Candidates pledge to support environmental causes if elected

Candidates competing for a seat in the EU parliament have pledged to support environmental causes if elected to Europe and criticised the Coalition for failing to agree binding targets for climate change.

Environmental rights for citizens should be enshrined in the Constitution, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said during a debate between Dublin candidates yesterday.

Independent and MEP Nessa Childers admitted she sometimes pressed the wrong buttons which resulted in her voting the wrong way on issues in the parliament.

Candidates for the Dublin region were speaking at an event hosted by Environmental Pillar, an umbrella for 26 environmental groups.

Candidates debated EU legislation on the environment, reducing greenhouse gases, the contentious process of fracking, biodiversity and transatlantic trade agreements.

The coalition was criticised for failing to include binding targets in its climate change legislation to reduce greenhouse gases.

Labour MEP Emer Costello though said the EU would decide reduction targets in 2015 and Ireland would then agree to them.

Green Party leader and former energy minister Eamon Ryan called for people’s environmental rights to be written into the Constitution.

Fianna Fáil candidate and councillor Mary Fitzpatrick described how she and her family had taken their own measures to improve the environment. This included getting rid of the family’s second car, recycling nappies, turning on washes late at night and cycling to work.

Socialist MEP Paul Murphy said one of the biggest concerns was the so-called TTIP, a potential free trade deal currently being discussed by the EU and the US. Mr Murphy said aspects of this would allow corporate firms sue countries for interfering with profits.