Vol. 1066 No. 1
7. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department has carried out any cross-simulation or cost analysis of the fines Ireland may incur if it fails to meet its 2030 climate targets; his views on whether equivalent investment would be better directed towards domestic climate action measures rather than paying fines to the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18131/25]
Go n-éirí leis an Aire ina phost nua. Has the Department carried out any cross-simulation or cost analysis of the potential fines that we are going to face if we do not reach our 2030 climate targets? Does the Minister agree that we should put the equivalent investment into our country rather than paying other EU countries, as a tap on the back, for the hard work they did? I want to know what the Department is doing because we need to do it now, at the start of this programme for Government, rather than in five years' time.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta agus go n-éirí leis ina phost nua. As part of EU efforts to tackle climate change, Ireland has accepted specific emissions reductions targets for the period to 2030, set by the EU effort sharing regulation, ESR. These targets are also in line with domestic commitments in Irish law as set out in the climate Act 2021. Ireland can meet these targets by reducing emissions and through additional compliance but it is going to be very challenging. Let us be straight about that. We are going in the right direction but I am acutely aware that they are very exacting targets. Compliance options are provided for in the ESR framework, including the purchase of allowances from other member states that have over-performed on their own targets, but if we look at other EU member states and their projections out to 2030, I do not think there will necessarily be many of them, to be honest. The approach enables flexibility among member states to help achieve targets as efficiently as possible.
To answer the Deputy's question directly, there is no framework for the fines. I have read the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, reports and other independent reports on what the fines might be. At a European level, a discussion needs to happen about ensuring that states invest further, as Deputy Heneghan has rightly said. There is no framework at the moment that details what the structure of any fines will be. If we look at the existing measures we are taking, there were emissions reductions last year of about 6.8% and about 2.2% in the previous year, while our economy was growing. We are also seeing a continued increase in renewables. We are certainly on the right pathway but I want to accelerate that. I will be having discussions with European colleagues around the framework for any potential fines. However, the EU, instead of just fining states, must look at ways to ensure that states invest further in their energy infrastructure, in measures to reduce emissions and in renewable energy. I agree with the central core of Deputy Heneghan's contribution.
In the context of the climate action that we need to take, there is really only one show in town for Ireland, and we all know that is our offshore renewable energy. While I welcome the fact that there has been a €90 million investment in Cork port, it is not enough. We need to be investing hundreds of millions of euro in our ports because we need to extend them out and widen them. Otherwise, the giant vessels that are going to be delivering the components for the future of offshore renewable energy development will not be able to get into the ports and will not be as efficient as possible. I know the Minister is well aware of that. Will the Department commit to investing hundreds of millions of euro right now to prevent us facing billions in fines in the future? It is the young people up here who will be paying taxes on this. It is not going to be a one-time thing. This is going to be our future if we do not reach our targets. We will be fined again and again. We need to solve this now, at the start of the Government's term, rather than in five years' time.
The future is renewables and particularly offshore renewables. We have six projects off the east coast in planning, as the Deputy knows. We have our first designated maritime area plan, DMAP, through, which is in the south east. I will be bringing forward proposals to the Government in the coming weeks to accelerate the DMAP process. I have met stakeholders, including in the development sector, and will meet representatives of the Climate Change Advisory Council, CCAC, this afternoon. It is critical but we have a resource that we can use, unlike other countries that do not have the opportunity we have. Next week, I will be attending the switching-on of the interconnector. Our interconnectors with continental Europe are also critical.
There is the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund and the review of the national development plan, NDP, is under way. It will require significant investment by the State in our infrastructure. I am visiting the Port of Cork, coincidentally, on Monday and I have been in Shannon Foynes as well. The latter's master plan is completed. We need to get the port infrastructure in place. Cork port is done and I commend it on the work it has done. Planning is well advanced in Shannon Foynes and in ports on the east coast.
I welcome the fact the Minister has been engaging with me on private wires legislation and I know he has a huge job ahead of him. I wish him the best of luck in his phost nua.
