This week, Ireland will be one of over 40 countries at the UN presenting voluntary national reviews of their progress towards achieving the 17 sustainable development goals. It is good that Ireland is doing so. We played a key role in the negotiation of the sustainable development goals and have a key responsibility to show leadership and ownership in driving forward the integration of those goals into national and international strategies and policies. Unfortunately, however, the indications are that Ireland is not doing as well as it should be. It is important to acknowledge this in order that we might more forward. Social Justice Ireland has highlighted that Ireland is falling short on its ambition in terms of many of the social justice goals including measures on equality, labour rights protection and others. Climate Action Network Europe has highlighted that Ireland is dragging close to the bottom of the league in terms of delivering on its climate change and other commitments.

If we have sustainable development goals, we must translate them into action. I was concerned to hear my colleague, Senator Mulherin, express concern about the dredging of rivers and the burden of the birds directive. The flooding we have experienced has been linked in many cases to the lack of proper environmental protection assessments before irresponsible building was allowed to take place in previous eras. The way in which that building was done contributed to environmental damage. Senator Mulherin talked about measuring the return of species after development but in this House the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht refused to introduce baseline research. She refused to accept amendments to the terrible and destructive Heritage Bill 2016, which would have provided for a baseline to know where our environment was before development and to provide a context for the decisions we make. As Senator Grace O'Sullivan pointed out, it is concerning that the seismic activities taking place off our shores were happening without environmental impact assessment or appropriate assessment.

We have had good moments across the Houses, including Deputy Pringle's Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill, which I look forward to sponsoring and supporting with many others when it comes to the House in the autumn. We also had the anti-fracking Bill. These are good moments and we need to follow through on them. We have not called for an amendment to the Order of Business because we know it may not happen today. However, I ask the Leader to ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to provide the House with assurances that over the summer drilling will not commence off the south-west coast. Sustainable development is not a burden. It is a matter of rebalancing and thinking differently and in a more joined-up fashion. There have been some most positive initiatives such as the greenway and cycleway in Mayo, the Food on the Edge festival in Galway, the wonderful Cuan Beo Festival, which seeks to link sustainable communities with sustainable environments, and the Cruinniú na mBád festival this August. They are examples of communities seeking to live and grow sustainably, which is our future if we are to have one for small towns and communities around Ireland that is in tune with our environment. Let us not look at environmental assessments and the birds directive as a burden; let us look at them as an opportunity to rethink and to do things better. I wish Members a happy summer. I hope they will get to some of the wonderful small festivals which are taking place in so many communities throughout the country.

I thank the staff of the House for all the work they have done with us over the past term. I agree with Sinn Féin that there is no doubt that they will be glad to see the back of us for a couple of months.

My second point is more technical. Typically, the Seanad finishes a week after the Dáil. It might be worthwhile to see if there is any way they can be coterminous in their interaction on Bills. We have a large number of Bills coming through at the very end, which is typical of any session. However, we might consider whether there is a way in future to make changes so that things happen in an easier way than is typical at the end of term.