Bríd Smith Demands Clear Answer on Ireland's COP27 Stance

Thanks very much. I'm just looking at Deputy Bruton's expression on his face and it's complete empathy and understanding. I'm totally confused with your answer about the loss and damage funding. Could you just tell me straight and simple, is Ireland going to support loss and damage funding at COP27? Straight answer. Well, the position is that we are negotiating a COP27 as part of the EU. Our work to date over the past year has been working with colleagues in the context of developing the position with respect to loss and damage. Every member state has a different perspective here, and notwithstanding the fact that it has recognised loss and damage is real as happening, and it needs to be addressed. It's how it's addressed that has been the context of discussions internally within the EU, which informs the position going forward for the conference itself. Sorry, forgive me now for interrupting. So within that space, Ireland certainly has been advocating that we engage through, first of all, through existing financial mechanisms, establishing whether or not there's scope there to support loss and damage initiatives. Also, we've been looking at other options in terms of what a new financing mechanism would actually look like going forward, how that could be funded. But all of this, throughout all of this, we have been working through the Glasgow Dialogues and hoping to gain traction in the context of those discussions with other parties in the context of what is required. How can these funds actually be delivered? How can there be no slippage in terms of averting and minimising what we would call adaptation and mitigation as well? So all I'm saying is that we are being as vicious as we can in this space and working with EU colleagues. And that has, you know, Deputy Smith, that's had practical expression by the fact that yesterday the Council conclusions were agreed. And for the first time, the EU has acknowledged that there needs to be an agenda item on loss and damage at COP27. And I think that is very, very welcome. And I think that speaks to the work that Ireland and other member states have done, including true expert groups, which have developed different option papers for consideration by different member states. And we certainly hope to see traction in this space during the course of COP. I'm almost sorry I asked because I did ask for a straight, simple answer. I'd hate to get a complex answer from you. I'm sorry, Deputy. I'm just saying that we are, we're not alone in these states. We negotiate COPs in the context of our leadership of the EU. You can't answer it because you don't know if Ireland supports it or not. And that should be the answer because we're going about it in a roundabout way. You just said that some states support it, other states support it, but you can't answer if Ireland does. So park that one, park that one please. I think at the outset I did acknowledge the fact that Ireland has been one of the most ambitious member states in this space and continues to work with EU colleagues and ensuring that's reflected. Thank you, we have that point. I have one more question. You talked there about the crisis in Ukraine giving us an opportunity to engage the public and the costs associated with their consumption and to look at the reduction in the use of fossil fuels. Do you see this as an opportunity to engage the fossil fuel industry on the costs associated with their increased production of gas and oil products and infrastructure across the planet during the crisis of Ukraine? I think those are the discussions that absolutely are taking place and they need to be taking place. And in the context again of loss and damage, you've got to look at, and I'm conscious that you received presentations earlier on from NGOs in this space as well. There has to be, and there's a report published yesterday in the context of the proceeds that are the income associated from fossil fuel companies, et cetera, and potential there for, you know, can those profits somehow be, the windfall tax or something like that be used to help address the loss and damage being experienced by, by, by, by, by, by parties and particularly LDCs and SIDS. And those are those, again, there is, you know, there is opportunities here to look at whether there are potential for, for carbon market transactions, for solidarity fund levies, et cetera, on profits from fossil fuels, et cetera. These do take time, time to get in place. And obviously there's further analysis required in terms of, of, of such, of such, you know, negotiations, including how it might affect the EB, the CBAN mechanism, EU ETF, solidarity funds, et cetera. And, and they're also mentioned in the context of, you know, only developed countries omitting that a big part of fossil fuel production is in developing countries and further analysis is required there. But absolutely, I mean, Ireland is very, as I said, by our, our, our, our association with the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance last year in the context of our preparations for COP and how we're negotiating with EU member states. They have to be part of, of the solution. They have to be brought in and made and the polluter pays principle. They really needs to be considered in this context. Thank you, Mr. McLaughlin. Please, Mr. McLaughlin. Please, Mr. McLaughlin. You