Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Acting Chairperson. It is great to have my colleague from Seanad Éireann and the leader of the Green Party grouping in it chairing this session. I welcome the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, who is setting aside time from his busy schedule to be here. Former President Mary Robinson, who sat in this Chamber for 20 years, has been a voice on this issue for many years. She has been a voice for people in Ireland and all over the world because climate action and climate justice affect us all every day and we all can play a part in making sure the worst outcomes of climate change do not continue to hit those who can least afford them. We see that in the Horn of Africa at this moment in time. People are dying as a result of the impacts of climate change.

I welcome the members of the committee, both those who are familiar with Seanad Éireann like Senator Boylan, those who are Deputies, namely, Deputies O'Rourke, Devlin and Cronin. Deputies are always welcome in Seanad Éireann, although most of them are trying to avoid it as best they can. If ever they do find themselves here, they will always be most welcome.

I thank those young people who have joined us today from UNICEF Ireland, Youth Work Ireland and the ISSU. I thank them for taking the time for their submissions and considerations. Regarding their call for action here today, as Mary Robinson said, it must be an everyday conversation. This is not a problem for the future. It is a problem for now and a problem that needs solving on an industrial scale. We are all following Greta Thunberg. The Seanad was always a place for minority voices. That is why it was set up. It was set up 100 years ago to give the unionist community, which found itself a minority in a new state, a platform. That has changed over time but we still have minority voices in Seanad Éireann. Greta Thunberg talked about the need for Notre Dame-type thinking because when the Notre Dame cathedral went on fire, the whole world reacted and millions were put into the restoration of one building. That amount of money could bring about huge change for people affected by climate change and give them climate justice because they are the ones doing the least amount of damage to the environment, yet they are the ones being impacted the most. Greta Thunberg was one of those sole voices who protested outside parliament.

We have opened up Seanad Éireann to young people like the witnesses, to listen to their voices and make sure a sole voice becomes the voice of many. We are delighted that they are some of the many we want to listen to. I thank the Acting Chair for bringing this to Seanad Éireann.