Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 May 2017
597. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the degree to which he expects to meet carbon and other emission requirements in 2017 or thereafter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22159/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra598. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the extent to which he and his Department continue to take specific steps to meet climate change challenges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22160/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 597 and 598 together.
I refer to the answers to Questions Nos. 45 and 58 on today's Order Paper.
In accordance with the 2009 EU Effort Sharing Decision, Ireland has greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets for each year between 2013 and 2020 covering the sectors of the economy outside of the EU Emissions Trading System. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the competent authority in Ireland for the preparation of official inventories of greenhouse gas emissions and projections of future emissions. Inventories of greenhouse gas emissions are normally published by the EPA for each year towards the end of the following year. While it is not possible to provide a forecast of Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2017 or in future years, the EPA has projected that for each year between 2017 and 2020, Ireland is likely to exceed its annual targets under the Effort Sharing Decision. The most recent projections, published by the EPA in April 2017, are available on the EPA’s website at http://www.epa.ie/climate/emissionsinventoriesandprojections/.
