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EAMON RYAN IS nervous going into this week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York.
As Climate Minister, Ryan is there to represent Ireland alongside Michael D. Higgins, Simon Harris and Micheál Martin.
From his perspective, the week is a precursor to COP29 (the UN’s climate change conference), which will be held in Azerbaijan this November.
Ryan explained he is nervous that enough progress won’t be made this year, but he’s hopeful that last year’s efforts can be built on.
“It’s not certain. It’s really contentious. The level of climate financing we need is so huge, and it’s such a divisive issue. And the world is in such a difficult situation at the moment,” Ryan said.
It’s understood the minister will be appointed to a senior role at this year’s COP, playing a key role in negotiations.
However, Ryan made the point that there is so much happening in the world at the moment that can derail climate progress, pointing to the political uncertainty ahead of the election in the US as one concern.
When asked what another Donald Trump presidency would mean for climate, Ryan responded:
“There are certain gold rules if you’re in government, we don’t comment on other elections.
“There are plenty of people who can run the commentary on what a Donald Trump presidency will be. People can imagine what my views would be,” he added.
What about our own election, does Ryan expect the Green Party to be back in government?
“I really hope so,” Ryan said.
He’s more certain when asked if he has confidence that his current coalition partners are up to the task of responding to the climate crisis without the Greens: “No, not without the Greens.”
In particular, he fears progress made over the last four years in public transport would be reversed if either Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael remain in government without the balance of the Green Party.
“Not to be overly critical of my colleagues, but I think they themselves would recognise that with the Green Party element in government, you get much more ambitious action on climate. You get much more ambitious action on nature,” Ryan said, adding that he believes both parties would also reverse progress made with retrofitting and with nature restoration.
After 13 years as leader of the Green Party, Ryan’s resignation in June of this year came as a surprise to many.
The leadership contest that followed resulted in TD Roderic O’Gorman taking the reins of the party, beating Senator Pippa Hackett with a slim 52% majority.
Ryan told The Journal that he was “happy either way” with either candidate succeeding him and that he’s now happy to follow O’Gorman’s lead on coalition negotiations, after the election.
On the timing of the election, he maintained the government will be going full term but added there “isn’t much of a difference at this stage” whether it is “November or February or March”.
Health of the Green Party
Last week, it was announced that well-known climate activist and former Green Party councillor Sadbh O’Neill, is to seek the Labour Party nomination to stand in the next general election in the Waterford constituency.
If selected by Labour, O’Neill will be going head to head with Green Party TD Marc Ó Cathasaigh.
When asked if O’Neill’s decision to move to the Labour Party reflects poorly on his party, Ryan said it doesn’t.
“I wish Sadbh well, I’ve the highest regard for her,” Ryan said.
“There wasn’t an opening in the Greens, because we have a sitting TD so that may have influenced her decision…I don’t think it really says much about the Green Party,” he added.
Ahead of the Budget, Ryan’s priority is getting an outline in place for how the Climate and Nature fund will be spent.
The €3bn fund was established by Ryan as part of last year’s Budget to pay for climate action and nature restoration projects, but its contents cannot be spent until 2026.
He’s hopeful that the fund will be used expand public transport services as well as help transform heating systems for homes, businesses and public buildings like schools and hospitals.
“No one can paint the world as a pretty picture at the moment, but there are positive signs,” Ryan said.
He pointed to the “phenomenal” change solar power has been for our energy system, and the fact we managed to get through the energy crisis that resulted from Russia’s war in Ukraine, as two examples of these positive signs.
“It showed the ability to manage crises in a way. So it’s not all impossible. If you felt it was impossible, you would give up, but you can’t.”
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This article is part of Policy Matters, a series from The Journal that takes a deep dive into the ideas and solutions proposed by Ireland’s politicians on some of the biggest issues of the day.
As part of the series, The Journal sits down with different spokespeople from across Ireland’s political parties to take a deeper look at what they believe needs to be done across areas like housing, health, the environment and childcare.
Last time, we caught up with Labour Party Senator and spokesperson on employment affairs, Marie Sherlock to talk about the argument for bringing waste collection back under public control.
You can read past articles in this series here.
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The Government really don’t care about the housing crisis and the impact it’s having on a whole generation. They have ripped the social contract to shreds in Ireland. Sooner they are kicked out of office the better, especially Fine Gael.