The Government is currently paying for research, funded by Research Ireland and conducted by Dr. James Carton, my previous professor in sustainability engineering at DCU and his colleagues at UCD. What they are telling us is that we now need to invest hundreds of millions, if not billions, to ensure this is done. Will the Minister's office release a statement outlining what is going to be done? This is not just a chance to decarbonise our energy system. It is also a chance to save ourselves billions that could be invested in schools, hospitals, Gaelscoileanna, disability services and so on. It is going to save the Exchequer millions. I understand that it is very hard for the Department to put millions into ports because there is an issue there. Can that be removed so that the Government can pump money into the ports? We do not have the infrastructure to take in the equipment. If we are serious about changing the LNG plant to a green hydrogen plant, we need to make the investment such that there will not be a bottleneck for this energy.
The State is investing tens of millions in this sector right now. We have put the legislative infrastructure in place. That was done in the previous Dáil. I had the honour of bringing forward the Maritime Area Planning Act, which was passed in this House, although it was not supported by everyone. It saw the establishment of Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, MARA. I will meet representatives of MARA next Wednesday to discuss how we can streamline our consenting process. Next week, I will be bringing to Cabinet the Climate Action Plan 2025, which was delayed simply because of the general election. That will be brought forward and published. It outlines what we are doing this year.
I am also working on an energy and climate strategy and have the full support of the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste in regard to the acceleration of our green transition. The focus has to be on renewables and the offshore renewable sector will be a game changer for this country for decades. I want to secure our own energy, give us an opportunity to grow our economy and our society and potentially become an energy exporter. We are not 100 years away from that at all. We are looking at having the first of the offshore renewable wind farms up and running, potentially by the end of the decade or certainly by the early 2030s, with many more coming on stream after that.
8. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department has carried out, commissioned, or consulted on any research into the likely climate impact of US LNG imported into Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17929/25]
25. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on whether a commercial LNG facility along the lines of Shannon LNG is compatible with the State’s legally binding greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17927/25]
I asked the Minister previously if he was aware of the emissions impact that US LNG would have here, which is estimated to be at least 33% worse than coal. He initially ignored the question and then waffled on about it depending on various factors. I am asking again, more precisely, what research his Department has carried out, whether commissioned or consulted, into the likely climate impact of imported US LNG.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 25 together.
We have had a good discussion on LNG already, because we have been here since 10.23 a.m., but I thank the Deputy for his question.
I was at a Dáil Business Committee meeting.
Well done, that is great. I hope the Deputy was working with colleagues in a constructive manner this morning, as one would expect.
I thank the Deputy for the question. I know he has a certain view on this. I mentioned to colleagues earlier that we could not ignore the advice we have received with regard to our own energy security, and the FSRU is absolutely needed. I am going to be publishing the CEPA analysis in the coming weeks. I have made an offer to Deputies Daly, Whitmore, Heneghan and anyone else who is interested and wants to look at the independent analysis around this. I will be publishing it and I have also offered to hold a briefing for Members.
We are committed to our climate targets. I want to be very clear on that, but also within our climate action plan is energy stability and security. The decision on the FSRU is absolutely consistent with our climate action plan and, by the way, with our EU obligations. Our commitment to Ireland's electricity generation from renewable sources is absolutely firm. We want to accelerate the delivery of that, and it is through delivery on this commitment that a secure and sustainable energy future will be delivered. As the Deputy knows, I recently received Government approval for the State-led, State-owned, State-managed strategic gas emergency reserve. That delivery of a temporary gas reserve is critical to our energy security as we continue the transition to indigenous clean renewable energy. Crucially, the strategic gas emergency reserve will also ensure compliance with EU standards and regulation. That emergency reserve will be in the form of the FSRU, to be owned by the State through our system operator, Gas Networks Ireland with an approach similar to that in respect of the National Oil Reserves Agency.
In identifying this as the optimal approach, my Department has built upon an extensive review of security of Ireland’s gas and electricity systems which was approved by Government in the Energy Security in Ireland to 2030 plan published in November 2023. I am sure that is available to the Deputy as well. This plan includes a range of external reviews and analyses that considered all potential options and impacts from a security and sustainability perspective. The energy security package set out Ireland’s ambition to transform our energy system and support our climate objectives. The plan includes 28 actions under the pillars of sustainability, affordability and security. Under action 17 of that plan, GNI was tasked with reviewing and recommending the optimal approach. The extensive body of work that culminated in the publication of the energy security package has been complemented by the GNI report. A number of emergency exercises were carried out, and an updated projection regarding the compliance with EU N-1 infrastructure standard taking into account the most up-to-date data. The strategic gas emergency reserve is a transitional measure that supports a secure transition of our energy system, and the policy decision taken by Government ensures that the risk of stranded fossil fuel assets is reduced. The reserve will be used for emergency only and does not support increased gas demand.
