Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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458. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the details of discussions he has had with his EU counterparts with responsibility for climate change since President Trump's announcement that the United States of America was withdrawing from the Paris Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29935/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The Irish Government strongly supports concerted international action to address the global challenge of climate change and, together with our EU colleagues, helped to bring about the entry into force of the Paris Agreement last November.

Ireland has joined the international community in expressing our concern and disappointment at the decision by the United States to seek to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. As I stated in my immediate reaction to the decision, we are all vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and we all have a responsibility to address climate change within our respective capabilities. The withdrawal decision marks a regrettable shift away from the previously strong climate ambition shown by the United States, which played a major role in mobilising global ambition and achieving the agreement reached by 195 Parties in Paris in 2015.

The Environment Council, which met on 19 June, was unanimous in its view that the Paris Agreement is fit for purpose and is not open to renegotiation. This position was reaffirmed by the European Council at its meeting last week. Heads of State and Government agreed that the EU remains fully committed to playing a strong role in implementing the Paris Agreement and to enhancing cooperation with its international partners under the Paris Agreement, in particular with the most vulnerable countries.

The Government fully supports this stance. We continue to play a strong role in meeting this objective through our on-going commitment, in particular through Irish Aid programmes, to supporting developing countries to integrate climate action in development plans, including in relation to social protection, disaster risk reduction, and strengthening agriculture and food systems.

Ireland will continue to work closely with other EU Member States and international partners to ensure that the Paris Agreement becomes fully operational as soon as possible, giving the international community the means to take the action required to limit the impacts of climate change.