Kevin Humphreys (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. This is an important and landmark day. I hope this is the start of when we begin to take climate change seriously. Important legislation was passed. Senator Paudie Coffey was in the Department when it went through. It is important that we have the Minister in the House today. It is important that the Minister ensures his colleagues at the Cabinet table make the same statement. We cannot deal with this through one Department. There has to be a whole-of-Government approach. The Minister is welcome.

Senator McDowell said the Minister has not fulfilled the full obligations of the legislation. My former teacher, Senator O'Reilly, spoke just now. He probably would have described the performance as a C+ grade, in other words, that we can and must do better. We have little time left.