The strategic gas reserve is not intended for commercial use. The liquified natural gas will be held in reserve for use in the event of a significant disruption to gas supplies and will be divested when no longer required to secure our energy systems. The policy decision ensures the risk of stranded fossil fuel assets is reduced. As I said, the reserve will be used for emergency use. The source of the LNG supply for the reserve has yet to be determined. The operation of the strategic gas emergency reserve will be underpinned by policy and legislation that my Department is progressing as a matter of priority.
I wish to inform the House that Questions Nos. 8 and 25 are grouped, so there is no confusion.
The Minister has a very simple question in front of him. For the benefit of anyone watching these proceedings from outside the House, he receives the question in advance and his civil servants write an answer. The question asked whether the Minister and the Department have carried out, commissioned or consulted any research into the likely climate impact of US energy imported into Ireland. The Minister did not answer that question at all. I can only assume, therefore, that the answer is "No", and that the Minister is planning to import a lot of US LNG fracked gas into Ireland without even considering the climate impact. There is a peer-reviewed paper by Professor Robert Howarth which makes the case very convincingly that it is at least 33% worse than coal. The reason for that is that methane, rather than carbon dioxide, makes up the majority of LNG emissions, and methane is 80 times more damaging to the climate over a 20-year period, which is the crucial timeframe for avoiding catastrophic climate collapse.
The Deputy has a bit of a fixation on this. I have talked about-----
I do.
Yes, you do. The reality of it is that I cannot ignore the risks the State has with regard to our energy supply. It would be dereliction of my duty as Minister on behalf of our citizens if I ignored the independent advice I have with regard to the risk to our society, economy and country should there be a disruption to our gas supply.
I said this earlier, but I appreciate that the Deputy was at the Business Committee. I told colleagues that the legal advice that was received by my predecessor in this regard was very clear that a distinction could not be made in respect of the type of gas that would be imported through LNG. No one is saying, by the way, that this is US imported gas. Deputy Murphy is saying that. That has not even been determined. The procurement-----
The message-----
It has not. It suits the Deputy's narrative-----
Come on.
-----that he goes out and starts telling people we are buying fracked gas from the United States. That is not the question at all, but it suits the Deputy's narrative that he will be able to stoke up anger in this regard. We are doing pretty well as a country with regard to our transition to green energy. On an average day, approximately 33% of our energy is generated through renewables. We need to do a lot better, and we are going to accelerate that. That means things like the Planning and Development Act we passed last year to help us accelerate the delivery of renewables, an Act, by the way, the Deputy opposed. He also opposed the marine planning Act, which was incredible. We did not have a planning architecture for our maritime area, and, to try to streamline that, we created and established the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, MARA. Again, the Deputy and others in the Opposition actually opposed it. I cannot understand their reasons-----
The Minister would have to read them first.
-----for opposing it. I brought the Bill forward. On one hand, some Deputies opposite will say they want a green transition and to move towards renewables - we are doing that - but when we bring forward any legislation that actually assists in doing that, they oppose it just because it is the Government that brings forward the legislation,.
Yes, I have a fixation on climate change.
No, you do not.
Climate change is going to destroy the lives of our children.
You are twisting-----
It is going to make----
You are twisting what I said again.
-----the earth effectively largely uninhabitable for all but the richest. That is the trajectory we are on. I have a fixation on climate change, absolutely.
That is not what I said.
The Minister should have a fixation on climate change.
You are twisting it now.
You should-----
That is not what I said.
Well, what do I have a fixation on?
Carry on and I will respond.
What do I have a fixation on? If it was not climate change, what do I have a fixation on?
Read the record. I will come back in on a supplementary comment.
Deputies, please.
So-----
Read the record. I did not say that.
I have a fixation on climate change, and if the Minister's point is that I have a fixation on fossil fuels, yes, I do, because fossil fuels are what is driving the vast majority of climate change. He is proposing, as Minister for the environment, who has responsibility for climate action, to import the dirtiest fossil fuel possible. That is what he is proposing. He is saying now to not worry. He is not saying it is not going to be US fracked gas because he is correctly saying we cannot draw a distinction, which the previous Government tried to mislead people about by saying we could have LNG and to not worry because it would not be fracked gas. The Minister is admitting it could well be fracked gas, but he is not able to tell me that it is not going to be US fracked gas. I ask him to say on the record that this will not be US fracked gas. He knows that of course it is going to be US fracked gas. What else is it going to be? Incredibly, by not answering the question the Minister is telling me he has not conducted any studies in this regard. The Howarth paper was a key factor in the Biden Administration's decision to bring in a moratorium on new US LNG export facilities in January 2024. That was reversed by Trump, who is a climate denier. In changing the policy here to allow US fracked gas imports, the Government is aligning itself with Trump and climate denial.
