The Climate Change Bill has been put on ice as the Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan has admitted that he has no intention of publishing it in the near future, despite promises made in the Programme for Government.

The impact this delay could have on local business, from the construction sector to the farming communities has been stressed by Collins as something needing it’s fair share of attention: "What we need is a balanced approach to climate change, addressing the real concerns of the business and farming communities. Many people are concerned about a lack of leadership from the Government in developing and implementing a climate change policy. We all know this is a real issue. Flooding, heavy snow and cold snaps don’t just happen every 50 or 100 years, they are becoming yearly events."

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Minister Hogan has suggested that there will be no prioritising of climate change legislation despite the initial claims laid out in the the Programme for Government: "We will publish a climate change bill which will provide certainty surrounding government policy and provide a clear pathway for emission reductions, in line with negotiated targets".

Environment spokesperson for Finna Fáil Environment Niall Collins, commented last week "it will be 2012 at the earliest before any legislation can be published".

Minister Hogan has been called upon to prioritise this as a matter of urgency, in the hopes he will commit to publishing the Climate Change Bill in the very near future, giving real attention to the environmental and climate change impacts on our domestic economy.

(HMcE)