Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Is it not the honest truth that the Copenhagen Summit was an absolute disaster? Does the Taoiseach agree that the participants failed to meet their responsibility to produce a binding agreement that would have tackled climate change effectively? It is clear they did not do that. Will the Taoiseach agree that the vague and badly written political declaration is a setback that will hit hardest those countries in the developing world where climate change is of greatest importance? The threat posed will spell further economic disaster for those countries in particular. Does the Taoiseach agree that what was needed were ambitious targets in regard to emissions reductions; clear sources for the substantial - and I emphasise the word "substantial" - new finance that is needed; and clear commitments, measures and procedures on a range of other issues in order to limit the global increase in temperature to less than 2° Celsius?

Having listened to the Taoiseach's initial response to this group of questions and his replies to previous speakers, I am at a loss to understand what specific initiatives and actions the Government now intends to take to ensure the next summit, scheduled for the end of the year in Mexico, will not be a replication of the disappointments of the Copenhagen summit. Will he spell out exactly what new, fresh initiatives the Government intends to take, given the experience and knowledge of the failures and fault lines within the entire approach at Copenhagen? What is the Government doing to ensure that Mexico will be a summit which people can look forward to with a realistic expectation of concrete deliverables?

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