The Minister needs to deal with the reality of the science of what the impact of fracked gas is. This is the dirtiest fossil fuel possible and the Minister has not commissioned any research or any evidence to suggest that is not the case. He thinks it is fine, and that we are going to run through this five or six times per year in our so-called strategic reserve that is going to displace even other gas as the dirtiest fossil fuel.
No, it is not. What I accused the Deputy of was being fixated with LNG and with a floating strategic gas reserve that we actually need. It has been very clearly set out that the fact that we do not have a strategic gas reserve is a risk to our society, our country and our energy stability. I did not mention climate in my response to the Deputy at the start or accuse him of being fixated with climate change. I am; I am the Minister responsible for climate. I am the Minister responsible for ensuring we increase our renewables and unlock the potential we have around our coasts for the delivery of offshore renewables.
I will state for the benefit of those watching the Deputy's track record on climate matters. He did not support the climate Act. He does not support the carbon tax. He does not support any of the measures that have been-----
I did support the climate Act. The Government is not implementing it.
The Deputy does not support any of the measures we have brought forward, such as the marine planning Act, the planning Act or anything like that.
Will the Minister correct the record in respect of the climate Act?
Everything from his side is purely oppositional for the sake of opposition. There is a serious global climate crisis. We are all aware of that and should be working together to accelerate the delivery of renewables. Gas demand will not start to decrease until approximately 2035. It will be a transitionary fuel. As I said to Deputies in response to earlier questions, we should compare the situation with where we have come from. There is now no peat in our energy system. From June, there will be no coal in our energy system. We are accelerating the delivery of onshore renewables. We want to see more wind and solar onshore and substantially more renewables offshore. We will have a real opportunity in the years to the end of this decade to make a significant step change in that regard. We are going to be investing heavily in our grid through price review 6, which will be coming to Government shortly. It will be the most substantial investment in our electricity grid in decades, if not ever, to bring onshore the offshore renewables that we will develop over the coming few years.
9. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on the role of data centres and capacity payments in pushing up the cost of energy for households and privatising the energy system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17930/25]
It was recently reported that householders collectively paid approximately €454 million per year in capacity payments to data centres between 2007 and 2018. Since then, it has more than doubled to €1 billion per year. With 11 more data centres under construction and applications for 30 more, this massive subsidy form ordinary people to data centres is only going to grow. Is the Government going to do nothing to stop data centres from pushing up household energy costs?
I thank the Deputy for the question. The programme for Government acknowledges the increased energy cost pressures on households and businesses, and aims to bring forward a number of measures to help contain energy costs. These include bringing forward taxation measures to help contain energy costs. We have established a cross-government energy affordability task force to identify, assess and implement measures that will enhance energy affordability for households and businesses. We will also carry out a review of the regulatory framework with a view to increasing Ireland's overall supply and interdependence.
The Government also recognises that data centres are critically important infrastructure for our modern economy. They provide the foundation for almost all online aspects of life. Our intent is to deliver a balanced approach to facilitating additional demand for energy while also ensuring the competitiveness of our energy system.
It should be noted that the core driver of high energy bills for Irish households, consumers and businesses in recent years has been high wholesale energy prices. Ireland is a price taker on international energy markets and the rise in wholesale gas prices since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the connections between gas and electricity prices has, therefore, had a serious impact on householders' energy costs. Delivery of modern, flexible, detachable generation capacity is important to support a high renewable electricity system. This new modern capacity allows for the integration of a large volume of wind and solar energy projects that displace the need to run fossil fuel plants and thus reduce wholesale market prices. This capacity is procured through competitive auctions in the all-island capacity remuneration mechanism, and the most recent auction delivered a range of technologies, including long duration storage and demand-side responses which lessen Ireland's dependence on fossil fuel imports.
