Eamon Ryan takes the lead for Europe at Cop27 as climate summit enters crucial few hours

Good morning,

The Cop27 climate summit is entering its final and most crucial hours, and from the Green Party’s perspective it may be a case of “cometh the hour, cometh the man”.

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan will from this point onwards be speaking not just for Ireland at the event but for the entirety of the European Union, as Kevin O’Sullivan reports.

The Minister for the Environment has been asked to represent the European Council in these final hours on the vital issue of funding for addressing climate damage for disadvantaged countries. It doesn’t look to be an easy task: much of the mood music in recent days has been that there could be a negative outcome from the summit and that agreement might not be found.

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United Nations secretary general António Guterres said last week that the progress made on this controversial “loss and damage” issue would be a litmus test for the success or failure of the entire gathering.

When Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party were locked into domestic climate talks earlier this summer, and were struggling to find a landing ground on the exact level of emissions cuts for the agriculture sector, Ryan awoke at 3am in the morning with a plan to break the deadlock. Whether he has any similar “Eureka!” moments in this situation will become obvious before the weekend.

What developing and poorer countries want is for more affluent countries to commit to financial compensation for the loss and damages they have suffered because of the ravages of climate change and extreme weather events. The issue is that more developed countries have been at odds around exactly how to provide that funding, which came as a surprise to absolutely nobody.

As O’Sullivan reports, though, there are green shoots that a deal can be done on this issue.

“If scaled-up negotiations continue to make headway over coming days, negotiators believe it will help other big issues get across the line, notably on climate mitigation in the form of increased emission reduction commitments and on adaptation supports to increase the resilience of countries to climate shocks.”

Taoiseach barred from entering Russia

Taoiseach Micheál Martin was grinning ever so slightly in the Dáil yesterday when it was revealed to him in the Chamber that he was one of a number of Irish politicians who have been banned from Russia over Ireland’s stance on the war in Ukraine.

Russia said it had banned entry to more than 50 Irish officials including Mr Martin and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, and that this was in response to western sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine.

Also included in the list is Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney and Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe.

A Russian foreign ministry statement said: “Acting under orders from Brussels, Ireland is conducting an aggressive anti-Russian propaganda campaign.”

Martin had a thing or two to say himself when it came to propaganda, as Marie O’Halloran and Cormac McQuinn report here.

He said the latest moves by Moscow were part of the “propaganda war waged by Russia”. He added: “We all have to stand together across Europe on this.”

Remarking on his first such sanction, he said: “It’s a new development. I don’t think I’ve ever been sanctioned before.”

We also report that the Government will call in the Russian ambassador to give him the official response to the sanctions “in no uncertain terms”. Mr Coveney confirmed the move yesterday. Watch this space today.

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Playbook

Dáil Éireann

At 9am, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Arts Catherine Martin will take questions on her brief and then Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman will take questions on his brief an hour and a half later at 10:30am.

Leaders’ Questions are up at noon, followed by questions on legislation.

Government business is scheduled for the afternoon, at 1.44pm, when there will be statements on supporting the development of Dublin city through safety initiatives.

Topical issues are pencilled in for roughly 5.15pm and then Independent TD Michael Collins will bring a Private Members’ Bill on impaired farm credit. The Dáil adjourns at 7.17pm.

Here’s the full schedule.

Seanad

As is usual, commencement matters are up at 10.30am and the order of business will be taken at noon.

At 1.15pm, it is time for Private Members’ Business with the Central Bank (Amendment) Bill, 2022, brought by Senators Catherine Ardagh and Jerry Buttimer. This is a Bill that would effectively ban financial service providers from discriminating against survivors of cancer when it comes to accessing financial services.

At 2.30pm, there is an all-party Private Members’ Motion “That Seanad Éireann demands the immediate publication by the Board of St John Ambulance Ireland of the review conducted by Dr Geoffrey Shannon into allegations of sexual abuse at St John Ambulance Ireland.” It’s an important motion that has the support of the Seanad at large. The Seanad adjourns at 3.30pm. Here’s the entire agenda.

Committees

Another busy day in the committee rooms lies ahead, and first up is the Public Accounts Committee at 9.30am. Among other topics, the committee will look at the cost of banking stabilisation measures and the status of the Ireland Apple escrow fund.

At the same time the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Disability Matters will hear from Minister of State for Mental Health Mary Butler and officials on disability policies.

The Joint Committee on Housing will also meet to consider planning matters with Minister of State Peter Burke.

At 10am, the Joint Committee on Environment launches a report on biodiversity, while an hour later the Joint Committee on Agriculture launches a report detailing their pre-legislative scrutiny of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feeds and Fertilisers Regulation Bill, 2022.

A full and more detailed agenda can be found here.