Ireland 'not in secret negotiations with UAE' on oil and gas deals ahead of Cop28

The UAE, which is hosting the Cop28 event, has come in for fierce criticism by the likes of former President Mary Robinson for using the event to agree side deals about ramping up fossil fuel production. Picture: PA

Ireland is not one of the countries that has been secretly negotiating with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on oil and gas deals ahead of the UN climate change summit in Dubai this week.

The UAE, which is hosting the Cop28 event, has come in for fierce criticism by the likes of former president Mary Robinson for using the event to agree side deals about ramping up fossil fuel production, a direct contradiction of global efforts to vastly scale down greenhouse gas emissions.