Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The truth is that carbon dioxide is toxic to our globe. It is a drug and it is slowly killing our planet. This is a reality. It may not emit fumes. It may not give out poison to people who may contact it. What is sure, as night follows day, is that it is killing our planet and that our society is hooked on it.

Ireland is not a small country that should be taking modest steps. The United States of America uses 18 tonnes per person, Ireland uses 13 tonnes per person, China uses 9 tonnes per person, Brazil uses 5 tonnes per person and India uses 2.5 tonnes per person. Ireland is well up there among the high emitters of carbon dioxide. The onus is on us to respond to this challenge.

We might want to blame fossil fuel barons but like any addiction we must confront why we are so dependent on fossil fuel, and make changes. At the core of this is that the polluter pays principle must apply. It is one thing on which I agree with Deputy Paul Murphy. This is damaging to our globe and people must pay for the damage that carbon dioxide does. Yet, day after day people come in here and say that carbon pricing is not going to happen: "It will happen over my dead body; I will not have it; it is unfair to this person and unfair to that person."

It is unfair to all of us if we continue to damage our climate the way we do. The reality is that we will not do a favour to our farmers, enterprises or our children who are coming after us if we do not respond robustly. Farms that do not respond to this challenge will not be economic in decade. Enterprises will not be economic. Homes will not be a legacy for people's children unless we respond. That is why we are here.

The most important thing in an emergency is that we co-operate and act to look out for the vulnerable. That does not mean saying we will not change until everything is in some sense fair. We have to start changing and we must develop policies that are as fair as we can possibly make them but we must act. There is worrying slippage from the previous climate plan for which I was responsible. I am disappointed that some measures have not happened.

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