Ms Jane-Ann McKenna:

I will address the Chairman's question in two parts. It was clear that the Irish delegation was strong at COP27. Significant work was done by the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and his colleagues to get it across the line. We want to see that leadership continuing on the global stage. This is not a moment that has passed. Instead, we have an opportunity to engage, particularly on the loss and damage fund, and to continue our leadership. I encourage the committee to support the Government and other colleagues who are championing Ireland as a leader in this regard.

We can have significant influence politically and in terms of our policy, but it comes down to our financial commitments. The Chairman rightly stated that Ireland had committed €225 million per annum by 2025. In 2020, that funding stood at €88.3 million. There are three pillars. We have indicated that much of this money is going into adaptation, but there is a new pillar on loss and damage. What are our targets under each of the three pillars, how will we achieve the €225 million target by 2025 and what will our level of ambition be beyond 2025? The $550 million that the ODI recommended is Ireland's fair share, so this is also about holding the Government and the Department to account for reaching the €225 million target by 2025, when what is actually being proposed by the research as a fair share is more than $550 million. It is a question of trying to square these amounts and of seeing not only how we can step forward politically, in our policy contributions and in what we would like to see in terms of the loss and damage fund, accountability, transparency and equity, but also how we can be transparent within our own contribution in terms of how and where it is being spent and whether we are stepping up with our fair share.