Emer Higgins
Dublin Mid-West · Fine Gael · Ireland
“With regard to the background, and as the Senator has touched on, this project was designed on the basis of a 30-year operational lease, with the primary objective of delivering value for money over the lifetime of that lease.”
“Regarding the specific situation in Castlebar that the Senator has raised, Tusla has indicated that following careful consideration, including extensive negotiations, which he referred to, and legal mediation with the developers, it was unable to reach an agreement.”
“They came forward, often at enormous personal cost, and continued to seek answers and accountability when the very systems that should have protected them had failed. For many survivors of child sexual abuse, the abuse does not end when it stops.”
“The strongest projects are those that invest in feasibility studies, site assessments, stakeholder engagement and detailed design from the outset, because decisions made at the earliest stage often have the greatest impact on cost, quality and operational performance.”
“As a result, it made a significant uplift on its original offer. The additional increase sought could not be justified, however, when benchmarked against comparable projects across both Tusla and the HSE. That comes back to the value-for-money argument.”
“Justice Michael White for their significant work and acknowledge how deeply distressing the findings are. They reveal repeated missed opportunities, ignored warning signs and systemic failures that allowed abuse to occur over many years. Children who should have been protected were instead left vulnerable.”
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“This constitutes 15% of the total of all placements and represents an increase of 3% since December 2023, so while it is rising it is rising at 3% over two years.”
“I thank the Deputy. While the chief inspector of social services within HIQA does not have the remit to look at the specific issue of an individual’s distance from their original home, where inspectors see that residents are away from their support network or having to travel extended distances to their family, work or school, it is addressed in inspection reports under regulation 9 on residents’ rights and regulation 13 on general welfare and development. On private and not-for-profit providers, the proportion of residential placements for people with disabilities provided by for-profit providers has increased in recent years. This has been in response to demand for new residential places. We have 1,402 residential placements being provided by private providers.”
“HSE mid-west also confirms it is endeavouring to offer individuals the option of living in residential services closer to their communities through capacity building.”
“Funded placement reviews focus on areas such as the individual’s well-being and continuity of supports, in accordance with the national standards and Health Act regulations. The HSE advises that each case is reviewed regularly where a transition closer to home is the will and preference of the individual. These actions are aligned with the principles of the UNCRPD and the HSE’s commitment to equality and human rights. In recognition of the impact that distance can have on people and their loved ones, HSE south west has recently engaged with a private provider to purchase houses in Cork to create capacity in order for people to be repatriated to their home county and create additional new placements.”
“The HSE advises that while every effort is made by the referring agency to ensure the provision of residential services is close to family and natural supports, taking will and preference into account, there are multiple important factors to be considered simultaneously in order to achieve a residential placement that will best meet the unique and assessed needs and requirements of each individual. Prior to placement, consultation with the individual and their family is undertaken and consent is documented as part of the decision-making process. A comprehensive needs assessment is undertaken by the multidisciplinary team to determine suitability and impact on the individual and their family.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this question and providing me with an opportunity to speak on this matter. The Government is committed to supporting people with disabilities through the implementation of the UNCRPD. To further the work in this area the Department of Children, Disability and Equality has recently published the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030. This includes commitments to promote independent living and active participation and supports our obligations under Article 19 of the UNCRPD. Demand for residential placements is very high for a number of reasons, including demographic challenges associated with the increase in the number of people living with a disability, changing needs and the increase in age profile of those in existing placements.”
“I move: That, notwithstanding anything in the Order of the Dáil of 5th February, 2025, setting out the rota in which Questions to members of the Government are to be asked, Questions for oral answer, following those set down to the Minister for Defence on 16th December, 2025, shall be set down to Ministers in the following temporary sequence: Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whereupon the sequence established by the Order of 5th February, 2025, shall continue with Questions to the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Provided that, notwithstanding the rota adopted by Order of the Dáil of 18th February, 2025, the sequence of allocation to parties and groups of Parliamentary Questions nominated for priority pursuant to Standing Order 50 shall be unaffected.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann, noting that the Government, on 4th November, 2025, agreed to nominate Sam Erik Blanckensee, Cathryn Costello, Adam Harris, Rosaleen McDonagh, Patricia Munatsi-Mangwiza and Rose Wall for appointment by the President as members of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, recommends, pursuant to section 13(1)(b) of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 (No. 25 of 2014), that Sam Erik Blanckensee, Cathryn Costello, Adam Harris, Rosaleen McDonagh, Patricia Munatsi-Mangwiza and Rose Wall be appointed by the President as members of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.”
