Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief because my predecessor covered a lot. The challenge facing us as an Oireachtas is to try to engage with the public to make the reality of climate change an acceptable phenomenon for it, to try to put in place a series of measures to change the behaviour of the public that the public will find acceptable and to do so in a way that the public does not feel it is being foisted on it for any reason other than improving the lives of members of the public and the lives of their children.

Notwithstanding the widespread acceptance of climate change, because the basis of it is scientific and, consequently, academic, much of the debate has taken place in that forum. We have all busied ourselves to some extent looking at targets, percentage movements, a percent here or there and a degree here or there. We know the buzzwords and acronyms and those of us on all sides who must engage with it are comfortable to some extent. However, the eyes of the public glaze over when faced with that kind of communication. It is all about communication. Let us forget about trying to fight the battle on whether climate change is a reality. That fight is over because climate change is a given. Of course, Met Éireann will involve itself very specifically in the science so that it provides the evidence base for the future. As Ms Cusack identified, most people tune into the weather forecast to find out what tomorrow will be like. They are now doing so on apps.

The difficulty we will face is communicating what needs to happen next, the actions that must be taken and the policy decisions that must be made. We need to move away from the academic debate and the scientific basis for it and speak the common language. Mr. Moran spoke about the burning of grass because of the sun. People understand that. Farmers understand that. Everybody understands that.

RTÉ does a very good job with the news. George Lee's appointment was an excellent decision and I think he has done exceptionally well in marrying the two sometimes conflicting roles of environment and agriculture. When I saw it initially, I wondered how it would work out but it has worked really well from my perspective because I see his capacity to explain in very clear language and to tell the story in a non-scientific way. He has the language. Perhaps he benefitted to some extent from being a Member of the Oireachtas for a period in terms of enabling him to communicate with the public at large. That is good.

It is about how we move this issue from news and current affairs and into everyday life. Even the fact that RTÉ has brought in people from both sides of its house is welcome. The ratings show that "Room to Improve", which is presented by Dermot Bannon, is a hugely successful programme. He tells really good stories. One of the major issues has been the loss of heat and how we are heating homes unnecessarily. If this was overlaid with the climate change agenda, carbon footprint, the loss of heat and ensuring that room is made for electric vehicles, looking to the future would be very much part of that and telling that story. There is work and potential there.

There is also potential in RTÉ's soaps. I am not a regular viewer but sometimes I am subjected to one such programme at home if I am there at a particular time. I have watched over the years how "Fair City" deals with important social issues such as violence against women and migration. The scriptwriters handle these issues very successfully and blend them in without setting them apart so they are inculcated into everyday life. There are opportunities there. If we are to be successful, we must make this issue mainstream and get away from it being just climate change. It has to be part of life, which is the challenge for us. RTÉ can play an important role in that regard.

My only question concerns what the witnesses are looking for from us. Is Met Éireann funded adequately to gear up in the manner in which it is gearing up? Does it require additional funding? Does that need to be factored into our budgetary provisions? I address the same question to RTÉ. We previously discussed the funding of public service broadcasting in the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment. RTÉ gets additional funding from the sound and vision fund.

Should we look into ring-fencing some of the fund for items other than current affairs public service content? Should we consider requiring some or all of it to be used in reporting on climate change issues? The answer is probably that RTÉ will not refuse any money it is offered. Have the delegates given consideration to proposals that ring-fenced funds play a greater role in supporting such communication?

Ms Forbes mentioned public information broadcasting. I welcome ideas she has to provide good quality public information. People tend to find ways to scroll or move beyond public information notices in adopting a somewhat similar approach to that taken to advertising on the RTÉ player; therefore, such information would have to be presented in a very clever manner that would engage citizens.