Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will confine my questions to two speakers. That might speed things up.

I agree completely with Dr. Berrow that this is a race against time. We must devise the correct role for the State, which is to align public and private activity in the delivery of the public good. Does Dr. Barrow believe the State currently has the capacity within it, by which I mean the skills and ability, to do the sort of model to which he referred, that is, early consultation leading through to perhaps the State itself becoming a platform provider? I know that has been mooted as a possible way to manage this effectively, quickly and safely. Dr. Berrow might furnish us with information about the optimal State strategy.

Given the urgency of climate action, Professor Franki might respond as to whether there is capacity in the marine environment to quickly enhance the capacity to absorb carbon. Can that be included in the inventories of the Paris Agreement? Is there, to use that awful phrase, low-hanging fruit in the marine environment where we could start to deliver greenhouse gas mitigation quickly and safely?