Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not have a date for the publication of the adaptation plan, but the mitigation plan was published a month or two ago after a special meeting in Celbridge. In terms of our response to climate change, Deputies will be aware of the budget announcements yesterday, which included provision for special incentives to encourage more people to use electric vehicles, additional funding for cycling infrastructure throughout the State, funding for the Minister, Deputy Naughten, to bring in the renewable heating initiative to move towards renewable heat, and, by the end of the year, he will bring in price supports for other forms of renewable energy so we can increase the amount. The ten year capital plan will, of course, have to take into account the need to adapt to climate change, for example, electrification of some of our railways and other such investments and further investment in flood defences and other such adaptions, recognising the fact that while we cannot put any one storm down to climate change it is a scientific fact that we will see more storms and more severe weather events in the years ahead so we need to prepare for them.

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