“I look forward to engaging further with colleagues and stakeholders across government on this issue in the coming months. There is no doubt that addressing the problems with the assessment-of-need process and access to therapies is a challenge. It is a complex and challenging piece of work and requires a well thought-out and comprehensive plan to ensure that all aspects of the system are examined and, where necessary, fixed or improved. I am absolutely clear, as is the Minister, that delivering appropriate assessments of need to children and delivering quicker access to therapies and earlier intervention to children with disabilities are absolute priorities, not just for me and the Minister but for all members of the Government. That is why we are taking a whole-of-government approach to this.”
“The implementation by the HSE next year of the single point of access model, which was referenced by many Members, will ensure that children will be directed to the appropriate service, whether primary care, CAMHS or CDNTs, and the introduction of our new in-reach teams will support their work. The HSE expects to have its new autism assessment and interventions pathway protocol ready in February and to be able to start delivering a new and consistent approach to autism assessments across the entire public health system. These initiatives have been achieved through the work of the HSE and by Departments working closely with each other. More importantly, they work in collaboration with our key stakeholders, taking into account the lived experiences of people and children with disabilities and their families.”
“Within this, there is a particular focus on Irish trained overseas applicants, with a relocation package available to meet vouched expenses of a health and social care professional who has travelled overseas. I am confident that continued efforts by the HSE will allow us to build on some of the success we have seen so far in our CDNT staffing across the broader healthcare sector and that this will support the delivery of crucial therapy services at an earlier stage. The Minister highlighted that it is not simply a case of recruiting staff to improve access to therapies; we need to resolve a series of wider systemic issues. This will require intensive collaboration with our colleagues in the Department of Education and Youth, as well as the Department of Health, over the coming months.”
“This progress needs to be achieved in the context of significant challenges internationally in the recruitment of staff into the wider health and social care sector. In order to increase the pipeline of therapists and to support sustained growth in our CDNTs and the wider disability service, the Government has approved an expansion in the number of training places for health and social care professionals over the coming years. Expansion will provide over 460 new places by 2028, including 310 this year and over 130 next year. In conjunction with this, the HSE also continues to drive intensive domestic and international recruitment efforts to obtain additional therapists to deliver these essential therapies. The HSE continues to work with overseas agencies on an ongoing basis to expand international recruitment.”
“This pillar includes a clear commitment to address capacity challenges across all children's therapy services in children's disability network teams, in primary care and mental health services for children and young people in schools. As the Minister outlined, a significant challenge we face in ensuring that children with disabilities receive the therapy they need is the recruitment and retention of therapists across the health system, and many Members have commented on that. While progress has been made through recruitment and retention initiatives, which we have seen in the increase in the number of CDNT staff, significant work still needs to be completed across the health sector to ensure that we have adequate staffing capacity to deliver therapies for children that need them.”
“Indeed, some children have been there for years, and some may be on multiple waiting lists. That is why we are implementing this reform. This Government remains intent on pursuing significant investment and reform at pace in the coming months as part of a programme of sustained transformation across disability services. One of the key vehicles for this radical reform is the recently published National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030. Pillar 4 of this strategy is about improving access to inclusive, integrated health services from early intervention to mental health supports and health promotion.”
“The Minister, Deputy Foley, has outlined that there will be additional resources provided this coming year to support the delivery of assessments of need. These will include training as well as additional clinical and administrative supports to assist assessment and liaison officers during the process and I am of the belief that not only will these wraparound supports lead to a more efficient process in the medium term, but they will also lead to a therapist spending less time on assessments and more time on delivering therapies to children. I am only three weeks in this role, but I already know from speaking with parents that the system is not working as it should for their children. We have thousands of children on long waiting lists for services.”
“The introduction of the targeted legislative reforms announced today to Part 2 of the Disability Act will be key in allowing us to improve the efficiency and the effectiveness of the assessment of need process. Crucially, these reforms will not affect anyone's statutory right to an assessment of need or change the timeframes set out in the Act. Beginning next year, the Department will be undertaking a wider review of the Disability Act, and in line with the programme for Government commitment, the review will be carried out in consultation with impacted stakeholders. While my Department will progress these legislative reforms as a matter of priority, I cannot understate the importance of ensuring that operational reform within our public system occurs in conjunction with any amendments to the Disability Act.”
