Stop Climate Chaos and Trócaire lobby TDs
How do you persuade dozens of Irish politicians to commit to a strong Climate Bill? Trócaire, working with the Stop Climate Chaos coalition, found a way! 
Dozens of individual voters contacted their local TDs through an innovative online action, and then met them for one-on-one discussions at Buswells Hotel - just across the road from the Dáil - on 2nd June 2010.
I signed up to take the action, but I was a little nervous on the day because (to my shame) this would be the first time I'd ever spoken with my elected representatives, other than when they knocked on my door at election time.
Thankfully, the Stop Climate Chaos team had everything sorted on the day. The Georgian Room in Buswells Hotel was set up with tea, coffee, water and biscuits. A cheerful team of volunteers had a list of everyone who was coming along, together with information packs, pens and badges.
At 10am there was a fascinating briefing on the issue of climate change, followed by role-playing practice sessions where we had the chance to ask each other awkward questions.
Confident in our new skills, we waited for the first TDs to arrive. We didn't have long to wait.
My four local TDs had all agreed to meet me - first past the post was Fianna Fail Minister
for State Aine Brady (whose ministerial portfolio was one of the most extensive I had ever seen!). Minister Brady listened intently to my pre-prepared introduction to climate change, which gradually became more fluent as conversation deepened. We were asking for no more cuts to the aid budgets, to cut pollution rather than purchase carbon credits and to ensure that extra help would be provided to support smallscale farmers (mostly women) who were affected by climate change in the developing world.
Our discussion moved onto topics such as encouraging green industry, the double cost of purchasing climate credits, and the importance of bringing in measures to ensure that the new Irish carbon taxes will not adversely affect those on low incomes.
Minister Brady then signed the Commitment to a Strong Climate Bill, which the Stop Climate
Coalition team had pre-prepared. We pinned this to the wall alongside the growing display of signed commitments.
Next to arrive was Deputy Emmet Stagg, Chief Whip of the Labour Party. He had already discussed the issued with the entire parliamentary party, and was ready to sign the Commitment to a Strong Climate Change Bill straight away. This took the wind out of my sails a little as I had already taken a deep breath to launch into the issues, but he politely listened while I outlined what we were hoping to achieve. He agreed with the three key issues, and signed the Commitment as Chief Whip on behalf of the entire Labour parliamentary party - 22 TDs and 5 Senators.
Unfortunately, I didn't find my other two TDs in the packed room. Luckily, Stop Climate Chaos had a Plan B - personalised postcards with a message from constituents - like me - who had missed their TDs.
I have to admit I really admired the courage of the TDs who came along. These men and women had chosen to come to a large event, on their own, where their views and actions on climate change would be strongly challenged. And yet they came along anyway, with a genuine interest in engaging on the issues.
If you'd like to get more involved in campaigning on issues that are important to you, the simplest place to start is right here, right now - why not begin by taking Trócaire's online actions on climate change and hunger!
