Fine Gael has higlighted the importance of climate change ahead of the passing of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill.

Fine Gael TD for Limerick, said the party remains fully committed for the Government to publish legislation on climate change.

FG TD Dan Neville said: "Climate change is the greatest challenge facing humanity. It threatens the environment and economic development and the quality of life we enjoy. This generation will be remembered by how it responded to this challenge.

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"The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded that the evidence of climate change was unequivocal. It also shows how man-made emissions of greenhouse gases are driving climate change. Failure to take the necessary action on climate change will have potentially catastrophic effects in many areas of the globe.

"We can forecast the likely weather by monitoring the climate and this is important for many reasons.

"The Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Ann Phelan outlined that mitigation targets are already prescribed and will be agreed for all member states, including Ireland, on an incremental basis over the coming decades.

"Any agreement on targets must take account of Ireland's specific circumstances and be achievable, fair and economically sustainable. In this regard, specific recognition was given to the multiple objectives of agriculture and land use, including reference to ensuring coherence between the EU's food security and climate change objectives."

(CD)