Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The legislation contradicts that. My other questions relate to Gas Networks Ireland, GNI. We mentioned data centres and the Minister mentioned his regret. Him stating he has an opinion is not the same as him using his power as a Minister and as a member of the Government and Cabinet in respect of ensuring the legislation reflects a limit to commercial energy, which it does not. In fact it prioritises and gives advantage to these proposals. In addition in the context of GNI, the Climate Change Advisory Council has been really clear there should not be any new contracts, such as the many we have seen for individual gas-powered plants for data centres. It has stated that, legally, the laws do not allow GNI to enforce refusing of these connections and signing these contracts. The Climate Change Advisory Council has said there needs to be legislation. Will there be legislation? Rather than the Minister just expressing an opinion to GNI, will there be legislation to ensure we do not see these new connections for data centres?

Forestry, which is another concrete piece, is similar. The Minister mentioned the land use review. Is the review examining the mandates of Coillte and Bord na Móna? Coillte owns 7% of the State's land and we have the power to direct its mandate, which could be shifted to being environmentally focused rather than commercially focused. I have proposed legislation to do this. The Minister mentioned "commercial". Right now, Coillte's mandate is clearly commercial. The State as shareholder has written to say it wants Coillte to be cash generative, which is a very short-term frame, versus having an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable mandate which is something the NGOs have looked for and my proposed legislation seeks. Is shifting the mandates of Coillte and Bord na Móna being considered under the review and is that something the Government will advance either through my proposed legislation or through its own?

The transport brief has probably had shorter shrift in the discussions we had today but one aspect that is very important relates to the largely undocumented area of military emissions. We know there are significant numbers of military flights and military-contracted flights passing through our airspace, many of which carry weapons and munitions towards Israel and that will probably be used by Israel in its actions in Gaza. Regardless of where those weapons are used are the emissions associated with, both those flights and the arms industry and its actions, being monitored? What is the Minister's proposal on that and what action might be taken?