“Demand for assessments of need has doubled in five years and demand is clearly outstripping the capacity of the system that is there to try to meet it. The introduction of the targeted waiting list by the Government is helping. Over 6,300 clinical assessments have now been commissioned from private providers in the past 18 months, and in the next 12 months, 6,000 more will be delivered through this initiative. I am also encouraged by the 30% increase in assessments completed last year in comparison to the year previous and the 57% increase in completed assessments in the first nine months of this year compared to last year. The figures show that we are moving in the right direction, but we need to do more, and we need to do it faster.”
“The motion presented this evening highlights some of the aspects of what is a complex issue, the fact that there are unacceptable delays in the delivery of assessments of need, and the need to increase the availability of and access to appropriate services for children with disabilities. As a Government, we have been taking steps to address these complex challenges, but I acknowledge that further work needs to be done, and it needs to be done as a matter of urgency. The assessment of need list sets out the challenge very starkly. We had over 18,000 applications overdue for completion nationwide at the end of September. This figure is expected to grow to over 22,000 in the coming weeks. Over 10,600 new applications were received last year, with some 4,100 completed assessments in 2024.”
“I thank everybody for their contribution here this evening on this really important issue. It is something all of us are familiar with because we all work with families, individuals and children across the country who are affected by this. We all know vulnerable people, including children, who are clearly in need of State support and who unfortunately are left wanting. That is simply not acceptable. Families are stressed out, they are frustrated, they feel abandoned, and that is not fair. No one should be made feel like they need to go public or to protest to draw attention to this issue. Like the Minister, Deputy Foley, I recently met Cara Darmody and I was struck by her courage and commitment. Cara really is a remarkable teenage girl, and she is right. People with disabilities have in many cases been poorly served by the State.”
“The practice of asking patients for their private health insurance details is now being reviewed in the context of what we just outlined in terms of the new regime. I thank Senator Maria Byrne for her contribution. We all agree with her that our health is our wealth. That is why it is so fantastic that we have such dedicated teams working in hospitals and healthcare facilities up and down the country.”
“We must also understand better how, with real delineation between public and private, we can better use private services in tandem with State services. For these reasons, I cannot accept the amendment on this occasion, but the broader issue the Senators have raised is extremely important and it is something that Senator Costello touched on. As stated by the Minister for Health on the Committee and Report Stages of this Bill in the Dáil last week, the issue of the continued removal of private practice from public hospitals will be the subject of debate at the health committee. In interim, patients have to option to elect to not avail of their entitlement for free care and to use their private health insurance. That option is available to them.”
“The issue of reducing private income in public hospitals is particularly pertinent given that this is the year the public-only consultant contract really kicks in. We have reached a critical mass of consultants on the public-only consultant contract and this is the year we expect to see it in our figures. I do not expect this to be a recurring issue. It is really important we understand that, that we keep that on track and keep in place the measure to remove private activity from public hospitals insofar as possible. In continuing to remove private activity from public hospitals, we must make sure that public funding is used for public provision, something the Senator alluded o in her contribution.”
“While I understand the Senators’ concerns, beyond the European Commission approval process and administering the risk equalisation scheme, neither the Health Insurance Authority nor the Minister for Health have a role in the private health insurers’ prices or profits. The second part of the amendment relates to the potential impact of the removal of private practice from public hospitals. This provides for a report on the potential impact of the removal of private practice from public hospitals on the cost of health insurance and for the Minister to bring forward measures to mitigate rising health insurance costs for consumers caused by the profits and the movement of private practice. I thank Senators for the proposed amendment.”
“The Department of Health engages with the European Commission’s competition body on Ireland’s application to keep the risk equalisation scheme operating in accordance with the approval granted under state aid rules. The risk equalisation scheme sets a standard for reasonable profit for net beneficiaries of the scheme, that is, insurers who receive more from the scheme than they pay in. This is currently set at 6% and meets the European Commission’s decision on the scheme under state aid rules, which allows the scheme to operate in Ireland’s health insurance market. I also advise the Senators that the current reasonable profit rate of 6% is in the process of being reviewed as part of preparations for Ireland’s application to the European Commission for state aid approval in relation to the scheme for next year and 2027.”
“This second is an examination of the potential impact of the removal of private practice from public hospitals on the cost of health insurance. I will address each individually. First, the amendment provides that I bring forward a proposal to use the profits of commercial companies to help reduce rising insurance costs for consumers. This proposal does not relate to the maintenance of the risk equalisation scheme, so it is not relevant to the Bill. I understand the Senators have concerns following recent media reports relating to the profits of health insurance companies. While the Health Insurance Authority’s role includes monitoring the operation of the health insurance Acts and advising me on matters relating to my functions or on health insurance generally, it is not possible to interfere in a competitive market.”
