Paul Murphy: Slams Methane Target, Calls Out COP26 Doublespeak

Thanks. I want to focus my remarks on COP26 and the coup in Sudan. The Taoiseach's doublespeak on methane is precisely the kind of blah, blah, blah that Greta Thunberg was warning about. Yesterday he signs up to a global target of 30% reductions in methane. By 2030, the absolute minimum necessary and today he says Ireland won't even try to meet that target, instead setting a 10% target. The Taoiseach and the government, it seems, are fully committed to other states tackling climate change. Fair play. I wonder, does the Taoiseach, does his ministers adopt a similar approach to New Year's resolutions, pledging that his neighbours will take up jogging, his barber will quit smoking, his friends will reduce the amount that they drink. Ireland talking about climate change, but refusing to tackle methane is like Saudi Arabia signing up to the global targets, but saying they won't do anything in terms of oil production. It is useless, spin, blah, blah, blah. To tackle climate change in this country, we need to stand up to the beef barons, to the Larry Goodmans of this world, to agribusiness, big agribusiness. We need to take them into public ownership so we can plan the nature of our agriculture, and incentivise a shift by small farmers with no loss in income. In fact, an increase in income for small farmers, for sustainable farming, to pay them for carbon sequestration, to pay them for ecosystem services, to guarantee everybody a decent quality of living. I want to also take up the question of capitalism. Interestingly, it was a focal point of the Taoiseach's remarks earlier today in relation to COP26. In fact, in Taoiseach's questions, he went so far as to say that, in his opinion, Ireland is not a capitalist state, reminiscent of perhaps the time that he said that we didn't bail out any banks. I'm not sure what else it is if it isn't capitalism. But it's interesting because I think it reflects a growing fear on the part of the establishment that workers and young people looking at the crisis of climate and the catastrophe we're heading into are open to the conclusion that the system change that we need is a change from the capitalist system. And that's not just activists on the ground, for example. The newly released leaked next second draft report from the IPCC states that we must move away from the current capitalist model to avoid surpassing planetary boundaries and to avoid climate and ecological catastrophe. They understand that a system of production for profit is incompatible with doing what we need to do to avoid climate catastrophe. Why? Because capitalism treats nature as a free gift to be exploited, just as it exploits labour. It treats damages to the environment as an externality that it doesn't have to take account of because it's incapable of coordination because of the fact that it's based on competition. And because, very bluntly, the big oil and gas companies, which are at the centre of capitalism, have about $5 trillion to lose, have about $5 trillion to lose if we leave the oil and gas in the ground, as we absolutely have to do. It's why we precisely need a socialist transformation and a planned economy for a rapid and just transition. Just finally, I want to speak briefly about the brutal coup in Sudan, which was carried out by Lieutenant General Burhan. On day one of the coup, seven peaceful protesters were killed. And then three more were killed the following day. Ten killed in just four days. Since then, I'm sure the numbers have increased. The people of Sudan who made the revolution are facing the remains of the old regime, facing various warlords, as well as regional and some international supporters whose interests are in controlling Sudan's resources through their local agents. I agree with the trade union committee of the Sudanese doctors' union in the UK, which said the coup leaders cannot turn back the hands of the clock, as the Sudanese people have declared no way back. Our people are capable of achieving what they want, despite the attempts of the tyrants to kill our dreams of freedom, peace and justice. We call on the masses to declare complete civil disobedience and take to the streets to oppose this coup. Our trade union committee will resist the coup by any means possible and will mobilise solidarity for a total general strike. We need a clear statement from Ireland to unreservedly condemn the military coup. We need a clear statement from the EU. Likewise, we need to express our solidarity with those who are in the streets in Dublin and around the world on Saturday in mobilising against this coup. Thank you Deputy. The Chair Cureman College of aquele whoмовits a Lobby Bill from banaus. Thank you Deputy.