Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As a Senator, as the seventh President of Ireland and as the chair of The Elders, the iarUachtarán has always been and continues to be a person who has championed minorities, women and the diaspora. When she came to Leinster House to participate in the launch of the 100th anniversary of Seanad Éireann, along with our great friend and colleague, the former Senator David Norris, at that time she focused on the issue of climate change and climate justice. She said that climate change needed to become part of everybody's everyday and had to be part of mainstream life. She pointed out that climate had become a specialist subject, which it should not be given that it is an issue for everyone. She touched today on the issue of climate justice and on the need to tackle the fossil fuel lobby, which is saying this is something for everybody to solve. It is something for everybody but in particular, this lobby is committing environmental vandalism on the world and is selling the future of our children and future generations for shareholders' profits. We all agree with Mrs. Robinson that we need to create a cleaner, safer and fairer planet for everybody and create a more positive narrative. I refer to that proverb that says no raindrop believes it is responsible for the flood. We need to change that narrative with hope. The words she finished on are those I will finish on. I refer to President Mandela's message of hope that something is always seems impossible until it is done. With her leadership, we hope it will be done. Thank you, President Robinson.