Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 68: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to play any role in international consideration of the climate change issue. [7691/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Ireland, through its membership of the European Union, is proactively supporting ongoing efforts under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to reach agreement on a comprehensive, global response to the threat of climate change.

While welcome progress was made at 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention in December 2010, Parties must intensify their efforts towards reaching an agreement if a gap in the international response to climate change is to be avoided when the Kyoto Protocol expires at the end of 2012. Continued EU leadership, underpinned by the support of Member States, will be an important factor in intensifying the global effort and influencing further progress.

The EU position on the international climate agenda is most recently set out in the conclusions adopted by the Council of Environment Ministers on 14 March 2011. In view of the fact that the international negotiations are ongoing, including a round at official level which will take place in June 2011, I expect the EU position to be updated in the run up to the 17 Conference of the Parties to the Convention later this year. As well as contributing to further development of EU policy on the negotiations, as I have already done at the 14 March Environment Council and at an Informal Council held by the Hungarian EU Presidency later in March, it is my intention to attend and support EU efforts at this year's Conference of the Parties.