Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chair for this opportunity. I am not a normal member of the committee, but I wished to avail of this chance.

I will take a slightly different and more zoomed-out focus than previous contributors, recognising what Ms Finnan described as the structural drivers behind all crises. While individual crises will always dominate the news headlines, and rightly so – take Gaza, for instance – blanket coverage of such crises can push out coverage of places like South Sudan, Sudan and Darfur and what has been happening across the Horn of Africa for years. What we need to do if we are to try to tackle the root causes of these crises, particularly in the developing world – I understand that Gaza and Ukraine are separate to what I am discussing – is to be serious about a loss and damage facility, climate adaptation and climate mitigation. The report prepared by Christian Aid and Trócaire, The Cost of Inaction: Ireland’s responsibilities for global climate finance, identifies loss and damage as a third pillar of what we need to do to tackle climate change. We went on an accelerated journey in COP27. Loss and damage went from not being on the agenda just a week before to being included at the very last minute. COP27 ended a couple of days past its deadline in order to finally deliver a first critical step in establishing a loss and damage facility. The transitional committee has met a number of times in what has been a protracted process. Ireland and Germany share a seat on the committee. We were important in that work and the witnesses have acknowledged some of Ireland’s leadership on this matter on the global stage.

What do we want to see from COP28 on loss and damage? The scale of Ireland’s fair share if it is to pull its weight – some €1.5 billion – was mentioned. We are unlikely to sustain that level of direct Exchequer funding for a loss and damage fund as a specific pillar that we should and must consider separately from our overseas development aid contribution. This fund should be additional. The Minister has spoken about a “mosaic of finances”. If I am right, that expression came from Caribbean countries and small island developing states.

There are two parts to this. What leadership do we need to see from developed countries on a loss and damage facility? Do we need everyone to jump together or do we need to take initial steps and set up a high-ambition coalition that puts its money where its mouth is and begins filling the bucket we discussed earlier?