Eoin Hayes (Dublin Bay South, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I noticed, and this may not be factually accurate, in a post on Twitter that we have reached 430 parts per million in CO2 in the atmosphere for the first time in recorded history in the past week or two. It is incumbent upon all of us to recognise the significant urgency in this if we are thinking about it from a climate change perspective. This is one of the very few instances where at a national level we can have an international impact on climate change. We cannot let that opportunity pass us up.

We should make a political contribution through one of the committees if we can do that because if it is not for climate and human rights, then what are we doing? If not now, then when? Everything else seems like a waste of time. To do the right thing requires hard work and sacrifice, and I am not interested in being dishonest with people on that. Businesses will have to take costs; that is the fact of the matter, and if we are not honest with people about that transition, and the regulations that will come in and the regulatory burden but also if the State does not step up to help those people and small businesses take on some of that expertise and some those costs, we will lose people.

I see it as a role of the State. Let us do this regulation. Let us make sure that the enforcement mechanisms are there and we are honouring our obligations, not just in human rights and climate change, but also to the developing world, which Europe has not done very often. We are doing that in improving State capacity.

I appreciate all of the witnesses' contributions. I will be quite focused on the small-and-medium-sized businesses and how we ensure that they can navigate this well. On a foreign affairs side, I hope that we will be able to make that political contribution in support of this while also making sure that there is strengthened provision at the Council level and beyond. I thank the witnesses for their contributions.