@Daryl Walsh: Couldn’t get a builder myself during COVID.
@zephyrum: We need to stop using excuses. As John Taffer says. “”I don’t embrace excuses, I embrace solutions.”
Our lot need to do better.
@Daryl Walsh:
Tell us where they are going to get the builders…
The Government don’t pay cash in hand..
@Jack Dermody:
Cash in hand comment is such a classic government apologist line.
Yea lets blame literally the only people building houses for the housing crisis.
The Irish government who pays 2 billion for a hospital has trouble finding builders??
Throw your vote in the bin come general election, it’s clear where its going.
@Jack Dermody: I have worked on many building sites over the years and know a fair few guys. And the number one thing that attracts workers is not pay, but a permanent job. All this bogus self employment has meant that a huge proportion of our workers have no reason to stay.or even come back. They may as well be working abroad than here week to week with no holiday pay and very few entitlements.
The government(s) have known about this problem for years and done nothing about it.
Apprentices, like medical staff, are gone as soon as they qualify
I’m sure it might suit some but if you want to keep people look at a long term building programme with secure jobs and you’ll get people.
@zephyrum: you couldn’t get a lot during covid….
@Jack Dermody: cut the social in half after 6 months.
There needs to be legislation to prevent these funds from being used to repurchase the 17,000 residences held by 10 corporations. The French people would not put up with so why do we?
There needs to be legislation to prevent these funds from being used to repurchase the 17,000 residences held by 10 corporations.
@Jimmy Donovan: we have become so accepting now to inept, immoral corrupt governments. The political system should be changed. People need to vote these lot out.
@Dave Barrett: and put the IRA in charge?
I think I’ll pass on that one.
@John Mulligan: maybe get your mentors in the FFG party to create the conditions to attract and retain people to the trades.
When there is a so called senior banker shortage Pascal is shouting for lifting their pay caps and reintroducing senior banker bonuses. But sure tha was always the FG way, now FF infected the same way.
@John Mulligan: Yawn yawn and more yawns..
So the question remains. How much DID they spend, and WHAT did they spend it on because it sounds like they done feck all in the last 100years never mind 3
I heard a builder say the problem overall are the sewage systems ..They do not have the capacity and it needs to be upgraded ASAP..to allow the building of more houses
@Marianne Sherlock: that’s certainly the case in my local area.
@Marianne Sherlock: that and the road network. I’ve seen particularly in Dublin large housing estates going up on narrow country roads which creates traffic havoc.
@Marianne Sherlock: there are no more houses allowed in my area until the sewerage system is upgraded.
Of course Ireland will need 50k new homes for years to come.
This is what happens when you needlessly vote for the same two right wing laissez faire capitalist parties over an over again.
Stop voting for self-harm.
That is a lot of money!
None of this makes sense!
Emergency powers should be used and that money should be spent.
@Michael Mc Gee: no emergency power You are playing into their hands
The whole thing is manufactured. The evidence is there. they did everything possible to create the problem, now is the reaction stage, the solution that will be offered will be the erosion and debasement of Article 43/ private property rights. They need enough people on the edge in dire situations to push that objective through. All deliberate, we are being played folks.
@Peter John McDaid: what is the ultimate goal of your conspiracy?
@Peter John McDaid: The right reaction would be to hand hang them outside the Dáil by the neck as a lesson to those that come after them.
@Craic_a_tower: It is clear to anyone with a modicum of intelligence that the govt created this situation. Undermining article 43 is the objective. Old couple that own and live in a three or four bedroom house, CPO them out. People that worked hard and own a second home, CPO it off them. The “greater good” etc.
@Peter John McDaid: it is weird how people look at the same details and come up with a different theory. Some think politicians are forcing house prices for their personal benefit while others think it so they will lose rights to their own property. Very strange thoughts given incompetence and populist policies explain it much more simply
@Peter John McDaid: Certainly Ireland could do with more townhouses so that people could afford to buy their own smaller homes. Okay to have theories but plenty of people would voluntarily move to smaller local homes if there were any available. No need to imagine dramatic scenarios.
How do you build during a lockdown?
@Emmet Murphy: Also how can you build if you haven’t enough construction workers?
