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"Stop stealing our future" - Students tell politicians to take action on climate change

School students have called on politicians to "stop stealing our future" and take decisive action...
Michael Staines
Michael Staines

18.04 28 Mar 2019


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"Stop stealing our future" - Students tell politicians to take action on climate change


Michael Staines
Michael Staines

18.04 28 Mar 2019


Share this article


School students have called on politicians to "stop stealing our future" and take decisive action on climate change.

Six students from around the country addressed the Oireachtas Climate Committee this afternoon.

The committee is set to release a report setting out over 40 recommendations the State must implement to end Ireland’s carbon emissions by 2050.

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It follows eight months of cross-party scrutiny of Ireland’s climate policy – based on the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on climate action.

The report will include plans for a four-fold increase in carbon tax. Politicians have recommended that the tax should increase to €80 per tonne by 2030.

The full report is expected to be released shortly.

Future

This afternoon, six Irish students addressed the committee on the back of this month’s global Climate Strike protest.

12 year old Sumaya Mohammed from Cork Educate Together School told the committee to get a move on:

“Those of you politicians who have children, you love your children more than anything else,” she said.

“But like Greta Thunberg said – you are stealing their futures right in front of their very eyes.

“You are stealing my future and you have absolutely no right to do that. I am sorry if this offends you but you have to face the reality.”

Revolution

Conal O'Boyle from Donegal said politicians will know all about it if the voices of Ireland’s youth are ignored.

“We cannot vote but that does not mean that our voices will be silenced,” he said.

“A wave is coming and this is the beginning of a climate action revolution.

"In time me, the people in the gallery up there and the one sitting behind me will be able to vote and we will be able to rock the system to the core.

“And when we do, you will know about it.”

Impact

Theo Cullen-Mouze from Clare Island in Co Mayo said his community has already seen the impact of climate change.

“We can’t afford to take steps anymore, we need to take a leap,” he said.

“Our generation demands that you stop taking baby steps and lead us to the future we deserve. Ireland cannot afford to wait – the planet cannot afford to wait.

“Stop playing politics with our future.”

Climate Strike

On March 15th, around 1.3 million students around the world skipped class to join the global Climate Strike protests demanding immediate political action on climate change.

Tens of thousands of Irish teens took part, with marches in Dublin and Cork alongside local strikes at school gates and demonstrations at local authority offices around the country.

Committee report

The Green Party leader Eamonn Ryan said the Climate Committee's report was 'significant.'

"While the members divided on some key issues it was an impressive collaborative effort,” he said.

“The key thing now will be to help turn the ideas into action.”

He said the committee would continue to meet until the end of the year and called for it to have a “key role” in analysing the New National Climate plan that must be agreed with the European Commission by December.

This evening, the Environment minister Richard Bruton said he would consider the committee’s recommendations which will feed into the Climate Plan.

“Climate disruption can no longer be ignored, we must respond,” he said.

“I’m glad to see that the committee has reached cross party consensus on a number of difficult matters, including a price for carbon.

“Creating a price for carbon, the most prevalent greenhouse gas, will mean that the cost of the damage will be paid for, by the person who is polluting.

“We will consider their proposals in the Climate Plan, which will be published shortly.”


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