Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for the response and the communication. We need to improve the implementation. We had a plan that was in being, which theoretically was a good plan, but is out of date since 2020 and we are now in 2024. I would like a date for the next plan. I would like clarification on the stakeholders' forum. Has it sat again and if not when will it sit? I would like to know if the plan will be more focused in goals and timelines. Let us look specifically at what Mary Lawlor has said in relation to this. Mary Lawlor the UN special rapporteur calls on Ireland to take a leadership role and calls for mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence. Others have also called for this such as the Irish Coalition for Business and Human Rights. In Ireland the ESB is using coal from north-east Colombia, despite the well-documented human rights abuses associated with the operation of the mine. Airbus Ireland allows tourism businesses based in Israeli settlements to use its platforms to advertise their services, and so on. I am out of time, but the Minister can see the importance of having a plan and timed dates for implementation.

See this speech in context