Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

It is remarkable to listen to the Minister speaking about farms, families and businesses as if somehow I do not give a damn about those things, or indeed as if the tens of thousands of children who left school and marched to demand that the Government keep fossil fuels in the ground do not give a damn about their families, their farms or the businesses that surround them.

They do, of course. Some of what is being done at the Joint Committee on Climate Action, which will report back tomorrow, is very good stuff but it is not nearly radical enough. When we read the stories of what happened in Mozambique and appreciate the suffering of half of the planet, we will realise that this report is not nearly radical enough. One radical measure concerns keeping fossil fuels in the ground. The committee refuses even to listen to another positive and radical measure regarding aiming towards delivering free public transport all around the country. It will not even listen to the suggestion. The committee also refuses to listen to how we might go about transitioning from the type of farming we are doing at the moment to a much more ecological and sustainable type of farming. Forestry has also not been examined. It is entirely insufficient so I ask the Minister of State not to pretend that stuff is being done for farms, families and businesses.

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