Tough choices, difficult times

"Fighting for the last seat"

I was speaking to Brian Dowling from RTE, and he was interviewing me on the seafront in Dún Laoghaire, just beside the railway station. I had suggested the location to him, completely forgetting about the roadworks that were in full swing, so I had to try and compress it all into fifteen seconds, in between bursts from the jack-hammer.

"Look, the thing to remember about Dún Laoghaire is that it's unpredictable. The electorate looks carefully at the candidates in each election. I got the fifth seat in the last two elections and it's now been reduced to a four-seater, so I'll be fighting for the last seat.

"If people want a strong voice for proper planning, a commitment to improving bus and rail services and a focus on green jobs, then they'll vote for me."

I've a sneaking suspicion that he'll get get five separate but similar sound-bites from the five sitting TDs. He'll probably splice them all together into a 'fighting for the last seat' medley.

These are difficult and unprecedented times. It is tough being in Government at the best of times, let alone in the middle of a deep recession, but any government both then and now has these difficult choices. I remember in June 2007, asking myself do we go into Government now, knowing that the economic storm clouds were gathering above the Celtic Tiger, or wait? Despite the recession, I still feel it was right to enter Government at that crucial time.

Was the bank Guarantee the right decision, and should we have nationalised Anglo-Irish Bank? Well, we'll never know precisely what would have happened had we chosen a different route. However it seems to me, with two years of hindsight, that any alternative was more fraught with danger, and could have led to a domino style collapse of our banking system. At this stage we've provided the kind of response that many commentators advised was necessary, yet we're still waiting for the full benefits to show in market sentiment. At a time when we're borrowing substantial amounts for capital, and for current spending, it's crucial that we have international support for the action that we're taking.

What is the alternative? Labour seem to be floating the idea of borrowing even larger amounts to act as a stimulus for our economy. That seems like the actions of a gambler, betting the betting borrowed money on red, and hoping to win. I feel green jobs have a better future than red jobs, and that greater state efficiency, rather than more state control is the answer. Still, I was pleased to hear Eamon Gilmore talking up energy retro-fitting recently. I'm delighted that he's now advocating something the Green Party has been doing in Government for years. Still, I'm not sure though about his plans to scoop money out of the National Pension Reserve Fund for that purpose. I believe we have to think very carefully about how we invest money that has been put aside for future pensions. He also seems unsure about whether to proceed with the Dublin Metro, causing his colleague Tommy Broughan some sleepless nights.

It was curious to see "Joe the concrete mixer driver" being hailed in some quarters as a hero recently. It turned out that Joe's a developer, and has some issues around not playing local authority levies on dozens of unfinished houses. Part of the problems arising from the boom is that we allowed the construction sector to bubble out of control, aided and abetted by tax incentives and laissez-faire planning policies. Well, the 2010 Planning Act came into force last week, and this will help ensure that development is concentrated in the right locations. There's also an 80% betterment tax on rezoned land, in effect the enactment of the 1973 Kenny Report. It is satisfying to have discussed what needed to done when we were in opposition, and get a chance to implement these reforms in Government. Meanwhile we're giving advice on Ghost Estates to local authorities, and we’re focusing on practical steps that can be taken to provide decent facilities to existing residents, and ensure that health and safety concerns are addressed. There's lots of imaginative ideas for the future use of unfinished or vacant housing units, and we're working with Councils to promote their best use.

I'm writing this on the train to Westport, where I'm due to address the Institute of Architects this evening. Architects have been hard hit by the recession, with over 40% made redundant over the last few years, and many more struggling. The Conference theme is "The Architecture of Recovery - a Twenty-Twenty Vision for Ireland", and I'll be discussing how the Government Policy on Architecture as well as the National Spatial Strategy and the 2010 Planning Act can contribute to green jobs in construction. An emphasis on the quality rather than the quantity of building will provide more sustainable employment in design and building. Quality design is worth promoting, and I was pleased to attend the launch of Dublin's bid to be World Design Capital last week. I hope it succeeds. Meanwhile if you're interested a look through the door of any number of great buildings designed by architects in Dún Laoghaire, Galway or Dublin next weekend 7th-10th October 2010 check out Open House over at the Irish Architecture Foundation website, and they all have free admission.

Car Free Day, Ploughing and Cleaner Seas

Car free day? I wish.

