Michael McCarthy T.D., Chair of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht, has welcomed approval at Cabinet of the final heads of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill paving the way for the drafting of full legislation.

The approved Heads are due for publication next week.

"Climate Change is now one of the key issues facing the world today and it is vitally important that we formulate the necessary policy and legislation to help Ireland move to a low carbon and environmentally sustainable economy and society.

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"Climate Change no longer seems remote and intangible it is here now and it has been for some time, just ask the farmer importing fodder or the homeowner who can't get insurance because they've been flooded one too many times.

"If left unchecked it has the potential to severely damage not only our environment, but also our economy and our quality of life. It may also have major economic consequences for our essential indigenous sectors such as agriculture and food production. There is also now a growing economic and political consensus that the costs of inaction will greatly outweigh the cost of action.

"Just paying lip service to the problem is not going to make it go away. The Government has committed to legislating in this area. It is the first time that a coherent and legislative response has been developed to the threat of climate change."

(CD/MH)