Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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I thank our guests for their work and input. The question asked is quite valid: what do we do here? Basically, our job is to go through and examine the report produced by the citizens' assembly. We take in witnesses from various sectors of society and various players from the farming community, business and everywhere else, get their views on it and then ascertain from that what we can practically do. Sometimes, some of the recommendations and some of the things they suggest will go further even than what was in the citizens’ assembly. Some of them say this will be difficult to do. I am trying to get the practical stuff that can happen and make a difference.

The lesson from all of it is a lesson that our guests have learned as well. We all depend on each other. We are an interdependent community. We are also interdependent on nature and the whole environment around us. We have to be careful not to damage it or do anything that will tip the balance. Unfortunately, much has been done that has tipped the balance in the wrong way in the past, and much of that is because of policies that were implemented in the past. We have to look at all of that, see what we can do to correct some of those past mistakes and make sure there are not unintended consequences from the stuff we do now.

There is much work to be done and we are grateful for the work our guests have done. Many of their recommendations have great foresight and look to the future. Their adult lives will be better because of the work they did here, which is what I think we all want to see happen.

Regarding some the issues the guests mentioned, I was just looking at some of the recommendations. I was quite struck with the one about education and raising awareness – that whole sector. When they talk to adults, do they find that adults are sometimes resistant to this stuff? Many of us find that other people are resistant to it and are inclined to be sceptical and not sure of science.

What role do they feel young people have in being the leaders in making that change happen?