Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We are privileged to have the former President here to engage with her on this incredibly important area, not only of climate change but also climate justice, and to have the opportunity to engage with her on the other area she feels strongly and passionately about and has given great leadership on, namely, social change. She mentioned Judge Síofra O'Leary. Four of us in the Chamber are members of the Irish delegation to the Council of Europe. We will have the opportunity to meet Judge O'Leary next week. It is her last week, as the former President will be aware, as not only the first woman President of the European Court of Human Rights but the first Irish person also. On her last day, she will meet us about where we need to go. She is another incredible lady.I thank her, for the leadership she showed at the 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe last year. It was at that Reykjavik summit she chaired a high-level reflection group of seven wise people from around Europe to discuss Europe being at a crosswords, where we need to go in terms of the rule of law, protecting democracy and human rights. Her long-term vision, commitment and political courage gave us a very strong roadmap. I was very proud to be the rapporteur on behalf of the 46 countries in the Council of Europe. Much of the roadmap that we put in place, particularly around the area of climate, democracy, and engaging with young people, which we are well on the road to, was down to the reflection and thought put into it by Mrs. Robinson. She talked about doing positive things as opposed to just using a stick.

Finally, I thank Mrs. Robinson for the Mothers of Invention podcast because by doing that with Maeve Higgins, she brought all those issues home to a new generation. I thank her for that and wish her well in the continuation of her life's work.