Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
667. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection the commitments made by Ireland under the remit of her Department at COP26 and COP27, respectively; the progress made to date on actioning those, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36883/23]
View answerProgress on the targets outlined in successive Climate Action Plans is reported at gov.ie - Climate Action Plan Progress Reports (www.gov.ie). www.gov.ie/en/publication/55fde-climate-action-important-publications/#progress-reports.
The Department of Social Protection is responsible for two specific actions in the current Climate Action Plan 2023:
- to ensure that targeted social welfare measures are put in place to prevent fuel poverty and support a just transition, and
- to promote timely and tailored activation and training responses for workers whose jobs are at risk by the decarbonisation process.
These actions towards a just transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient society are encompassed in my Department’s overall function to provide social welfare supports and employment services to vulnerable cohorts of society.
The Use of Carbon Tax Funds from Budget 2023, published by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform in September 2022, sets out how the carbon tax revenues are targeted through the social welfare system to prevent fuel poverty and ensure a just transition. Some 35% of the total estimated carbon tax revenues will be spent on social protection measures in 2023 representing a total allocation of €218m for social protection interventions. Carbon tax funds will continue to be utilised to provide targeted social protection measures to prevent fuel poverty and ensure a just transition in the 2024 budget.
Regarding activation and training, when the Department receives a notification of collective redundancy from an employer, the Employer Relations Division of my Department makes contact with the company and provides information on income, redundancy entitlements and employment supports for their impacted employees. This communication contains a video presentation to be shared with their staff. In addition, a team from the Department is available to meet with the workforce, virtually or in person, to ensure speedy access to income supports and to support them into alternative employment, or to access appropriate education, training and development options.
When a person moves onto a jobseeker payment, this team work with the individual focusing on what they need to assist them re-enter the workforce. This individualised support comes in various forms including the provision of supports and schemes available when a customer returns to employment, to full or part time education or who wishes to start their own business. My Department also provides an online jobs portal - JobsIreland.ie.
The Department of Social Protection complies with annual Public Sector Climate Action Mandates and the Public Sector Climate Action Strategy 2023-2025 in working towards agreed emissions reduction targets. The Department’s progress on climate action is reported in its annual reports. In June 2021 the Department of Social Protection was the first government Department to be awarded certification in ISO 50001:2018 Energy Management and has robust systems in place to monitor and measure energy performance and savings. My Department is currently on track to reach the 50% energy reduction target for 2030. We achieved energy efficiency savings of 44% during 2021, an improvement on 42% savings during 2020. The 2022 energy savings figure has yet to be formally verified, but further savings are anticipated following the Department’s participation in the Reduce your Use campaign which commenced in October 2022.
