Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response. The treaty is only seven pages long but I accept that there are some bureaucratic hurdles. I am slightly reassured that there has been some progress. This year is important because it is the centenary of Ernest Shackleton's passing. The climate crisis and the war in Ukraine are still raging. I appreciate and welcome the fact that public funds are being pumped into the Shackleton Museum in Athy at the moment. There can be no better, more fitting or appropriate way of honouring Shackleton's memory than signing off and ratifying this treaty before the year's end. In summary, Ireland and the Irish have been actively involved in the discovery and exploration of the Antarctic. We should remain committed and be actively involved in its conservation and preservation.

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