Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I fully accept that a balance must be struck between reducing emissions and ensuring that we continue to equip the Defence Forces to allow them to respond effectively and efficiently to the challenges that come with climate change, be that at home, in terms of the fires we saw last night, or the excessive flooding that has happened. In terms of the climate impact, how are we equipping our forces to be able to respond in an effective and efficient manner in our overseas roles? We have seen increased desertification and an increase in sea levels and that has an impact on the movement of people, giving rise to more refugees. That is the reason I say it is a difficult area to get a grip on, in some respects, but because of the role the Defence Forces play, there must be a specific plan in this area. I accept we must reduce our emissions on the one side, but we must also increase our capability on the other side to respond to climate change globally.

See this speech in context