I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 to 24, inclusive, together.

I attended the leaders’ summit at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, on 6 and 7 November. Coming a decade after the Paris Agreement and during a period of enhanced geopolitical turbulence, my attendance at the summit was an important opportunity to show Ireland’s continuing commitment to the objectives of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement to limit emissions in order to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. I delivered Ireland’s national statement on 6 November, highlighting the reality that climate change is no longer a distant threat and pointing to the remarkable litany of record-breaking climate events in the 12 months since COP29 in Azerbaijan, including Storm Éowyn which brought the strongest wind gusts ever recorded in Ireland and the highest storm surges on the western seaboard. We saw the damage that Storm Bram caused last week to counties all over the country. I also argued that the sharpest impacts of climate change are felt by the world’s most vulnerable people and countries and noted that no country can successfully address the crisis of climate change alone.

I participated in two thematic round tables with my fellow leaders to discuss climate issues of common concern. The first focused on "Climate and Nature: Forests and Oceans". I reiterated Ireland’s strong support for the agreement reached at COP15 to protect at least 30% of land and oceans by 2030. The second thematic session took the form of a panel discussion on "Energy transition and ten years of the Paris Agreement: NDCs and financing". I expressed Ireland’s commitment to ensuring a just and inclusive energy transition pathway for all nations. I also shared Ireland’s focus on accelerating the delivery of renewable generation. I also participated in a small round table hosted by President Lula da Silva and attended also by the United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, on climate adaptation and resilience. I spoke of Ireland’s commitment in this area with 80% of our climate finance concentrated on adaptation.

I also attended an event launching the Tropical Forest Forever Fund, hosted by President Lula. This global initiative aims to finance the conservation of tropical forests. I reaffirmed Ireland’s commitment to the preservation and sustainable use of the Amazon rainforest. I announced Ireland’s commitment to provide €15 million over the next three years to the Amazon fund, with the aim of preventing and combating deforestation.

While in Belém, I also took the opportunity to visit the offices of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, where I met with representatives of some of the refugees they work with, including indigenous people from the Amazon displaced by climate change. To date in 2025, Ireland has provided over €25.5 million in funding to UNHCR.

I welcome the fact that the Taoiseach attended the COP in Brazil as head of Government. It is appropriate that he did so. I welcome his remarks while there. I ask the Taoiseach to consider that Ireland might consider hosting a future COP to raise awareness of the important issues he has outlined.

I do want to express concern that if we are going to reduce our own dependence on fossil fuels and get people out of cars, we have to provide them with a realistic public transport alternative. I am passionate about rail travel but unfortunately the M11 is increasingly becoming a car park every morning. The problem for those travelling along the M11 into the capital, unlike a number of other commuter routes, is that we do not have a realistic rail alternative. We have fewer services, worse rolling stock and more overcrowding than any other rail service. What particularly annoys me is the fact that yesterday, the rail project prioritisation strategy made no commitments whatsoever about improvements for the Rosslare rail line and further looked at abandoning the proposals to develop and reopen the Rosslare to Waterford rail line. If we are to provide a real alternative and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and car use, there has to be a real public transport alternative. I want assurances that the Department of Transport has not abandoned the rail commuters along the Rosslare rail line.

I note that, following the Taoiseach's attendance at COP in Belém, the EU made a significant decision to permanently stop Russian gas imports and phase out Russian oil. Similar to Deputy Byrne, I wish to highlight the issue of reducing our reliance on fossil fuels in the context of significant investment in public transport, in terms of DART+ West, for example, going to Maynooth and then Kilcock. The prioritisation of DART+ South West was not announced. There is significant traffic and build-up on the N7, M7, N4 and M4, particularly the N7 coming from Naas, Sallins and Celbridge. Indeed, Deputy Shane Moynihan has raised it previously. We need to ensure that these key pieces of infrastructure are prioritised along the commuter line that is causing the greatest amount of traffic.

One of the most effective ways we can reduce emissions is by encouraging people on to public transport. I want to raise the lack of public transport in Bellewstown, County Meath. A 13-year-old boy, James Black, has started a campaign there and has hundreds of petition signatures calling for a public bus services for the village of Bellewstown. Fair play and well done to him for that. He has got an amount of media attention about it. He is very articulate and very clear in what he is trying to achieve.

The Connecting Ireland scheme in the Department of Transport is a very good one but it is underfunded and Bellewstown is not included in it. Will the Taoiseach increase funding to the Connecting Ireland scheme and will he include Bellewstown, County Meath in it?

We heard a lot during the last Government about how much more investment went into the National Parks and Wildlife Service but in east Cork and Waterford, the level of under-resourcing has been baffling. In east Cork, we have had no ranger for approximately 12 of the last 15 years. There has been no district conservation officer for 18 months and no regional manager in place for years over east Cork and Waterford. It is difficult to give precise figures for these vacancies, because the Department has been incredibly opaque in response to questions I have submitted on recruitment to the NPWS. In one response, the Minister referred to "perceived vacancies", as if we were all imagining those roles being vacant. Also, bizarrely, the Department will not give details of staffing by geographical area for "operational security reasons". This is akin to An Garda Síochána not sharing numbers of gardaí employed in a given division. The Department also will not give any information on recruitment campaigns being undertaken. Meanwhile, hedgerows and trees are being trashed with impunity and the whole idea of habitat protection looks more like a bad joke in this country. When are we going to see more transparency from the Department of heritage on staffing of the NPWS? When are we going to see those crucial roles in east Cork and Waterford filled?

