Dáil debates

Thursday, 19 January 2017

Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members]

 

6:35 pm

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

That is the new politics at work, the left is giving time to Fianna Fáil, but it is taking the right position on the Bill.

I commend Deputy Pringle for bringing forward this excellent Bill. Trócaire and a rake of other NGOs and environmental groups are campaigning in support of the Bill. It is a simple practical Bill to try to move in a serious direction towards addressing the danger of climate change, which is a threat to the future of the planet and the future of our children. I find incredibly depressing the Minister of State's speech, the Government's amendment and the general attitude of the Government when it comes to this most important of issues. What we get is scripted, dry and tokenistic lip-service paid to the issue of dealing with climate change, but when it comes to doing something, even something relatively modest such as this, which is getting ISIF, part of the NTMA's portfolio, to divest from fossil fuels, we do not want to do it. We pose in front of the cameras, go along to Paris and give pious speeches about how much we care about climate change, but when it comes down to the nitty-gritty of doing something the Government resists it. The dry tone and scripted speech just reflects this. The Government does not care. It does not take this issue seriously. In fact, whenever the need to do something about climate change impacts on the real interests the Government actually cares about, we see its true colours. That is what this is all about. It is about a Government that is, in actuality, protecting the very interests who do not want to do anything because they have a stake and money to be made by ensuring real action on climate change is not taken.

We get all the pious words after Paris, but then we get a Government that cuts public service obligation bus routes. How the hell will we deal with climate change if we do not expand public transport?

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