Ms Karol Balfe:

I will respond to Deputy O'Rourke as well. The other structural issues, from an economic perspective, are debt and austerity. The global south is absolutely crippled with debt so the most climate-vulnerable countries are at risk of debt or are in severe debt and 93% of those countries which are climate vulnerable experience that debt.

Debt cancellation would allow those countries to respond to the climate emergency and look to development and the transition to agroecology and renewable energy. The other aspect relates to the role of the international financial institutions, which continue to be very northern-focused and northern-driven and to work in the interests of northern powers. Despite the rhetoric changing - we have heard criticism of structural adjustment and there has been rhetoric change from the IMF, recognising the impact of austerity - the practice has not changed. The same countries Ireland is supporting through its overseas development aid are being instructed by the IMF to cut funding on public services and the public sector wage bill. All this compounds the climate crisis for those countries and their ability to deal with it.