Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Bruton. This is, as I said, going to be the most challenging. Part of the reason it is challenging is because our population is increasing, the economy is increasing and transport takes time. We have baked in planning and transport models which are not easily changed. It takes a long time.

In the first of the carbon budgets, we are on track to meet our first target, but only just. We will not know the exact figures for 2022 until April. The Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, will come in the next week or two with the indicative figures. I do not have an indication yet as to what they are. I do not expect a significant reduction. The reason we are on track is that we were, obviously during the Covid-19 years, below what had been there before 2020. The indicative figures have made, perhaps, a very slight, marginal increase over 2021 and 2022, but not a significant reduction. We do need to start reducing that to meet our 2025 target. It is not impossible that we will do so, but it is very challenging. We are within the curve that we set out in the five-year path, but only just. It is a real challenge.