Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief. The NESC has referred to the "considerable public governance challenges" in the transition to a low-carbon economy and society. One of those challenges was displayed by the Taoiseach's own intervention yesterday in relation to An Taisce. Does he not see how entirely inappropriate it is for him, as Taoiseach, to attempt to put pressure on a publicly-funded, independent body, like An Taisce, not to perform its legal role? When one combines his own statement as Taoiseach of the country with the statement of Fine Gael, the other leading party in Government, which has a press statement on its website with the headline: "An Taisce a leading threat to future of Rural Ireland", and which contains in it a threat to withdraw public funding from An Taisce, does he not see why that looks very Trumpian in nature?

Finally, on the substantive point, does he not see the contradiction between on the one hand being in favour of a climate change Bill which strives for, and has a target of, a 51% reduction in emissions by 2030, while at the same time supporting a proposed cheese plant, which according to the calculations of Dr. Hannah Daly of University College Cork, UCC, would use up 2% of our total greenhouse gas emissions by 2030?

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