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MINISTER FOR THE Environment Eamon Ryan has hit out at Saudi Arabia’s recent spending, arguing that the crude oil producer should pay for the damage it is doing to the climate.
Minister Ryan will attend meetings in Abu Dhabi this weekend ahead of the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP) in Dubai in December.
He said he is trying to look at climate on an international level. “In my mind, it’s going green … In my mind, the polluter has to pay.
“So if Saudi Arabia can afford €875 million spent on soccer players these last three months, they can afford to contribute towards the climate crisis we have.
“That is not a small amount of money.”
He added that the middle eastern state spent €2 billion on golf last year. “Some of that could go to help the most desperate, hungry people in the world.”
Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest producer and exporter of oil, and has one quarter of the world’s known oil reserves.
Speaking at the Global Ireland Summit, Minister Ryan said that the government must “pick up the pieces” after the failure of the United Nations Transitional Committee to make a decision on key aspects of how the Loss and Damage fund should assist developing countries with the adverse effects of climate change.
“It’s going to be really difficult. It’s not looking good,” he said.
“Not since 2005 have we seen the levels of poverty in the world.
“Poverty is on the rise. Conflict is on the rise. Climate change is hitting hard.”
Minister Ryan believes fossil fuel companies and polluters should pay for the damage they are causing through investing in non-renewables. While he conceded that other countries, such as the United Kingdom, spend millions on sports stars, he argued that this money is not coming directly from fossil fuel profits – like it is in Saudi Arabia.
“It’s a way of saying things that people can understand,” he said.
The Global Ireland Summit is an annual gathering of leaders from across the public service, business, state agencies, and the community and civil society sectors.
Over four days they attend events with and by Ireland’s international diplomatic network.
Minister Ryan was speaking at the summit ahead of his keynote address at the panel on climate and energy.
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Hse begging for money and your spending millions on cycle lane’s,
@Ian O Hara: Doesn’t work that way.
@Daniel Roche: doesn’t work in anyway shape or form though Daniel. I think that’s the point being made
@mainmsam: Perhaps we need to spend more on education so the comments makes sense.
@CTW: or just read between the lines?! I could be wrong though and giving the chap too much credit but that’s my take on it
@mainmsam: Giving him way too much credit
@Ian O Hara: Do you think Eamon Ryan is the Minister for Finance (Paschal Donohue) or the Minister for Health (Stephen Donnelly)?
@mainmsam: We have to spend money on bike lanes,if we don’t,we don’t get grants towards it,you might as well say don’t spend money on sports,give it to the health.
@Daniel Roche: in fairness Daniel we’ve bike lanes coming out the wazoo causing traffics to idle. That causes more omissions. Plus and let’s be honest most cyclists don’t even use the lanes
@mainmsam: “Bike lanes coming out the wazoo” that cause traffic to be idle by not being used? How are omissions (sic) being caused by the bike lanes in this scenario?
@Diarmuid Hunt: engines that idle in traffic generate more fumes than when driving at a normal speed
@mainmsam: How is that happening more because of relatively unused bike lanes? Does ‘coming out the wazoo’ mean in your perceived local area or nationwide? Does this relate in any way to “it’s Eamon Ryan’s fault” that the HSE is underfunded… like the OP implied?
@Diarmuid Hunt: you’re gonna hurt yourself
@mainmsam: Thanks for the concern but I’m not the one who can’t think a statement through to the point of being able to answer obvious and relevant questions as to its veracity, I’m sure I’ll be fine.
@Diarmuid Hunt: it’s very simple diarmud , the OP mentioned thoughts on a Green political figure and his opinions. I followed up with other Green party plans and ideas, ideas that are breathtaking brilliant in every way. Nothing at all to do with a minister of any other department
@mainmsam: I think you will find that the traffic is caused by…traffic. Cars, vans, trucks, tend to be traffic. That is what you are stuck behind. Don’t blame the people who are not slowing you down.
