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

If we are a high-ambition country, will the Minister of State answer my question positively and give a commitment that Ireland will push for loss and damage to be available for all of the countries in the global south impacted by climate change? Some of the worst impacts of the climate crisis and some of the worst poverty exist side by side in countries such as India and South Africa but northern governments, including in the European Union, are insisting not only that these countries will get nothing from a loss and damage fund, but also that they will have to contribute to it. This is despite the fact that they have no historic responsibility for the climate crisis and are the victims of it in the same way as they were the victims of western colonialism. If Deputy Smyth, who is a Green Party Minister of State, wants us to be a high-ambition country, will he not insist that all developing countries be included as beneficiaries of the loss and damage fund and advocate for new taxes on the big corporate polluters in order to pay these justified reparations to the people of the global south? We should hit those responsible, not working classes in the global north.

See this speech in context