Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The most important Government commitment, not only since the appointment of the current Taoiseach but over the course of its lifetime, was to set up the strategic communications unit. This quasi-press release from the Minister, Deputy Naughten, is not an answer to a parliamentary question. It tells us about all the great things that will be done, commencing in five and seven years' time. Very little of what is here explains how we will move from second last place with a rating of 22% compliance with the Paris Agreement which we signed up to as a country. We are all in favour of the agreement. That is great. We all debated it and signed up years ago. The evidence of the Climate Action Network, CAN, report, however, is that we are second last in Europe in respect of the agreement. In our daily lives and in our constituencies, we are all becoming increasingly familiar with yellow and red storm warnings, snow storms and other unusual and extreme weather events. While Ireland is small, it is subject as an island to the full forces of the Atlantic and the Irish Sea. We do not have to be scientists to see that extreme weather events are becoming relatively more frequent with consequent enormous costs. I feel sorry for the Minister of State who had to read out what is basically a PR statement. The publicity event was straight out of the strategic communications unit. This issue is far too serious to be dealt with as a publicity stunt.

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