Mr. David Mellett:

On the question of renewables use in the fleet, the fleet accounts for our second-largest use of energy, after public lighting. As has been outlined, we are looking at improving efficiencies by more than 50% on the public lighting, which is supported through the climate action fund. As Mr. Mahon mentioned, we have a working group with various stakeholders looking at how we can improve the fleet. The results of that survey will be forthcoming in the next few months. The objectives there will be very much along the line of what the Department of Transport strategy is around avoiding, shifting and improving. We will look at how we do things to see if we can change those operations and avoid having to use transport. On the shifting to EVs, a number of local authorities are leading on this and we hope to learn from that through the working group. There is also the matter of improving the fuel we are using and our driver behaviour to try to reduce emissions in that way.

On engagement with youth, each local authority works with Comhairle na nÓg and there are various initiatives across the 31 local authorities specifically on the matter of climate action. Much of that discussion is coming back to the strategic policy committees and feeding into local authority strategies. There are also strong relationships across local authorities with green schools and they are partnering with them on various initiatives to both create awareness around climate action and develop appropriate actions that can be delivered at that local level.