Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 July 2019
2596. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the progress made on providing increased training to community stakeholders relating to low carbon initiatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32074/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment is responsible for the all-of-Government plan for climate change action, which was published in June 2019. All Departments will have a role to play in supporting my colleague, Minister Bruton in the implementation of the plan, through the actions, initiatives and targets it sets out.
Ensuring a just transition that fairly disperses the burdens of climate action is crucial to the success of the plan, and to assist with buy-in to the changes in behaviour required, and to highlight emerging opportunities, it will be important to support communities, particularly those in rural areas during the transition. Engagement with communities will be key to delivery of climate change targets and my Department will work to make this happen within existing community structures such as the Local Community Development Committees.
The forthcoming Government strategy to support the Community and Voluntary sector contains a number of actions to support communities to link with the Climate Action Plan. The strategy contains specific actions to support communities and their representative organisations to engage with climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies at a local level.
The implementation of these actions will ensure increased capacity in the Community and Voluntary Sector to proactively engage with, and fully consider climate action in their work at a local level. I will publish the strategy shortly and work will begin on the implementation of actions in the coming months.
In addition, my Department will work together with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment to ensure full engagement with communities on climate change and appropriate consideration of climate change in all community development programmes and initiatives.
