The climate bill has hit another milestone tonight as it nears the end of its Oireachtas journey.
The Dáil has tonight (Wednesday, July 14) passed the amendments to the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021, with 80 votes in favour, and 60 votes against.
The government parties of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party, along with seven regional TDs voted in favour.
When the bill was first voted on in the Dáil back in June, it had passed with 129 votes in favour, and 10 votes against.
The bill will now go back to the Seanad later this week for final approval before it is signed into law by the president.
Bill amendments
Strong and mixed opinions were expressed this week following the introduction of last minute amendments to the bill in the Seanad last Friday (July 9), with several TDs calling for them to be removed.
In summary, these amendments would give the environment minister “the ability, through regulation, to designate how the carbon budgets are accounted for and how the removals and the emissions reductions on the sinks are accounted for through this process”, according to Minister for Climate Eamon Ryan.
Yesterday (Tuesday), Minister Ryan also submitted a smaller technical amendment to the above, relating to compliance with the Paris Agreement.
‘Most important bill we will pass’
Speaking in the Dáil tonight, deputy Bríd Smith said that due to these amendments, this bill will be “a failure” if it gives future ministers the ability to do “inventive accountancy”.
“I believe the game is up for you minister, if this passes,” she said, as she asked the minister to remove the above amendments.
Deputy Jennifer Whitmore said the minister “has an opportunity to do real good with this bill” – and that this legislation needs to be strong “no matter what minister/government is in place”.
She added that the latest amendments weaken the “most important bill we will pass” in this Dáil.
Meanwhile, a number of rural independent TDs criticised the minister and government’s handling of challenges facing the horticulture and forestry sectors, with Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae telling Minister Ryan that he is “an absolute disgrace”, and that he does not “give a damn” about primary industries.