Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy's first question was about the reduction in emissions. He is correct that there was a significant reduction in 2020 compared with 2019. The question is to what extent that was caused by the pandemic and the obvious reduction in economic activity across sectors. Clearly, there was a major drop in transport emissions during that year. There was a reduction in 2021, but there was also a rebound. We do not have figures yet for that. We are trying to maintain economic growth to allow people to continue to enjoy their lives while their emissions are reducing. The year, 2020, was an exceptional year and a lockdown is not the route to cutting emissions for the decade.

We know that our target is a 51% cut by 2030 and that we will not achieve it with an exact 7.5% cut from one year to the next. That is not the nature of things. We will have deeper cuts in the second half of the decade compared with the first half. We had an exceptional cut in 2020, which will probably be followed by a rebound in 2021. I expect emissions to be higher overall in 2021 compared with 2020; I think my officials will agree with me. We do not yet have an estimate for that, but we will be back on a downward slope in 2022.

The next question related to the just transition commission and when it will be put on a statutory basis. We will continue with the just transition commission. We have to appoint somebody to be the permanent just transition commissioner. I do not have a date for that, but I will come back to Deputy Bruton on it.

The Deputy's question on the climate action fund is about when the next call for expenditure under it will be.