Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have been blown away and I have taken many notes on what has been said. I agree with much of it. On the question of young people engaging in politics, anybody who argues that allowing voting at 16 is not a runner should listen to the quality of today's debate. I do not want to plamás or patronise the witnesses because I hate when young people are told how wonderful they are in that way. I ask that they continue to keep the pressure on legislators because it is absolutely critical we feel the pressure to act on climate change. None of this is easy. As elected representatives it is not easy for us to make decisions but it gets easier if we keep getting pressure from the likes of the witnesses. I always think young people in society are ahead of politics all the time.

What struck me most about the comments was the kind of single thread that runs through everything because we are living through multiple crises, including a climate and biodiversity crisis and the inequality that some of the witnesses touched on as well. There is a poverty crisis and issues of racism. I argue that these arise from the economic system in which we live, with a capitalist and neoliberal straitjacket in which we find ourselves. It makes it so much harder for us to adapt, adjust and take the actions we absolutely must take. We heard about extractive industries, mining, fossil fuel companies and the impact they have, including human rights violations. As my colleague, Deputy Darren O'Rourke, has stated, there seems to be a need to constantly buy stuff. This is exemplified in forcing us to just replace our diesel car with an electric car, as opposed to rolling out more public transport.

I would love to hear the thoughts of the witnesses on whether we can address those multiple crises without addressing the elephant in the room, which is the economic system with which we live? I cannot see how we can do that unless we face up to how we can redistribute the wealth. Billionaires should not exist and we should not have rich billionaire men racing to get into space, burning huge amounts of fossil fuels, while people are homeless and living in poverty. I would love to have that conversation and hear from all the witnesses about whether they think it is possible to tackle all those crises without tackling the economic system with which we live.

There was mention of Ardnacrusha and we demonstrated ambition in energy as a new State. We must replicate that and have that type of ambition. It must be State-led. Again, this goes back to the point about being constrained by the amount of money we can borrow as a Government and if we are so constrained that we cannot do what we did as a young nation state with such big energy and public transport projects rolling out across the country, as opposed to the current tinkering around the edges. I will leave it there because that is the big question I ask myself every day. The witnesses may have seen Don't Look Upand I feel I am at the point where I am hanging out with the skaters. At least coming here today has given me hope to continue fighting. I would love to hear a response to that.