That sounded like an admission that data centres are pushing up household energy prices. The Minister of State might confirm that the Government accepts that is happening. That means the crazy data centre policy of the Government to allow big tech to come here and dump as much of this 21st century toxic waste as it can is not only driving us further from our climate goals, where the extra energy used by data centres is more than the extra renewable energy we have added to the grid through wind power since 2017, but is also driving household energy bills even higher. This is madness in the short, medium and long terms. We are prioritising the profits of big tech corporations and the need for data centres, which provide very few jobs. They guzzle electricity and water. We are putting them before people's needs today and the need for a habitable planet.
I thank the Deputy. I disagree with his comment that data centres create only a few jobs. The role that data centres play in the economy is significant for large tech and foreign direct investment, FDI. We will continue to support our commitment to working with key stakeholders in that area, including the IDA, to identify and support new approaches. That is important. We need to integrate large-scale demand and sustainability into our energy system but we also need to strike a balance. New data centre grid connections are now considered by system operators on a case-by-case basis. We are also in line with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, around the direction to system operators around data centre grid connection. The CRU is also working to reprofile when and where to establish these data centres to ensure that the developments have access to a renewable source. The CRU has also completed its review of connections of large-scale energy users and the Government is reviewing the CRU's proposed direction in this regard.
On the question of jobs, the Minister of State might confirm how many jobs are directly in data centres. Would I be correct in saying that there are fewer than 3,000 jobs in data centres? For a sector that is going to be using 30% of our electricity by 2030, the waste of electricity and water, and the impact that has on housing construction and other issues, is quite incredible. We recently found out that by 2032, 9% of gas demand will be coming from just the 11 islanded data centres that are currently connected directly to the gas network. If the Government grants permission to the two dozen data centres that have applied for direct connection, that demand will quadruple to 36% of gas demand. We are burning fossil fuels directly to run data centres. We are looking at an increasingly privatised energy system where we pay through the nose for data centres to burn gas in onsite gas power plants. That is linked to the discussion we have already had about LNG. This is, of course, likely going to be fuelled by fracked US LNG.
The Deputy needs to consider that the tech investment going into these data centres and the AI revolution is leading the way around renewable energy solutions.
No, it is not. It is not at all.
Ireland needs to be to the fore in this regard. We all know that AI will unlock opportunities to produce solutions-----
Does the Minister of State know how much extra energy we are going to need?
Why does the Deputy interrupt people all the time?
-----to energy and efficiency measures. We are certainly committed and have said that we will ensure we have clear principles for sustained data centre development. We published our statement on the role of data centres in Ireland's enterprise strategy. We want clearer guidance for decision makers in the planning process. We also want to encourage the data centre sector to implement decarbonised energy solutions that not just increase efficiency but also decarbonise by design. That is important. It is our preference. We want to transition to a situation whereby we have renewable energy sources close to any of these new infrastructural developments.
10. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the extent to which the Oileáin Árann decarbonisation zone in County Galway has achieved the required 7% annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions; the status of the implementation plan to achieve the reduction; the resources allocated to Galway County Council in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17823/25]
15. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No. 111 of 20 February 2025, the extent to which the decarbonisation zone in Galway city has achieved the required 7% annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions; the status of the implementation plan to achieve the reduction; the resources allocated to Galway City Council in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17822/25]
I will stay with decarbonisation, particularly the decarbonisation zones in Oileáin Árann and Galway city. I seek an update on what has been achieved in respect of the annual 7% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, the status of the implementation plan and the resources involved. Neither of the local authorities can do much without resources. I will come back to the matter of the delay. For the moment, it would be positive if the Minister could give me an update.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 15 together.
Local authorities play a key role, working with local communities and businesses, in delivering climate action. The Deputy can be sure of my continued support for local authorities to do that. This role is underpinned by the statutory requirement on each local authority to prepare a local authority climate action plan. Following approval by each council’s elected members, all local authorities adopted their plans in the first quarter of 2024.
Galway City Council and Galway County Council adopted their plans in February 2024. Each local authority established a decarbonising zone, DZ, as part of its plan. DZs are intended to be the focus for a range of climate mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity measures. The Galway City Council decarbonising zones includes parts of Newcastle, Rahoon, Shantalla, and Westside, while Galway County Council selected Oileáin Árann as its decarbonising zone. Galway City Council has established a community one-stop shop in its decarbonising zone to provide guidance to households on retrofitting and a training accelerator programme for the construction industry. Galway County Council is already involved in several climate action projects on the Aran Islands, including Athchúrsáil Árann Teoranta, an award-winning waste collection, recycling and reuse project. Detail on the progress of the local authority climate action plans and the DZs will be made available later this year in line with the statutory annual reporting requirements.
