Ireland is a small country, but we’re an influential country. People listen to what we have to say. We now have a seat on the United Nations Security Council.

Ireland needs to be the first country in the world that calls for the imposition of economic sanctions on the Bolsonaro regime in Brazil because of its action. To date, the Brazilian government has ignored demands to stop the burning of the rainforest.

The Amazon rainforest is vital for containing climate change. It absorbs harmful carbon dioxide that otherwise would go into the atmosphere. We need to protect these lungs of the planet, not just for the people of South America but for the whole world. The reckless burning of the rainforest is irreparably damaging all of our global efforts to stop climate change.

Last year 5 million acres of the Amazon rainforest were deliberately burned. To put this into perspective this is an area roughly the size of Leinster or Wales. This shameful act of eco-vandalism is part of an ongoing strategy by the Bolsonaro regime in Brazil to destroy the rainforest.