@Diarmuid Hunt: In answer to that question that you posed to mainmsam, look at the Shannon Bridge in Limerick and the city end of the Condell Road. The Bridge and the city end of the Condell Road had 2 lanes approaching the Shannonbridge Roundabout , but one those lanes is now a 2 way bike lane and all the traffic that once required 2 lanes is now reduced to one lane and at rush hour takes twice as long to drive the last kilometer before the roundabout, than it used to. 10 minutes to drive that last kilometer, all thanks to a bike lane, is a lot of idling engines at rush hour, I’m sure you would agree.
@Mike smith: have a read of the comment below yours from Joe X
He’s says that now after he plunges Ireland average citizens into fuel poverty with excessive taxes on fuel that are of no benefit to the environment because we have no alternative. Just raising funds for his overinflated pay check & first class travel around the globe. Complete,“C U Next Thursday”,is all that leach is.
@Mike Carson: Good point, well made, Oliver. You should consider a career in after dinner speech’s.
This fellas away with the fairies
@Gar Fitz: he is a goofbag of bollix
Ryan is tragic joke . He has set the environmental agenda back 10 years in Ireland.
I’m only leaving this comment because comments are open.
The Irish spokesman for the Climate Doomsday Cult.
@Tommy Haze: Denialists like you are the cult.
Patricia Scanlon: “There are always people who say humans aren’t causing global warming. Now, if they’re wrong, you are talking about an extinction level threat. If the people on the side of advocating for a cleaner planet are wrong, the worst thing that’ll come is a cleaner planet.”
@Brendan O’Brien: Really Brendan? But isn’t it funny how there is no mention of the Tonga volcano last year increasing water vapour in the atmosphere by 10% and 15%, or how the sun is breaking it’s own records for activity as it approaces solar max. All in a year that El nino is kicking off. Isn’t it funny how all those events occur at the same time the planet is breaking temperature and rainfall records. As I said before to you, not denying that humans do not contribute to it, but as far as the Greens are concerned, we are the only cause for it and must be punished accordingly.
@Joe x: by between 10% and 15% I meant. Sorry
Did he use the cycle lane going to Saudi
Ryan has single handedly destroyed the green cause in Ireland.
€2 billion spent on golf,Eamonn. Most of that was spent on the greens.
@Larry Betts: So that would be green fees
@Ken Murray: Hole in one there,Ken
Go back to sleep. You absolute gombeen
If he’s so concerned about poverty levels maybe he could give some of his over inflated salary
@Barry Williams: to the poor
Lot of air miles there hey Éamon
Cabbage head gets very grumpy when he doesn’t get his nap.
@: You should consider having a wee snooze then.
@Sal Paradise: zzzz x
Does Mr Ryan’s wife ever tell him to stop embarrassing Ireland? As he is an embarrassment to this country
So how did he get to Brussels, swam over did he??
How did you get to Abu Dhabi Mr Ryan?
Your an GOB sh….!
To say Cabbage Head is a fool is actually casting fools in a bad light. Apologies!
Let him sell his mansion and live in wattle and clay hut if he cares that much about the environment.
What a c…
@: carbon omission?
Attended meetings in new york and africa, now abu dhabi and dubai. Then he tells us not to fly for a weeks sunxhine. What’s next, don’t use infra red lamps to combat seasonal affective disorder because the sun isn’t shining to power it.
The hypocracy is glaring, climate change or not. What next? We had to stay in the 7* hotel cos the pillows are softer and wifi works but lessons must be learned
Don’t tell me the penny has finally dropped with him that taxing the holes off the irish won’t fix the problem., wishful thinking as I don’t think he has the sense to figure that out
@John Meade: Don’t worry, he’s got a tax for us to pay for Saudi soccer costs. The Irish taxes have done so much to stop global warning.
Cabbage head trying to save the world. Give me a break. More tax for the Saudis. . The Man needs to be put back to sleep
He’s going to the United Arab Emirates in an attempt to return to the ways of fossil fuel free Flintstones. It’s going to be an Abu Dhabi do.
