important and they require a strong hand on the tiller in a time of crisis.  I am bewildered that Deputy Ó Caoláin believes the result of the Lisbon referendum has absolutely no bearing on a clear direction for the State of Ireland ship.  If one reads any of the international press over the past few days, one will see that the indecision arising from the Irish result feeds into a significant difficulty for Ireland in Europe and on the world stage.  What is needed is clear direction, particularly in times of economic difficulty.

The Opposition motion suggests nothing has changed and that there has been no response to some of the issues.  From our perspective and that of my colleagues who sit at the Cabinet table, changes have been made for the better which will result in the economy and the people being able to face difficult economic times with more confidence.  We have racked up the building regulations by 40% over the past year.  That is a significant step towards dealing with increasing fuel prices.  We have made changes to the green homes scheme which will lead to a significant improvement in the quality of the building stock not only for the well-off, but for those on lower incomes.  The increased funding for the warmer homes scheme and the new pilot schemes will allow people to see very clearly the energy saving after the changes have been made.  I am mindful of the memory of throwing money at the problem when 20 or 30 years ago every second timber sash window in the country was taken out and replaced with PVC windows.  That was not money well spent.  One must be very careful and targeted with the funding spent in those areas.

The new vehicle registration scheme will kick in this month.  That will lead to consumers being much more conscious of the economy and the carbon emissions of the vehicles they drive.  That will change consumer behaviour and the behaviour of the very large international companies selling goods in Ireland.  I note the motion rails against the high prices being charged by British multiples.  Perhaps we should look at changes in labelling to better reflect the value of what is on offer in the marketplace. 

The Labour Party also talked about price tariffs for wind energy from offshore wind.  It is very important we get the balance right there because if we reward those providing offshore wind at an unreasonably high tariff, those costs will be passed on directly to the consumer.  It is crucial we get the balance right rather than jump into this without carefully looking at the costs and benefits.

The Government's response to the Labour Party motion has been carefully considered.  It is much more important to propose rather than oppose and wring one's hands at the state of the economy.