@Emmet Murphy: Swear it wasn’t government that put us into lockdown
@Daryl Walsh: I’d say it was the pandemic, swears…
@Aidan Farrell: The question is how did a labour shortage ensue when one in four men in Ireland were working in construction until around 2009-10?
@Seamus Enright: the older generation were prepared to do manual work, today’s are more into third level and I.T ,how many apprenticeships do you hear of nowadays.
@Mark Sheehan: A pure waste of time working for free though Mark. Pay apprentices a decent wage and they will appear.
@David Corrigan: They should get paid a bit more than 80-90% of minimum wage alright though you don’t get paid anything for studying in University so the comparison is a bit invidious, particularly when you could still end up with less money after getting many college degrees.
Mind you, there seems to be plenty of labour to build hotels and we bend over backwards to allow companies like TikTok to build data centres because here because of all the construction jobs they provide, which I find the most bizarre thing of all.
@Emmet Murphy: Ireland had record homelessness BEFORE the pandemic.
You handily ignore that.
@Seamus Enright: A little thing like the property bust stopped building completely and many of the workers retired, emigrated or changed jobs to different sectors. It will take many years to get the employment numbers back to those levels. The only current way to increase the workforce is bring in foreign operatives which is not easy given our expensive accommodation and taxation system !!!!
@Chris Gaffney: With all the unemployed builders around at that time the government could have invested in public housing but they seemed to think that paying off 34% of Europe’s overall banking debt was a better idea.
The FFFG government has probably done this so as they can use the money to buy the election when it comes around.
24,000 homes built is more than enough houses for 11,754 people homeless. What am I not getting?
@Keith Twamley: Well the fact that there are thousands of people still living at home with parents, wanting to rent or buy that are not included in homeless figures, is just one thing you’re missing.
@Daryl Walsh: Numbers just constantly going up though, something doesn’t feel right. Needs to be a lot more transparency as to where all these houses are going.
@Keith Twamley: Those homes are being snapped up in bulk by the vulture funds Keith. They leave very little for the citizens to buy.
@Daryl Walsh: Garden sheds as a spare sitting room to have breathing space while saving up for a mortgage?
@Keith Twamley: by all accounts Ireland needs 50k new builds a year and HAS needed about that number for a decade…. But when you care more about landlords than any other voting block, supply and demand dictates you don’t worry so much about supply.
@Mise Eire: The trouble is that people do need to use a toilet and you can’t add one to a garden shed! They will be uninsulated as well.
Yet last week shovel ready school building projects were told they are halted due to budgetary constraints. In a week where corporation tax take is over a billion more than they thought and Darragh O Brien has a billion behind the couch, WTAF is going on here? Infuriating stuff.
No builders available? All I’m seeing is apartment block after apartment block spring up all over the place!
@Tony Harris: Agreed, and every affordable apartment has to pay maintenance fees into the bargain instead of doing their own.
How does this Country operate, when our planning/political/environment is in the toilet? As long as we keep the old parties like FF/FG/L/SF in existence and keep voting for them. We will never reach our potential, to be a great Country and where most things work properly. If it wasn’t for the EU, Pakistan would be in a better place than we are now.
All those modular homes that could have been built on state land,while eviction ban was in…..fast tract building…mindboggling.
Frightening how poorly informed the comments are , and how so many seem to have completely succumbed to populism. The next gov will be dealt the exact same hand and will also disappoint you . Why? Because the construction ecosystem has become impossiblly difficult (for Ireland & most other European countries) with some factors well beyond the control of governments. But hey, dont let a fact or two interrupt your rants.
@Paul Duffy: Ah don’t spoil their fun!!
@Paul Duffy: A fact or two? What fact or two? You haven’t given any, just criticised other posters.
“€1 billion left unspent by Govt on housing projects over the past 3 years” plus the massive amount of extra/additional overspend of Euro’s the cash cow to developers that is the new national hospital is costing….€1 billion is equal to 2,800 building units costing €350,000 each to build from scratch to completion. €350,000 spread over let’s say 30 years equals to €11,666 per year or just over €970 per month. This figure is way way below the average rent paid by tenants to private landlords. Now if the Govt became landlords and spent €1 billion on 2,800 housing units they would receive €2.7 million per month in rent.
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