Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I will make a few comments before we conclude. Like everybody here, I was struck by what I heard earlier and amazed by the insight. We, as members, often pat ourselves on the back for being very hard-working committee and very engaged in the issue. I can speak for all members across all parties and none that we want to solve this existential crisis as quickly as we can. The engagement that we have had today inspires me and I hear that it has inspired my colleagues as well. We have learned a lot from the two delegations. We are very struck by some of the points that have been made.

Ms Orna O'Brien mentioned a guest on her organisation's podcast who said: "Every euro that you spend is like casting a vote for the future that you want." That is a powerful message and alludes to the economic system that we have. I agree that it is not fit for purpose and needs to be turned around. Incredibly, how we do that while maintaining livelihoods and order is extremely challenging.

Ms Cullen-Mouze is correct that we must change our current economic system. Earlier she drew a parallel between what the islands are facing and said that the pier on Clare Island will be flooded on an annual basis within a decade. She also talked about the contamination of freshwater supplies. If I understood her correctly, she said that one can see these real things happening and island communities experience climatic changes sooner than bigger islands and mainland countries and, therefore, we should look to the islands to understand challenges and supply-chain challenges. She said that one would have to travel the day before because of the increased frequency in Atlantic storms. I think she said that Roonah needs a new pier, which reminded me of the Saw Doctors' song entitled "Clare Island" and two lines from its first verse: "Will you meet me on Clare Island ... get the ferry out from Roonah". Her contribution was really thought-provoking.

I was happy to hear the call for congestion charges and to equalise the burden across society between urban and rural communities. The rural-urban divide is a really unhelpful construct because both communities need each other and are two sides of the same coin. We are all part of society and we must all work together. The witnesses are probably right that rural people are unfairly burdened with the challenge of climate change because of the circumstances in which they find themselves. I agree with the call to introduce congestion charges and a number of contributors made the same point.

The political system faces a real challenge. We tend to agree fairly well on targets and ambition and, therefore, we say that we are going to get somewhere in a certain timeframe and we all tick the box and agree that is good. Where politics really struggles is with implementing policies. I say that because policies create division and often they are really hard to get across the line. We saw last year where many thousands of people reacted to a proposal to create a simple cycle lane in Galway city and opposed it because parking would be removed. The creation of a cycle lane sounds like it would be simple to achieve but it is not. The reality is that all climate action is hard, and all policies and all changes are hard. Therefore, politics needs to figure things out. It is important to have a vision of where one wants to go yet be serious about the real measures that are required and must be implemented.

We will not get that implementation unless we get really constructive debate and engagement. Ms Orna O'Brien mentioned a bottom-up approach. That is where we are failing. We do have a top-down approach. That is the way our system is. There are examples of where we have trialled a bottom-up approach and it has been really successful. We should do more of it. This is an example of it as well. We need a hell of a lot more because we will not get the policies implemented unless we engage with everyone who is affected by them meaningfully and not simply through consultation phases of projects where people are asked to email an address or what their thoughts are on a project. That is not meaningful engagement. There has to be talking, debating and challenging each other and that has to happen across society from community level right up to the top. I think this has been a positive engagement. It is a start and only a start and we should consider it like that. We have a long way to go.

I thank all the young people for attending here today for this worthwhile engagement. It was so interesting to hear their perspectives on the climate challenges facing us in the next few decades. It was important to hear their views. They have given us a lot to think about. If I may quote Kofi Annan when he addressed Global Citizen Live in London in 2018, he said, "You are never too young to lead and we are never too old to learn". I think that is absolutely true.

I thank the Cathaoirleach for facilitating us with the Seanad Chamber today which has made the event possible. We are very grateful to him. I will pass over to the Cathaoirleach for the final word.