Decarbonising zones offer a significant opportunity for every local authority to drive, promote and showcase climate action at a local level. The week after next, we will, in conjunction with four local authorities, be looking at the progress made in their own climate action plans. To support local authorities, my Department established a decarbonising zone advisory group with the SEAI and it is providing €5.8 million annually to support implementation of those plans. We are also providing €2 million annually to the climate action regional offices, which are supporting local authorities to implement their climate plans and the decarbonising zones. Local authorities recently showcased their work on climate action at an event in Wexford. The implementation and monitoring of local authority climate action plans and indeed the decarbonisation zones is, in the first instance, a matter for the local authorities. They are required to do that on a statutory basis. As Minister, I can assure the Deputy that I will work closely with the local authorities to maximise the potential from the implementation of the plans and decarbonising zones and to showcase progress nationally.
The specific progress on each of the plans will be published later this year. On foot of the Deputy's question, I have sought specific details relating to Galway City Council and Galway County Council. I assure the Deputy, and experience in my previous portfolio will assist me in this, that the local authority network is critical to ensuring that our climate plans are implemented on the ground. These are really good community projects which need to be supported by our local authorities. I will be supporting them as Minister. Over the past four and a half or five years, I have got to know pretty much every director of service right the way across the country. I have been in the Deputy's own dáilcheantar, as she knows, many times and I look forward to visiting Galway again. On the specific measures, I have sought further details for the Deputy on which I will correspond directly with her but the full report will be published later this year.
I look forward to that report and the Minister might give me some indication as to the quarter in which it will be published. As usual, the reason I am sceptical is the delay. I want to praise the city council in Galway. It came up trumps. It was actually within the time limit and it identified the decarbonisation zone. I am from that area originally but am not in it now, although it is quite a big area so I will have to check. I know Shantalla and the area very well. It is beside the university and it is a wonderful example of climate change in action. However, it cannot be done without a properly resourced team. The county council, which we meet regularly along with the Minister's colleagues on a cross-party basis, continuously tells us that it is underfunded. As it cannot even manage to do the roads it is supposed to be doing, I do not know how it can manage this extremely important project. I am familiar with the Aran Islands. It is part of my constituency and I go out there regularly.
I welcome this positive news but the decarbonisation zone was identified by Galway back in 2018 or 2019. We are now in 2025 and I would like to know what progress has been made. Once again, I am not criticising the city council at all; I am asking the Department what monitoring will take place. Will it be monitored independently? What system would be in place for monitoring it? When the report is published later this year, who will give us that report? What markers will be there to show us how much has been achieved? Where are we in respect of our obligation on the 7% reduction? I can tell the Minister that the people of Galway were always ahead of us. Some 20 years ago they are asking us to have a zero-waste policy. We produced a plan in Galway city, which was actually rejected, where we were looking at zero waste. We had a public authority-run facility for recycling, reuse and so on, but the Government privatised it all and we went backwards.
I agree with the Deputy that many communities have been ahead of successive Governments on this but, to be fair, the Government is here to support communities and local authorities. To specifically answer the Deputy's question as regards even the financial support for local authorities, first, local authorities have never been better funded than over the past five years. By any fair assessment, if one looks at the funding streams and the level of funding they have received, it has been very significant. This is particularly the case in respect of the local authority climate action plans and the decarbonising zones. If I go back to 2022, €3.2 million was paid out by my Department to the sector to begin phase 1. In 2023, that increased to €4.7 million and that was paid for the sector to develop phase 2. In 2024, that increased again, to €5.815 million in annual funding. Under this agreement to date, some €5.6 million of that has actually been paid out.
I agree with Deputy Connolly that implementation is critical. I have seen some of the work already across the local authorities. I was in Kilkenny on Monday and saw some very good work by the climate and active travel teams there. We have to support those plans and the implementation of them on the ground. On the reporting of these plans later this year, I will get the Deputy the information on exactly which quarter that will be. I do not have that information to hand. It will show how each of the climate action plans at a local level are performing and the assessment of that. I will get the Deputy those details as to when exactly that will be published.
