Eamon Ryan alters statement on climate case, says he didn’t initiate move against ‘Swiss grannies’

Mr Ryan said the statement in which he accepted responsibility for Ireland’s controversial intervention in the case “could have been phrased better”.

The statement, a reply to a parliamentary question by Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore, said: “I sought and was granted Government approval for Ireland to seek leave to intervene.”

A fresh statement issued on his behalf now says: “It was on the advice of the Attorney General that the Government made an intervention in the case.”

However, the original reply remained on the Oireachtas record yesterday.

Ms Whitmore said Mr Ryan’s clarification was a “desperate attempt to rewrite history”.

“The reality is that the Government went to extraordinary lengths to fight the case,” she said.

“The fact is that the Attorney General can only provide advice. It is the Minister, as a member of the cabinet, who signed off on this approach.”

The KlimaSeniorinnen (Swiss Women for Climate) group achieved a landmark victory when the ECHR ruled earlier this month that the Swiss government’s inaction on climate action breached their human rights.

Legal experts say the ruling in the so-called Swiss grannies case has implications for all countries that are ECHR members.

That includes Ireland, which took the unusual step of sending a legal team to the hearing to join the Swiss government in opposing the women.

Mr Ryan’s reply to Ms Whitmore said court action was not the best way to tackle the climate crisis.

“While the Government shares the environmental concerns of the applicants, the global climate crisis cannot best be addressed by litigation,” it said.

Ms Whitmore said this was an attempt to stave off potential cases by activists in Ireland when the emission reduction targets in the Climate Act are missed.

Mr Ryan’s fresh statement rejects that interpretation.

“Minister Ryan designed the Climate Act to be justiciable - meaning that people can take the Government to the Irish courts if they believe the Government is not living up to these commitments,” it says.

“He has been involved in climate campaigning here in Ireland for over 30 years and internationally has played a leading role in pushing for greater climate action on behalf of both Ireland and the EU at COP.

“Any developments that move the planet along that path are to be welcomed.”

Ireland also sent a legal team to the ECHR to oppose a case by six youth climate activists from Portugal against 33 EU countries and neighbouring states, but restricted involvement to extensive written submissions.

The young activists’ case was deemed inadmissible in a ruling delivered the same day as the KlimaSeniorinnen’s ruling.

Ms Whitmore said Mr Ryan should not have supported the State’s interventions.

“The minister should hold his hands up, accept he got this wrong and vow to never again use the State’s limited resources to fight against climate justice.”