Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 October 2019
65. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if the next round of climate action fund will go ahead in 2019 as planned and outlined under the National Development Plan 2018-2027 tranche of Project 2040; and if it will be open to all organisations and not just public organisations, in view of the fact that the 2018 funding allocation was exclusively provided to public organisations. [42302/19]
View answerThe Climate Action Fund is one of four funds established under the National Development Plan 2018-2027 as part of Project Ireland 2040. The fund supports initiatives that contribute to the achievement of Ireland's climate and energy targets in a cost effective manner. It also offers the potential for innovative interventions which, in the absence of support from the Fund, would not otherwise be developed.
The specific focus of the first call for applications under the Climate Action Fund was to provide grant funding to larger scale projects that are scheduled to commence development in 2019 or 2020. That call was open to applications from the public and private sectors.
Support from the Climate Action Fund is provided via a competitive process and all applications received by the deadline were put through the same assessment process. An Advisory Board was convened to oversee the project assessment and recommend projects to be eligible for support to the Fund to myself, as Minister, for approval. The Advisory Board is chaired by my Department, and includes representatives from other relevant departments and independent expert members.
The Climate Action Plan sets out that the next round of the Climate Action Fund will open in Q4 2019.
My officials are working with the office of Parliamentary Counsel to finalise the text of legislation which will repurpose the NORA levy.