“I thank the Senators for their contributions and their proposed amendment. Unfortunately, I must reject the proposed amendment and I will outline why. The Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2025 updates risk equalisation credits and stamp duty levies for health insurance policies in Ireland. Its main goal is to adjust risk equalisation scheme to reflect yearly changes in the market. The Bill is mostly technical and is focused on keeping the scheme running smoothly. As the Senator alluded to, it comes to us every year. The amendment before us deals with two matters and neither matter relates to the risk equalisation scheme. The first, as the Senator detailed, asks for an examination of the profits of private companies in a competitive voluntary health insurance to potentially offset rising costs against these companies' profits.”
“By aligning credits more closely with health status rather than age, we improve the efficiency of the scheme. I thank all the officials in the Department of Health who have worked so hard on this and I commend this Bill to the House.”
“In summary, this Bill ensures the continued fairness of our community-rated health insurance market. It strengthens the risk equalisation scheme and supports affordable premiums for older and sicker people, principles which are backed by the public. These amendments achieve our objectives in three ways. First, they support the sustainability of the private health insurance market by ensuring that credits and stamp duties reflect the real cost of claims. This keeps the risk equalisation fund balanced and avoids sudden shocks to premiums. Second, they prevent overcompensation to insurers. The changes to age-related and health-related credits are carefully calibrated so that insurers receive fair support from the fund. Third, they maintain fair and open competition, in line with EU state aid rules.”
“Section 6 strengthens the high-cost claims pool credit, which helps insurers cover very expensive claims. The share of costs covered will rise from 45% to 50%, for claims over €50,000 in a 12-month period. Section 7 sets out the new stamp duty rates to fund these credits. From 1 April 2026, adult advanced plan stamp duty is going up by €48 to €517; child advanced plan stamp duty is going up by €16 to €172; adult non-advanced plan stamp duty is going up by €9 to €103; and child non-advanced stamp duty is going up by €3 to €34. These increases are calculated to keep the scheme Exchequer-neutral. An €8 million surplus in the fund will be used to reduce the level of stamp duty that would otherwise apply. Section 8 deals with the Short Title, commencement and construction of the Bill.”
“I will now briefly outline the sections of the Bill. Section 1 confirms that the principal Act is the Health Insurance Act 1994. Section 2 sets 1 April 2026 as the date when the new credits from the risk equalisation fund will take effect. Section 3 updates the term of appointment for the chairperson of the Health Insurance Authority, bringing it in line with the code of practice for the governance of State bodies. Section 4 increases the hospital utilisation credit, from April 2026. This means that overnight stays will rise from €163 to €165, while day cases will rise from €81 to €100. Section 5 revises the age-related credits. These credits depend on age, sex and level of cover. They will increase for all advanced products and most non-advanced products to reflect the higher number and cost of claims.”
“Even if the number of claims stays the same, the cost of those claims goes up. This is one of the main reasons risk equalisation credits and stamp duties need to increase. The annual changes help to keep the system fair and sustainable. If the Government does not adjust the stamp duty rates every year, the scheme could run out of money. This could mean even higher increases to stamp duty later on or the Government having to step in to fund the scheme directly. There is strong public support for community rating in private health insurance. The Health Insurance Authority carried out a survey this year, which showed that 64% of those surveyed agreed that health insurance prices should not depend on an individual’s health condition and 72% agreed that older people should not pay more for their health insurance.”
“While increases to stamp duties may affect insurance premium costs, stamp duty is a ring-fenced contribution to the risk equalisation fund and supports the credits to enable fairness and sustainability in the private health insurance market. In addition, stamp duty is not automatically applied to each health insurance premium. Insurers decide how to build it into their pricing structures across their portfolio of policy types. Each year, credits and stamp duties are updated to reflect changes in claims and costs. Medical inflation and private hospital costs are driving claims higher. Medical inflation simply means the amount by which the cost of healthcare is rising every year. Hospitals charge more for procedures as a result. New treatments and technologies are more expensive, and wages and operating costs continue to increase.”
