Mr. Eoin Moran:

I think we are getting to a key point, which is why we are glad to come before the committee. The people who work in Met Éireann are mathematicians, physicists, meteorologists, engineers, scientists and so on. These are the core competencies of our staff which define the type of people we are and what we do. When one looks at our mission, one will see that we really do not have a role in effecting behavioural change, monitoring emissions or dealing with policy issues in respect of climate action, but we do support the overall wider climate action agenda by providing climate information. The overall message in initiating actions by society, communities, individual citizens or decision makers is that their actions will have to be motivated by the information provided. We can contribute to the motivation in taking those actions by providing the information, but it is important to understand we are not competent to advise on what individuals should do on the basis of that information. We work on the science and provide the projections and information. There is a distinction. At this stage that is our role and it is important that the public understand this.