I may have started the day on my bike in the rain, but by yesterday evening I’d taken cars, taxis and airplanes. I’m in Bergen in Norway for two days, at a Ministerial meeting of the Ospar Commission.

I took that pic yesterday on South William Street in Dublin City Centre.


Meanwhile I’m still in awe of the National Ploughing Association after my visit to the Ploughing Championships on Tuesday. The site near Athy in Co. Kildare resembles a small army on the move. There were tents to the far horizon, and tens of thousands of people on the search for the latest developments in Agriculture. At the Bord Bia pavilion their Chief Executive Aidan Cotter had a good story to tell: Irish food and drink exports are up by 8% this year to over €3 billion, and the new policy Food Harvest 2020 focuses on clean, green growth. They also served up a mean artisan sausage bap, just next door to some nervous looking cattle.

I called in to the Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association (IOFGA), and they were pleased with an attendance of 150 last week at the annual Organic Conference in Birr last week, up 50% on last year. Teagasc organised the event, and I spoke at it, stressing the importance of organic farming in addressing the challenges of energy security, peak oil and climate change. I called in to the IFA tent, and had a chat with their President John Bryan. There’s a certain apprehension at the phase-out of the Rural Environmental Protection Scheme (REPS)and people were keen to find out more about its replacement -the new Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS).

The number of stands that focused on renewable energy was striking, and I shot a YouTube clip with a SIAC wind turbine in the background. Many of the stands focussed on the potential of bio-energy crops such as Willow, Miscanthus and Eucalyptus.

Ploughing? There was definitely something visible on the far horizon, but between artisan producers, and bumping in to half the country, I never got to see it a close-hand.

European Mobility Week is coming to an end. I was delighted with the green carpet that Dublin City Council laid on on South William Street in the City Centre, together with the ferns that resembled giant palm trees. The car free area between South Great Georges Street and Grafton Street was working well when I called in around lunch-time. Hopefully it can be a spring-board to a more permanent pedestrianisation of more city centre streets. I'm told there was also a showing of " TheTriplets of Belleville" on Fade Street at a temporary outdoor cinema, which all sounded magical.

In Dún Laoghaire the Council put its efforts into upgrading the cycling and pedestrian facilities along the Metals - the path that runs alongside the railway between Dún Laoghaire and Dalkey. The Cherrywood Luas extension is almost complete, and there's workplace promotion of cycling being undertaken by the Council. One pet project I’m working on with the Council is drawing up plans for a contra-flow cycle lane on Newtown Avenue in Blackrock. This could allow an embryonic version of the ambitious Sutton to Sandycove cycle path to progress, and make it easier for cycle commuters find their way between Dún Laoghaire and the City Centre. I’ll keep you posted on progress.

Ospar? The Ospar Commission (OSlo PARis) is a mechanism by which fifteen Governments on the west of Europe cooperate to protect the marine environment. I'm in Norway, where Ministers are meeting for the first time in seven years to finalise a review of where we're headed on improving the maritime environment and focusing on cleaner seas. Ospar has put up a nice site for this meeting on Squizmix. Its nice to see an organisation like this embracing new media. Some interesting witnesses such as Jostein Gardner, author of "Sophie's World" will present at the meeting.

The main substance of the gathering though is to adopt the North East Atlantic Strategy and launch the Quality Status Report, the first in a decade. Hopefully we can sign off on the creation of new Marine Protected Areas in the Atlantic that can provide some protection for vulnerable fish and animal species. That includes protecting various shark species, and the Orange Roughy, a fish that disturbingly seems to get more hits on Google for recipes, than for sustainability. I'm told there was a detailed discussion earlier in the week between France and other countries in relation to Tritium discharges. France's dependence on nuclear power generation is producing an increase in radioactive discharges of Tritium, but at least there is a commitment to monitor levels in the years ahead, and hopefully set a baseline for discharges. It just goes to show that nuclear is not perhaps as clean a fuel as some make it out to be. There will also be recommendations on preventing pollution from oil and gas activities in the light of the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico earlier this year. All of the discussions will feed into implementing the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive, which aims to achieve good environmental status for EU marine waters by 2020. It will also inform the review of our Foreshore Licensing System, which is long overdue.

Its been a busy week, but one that illustrates the different threads of sustainability that run through the different areas of Government.

Back from the Break

I'd recommend the South West for holidays. We were blessed with the weather, and had a great week west of Dingle, and another on the Beara Peninsula in West Cork with a 'staycation' week at home in the middle.

