Ms Justice Mary Laffoy:

I absolutely agree. On day one when we started on the topic of climate change, it was something that I knew absolutely nothing about. At our first meeting with the expert advisory group I sat there and I listened. I copped on, if I may put it that way, to the difference between adaptation and mitigation and all of that. I needed, however, a lot of information to get to that point. The Department has done a good thing in establishing the National Dialogue on Climate Change. I am sure the committee has heard of this. In the context of preparing for this meeting, I asked for an update in respect of this. It has been set up for two years and there has been one pilot meeting already in Athlone. I fully agree with Deputy Dooley in that the most crucial thing is to engage the public in the topic. I do not know how the committee can do this except through the coverage in the media. The committee has time limitations as well but an organisation like the National Dialogue on Climate Change has to get out there and tell the people what it is all about. There has been some good media coverage of the issue but it is about getting out there and talking to the people.