It seems certain the world will face four more years of President George W. Bush in the White House, a man who lives in continual denial of the need to address climate change. While I wish him well, I hope he has a chance to read Earth in the Balance by Al Gore for old times’ sake.

He might change the weather.

I am sure Bush is worried.

The Government also needs to take stock and prepare for the greater impact of climate change than might otherwise be the case. I appreciate the Government has had difficulty coming to terms with climate change. A half degree centigrade rise in the 20th century does not seem much. However, climate warming has doubled since the 1970s and since 1990 we had eight of the warmest years on record. Research by the University of East Anglia on rainfall shows that in 1960, 7% of rain was categorised as heavy while in the 1990s it rose to 15%. It is no surprise then that the Taoiseach has been faced with an interest in flooding as reflected in matters raised under Standing Order 31.

The Taoiseach claims he is committed — the word must be used advisedly — to a national climate change strategy and the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, spoke about being committed to a strategic flood management policy. What does that commitment really mean? Will the Taoiseach accept responsibility considering Fianna Fáil councillors were actively involved in building on flood plains in Clonmel, Lucan, Dunboyne and many other areas where people are purchasing houses? If he can admit to that, it will indicate he has a job to make up for those mistakes made in the name of his party. We are hearing about humanitarian aid for the flood victims. However, will a capital investment programme for flood prevention be introduced? We are not talking about humanitarian aid. We are talking about Cork city seeking funds for the last 20 years for quay walls and Dublin City Council seeking €150 million for coastal defences. Will this be announced in the budget or before then?

I have no comment to make on the US election. I am sure we will hear the result in due course. Having ratified the Kyoto Protocol, an ambitious national climate change strategy has been put in place. Arrangements administered by the EPA for large industry and power generation installations in the country to participate in carbon trading under the emissions trading scheme, which starts in two months, have also been put in place. The review of Ireland's national sustainable development strategy for the earth summit in Johannesburg last year has been finalised and published. We have enacted strong environmental legislation, such as the Environmental Protection Agency Act that improved EPA licensing and introduced more stringent enforcement powers and anti-litter measures. The Government has continued to transpose into domestic law other legislative measures from the EU.

Ineffective.

A complete review has been undertaken of the national climate change strategy to ensure sufficient measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are in place in line with our commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. We have finalised the scheme to purchase emissions allowances as a supplementary measure to emissions reduction and trading to ensure compliance with our overall strategy.

He means buy our way out of it.

I agree with Deputy Sargent and I hope whoever is in the White House will now take a more enlightened position than four years ago when Kyoto was rejected and the US refused to work with other states. The outgoing US Administration began to examine the Kyoto Protocol in the last year and it was discussed at the G8 summit. Whether it is President Bush or Mr. Kerry, I hope the incumbent will take a more enlightened position. There is considerable pressure on the US to do so.

Water plains were covered in the last major planning Act. Many of the projects referred to by the Deputy have either commenced or are being examined. Some are being held up for various reasons, with which the Deputy will be familiar. Investment has been made in drainage, sewerage and other schemes to ensure we can deal with the flood issue in a more efficient way. Regarding building on plains, since the population has risen by 1 million since 1973 that extra million people must live somewhere——

In water.

I am not a planner but our system of planning is more regulatory, bureaucratic and less efficient than anywhere else——

Councillors are not planners.

Allow the Taoiseach without interruption.

We set the laws and rules. We take longer and have longer planning processes.

Corruption.

The system goes on for an age. Having said all that, Deputy Sargent is still critical of the endgame. People must live somewhere. In the next 30 years the population is set to increase by another 1 million. Perhaps the Deputy can tell us where to put them.

That is a ridiculous claim.

The Taoiseach knows well that his councillors did not listen to the planners. That is the problem when it came to rezoning in those areas.

No houses would be built if we listened to the Green Party.

The planners had plans but they were not listened to. The US President, whoever it may be, will find it a bit rich for the Taoiseach, representing the most car dependent country in the world per capita, to be telling him to get his act together about climate change. The Taoiseach stood over the demise of any prospect of a carbon tax. He now claims everything will be fine and our Kyoto commitments will be met. He knows that this is not true and we will have to buy our way out, costing taxpayers’ money.

The metro Bill has been scuppered. Regulatory and restructuring issues in the electricity industry have been set back. The building control Bill has been set back from early 2004 and is now promised for late 2005. The energy Bill and national oil reserves Bill have also put off. Dealing with this legislation would indicate some level of engagement with the issue of climate change, but the Government is not engaging. Will the capital investment to deal with flooding be made, as the Government is not going to deal with climate change?

Four years ago, I was one of the first, on behalf of the EU, to raise with President Bush our opposition to what he had stated about the Kyoto Protocol.

The Deputy is just not right on public transport. In the past seven years we have probably spent more on public transport than was spent since the foundation of the State.

Wasted.

Four times more has been spent on roads than rail.

Allow the Taoiseach to speak without interruption.

The Heuston Station project was completed last year ahead of schedule. Seventy six new diesel rail cars are coming into service on Dublin outer suburban rail. Capacity has increased on all routes: rail capacity on the Dundalk-Drogheda route has increased by 43%, by 30% on the Arklow route, 24% on the Maynooth route and 130% on the Kildare route. Four new diesel rail cars are coming into service on the Cork-Cobh line. There has been a capacity increase of 100% on the Cork route and a decentralisation——

Decentralise it.

The record speaks for itself.

——of our services around the country, which Deputy Sargent does not support either. Phase 1 of the DART upgrade project is under way which includes the purchase of 40 new DART rail cars, the upgrade of power supply for rail cars and changes in station platforms. All of these ongoing public transport initiatives are unlike anything that ever happened before. Deputy Sargent should——

It is 4:1. The Taoiseach knows it is not working.

——recognise that.

I certainly recognise that.

I accept the Deputy has a problem with the additional 450,000 houses but he failed in his reply to say where we should have put those people.

A flood plain is not the place for them.

The Taoiseach is over-briefed.

He is understated.