Govt to publish climate change strategy

The Government will publish its plan on how to adapt to the effects of climate change later.

The National Adaptation Framework will look at the possible implications on the country and set out a strategy for dealing with them.

The Environment Minister Denis Naughten will also announce that four local authority offices are being set up for a regional approach to managing the risks.

A recent report showed Ireland was the worst-performing European country when it comes to tackling climate change.

Professor John Sweeney, a climate change expert and lecturer at NUI Maynooth, and says action is needed.

He said: "At a very local it's quite clear people have to start thinking about what they are doing in terms of protecting themselves from future extremes.

"Where they are planning to build houses, they need to build roads, where they are planning to build railway lines, are these places vulnerable to what's going to come down the line, and if so is there an alternative or better solution to do that?"