The Social Democrats have claimed that the government’s approach to climate change has “gone to the dogs.”
January saw the highest level of rainfall since the 1940s, and last summer was among the warmest on record; despite this, the government, now free from Green Party influence and is reliant on the backing of climate-skeptic rural independents, has now rowed back on climate change, according to the Soc Dems.
Wicklow TD Jennifer Whitmore noted “in 2023 and 2024, the last coalition published those year’s respective Climate Action Plans the December before – it’s now February and there’s no sign of this year’s plan.”
“Last year’s plan, the first of this government’s term, was left unpublished until April – the previous government excelled at climate rhetoric but failed at climate action, but this government doesn’t even bother with the rhetoric, leaving one of the most critical emergencies of this generation off the agenda completely.”
She noted “reports this week that 300 flood-prone sites were proposed for rezoning by councillors while the government put climate action on the backburner is an accurate representation of the dire state of affairs we find ourselves in; we’ve just come out of a period that saw towns in the east and south-east of the country absolutely devastated by flooding.”
“We know that climate change will only make events like these more frequent and more damaging, yet we’re forced to address the farce of building on flood plains while the Climate Action Plan is nowhere to be seen.
She said “we must stop making nonsensical planning decisions for houses and developments in flood plain areas, it’s the state that pays the costs of the devastation caused by floods to these properties – the Minister must call in the Councils in question to speak about zoning flood plain areas for housing and make it clear that this must not continue.”
“It’s even more important that we focus on the bigger picture – the Minister must publish this year’s Climate Action Plan immediately.
“It’s clear that this government does not take climate seriously through its lack of investment, innovation and interest – it’s communities which continue to pay for its inaction.”