TDs join fight against climate change

A CAMPAIGN to tackle climate change has received cross-party support from dozens of TDs.

More than 60 Dáil deputies have responded to a call from Friends of the Earth to put global warming on the political agenda.

The TDs have signed the environmental charity’s “climate pledge”, which commits them to ensure Ireland does its part to cut polluting greenhouse gases.

The pressure group warns that Ireland will be hit with a century of storms, floods and droughts if action is not taken soon.

Among the first TDs to rally to the call were the Labour Party’s Ruairi Quinn, who put his name down before the campaign was officially launched, and Green Party leader Trevor Sargent.

Along with a handful of Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrat backbenchers, the campaign boasted the support of two Ministers of State until Ivor Callely lost his Department of Transport job.

At the last count, Frank Fahey was the sole Government minister who had signed up to the pledge, but Friends of the Earth Ireland director Oisín Coghlan said it was good to see support from all parties.

Mr Coghlan said he was particularly pleased to see Liz O’Donnell and Noel Grealish from the PDs and Fianna Fáil’s Sean Haughey had all signed the pledge.

But he said: “The pledge is just the first step - they’re acknowledging that the issue is real and urgent and that Ireland has to do its fair share.

“It’s the appropriate moment to do that, because the Government climate change strategy is up for review.”

He said the strategy would be put out for public consultation for several months at the beginning of the year and urged people to get involved.

Mr Coghlan said he hoped the recent talks in Montreal would spur more of the TDs on to commit to the pledge, so support would reach a Dáil majority of 84.

Then Friends of the Earth would be aiming to get 100 deputies on board in the new year, he said.