Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their fine presentations. A depressing picture was painted. We should all be much more worried about this issue than we are. We all know that Governments react to pressure from citizens. Given the picture painted, why is this so far down the political agenda? Why are ordinary citizens not putting more pressure on governments to respond more positively to the goals about which we speak?

Is it because they fear meeting more demanding targets will cost ordinary citizens more by way of carbon tax or other taxes? Is that the reason climate change is so far down the political agenda in Ireland? How do we change that? If we do not, and if we do not get the temperature increases below 2°, the world's people are facing a very uncertain future with much hunger and poverty. Are we over-estimating the impact that 4.5 million people have in the overall equation?