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

All expert opinion suggests the formation of hurricane Ophelia was due to rising ocean temperatures which are related to global warming. Does that not prompt the Taoiseach to think we need a far more seriously focused approach to dealing with climate change, rather than what we are doing, which is engaged in special pleading as to why we should be allowed to continue with increased CO2 emissions and not meet targets and run the risk of fines? The Citizens' Assembly stated we should be global leaders. That is what it recommended to the Government and we are the opposite. The fact that the Taoiseach does not have a dedicated Cabinet sub-committee suggests he is not taking the issue seriously. Should he reconsider after the weekend?

The next issue I want to raise which is of critical importance and requires the emergency response we saw at the weekend from the Government is housing and the need for a special committee to deal with what continues to be a crisis that is out of control. We need an emergency focused, dedicated, all-Government response to the housing and homelessness crisis. It justifies having a special Cabinet sub-committee which the Taoiseach would chair.

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