INDEPENDENT TD FOR Kerry, Danny Healy-Rae today had his say on climate change, telling TDs that God alone is in charge of the weather.

In a Dáil discussion on the topic, the newly elected TD said he doesn’t “agree with all this story about climate change at all”.

He said there have been patterns of climate change for years – “before indeed there was ever a combustible engine working in this country or in any other country”.

If we go back to the 11th and the 12th centuries, this country was roasted out of it and in the 15th and 16th centuries we were drowned out of it. In the 1740s, we’d a famine that we lost over three million people because of two years of bad weather.

“Mankind, I don’t believe, had any hand, act or part in it,” he told the Dáil.

He went on to say that he believes “God above is in charge of the weather and that we here can’t do anything about it”.

Healy-Rae also referenced the suggestion of an investment of €3 million in weather forecasting, pointing out “that won’t change the weather”.

Carbon tax is costing all sectors of our community massive sums of money. It is hurting the young fella going to work in the morning, it’s hurting the fella with the lorry on the road, it’s hurting the tractors out in the farm and the question is: Where is the money that’s being collected in carbon tax going?

Also speaking on the topic, Alan Kelly was upset about the low turnout in the chamber for the discussion.

He said he felt like he was effectively speaking to himself as there was just one member of the Fine Gael party present.