Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate and commend my colleague, Deputy Pringle, his team, Trócaire and everybody in the Chamber who played a role in getting this Bill to this Stage. It is an important landmark in the Dáil. It sends out a message worldwide that we are not only laggards but we can actually do constructive work on climate change. We know climate change is having a severe impact on the most vulnerable of people in the world and today, Ireland will take the landmark step of becoming the first country to divest public money away from fossil fuels. That is quite an achievement and I am proud to be part of this debate today.

The United Nations has described the humanitarian crisis in east Africa as the worst in that region since the Second World War. Last summer, 25 million people faced starvation due to severe drought. That ended in April 2018 and was replaced by devastating floods. We know the impact that climate change is having right across the world as well as in this country. This divestment Bill is a great opportunity to put Ireland on the right path towards tackling this issue and supporting the most vulnerable people worldwide.

The people doing the least to cause climate change are suffering the most, while those with the most power to address it have, so far, utterly failed to do so. People in Africa feel let down by the damage being done by richer countries and are crying out to us for help, not only through providing aid and resources but also by changing the way we live and reducing our carbon emissions. Climate change is a global issue and requires a global response. I hope that from today, with this divestment Bill, that other countries will start taking up the issue and will bring in their own divestment Bills. Divestment will be an incredibly important moment for climate justice and many eyes in east Africa, and worldwide, will be on Ireland today to see the Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill pass through the Dáil.

This Bill is the culmination of more than two years work by Deputy Pringle, his team and Trócaire. It seeks to drop coal, oil and gas investment from the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund. It means Ireland will be leading the way by being the first country in the world to do so. The industry contributing the most to the climate crisis will now be tackled. Deputy Thomas Pringle has been like a dog with a bone but he also has been flexible enough to be able to work through the whole divestment Bill to make it possible. I say well done to him and this Bill will have a major impact here and worldwide.

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