Danny Healy-Rae rejects man-made climate change
Danny Healy-Rae addresses climate policy in the Dail, arguing that climate change is not man-made and criticising carbon taxes and energy costs. He warns that Ireland's actions are negligible on the global scale and highlights the burden on farmers and households.
Danny Healy-Rae sets out a contrarian position on climate change, telling the chamber he does not believe the current climate shift is caused by human activity. He argues that Ireland's emissions make an insignificant difference globally and that current policies, including carbon taxes, are financially harmful to ordinary people and farmers.
Healy-Rae recalls historical climate variability, pointing to past periods of severe cold and the 1740s famine as examples that the climate has always changed. He uses this history to question the assumption that modern climate trends are uniquely man-made.
The TD criticises government climate measures, saying large public spending on climate initiatives will fail to change the weather and instead places a heavy financial burden on households. He singles out high ESB charges and the carbon tax as direct costs affecting hard-working people.
Healy-Rae contrasts Irish policy with actions abroad, noting Germany has opened coal mines, and questions the consistency of European approaches. He reiterates his 2019 vote against the 2030 targets, saying he foresaw the pressure those targets would place on citizens.
Turning to agriculture, he argues farmers are sequestering carbon through grass growth, hedges and tree planting yet still face carbon charges. He calls for recognition of sequestration in how farmers are treated under carbon policy and stresses the practical strains facing rural communities.
Summary
Danny Healy-Rae sets out a contrarian position on climate change, telling the chamber he does not believe the current climate shift is caused by human activity. He argues that Ireland's emissions make an insignificant difference globally and that current policies, including carbon taxes, are financially harmful to ordinary people and farmers.
Historical context
Healy-Rae recalls historical climate variability, pointing to past periods of severe cold and the 1740s famine as examples that the climate has always changed. He uses this history to question the assumption that modern climate trends are uniquely man-made.
Policy critique
The TD criticises government climate measures, saying large public spending on climate initiatives will fail to change the weather and instead places a heavy financial burden on households. He singles out high ESB charges and the carbon tax as direct costs affecting hard-working people.
Energy and international contrast
Healy-Rae contrasts Irish policy with actions abroad, noting Germany has opened coal mines, and questions the consistency of European approaches. He reiterates his 2019 vote against the 2030 targets, saying he foresaw the pressure those targets would place on citizens.
Farming and carbon sequestration
Turning to agriculture, he argues farmers are sequestering carbon through grass growth, hedges and tree planting yet still face carbon charges. He calls for recognition of sequestration in how farmers are treated under carbon policy and stresses the practical strains facing rural communities.
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Transcript
I'm glad to get the opportunity to talk on this topic, even though I've only got a couple of minutes. I could talk for a whole day about it. I do not agree with many people inside here that the climate is changing, but the climate has always changed, and it is not man-made. We're not causing it here. The climate changed back over the centuries, and that's the facts. History will show that at different times. We had periods of severe cold and severe rain, and a famine in the 1740s caused by two years of incessant rain, and a total of our population died, and most of our cattle and sheep died at that time. If we all walked off this earth, off the island of Ireland today, it would only mean a difference of 0.13 of 1% in the whole worldwide context. That is another fact, Minister. And with all these ideas that you have about the climate, and I honestly say that no human being here can have any effect in changing the climate, and never will. We have the highest ESB charges now, simply because we're told we can't buy, and that we can't burn fossil fuels yet. Germany have opened two new coal mines. They're in Europe as well, Minister, and I wonder what you'll say about that. 2019, there was a vote here inside about the targets for 2030. I believe I was the only TD that voted against those targets at that time, because I knew at that time what it would mean to people, hard-working people, to put pressure on them financially, and that's what you're trying to do now in every sector. Climate change, and you're spending massive amounts of taxpayers' money addressing this issue when I feel it'll fail, and fail because it'll never change the weather. No matter what we do here, we haven't the power to change the weather. We can't do lesser things, things more closer to home or to the needs of the people. We can't achieve those things, even just mention one thing. We don't have enough houses for the amount of people that's coming into the country, and the way our population is exploding, and then this carbon tax. I have to say, it's charging people massive amounts of carbon tax. Farmers shouldn't be exempt completely because of the reason that they're sequestering more carbon than they're emitting. Growing grass, you sequester carbon. They're planting hedges and trees, and they're sequestering more carbon, and still they're being charged carbon tax. They're using Ad Bu, they're doing everything possible, and yet you're charging them carbon tax.