“Health insurance policies fall into two categories, advanced and non-advanced. Non-advanced contracts mainly cover treatment in public hospitals. They provide a more basic level of cover and are generally less expensive. Advanced contracts, on the other hand, offer a higher level of cover, including access to private hospitals and additional benefits. These plans cost more because they provide greater choice and flexibility for customers. There are four different rates of stamp duty, depending on whether the policy is advanced or non-advanced and whether the customer is an adult or a child. The rates for non-advanced policies and children are lower, reflecting lower levels of claims.”
“The second type is hospital utilisation credits, which compensate insurers when their members use hospital services, either for overnight stays or day cases. They help spread the cost of hospital care across the market. The third is high-cost claims credit, which is for very expensive claims. If a claim goes above €50,000 in a year, part of that cost is covered by the risk equalisation fund. This protects insurers from the impact of extremely high claims and keeps premiums stable. This Bill makes changes to all three risk equalisation credits. The proportion of age-related credits will decrease slightly, while health-related credits will increase by the same amount. Age is not always an indicator of bad health, so this change better aligns credits with actual health status.”
“It works by redistributing funds between insurers. Insurers who cover older and sicker members receive credits to offset their higher costs. These credits are funded by stamp duty paid by the insurer for each health insurance policy it issues. The Office of the Revenue Commissioners collects the stamp duty and transfers it to the risk equalisation fund, which is managed by the Health Insurance Authority, HIA. There are three types of credits in the risk equalisation scheme. The first type is age-related credits, which are payments to insurers to help cover the higher cost of insuring older customers. Older people generally use more healthcare services, so their claims cost more. Without these credits, insurers with more older members would face higher costs and would likely pass these on to their members in higher premiums.”
“Fourth, the commitment towards community rating means that everyone pays the same price for the same plan, regardless of age or health. Insurers cannot charge more because someone is older or has a medical condition. These four principles are the foundation of fairness in our health insurance system. The risk equalisation scheme is a key mechanism that keeps our health insurance market fair and sustainable. In a community-rated market, everyone pays the same price for the same policy, regardless of age or health. Older or sicker people, who may cost more to insure, do not pay more. Without the support of risk equalisation schemes, insurers with more high-risk customers would face higher costs and higher premiums. In fact, premiums could rise quite sharply. The risk equalisation scheme helps to resolve this.”
“This represents an annual premium income of approximately €3.8 billion. Health insurance in Ireland is built on four key principles and I will briefly outline all four. First, open enrolment means that anyone can buy a health insurance policy at any time, regardless of age, health status or medical history. Insurers cannot refuse cover because someone is older or has an illness. Second, lifetime cover means that once you have health insurance, you can keep it for life, provided you pay your premiums. Insurers cannot cancel your policy because you become sick or in the event of making claims. Third, minimum benefit means every policy must include a basic level of cover, set by law. This ensures that all customers receive a minimum standard of benefits.”
“On behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, I am pleased to have this opportunity to address the House on the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2025. This is an annual, technical Bill with eight sections, focused on the specific area of health insurance. It also seeks to make a change to the term of appointment of the chairperson of the Health Insurance Authority. The Bill was published on 18 November and concluded its passage through the Dáil on 26 November. The Minister welcomes the support received in the Dáil for the Bill and the core principle of community rating, which is long-established and well-supported Government policy for the health insurance market. Today, 46% of the population - 2.54 million people - holds private health insurance.”
“Finally, I reiterate that the Government is committed to a just transition and a climate-neutral economy by no later than 2050. However, due to legislative, policy and institutional developments since 2021, the Government is opposing this Private Members' Bill on the basis of the progress since then.”
“Any decision on moving the commission to a legislative basis before this review would be premature. As previously noted, under the commission's recommendation, the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment will develop a just transition strategy, which will set out a clear vision for a just transition to a competitive, affordable, secure and climate-neutral economy and society. The commission's forthcoming report on agriculture, transport and finance will further its guidance and support to the Government and the respective Departments. The Government feels that moving to establish the commission on a legislative basis at this point could distract the commission from its current work programme and hamper the momentum it is building as a new body.”
“The Just Transition Commission will examine the workforce implications of the transition but also has the remit to evaluate sectoral climate policy, proactively engage with impacted communities or sectors, and provide strategic advice and analysis in relation to a just transition. The existing commission is providing impartial advice to the Government and is doing so to support a just transition to climate neutrality. While the commission was established on an administrative basis, the just transition task force recommended that the body be moved to a statutory basis. The Government is committed to reviewing the operation of the commission in a manner that allows the commission to establish itself and for learnings on its current structure and its remit to be reviewed and refined.”