I intend to be in Galway over the summer and I will also be visiting all of our climate teams and active travel teams. We had a very good conference in Limerick recently, attended by all of the local authorities, where we saw the brilliant work which is being done on active travel, supported by €360 million of Government Exchequer funding. It is making a real difference out there to allow people to walk or cycle safely to work or school and for leisure purposes. We want to continue to invest in that and to increase investment in it further.
I very much welcome the Minister's hands-on and positive approach. He has mentioned various things. Galway County Council has consistently and continuously told us that it is underfunded. It sets out the parameters under which it gets its funding, and it is underfunded. It is one of the most underfunded local authorities. This is on record with the Minister's Department. There have been many meetings on this issue. The city council is slightly better, but not much.
On active travel, it is oversubscribed all the time. People want active travel. For example, this week there was a second protest out in Bearna. That is tangential to the issue we are discussing but it is in the same area. They had to go out and protest two weeks in a row because of a failure of the safe schools route. The ones that were opened up by the Government going back over time are oversubscribed. There are phases 1, 2 and 3 and, in the meantime, they are taking their safety in their own hands. These are children attending school. I am not exaggerating. People do not protest two weeks in a row at 8 o'clock in the morning, desperately drawing the attention of the county council to the danger, for no reason. Of course, the safe routes to school programme run by An Taisce is brilliant but there is not enough money or resources within the county council to implement the schemes when the NTA, working with An Taisce, brings the schemes up.
I will go back to the issue at hand. It is a wonderful idea but the delay so far has been unacceptable. The council cannot deliver on this. I know this from talking to its representatives on the ground. They do not have the resources in the climate action regional offices, CAROs. The Minister referred to millions of euros. I have a figure of €7.9 million and he has a figure of €9 million. When that is spread out between all of the local authorities it comes to zilch, really. Crucial to this is independent monitoring of the progress with regard to the 7% reduction, and a tolerance to allow local authorities to come forward to tell the Minister they simply cannot do this wonderful thing because they do not have enough money. That atmosphere has to be created where they can come forward.
I know that the Deputy is a big supporter of the initiative and is passionate about it. Last week, I met one of her constituents, a múinteoir as Na Forbacha through the Irish cycling network. Bhíomar ag caint faoin stailc agus na fadhbanna sna Forbacha agus i mBearna freisin. Déanfaidh mé mo dhícheall cabhair a thabhairt do na daoine i mBearna agus sna Forbacha.
In relation to the overall subject, I am happy to look specifically, as an example, at the CARO in Galway. We are about ten weeks into this job and all of us, including the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, and I, are getting used to the new infrastructure and the stakeholders that are there. I had a very good meeting last week on the Irish cycling network. The active travel budget is substantial, although I know it does not cover everything that is asked for every year. What we are trying to do is look at what can be implemented on an annualised basis. To have €360 million this year is significant. The review of the national development plan that we are undertaking will continue to significantly increase active travel, which the people want.
This goes back to the Deputy’s point about the residents in Galway city looking to move towards zero waste 20 years ago. They were ahead of their legislators at the time. Legislators have caught up and we are now funding it at a rate we have never done before. Do we need to do more to support communities? Of course, and I get that. The biggest changes we will make are at the on-the-ground level within communities. The response to active travel has been exceptional. I have seen this all the way across the country, including in my own area of north Dublin. People respond to it incredibly well. I will be looking at ways to increase that budget from 2026 onwards to deliver more projects. We are now seeing these active travel projects and networks start to link up, which is positive. I am happy to work directly with the Deputy and, using Galway as an example, to speak to the Deputy’s point about under-resourcing, which I would like to understand better.
11. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps taken in relation to EU directives on the circular economy vis-à-vis textiles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18061/25]
Will the Minister of State update the House on the progress with Ireland’s responsibilities under the EU’s waste framework directive with regard to textiles, textile recycling and textile waste?
The regulation of textiles has become a priority focus for the EU in recent years. There are two significant pieces of relevant legislation in development or recently implemented. First, since 1 January 2025, the waste framework directive requires all member states to have a separate collection system for textiles. Ireland's system consists of a network of local authority and charity bring banks, charity retail shops and private bring banks. Some retailers also operate take-back schemes in their stores. This system requires substantial enhancement to align with circular economy principles. To this end, my Department is developing Ireland's first national policy statement and roadmap on circular textiles. This document, which has been prepared with input from the Textiles Advisory Group, will set out how we enhance our separate collection system, and it will be launched for public consultation in the coming weeks.
