In response to Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh on retrofitting, I sometimes wonder, when Sinn Féin makes propositions, if it ever wants anything done at all. It is a very good retrofit programme and there has been a 130% increase in applications. It is about getting energy efficiency into our entire system. Its fundamental priority is energy efficiency and reducing energy waste. There are some very good schemes that are targeted especially at those on low incomes. There is an independent local government retrofit scheme f…

-----certain outcomes, it is Ireland's responsibility. Ireland makes a very progressive and constructive contribution to these international gatherings and takes it very seriously. Our officials and political representatives at COP apply themselves seriously to this to try to get agreement. An agreement is better than no agreement. I genuinely believe that.

With regard to loss and damage, we have made proposals. We have put forward a target of €225 million per annum by 2025. We are not there yet but that is Ireland’s commitment in terms of funding. We have to increase our funding significantly next year and the following year to reach that target, and we are doing everything we possibly can to reduce-----

I will come to that. Deputy Smith also raised loss and damage.

I take that point but a lot of questions have been asked. I have dealt with loss and damage and I have dealt with the failure to limit general temperature. I was coming to the Deputy’s next point, which is the licence extension to Europa and existing licenceholders. I have other questions to deal with so I do not know whether we can get a few minutes extra.

On the extension, Europa already has a licence. There are legal constraints on the Government in terms of existing licenceholders. This Oireachtas decided to ban, or recommended the banning of, the issuing of any future licences. The Government has adhered to that and it is part of the programme for Government. However, in terms of existing licenceholders, of which there are just a few – one or two to the best of my knowledge – and in particular the case of Europa, the Department officials, independently of the Min…

I did not interrupt the Deputy.

In terms of existing licenceholders, that is the legal position, and the vast majority of fossil fuels are being left in the ground in Ireland. That is the reality and the Deputy knows it. We are not entertaining any new licence applications.

With regard to Deputy Boyd Barrett-----

-----his absolute zealous focus on the US is noted. Without the US, last year there would have been no COP of any merit or substance. President Biden has brought about a significant change internationally to the whole climate change agenda------

-----along with his representative, John Kerry, and several former American presidents, all of whom are focused on trying to get outcomes at these COPs. That needs to be acknowledged, unlike other big powers that are not making the same contribution at this stage to the international effort. The US has an awful lot more to do in general and not just in respect of its military. There is a far more polarised debate within the US on this issue, as the Deputy will be aware. It is far better that we commend and affirm t…

-----rather than decrying them all the time. For the Deputy, the US and nobody else is the big baddie of the world, in terms of his presentations. Deputy Paul Murphy raised the issue of data centres.

He referenced south county Dublin. First, because of the digital age, data centres are a reality, unless you want to de-digitalise the entire society and economy.

Does the Deputy want to de-digitalise it? He needs to be honest and front up on that.

We have a framework. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU-----

-----has come up with a policy proposal that the Government is adopting. The Government has published a statement in respect of a moderate position on the utilisation of data centres and further data centres.

The bottom line, however, is that thousands of jobs depend on data centres.

Many investment companies coming in here are saying it is not just one or the other, but the Deputy does not worry about foreign direct investment, FDI-----

-----because according to his party's economic model, it would not favour the FDI model.

Fair enough. I get constantly interrupted as well, which is fair enough. I do not have an issue with it. Deputy Bacik referred to climate finance. Our commitment is €225 million by 2025 on a permanent basis. Within that, we allocated €10 million to the global shield. What are now required are concrete proposals and initiatives around climate finance that we can support. Our embassies, particularly those in Africa, are working bilaterally with governments and NGOs to see how best we can apply that money to climate f…