The pic shows a well-used old caravan near the beach in Allihies - a magical part of the world.

This Autumn is going to be tough. Difficult choices need to be made in Government to get us through these challenging times. The call on Anglo-Irish Bank is a difficult one. Senator Dan Boyle has said that the wind-down of the Bank needs to be quicker than ten years, but regardless of the time-frame it will put huge costs onto the tax-payer. Most commentators (including Dan O'Brien in today's Irish Times) feel that letting the Bank go the way of Lehmans would cause even greater difficulties. The heart and the head are going in different directions on this one, and we are all gritting our teeth as we consider what's the best option. At least we have the luxury of a bit more time this time round to consider these momentous decisions than we did two years ago with the Bank Guarantee scheme. It seems that everyone in Government is keen to see a solution at least cost to the tax-payer, and that's our priority over the Autumn. I'll be interested in seeing what the European Central Bank and the European Commission have to say on these issues over the month ahead. I'll also listen to the Central Bank's comments, and read the robust commentary and analysis on the Irish Economy blog.

A huge challenge over the coming months is how we close the gap between the State's income and expenditure. Either way it looks as though we have to narrow the budget gap by another three billion euro next year. An additional increase in income tax on working families would be hugely challenging, and I don't envy Brian Lenihan the task that he and his colleagues have in Cabinet to bridge the gap. I'm sure we'll have a passionate debate about these and other issues at our Parliamentary Party think-in down in Carlow in a fortnight's time.

Currently I'm trawling through the information that's coming out from the nationwide survey of ghost estates carried out by the Department of teh Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I've heard a lot of good suggestions for how we make best use of these housing assets. Certainly, it can be a selling point of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation when attracting businesses to Ireland if they could offer housing on a turn-key basis to potential employers in many areas. In addition, Third Level institutions may well be able to take advantage of this surplus to offer housing close to campus. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the surplus hotels end up as step-down accommodation for those convalescing on release from hospital, thus releasing beds for those who need them most. My colleague Minister of State Michael Finneran has been looking at how empty housing units can be used for those on local authority housing lists. However in some cases the accommodation may be unsuitable for family needs, or be in the wrong location for access to the job market. By the end of September we should have some good analysis completed, and be in a position to sit down with stakeholders and offer some positive advice on these issues. The new Planning Act will make it difficult to build housing estates for which there is no proven need, and will focus on providing good development in the right locations.

Charging for water is another hot button issue at the moment. Currently most householders pay for their water through the general taxation pool, apart from those on Group Water Schemes, or with their own well. Clearly more has to be spent on leak reduction and upgrading schemes, but there's no great incentive to conserve water. Currently in the greater Dublin area we're about to take water from the Barrow River and there are plans afoot to tap the Shannon during the Winter months and pump water to the East coast via a new Midlands reservoir on Bord na Mona lands. Would charging for excessive water use obviate the need for this? I'm not sure, but we need to concentrate people's minds on the need to use water resources wisely. If water meters can be fitted at a low enough cost, it might be a way of reducing demand and tackling those who waste water. The important issue is to make people aware that water production has a cost; to use that precious resource wisely; and to ensure that the small minority who waste water pay a real price for their squandering of the resource. There's other issues that are being worked on within the Department of the Environment at the moment, such as improving the Building Regulations to provide for water harvesting and gray water re-use, and encouraging low-flow taps that can be very effective at reducing demand. More effort is also required from local authorities to ensure that all commercial water users pay the full price for their water, and many councils need to improve their poor performance in this area.

Charging for pollution is an effective way of improving the environment. The introduction of a carbon tax at €15 a tonne has made people more aware of the need to tackle global warming. It has also taken pressure off tax hikes in other areas. Certainly the new system for car taxation has motivated people to choose lower emission vehicles when making new car purchases. Work is progressing on the Climate Change Bill that will ensure that Ireland honor its international commitments, and ensure that we're better placed for reducing emissions under the Kyoto Protocol, and its successors. Ireland can change its reputation from being an excessive emitter of carbon to capturing the early adopter gains of low-emission employment, but a more concerted effort is required across all government departments.The measures we take towards 'de-carbonising' Ireland will pay dividends in the years ahead. My hunch is that we'll get a decent-enough global agreement on tacking Climate Change at the COP 17 in South Africa at the end of 2011, rather than at the December talks in Mexico, and that countries will pay a much higher price for carbon subsequently. Those counties that face up to the climate challenge sooner will be better placed to create employment in low-carbon industries subsequently.

