Climate campaign information
Deputy Farrell suggested Departments should review how they communicate climate policy and public campaigns. The Taoiseach said campaigns are constantly reviewed and spoke more broadly about the need for public engagement on climate action.
As a veteran politician, the Taoiseach will understand the importance of campaigns which led to the important decision by the Office of Public Works, OPW, and the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, to bring the live crib back to Dublin, after Dublin City Council made such a decision. The ESRI launched a report yesterday and addressed the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action this morning on the importance of the provision of information to the public concerning decisions that affect climate change and have an impact on our climate action targets in the coming years. Does the Taoiseach agree it is important for Government to re-evaluate some of the campaigns it runs annually across all Departments?
Comment on this
Could he bring to Cabinet that all Departments review their campaign methodology in terms of getting information to the public through the media, which is an important means of getting across the message of the importance of climate change?
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I will have to give up. There are about six or seven waiting to come in, all with equally important issues. I ask for Deputies’ co-operation.
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All reviews are kept under constant – sorry, all campaigns are kept under constant review.
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On the live animals being back on St. Stephen’s Green, we will pay acute attention to the methodologies of that campaign. In a more serious vein, I think many good campaigns are on the way concerning climate change. We all in this House should be ambassadors for measures to deal with climate change. That is why I am glad Leinster House does not have as much manicured lawns as it once had. We could extend the wild garden element to Leinster lawn, all Government Buildings and so on. There is much more we have to do and there is new regulation coming forward from the European Union on restoring biodiversity, both rural and urban, which would challenge any lingering complacency among some Members of the House.