Oh no! He’s ruining any chance the League of Ireland has of being taken over by the Saudis…
@William Tallon: They lost interest when EMFA,St.Francis,St.James Gate and Newcastle West fell by the wayside
@Larry Betts: And Drumcondra! The greats…
@Larry Betts: And Cork Albert’s, and dozens of Limericks
@Ollie Fitzpatrick: Bray Unknowns,Cork Hibs,Cork Celtic,Home Farm,Sporting Fingal,Monaghan Utd,Dublin City,Cabinteely,Kildare county,Kilkenny city,Transport
ER must be the most reviled man in Ireland, followed very closely by Leo and Michael Trevelyan.
Why is this Green clown taxing the Irish people into Debt.
Do we get reimbursed from Mr Ryan for polluting our heads for the last two years, full of horse manure taxing us for absolutely everything time we cut his expenses and see how he gets on taking public transport
Sitting in traffic for hours, after his great work, causing the congestion of Ireland out with a green party an absolute useless party. My granny will do a better job.
The whole thing is getting ridiculous now. I asked a girl out on a date recently,she said I have to warn you. I have a meat-free,lactose-free diet. I don’t eat any farmed fish,or any foods that have been processed in any shape or form. I actually identify as a compost bin. We could date,but I’m not sure what night we should go out. I told her I identify as a bin lorry,wait at the gate and I’ll pick you up on Wednesday.
Yeah, anyway
They will pay absolutely no attention to what this dude says cause he has no credibility at or abroad,
What’s the chances he’s going to push for a new tax on all the sports channels showing the golf, Saudi Grand Prix and Newcastle games?
This is Ryan we’re talking about after all.
Ryan is a total and utter joke, an embarrassment of a politician and an even bigger embarrassment as a member of a supposedly intelligent species. A charlatan who is in a position not befitting his intelligence. The guy can’t even string a coherent sentence together without twitching and mixing up words. Roll on the general election
Saudi Arabia does everything better than Ireland.. No drug addiction, low crime and they don’t waste millions on government ideas..
I really think Ryan is the most corrupt politician in Ireland.
He uses 10% truth and then throws a combination of exaggerations and omitions of the truth to keep all his cult following like zombies
Jeez you couldn’t make it up
A national embarrassment
Ryan again failed to mention the 130.plus electric buses bought by Dublin Bus parked up for over a year because of no charging points in place…
@Donal Desmond: Dublin should immediately install charging points at bus stations, if they do have all these very expensive unused buses. Failing to use them is an obvious outrageous failure by the greens.
(Dublin is by far the most populous region, with 1,458,154 inhabitants. (wikipedia List of Irish counties by population). In my opinion, reducing traffic pollution in Dublin would have the greatest social benefit.)
Shut up u bollix Ryan isn’t diesel dear enough as it is
Bus connects is not the answer. Link up dart with luas. I wonder what the cumulative cost of all of these failed projects (bus connects, metro, dart extension etc) is? What if it had been put into a decent underground instead? I despair.
If he’s so concerned, why doesn’t he eff off there and stand for election? Useless twerp.
Ryan is Funny guy and a real leprechaun, im going over to my neighbours to get warm …… its their turn this week…. On my bike
Says the man who praised the worlds biggest polluters China when he was there on a jolly earlier this year! This man has no morals or credibility.
We need to be rid of this mess of a party.
Get
Rid
Environment
Excrement
Nonsense
Party
Well put yer money where yer mouth is and open yer wallet then, Mr I cycle a bike via the government jet to long distance mtgs topping up serious C02 emissions! Contradicting daftie!
The ‘polluter must pay’, but when Steven Donziger won $9.5bn for Ecuadorean farmers & indigenous people from Chevron the US judge Lewis A. Kaplan overturned the ruling based on the false testimony of the presiding Ecuadorean judge. This lead to the disbarment of Donziger in NY & DC. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan then referred the matter to his colleague Judge Loretta Preska who had Donziger jailed. So in that instance the ‘activist must pay’.
Btw, Lewis A. Kaplan was the presiding judge in the E.Jean Carroll v Trump case.
If you paid even a cursory interest in that matter you would know that not only were Carroll’s allegations ridiculous they were physically impossible.
That man is a embarrassment
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