Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I hope the Government was as shocked as most citizens at the report the other day on how different countries in the European Union were performing in meeting their climate change obligations. We are rightly fond of stressing how well Ireland does in many international assessments, given the difficulties we have come through in the past ten years, but the report was a kick in the pants for a Government and a Department supposedly dealing with climate change. However, they are all talk and almost no action. In fact, I was amazed to see the Taoiseach and four or five Cabinet Ministers who perhaps included the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, although I am not sure how many attended, launch yet another report on climate change the other day. The report about which I am talking placed us second last in the European Union after Poland. As the House probably knows, Poland has a Government that is climate sceptical and also produces a lot of coal. That we should rank second last in the European Union is a real shame. More importantly, it is a shame in the context of future growth opportunities in Ireland. Unless we have a Government and Department policy that really goes after climate change, we will not improve. In that respect, while I have no objection to the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, answering this question, I am extremely disappointed that the Minister, Deputy Denis Naughten, who was in the House only a couple of hours ago has failed to show up. With all due respect, I do not believe the Minister of State works in his Department or has a function in it. I can understand her helping out a colleague and I have no objection to her at all, but the Minister is just funking out of coming into the Dáil to speak about how badly we are doing on climate change. Because it affects us all and the planet, I would have expected more from the Government and the person responsible for climate change policy in government, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment.

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