Second, in July 2023, the European Commission proposed a further revision of the waste framework directive requiring the introduction of an extended producer responsibility, EPR, scheme for textiles. The key objective of the proposed EPR scheme is to apply the “polluter pays” principle to placing textiles on the market while creating a sustainable scheme for used textile collection, sorting, reuse and recycling. While agreement is yet to be confirmed by the European Council and Parliament, it is expected to be adopted in July and an EPR scheme for textiles should become mandatory by 2028. My Department has already started the foundational work with the sector.
For the record, I am the chairperson of the drug rehabilitation charity, Liberty Recycling. It collates, sorts, recycles and reuses textiles, so there is an interest there. I was put on that body by the Ballyfermot drugs task force many years ago. One of the issues that has come up is that there is a lack of capacity in Ireland to deal with textile waste and we need to accelerate that, as the Minister of State acknowledged. There is the European Union waste framework directive and also extended producer liability, but this does not always follow the “polluter pays” principle and there is sometimes an approach of fines or levies. There needs to be some way of ensuring that the industry - those who are involved in recycling and reuse - has the capacity to address this, which means investment or grants from the State. What progress has there been on those issues?
I acknowledge the Deputy’s work with Liberty Recycling. Since January of this year, Ireland has understood and tried to transpose the EU law that is required by every member state. We currently have a system in place for the separation and collection of textiles, and the bring banks are a significant part of that. I understand that significant improvements are required. I am aware of this due to working with local authorities and charity organisations, which report that used textile collection is currently under much strain due to adverse international trading and collection conditions. We want to find solutions to the problems and challenges that present. I know several local authorities have requested new tenders for textile collections and that is something I will be following up on.
With regard to extended producer responsibility, my Department has started work on the Irish EPR. I had an opportunity to visit Primark recently and it now has bins in each of its stores. I accept we need a more comprehensive approach.
The problem is not always collection and the EU directive refers to collection, separation and reuse. In Ireland, the vast majority of bring banks are not for separation. Liberty Recycling is the only one that separates but, even with that, the capacity is not there to deal with all of the textile waste in Ireland. We do not even have a figure for that, although we know that 1.4 million metric tonnes are exported from the EU, mainly to Africa, and it ends up being dumped in Africa. That is the scale of the problem in Europe, and we have a percentage of that in Ireland. There is an urgent need to scale up the capacity but also to make sure that when those tenders go out from different local authorities, this is not just for collection and export abroad, but for collection, separation and reuse. These have to be central.
As I said in my earlier contribution, we have drafted the national policy statement and roadmap for circular textiles, which will be important in supporting the transition. That will soon go out to consultation. On the Deputy’s point, we have a real challenge around fast fashion and how we address it. The current system needs to be enhanced. We need to continue to work with local authorities and charities but we must also be mindful of extended producer responsibility. We will be working with key stakeholders to try to resolve the challenges that we face. It is a challenge in the short term due to consumer habits and online sales. We need to ensure that within the circular economy, we can continue to enhance our circularity rating and ensure that Ireland is to the fore in this regard. I look forward to working with the Deputy on this.
We have about three minutes. I will allow Deputy Murphy to ask his question and then allow the Minister a minute to respond. We will finish at that.
12. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when the climate action plan for 2025 will be published; the way in which the actions in it for this year can be implemented when it is four months into the year and it has not yet been published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17928/25]
I am sure I will be very satisfied with the Minister’s answer. We are in April, the fourth month of the year, and the Minister still has not published the climate action plan for 2025. Will the Minister tell me when it is going to be published? What has the Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael-Lowry Government taken out from the draft plan that was submitted last December, before they came into office? What are the big new actions in it that will close the massive gap with our emissions target?
Even for you, you are in gas form this morning. There is a reason the climate action plan was not published. It was a thing called the general election and Government formation. That has been done. The climate action plan will be coming to the Government within the next two weeks and it will be published then. In addition, we have no Oireachtas joint committee at the moment and that needs to happen, so there were reasons. There was nothing taken out and, if anything, we have added to it. I am looking forward to getting to work on CAP 2026, which is the really important one. I look forward to the Deputy’s constructive engagement and suggestions in that regard, which I would very much welcome. It will be within two weeks, or maybe next week if I can get it to Cabinet, although it might be the following Cabinet meeting. We will publish it then. I look forward to the Deputy’s views and comments on it.
