Kevin Humphreys (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Like so many others, I extend my sympathies to the families who lost their nearest and dearest yesterday. It truly is a tragedy for those families. Like many others, I want to thank the services that turned out so well, including the Garda Síochánna, the ESB, Irish Water and the local authority workers. I was looking at social media on Monday morning, and there were people criticising the local authority workers in Dublin for clearing up leaves. I witnessed local authority workers in my area clearing leaves. They were blocking gullies, which could have led to flooding. It is so easy to criticise, but I want to commend the work done. While many of us were safe at home, ambulance and fire brigade personnel and local authority workers were out doing their jobs. We have to say thank you loudly and clearly to them, and stop nitpicking.

I have to say that the Government got it right. Ministers worked exceptionally well together and they worked hard to make sure there was a good response to the storm. I will not nitpick. By and large, the response by the Government was excellent. Certainly, we always have lessons to learn, and we can improve.

Unfortunately, however, this is going to happen more often. Climate change is a reality, despite Deputy Danny Healy-Rae denying it and saying God controls the weather. Sea temperatures are increasing. This storm formed over an area of sea, the temperature of which has risen by 2° Celsius. It is a one-in-50 year event. All we can be certain about is that this is going to happen more often. The House has a responsibility to show leadership. We need to show very clear leadership in relation to climate change, and to plan for it. Unfortunately, since we put climate change legislation through the Seanad and the Dáil two years ago, very little has happened. I am still waiting to see a proper plan from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, because transport emissions are increasing, not diminishing.

I call on the Leader to pass on my compliments to the Taoiseach and the Ministers for working exceptionally hard over the weekend and, by and large, getting it right, although we can always improve, as I said. However, I certainly would like a full debate in this House on the measures the people and the Government can take in relation to our carbon footprint and the effect that can have on climate change. Ireland is a small country, but one thing we can show in relation to climate change is leadership. We need to show that leadership, otherwise we will see this happening much more frequently. The environment we pass on to our children and our great-grandchildren is certainly going to be far worse than what was passed on to us.