In the meantime, there's a stretch of railway to be re-opened between Clonsilla and Dunboyne tomorrow. This will realise real benefits for the traveling public, a good news story in these difficult times.

Polish washing machines

Polish washing machines, that's what it all boils down to.

I was in Ghent in Belgium, at an informal meeting of the European Union's Environment Council. We were there to discuss waste policies and climate change. Specifically we were discussing Sustainable Materials Management (SMM), one of the themes of the revolving six month presidency of the European Union currently held by Belgium. Interestingly the regional government of Flanders is leading the Belgian Presidency, and the discussion was capably led by Minister Joke Schauvliege, Minister of Environment, Nature and Culture.

Increased use of virgin materials can clearly have a negative effects on the environment, so the EU is teasing out how to ensure that we make best use of raw materials and concentrate efforts on stimulating markets and product design from what we now consider waste materials. In Ireland the www.Rx3.ie initiative is funding research in this area. A key question is how can we maintain the natural capital and reduce environmental impact through the entire life cycle from extraction through consumption and production to waste processing. It was refreshing to see issues such as eco-design receive substantial discussion.

The discussions were assisted by a working paper derived from a study by Sustenuto, KULeuven and Wuppertal entitled "Sustainable Materials Management for Europe: from efficiency to effectiveness". There's been three shifts over recent decades, beginning with the 'reaction' phase of applying end-of-pipe solutions to pollution difficulties. That's been replaced in recent years by 'redesigning', informed by life cycle assessment that closes the loop. Looking ahead a focus is beginning to emerge on 'reframing' which involves a systemic change to an integrated closed cycle to address materials use, and ambitious task.

I was delighted that the book "Cradle to Cradle -Remaking the way we make things" by McDonough and Braungart figured high in the discussions. The book itself illustrates that "C2C" step change. It is printed on polypropylene - the same material as yoghurt containers and is eminently recyclable - so much for the "dead tree" media!

Jacqueline McGlade, the head of the European Environment Agency presented a paper on "The necessity of managing resources sustainably", pointing out amongst other things that we're becoming increasingly hooked on the "anthropogenic" metals. Essentially if it flies or you talk into it, it probably contains rare-earth metals such as Cerium, Terbium and Lanthanum that are hard to find and extract. She also spoke about the use of social media in strengthening feedback that reinforces scientific observation. As an example after setting up a SMS service to warn subscribers of high levels of ground level ozone, the agency found that subscribers texted back health concerns before the instruments picked them.

Dr. Stefan Bringezu from teh Wuppertal Institute spoke about "Strategies for Economy-Wide Sustainable Resource Management" and spoke about the need to monitor and control the "Big Three" - Greenhouse Gas emissions, Mineral extraction and Global land use.

In the final session on Tuesday we discussed progress on climate change. There was cautious hope that the talks next December could be a milestone on the way to a strong agreement in South Africa in 2011. However in the meantime lots of work has to be completed on Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF), Assigned Amount Units (AAUs) notably the 'hot air' credits or emission surpluses from Eastern Europe and former Russian States, and fast-track financing promised under the Copenhagen Accord last December. Progress is also required on Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV). I was glad to hear the new UK Government highlighting the need for rapid transition to a low-carbon future. All agreed that movement over the next few months is crucial so that some of the lifting can be done in advance of the December talks this year. Certainly the position will be clearer by the next formal Environment Council on 14 October 2010.

Looking back I believe it is important that the EU looks outwards and ensures that bilateral discussions with other Global players ensure that we're not squeezed out of the discussions at future talks, as we were last December. Perhaps we need to forge an alliance with the African States, or move ahead with India in advance of the talks later this year.

Oh, the Polish washing machine? Well, the Polish Environment Minister Andrzej Kraszewski mentioned that his washing machine has lasted for thirty-five years, unlike modern machines that seem to have a planned obsolescence of six or seven years. He also produced a graph to show that energy and water use in more recent models had declined dramatically. Therein lies the challenge, striking the right balance between all these factors was at the heart of our discussions. We didn't resolve the issue, but it did lead to a lively debate. It was an easier topic is some respects to deal with compared to the amount of yellow cards given out to the Dutch team during the World Cup last Sunday. That's a topic that could easily occupy an entire EU Summit