{"id":767,"date":"2019-06-11T10:40:58","date_gmt":"2019-06-11T09:40:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.socialdemocrats.ie\/socdems-dail-motion-seeks-meaningful-action-on-climate-change\/"},"modified":"2024-01-26T11:03:26","modified_gmt":"2024-01-26T11:03:26","slug":"socdems-dail-motion-seeks-meaningful-action-on-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.socialdemocrats.ie\/ga\/socdems-dail-motion-seeks-meaningful-action-on-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"D\u00e1il motion seeks meaningful action on climate change"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe D\u00e1il has declared a climate and biodiversity emergency on foot of the recent Oireachtas report on Climate Change. The government urgently needs to translate this unanimous political resolve into concrete and meaningful actions<\/span>.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Social Democrats today introduce a D\u00e1il motion calling on the government to revise public spending commitments to deliver meaningful actions on climate change.<\/p>\n

The private members\u2019 motion also calls on the government to identify which projects planned under the National Development Plan will now be delayed or cancelled due to cost overruns with the National Broadband Plan and the National Children\u2019s Hospital.<\/p>\n

Speaking ahead of tonight\u2019s D\u00e1il debate on the motion, party co-leader Catherine Murphy TD said:<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the past month, the D\u00e1il has declared a climate and biodiversity emergency on foot of the recent Oireachtas report on Climate Change. The government urgently needs to translate this unanimous political resolve into concrete and meaningful actions to respond effectively and fairly to the accelerating impacts of global warming.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s obvious that this will require a massive step change in how the country plans and spends on large scale infrastructure projects in the coming decades. The National Development Plan commits to \u20ac116 billion capital spending up to 2027.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the government\u2019s shambolic handling of both the National Broadband Plan contract and the National Children\u2019s Hospital have led to massive cost overruns which have punched a hole in the public finances.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Taoiseach has point blank refused to provide the public with any detail about which projects earmarked under the National Development Plan will be delayed or cancelled due to a lack of funding.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe clock is ticking when it comes to actions needed to tackle climate change. But before new spending priorities can be identified, we need to get a clear and honest picture of the state of the public finances.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is why our motion calls on the government to urgently revise both the National Development Plan and the National Planning Framework to properly reflect the real capacity of the state to invest in capital projects.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe government also needs to establish revised spending priorities so that the country responds effectively and fairly to the accelerating impacts of global warming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Text of D\u00e1il Motion<\/strong><\/p>\n

D\u00e1il \u00c9ireann notes that:<\/p>\n