“The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 and the Climate Action Plan 2021 set the legislative and policy direction for just transition, with the just transition framework outlining the broad nature of a just and fair transition. The just transition framework recognises that people need the right skills to participate in a climate-neutral economy, but it also recognises the need for evidence-based climate policy, the need to ensure that costs are shared equitably and the need for social dialogue with impacted citizens and communities. The overarching nature of the framework is reflected in the existing Just Transition Commission's mandate and work programme.”
“I thank the Deputies for their feedback. As set out in my opening statement, the reason the Government is opposing this Bill is due to the fact that we have already set up the commission on an administrative basis, and we want it to get on with the work we have tasked it with and we then want to review that to see whether it is working. At that point, once we have the review, we will be making a decision around a statutory footing. Also, the landscape in which we are making this decision has seen significant developments around the just transition policy since this Bill was tabled in 2021.”
“As demonstrated, significant work is already under way to underpin the just transition through legislation, the implementation of the just transition framework, investment in the midlands and institutional arrangements. The commission and colleagues can be assured of the Government's ongoing commitment to a just transition as we continue to embed it in our policymaking. On the basis of these significant developments the Government has decided to oppose the Bill. I note the Deputy has not been given a copy of my speech, so I will provide her with this one. We might see if we can get it photocopied.”
“The Government acknowledges this and has been investing significant resources into supporting the midlands, as the Deputy noted in her own contribution, because the midlands communities are most impacted by the transition away from peat. One of the first measures that was introduced was the National Just Transition Fund 2000 to 2024, which provided over €16 million to the region. The EU just transition fund, which runs to 2027, remains active in the midlands, with up to €169 million available in the region. Since the launch of the programme in 2023, 15 calls for funds have been run and 172 projects under grant agreement have been approved in the sum of €121 million. The EU just transition fund is co-funded through the EU just transition mechanism and national co-financing.”
“In approving the establishment of the commission, the Government noted that a review of the operation of the commission should be undertaken before moving it to a statutory basis. This will allow the commission to establish itself and for learnings on its current structure and remit to be reviewed and refined. That review is planned for the middle of next year. In these circumstances the Government believes it would be premature to consider moving the commission to a statutory basis in advance of the review. It would also distract the commission from completing its work programme, which is the most important thing. We know that that transition will have different impacts on different people, communities and regions.”
“As noted earlier, the current just transition commission was established on an administrative basis. This followed on from the work of the just transition task force, which was tasked with seeking consensus on a long-term structure for the just transition commission. The task force convened in 2023 and was chaired by Mr. Kieran Mulvey. It consisted of representatives from the five pillars of social dialogue and senior officials from the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, the Department of the Taoiseach, the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation and the NESC. Their recommendations included that the commission should be established on an administrative basis to ensure timely establishment but that it would quickly move to a statutory basis.”
“It was very heartening to hear Deputy Whitmore commend the talents of the people involved in the commission and the good work that they are doing on behalf of Ireland. In conjunction with its introductory report, the commission has also explored two key sectoral areas, transport and agriculture, and the cross-cutting topic of finance. In conducting its review, the commission has engaged with over 60 representative groups, officials and academics. It has conducted engagements with farmers, agricultural students and representative groups in Glasnevin's Wayfinding Centre. The commission is now preparing a report to reflect and provide recommendations on the respective sectors. In addition, the commission continues to develop links with similar bodies such as the Climate Change Advisory Council.”
“The commission points to the need to develop a just transition strategy and the need for stronger governance, monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the just transition framework in climate policy. The Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment will develop a just transition strategy as a key deliverable under its 2025 to 2028 statement strategy. The just transition strategy will set out a clear vision for a just transition to a competitive, affordable, secure and climate-neutral economy and society. My colleague the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment has assured the commission of the Government's ongoing support for its work through his engagement with both the chair, Ms Ali Sheridan, and members.”
“The Private Members' Bill before us today proposes the establishment of a just transition commission on the legislative basis with a focus on workers and communities. However, the existing commission's remit goes wider than this. While it accounts for the need to ensure a just transition workforce, its programme also includes the assessment of the implementation of the just transition framework into climate policy; strengthening engagement with vulnerable cohorts on climate matters; and recommending indicators to support the measurement of our progress as we continue to transition. The commission has made really significant progress in its work programme and it has already published its introductory report. This report provides some early reflections and recommendations on the implementation of just transition across climate policy.”