Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I think people and businesses are way ahead of this Government when it comes to understanding the seriousness of climate change and how we all have to act both individually and collectively. As the Taoiseach perhaps travels this evening or today, for example, if he travels along the Navan Road and through Castleknock, he will see lots of houses with solar panels on the roof and vast numbers of skips outside doors and gardens where people are re-insulating their houses. When the Taoiseach goes to Paris, rather than going as the poor relation looking for a handout of some kind, could he go with a message that the Government will actually play catch up with people and businesses in Ireland? He should look to Intel's recent announcement. We have yet to have an electric train that travels from Dublin to Cork or indeed from Dublin to Belfast. The Taoiseach has been in office for a significant period and we have heard nothing about his vision of where he hopes to make the country better. He should not be looking for handouts and concessions when he goes to Paris. Will he go with a plan that will make people in Ireland proud that while it is difficult and expensive to deal with climate change and we must find resources, we will start with electric trains and electrifying the bus fleet in Dublin instead of having filthy diesel buses driven by fabulous staff in Dublin Bus?

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