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Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar TD, President of University College Cork Professor John O'Halloran, UCC student and climate activist Alicia O’Sullivan, and Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD. (Picture: Provision)
University College Cork (UCC) this morning welcomes the Cabinet who are meeting in the historic Aula Maxima at the university.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar TD and Minister Eamon Ryan TD were greeted upon arrival in the Quad by UCC President Professor John O’Halloran who escorted them to the President’s Office for the signing of the visitor’s book and the presentation of a gift of UCC Alma Nectar honey, which is produced at the UCC apiary on campus.
“We warmly welcome Taoiseach Micheál Martin and his Ministers to UCC this morning. It is a particularly proud moment for us to have a Cork Taoiseach bring his Cabinet to his alma mater, and we have a number of distinguished alumni among the Ministers here today” stated Professor O‘Halloran.
UCC student and climate activist Alicia O’Sullivan (20) will meet with political leaders during the visit by the Government to UCC today. The second-year law student from Skibbereen, represented Ireland at the first UN youth climate summit in New York in 2019 and is a delegate to the upcoming United Nations (UN) Climate Change conference (COP26) which commences on the 31st October.
UCC, as the only Irish university with representative status at the COP26 conference, will have a delegation in attendance in Glasgow.
“It is vital that those in positions of power are listening to the voice of our generation, who will be most impacted by climate change. It is even more crucial that they are taking major steps to combat climate change whilst supporting the people through a just transition” stated Alicia, who is the recipient of Quercus Active Citizenship Scholarship, which recognises students who make exceptional contribution to Citizenship, Community Engagement, Volunteering, or Community Leadership.
This is second time that a Government Cabinet has convened at University College Cork, with the first meeting occurring in 2017.
