Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 November 2018
546. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans since taking office to increase ambition in tackling climate change and ensuring Ireland becomes a leader on climate action; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48321/18]
View answerl have secured Government approval to prepare an all of government plan which will set out the actions which must be taken in every government department and body to make Ireland a leader in responding to climate change. I will work with colleagues across Government to develop new initiatives across electricity, transport, heat, agriculture and other relevant sectors. The new plan will have a strong focus on implementation, including actions with clear timelines and steps needed to achieve each action, assigning clear lines of responsibility for delivery. The new plan will also be informed by successful approaches in other countries, where such approaches could be adapted for implementation in Ireland. This Plan will build on the previous actions taken by government, including in the National Mitigation Plan and the National Development Plan.
Ireland's National Mitigation Plan, published in 2017, sets out the sectoral policy measures required in order to manage Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions at a level appropriate for making progress towards our long-term national transition objective, as well as taking into account our EU and international obligations. Although this first Plan does not provide a complete roadmap to achieve our national transition objective to 2050, it begins the process of development of medium- to long-term options to ensure that we are well positioned to take the necessary actions in the next and future decades.
Building on the National Mitigation Plan, the publication in February of the National Development Plan reaffirms the Government’s commitment to transitioning Ireland to a low carbon, climate resilient economy and society. Reflecting the strong commitment of Government on this issue, almost €22 billion will be directed, between Exchequer and non-Exchequer resources, to addressing the transition to a low-carbon and climate resilient society. This means that about €1 in €5 spent under the National Development Plan will be on climate action and this capital investment will enable us to deliver a significant reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions over the period to 2030.
