Action must be taken to move Ireland to a zero carbon society, according to Sinn Féin.

The party's Energy, Environment & Climate Change spokesperson, Cathal Boylan MLA, said with three extreme weather events having already hit Ireland this year, climate change poses a "real threat" to the island.

The Newry/Armagh MLA made his comments following a consultation meeting with stakeholders on Sinn Féin's ‘Powering Ireland 2030' document, which sets out the party's vision of how the country can change from being dependant on fossil fuels to relying on renewable energy.

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He said: "The Paris Agreement along with European Union targets on energy generation from renewable sources are helping shape policy with the environment at its heart.

"Sinn Féin's priority is to ensure that Ireland is sustainable and secure and energy in Ireland is affordable for all. No one in our society should be struggling to heat their homes.

"Our vision for Ireland can be achieved by redirecting public, semi-state and private investment into developing and deploying a new energy mix.

"There is an onus on the two governments and business to lead the way to be ambitious and proactive in transitioning to renewable energy generation and developing on advanced energy storage systems."

(LM/MH)