Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

While I appreciate the points the Minister is making, I do not agree with him. In excess of 40 countries have ratified the treaty at this stage. The year 2014 marks the centennial anniversary of the launch of the Endurance trans-Antarctic expedition of 1914-17. It is rightly seen as perhaps the most remarkable exploration in history, a tale of extraordinary leadership by Shackleton and a triumph of perseverance in the face of impossible odds. I suppose my interest in this is driven in part by the fact Ernest Shackleton was a Kildare-born individual. However, we must also face the reality that the encroachment of climate change and its disastrous consequences for the Antarctic underscores the need for a treaty system to be put in place. Other countries have done it. It may not be possible for us to do it immediately, given the financial constraints we accept the Minister and his fellow Ministers are under. However, I would like to hear some sort of a commitment from him that it would be the intention of the Government to do something about signing this treaty at some stage in the future.

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