Today the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, stated that the Mercosur deal held many benefits for the Irish farmers and the wider economy. He said that for Ireland, Mercosur could be a significant beneficiary. This is incredible. It is the Minister of State putting up the white flag of surrender in terms of Mercosur. It comes just a few days after the Government put up the white flag in terms of the Irish fishing industry. Make no mistake about it, the Mercosur trade agreement will damage the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of farmers in this country. All the fine words about COP mean nothing if we are going to facilitate or allow Mercosur to go through. It beggars belief that at a time of climate crisis, we will be bringing in Brazilian beef, which is produced in an environmentally unfriendly way, by which forests are burnt down and land is overgrazed, not to mention the environmental cost of transporting all that beef from South America to Europe. Will the Government stop speaking from both sides of its mouth in terms of Mercosur?

It is difficult to believe that we are talking about rail services being cancelled. These are proposed new services that make complete sense because we want people to move to public transport. We know the advantages that exist in that regard. One of the new rail services that was being proposed between Clongriffin and Drogheda has been mothballed. This would have allowed for further express services to Dundalk, Drogheda, Newry and Belfast. Such services are absolutely necessary because they are allowed to skip slower services. What is happening does not make any sense at this point. Will the Taoiseach seek some clarity in respect of this matter? I other colleagues in expressing absolute anger if this is the road we are going to take. No pun intended.

I thank Deputy Byrne for acknowledging that it was important to attend the COP, even though it was a long distance to go. We needed to send a signal given that we are at a point at which the issue of climate change is receding in terms of political prioritisation. This is a real concern. Some people are pulling back from their commitments.

On hosting a future COP in Ireland, next autumn we will have the largest ever political meeting held in Ireland. There will be over 40 states represented. It is a ginormous undertaking to host a COP, but it is something the country should aspire to do in the future. It depends on the shape and nature of a COP. In some ways it has become very big. Maybe it is has gone too far in some respects in the context of how it has evolved. We need to get back to the more fundamental origin and idea around COP, which was countries coming together to make decisions on global agreements in respect of sustainability, the future of the planet and the impact of climate change.

I will look at the matter of rail project prioritisation. I take on board what the Deputy said. We have a lot of projects that are needed. We do not have commensurate capital, but I will have a look at where the Rosslare railway line is. We put a lot of money into Rosslare on the custom side and all of that in the context of Brexit. We did it in double-quick time. Rosslare to Waterford is an important link. I will have a look at that to see what we can do and where we are.

This is not a back-and-forth.

I said I am going to have a look at it. The Deputy asked me to have a look at it, so I am telling him that I am going to have a look at it.

Deputy Ó Cearúil is correct on the moves we made in terms of dependency on Russian oil and gas. On public transport, it is key. I have spoken to the Ministers for public expenditure and Transport in respect of DART+ South West. That has gone through all the planning and is shovel ready. The county council has zonings for between 10,000 to 18,000 houses. It feels that this is essential infrastructure. I am seeing if we can do something to make that we progress the project. That is work I am engaged in at the moment with the relevant Ministers.

Deputy O'Rourke referred to public transport more generally and to a young person named James Black. I pay tribute to him for his civic initiative, participation and being involved in something like that in terms of public service for Bellewstown. I will talk to the Minister and make him aware of that. On Connecting Ireland, I take on board the Deputy's views.

Deputy Quaide referred to the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS. There has been huge investment in recruitment. The investment in the NPWS has more or less doubled since 2020. I took a personal interest in this. I worked previously with the then Minister, Malcolm Noonan, on it and continue to work on it with the Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan. Recently, we announced a €700,000 lifeline for Fota Wildlife Park through the NPWS because of the outstanding work that Fota does in respect of conservation of particular species and so forth. I will engage with NPWS in respect of the issues the Deputy has raised to see if we can throw some light on the situation.

Deputy Tóibín referred to Mercosur. There was no agreement on that. It was not put to COREPER last Friday. I do not have the up-to-date information, but it seems unlikely now that it will put before COREPER before Christmas. What we have undertaken to do is work with like-minded countries, particularly France and Italy-----

What is our position?

-----in terms of securing additional safeguards. Quite a significant number of safeguards have been secured. That is contrary to what was there a year ago. They are taking the form of legal instruments that the Commission has committed to.

We succeeded in securing the nitrates derogation. It is a significant advancement that we now have that for a further three years. It was challenging and difficult. We worked hard with the Commission to get it over the line. Approximately 200,000 tonnes of Mercosur beef come into Europe on an annual basis as it stands. The new initiative under Mercosur would allow 99,000 of those to be brought in under a reduced tariff preference. The Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, spoke about the wider issues around Mercosur. All trade agreements bring benefits and losses. There is no heresy in saying that. The Canada deal was tremendous for Ireland in terms of the increased exports for SMEs and so on. I accept that every agreement is different. At the moment, there is no sense of any breakthrough or agreement in respect of Mercosur. That is where we are at present.

Deputy Ó Murchú referred to the Clongriffin to Drogheda service. Capital is not limitlessness.

I get that. I was just wondering.

If we were to add up the figures from everybody's contributions, I would guess that we would arrive at another €50 billion. We have to try keep things moving with planning in the context of progressing as many projects as we possibly can and to make sure that we have sustainability, financing and all of that. I will have to look at the rail prioritisation strategy that emerged on Friday.

I thank the Taoiseach.