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

The problem is, however, that the funding of human rights groups and countries that suffer the most, although it is important, will not deal with the problem of the rising CO₂levels in the atmosphere. The atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has increased from 358 parts per million in 1994 to 415 parts per million today. The Minister and I understand this is hugely problematic and that science is telling us we must leave 80% of known fossil fuels in the ground.

The Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, tweeted tonight that he is so proud and that we have to take responsibility as leaders to drive the necessary transformation. He will come back from Egypt and step off the plane and start to argue, as many of the leaders in this House have done, that we need to increase our fossil fuel infrastructure in the current period. That will not do anything to help. It will hinder and utterly fail the groups of young people who will stand outside the Dáil on Friday. It is not their responsibility this is happening. It is the responsibility of the leaders who stand up at COP and say we can hold our heads up high but who cannot because CO₂emissions are increasing year on year since the first COP in Kyoto.

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