Ms Caoimhe de Barra:

I will reply to some of the questions and my colleague, Ciara Kirrane, will also respond. The Senator asked for our advice with respect to the very difficult situation in which Ireland currently finds itself. It is not really our position to give the committee advice. However, in overseas development in situations where we see people facing short-term extremely difficult and harsh conditions, we have been forced to take an intergenerational response. If we try to respond in a short-term way, we are simply storing up problems in the future for the next generation. That is as true in Ireland today as it is in our work overseas.

We need to ensure the policy is as strongly intergenerational as politically possible. This is why we say we need to have accountability measures in place and three to five-year policy-making cycles. We need to bear in mind that what is decided here and now is in a difficult climate and a harsh context but the effect of the decisions will be felt 40 years later.

I am sure Ms Ciara Kirrane would like to contribute on whether it should be a definition worldwide. I underline that the definition we have posited is the one outlined in the European Council agreement regarding the reduction of emissions by 80% to 95% below 1990 levels by 2050. When we talk about justice and responsibility, it is in the context of Ireland having the tenth highest ecological footprint in the world. We have enjoyed the benefits of rapid economic growth and have had to deal with a rapid economic downturn that has been very difficult. We also have responsibility to take what we have, our technology, our knowledge, our capacity and our skills to do what we can across a multiplicity of fronts. There is no single answer to reduce emissions. This will be driven by policy and targets are essential in order for policy to be fulfilled.