Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 requires that an annual transition statement be presented to both Houses of the Oireachtas. This is the second such statement under the 2015 Act. In addition to this oral report, I am arranging for a written statement to be laid before both Houses.

As reported by the Environmental Protection Agency last week, Ireland's emissions increased by 3.5% between 2015 and 2016. This is disappointing and highlights the urgent need to decouple economic growth from carbon emissions and energy demand. Our economy remains the strongest performer in the EU, with GDP increasing by 5.2% in 2016, and we are once again approaching full employment, all of which puts pressure on emissions, especially in terms of transport, energy use and construction. The EPA expects Ireland's emissions to continue to increase until at least the end of the decade, which makes it even more imperative that Ireland take further steps to arrest this trend. As Members know, that projection is required as part of the transition statement and was published just last week.

The Government's framework for taking action to reduce our emissions is the national mitigation plan, which sets out more than 70 individual measures to reduce emissions. Progress on the implementation of these measures is reported in the annual transition statement. The plan also provides the framework for further work on the medium to long-term measures to make the necessary deeper emission reductions in future decades. The mitigation plan is not a static document and must be formally reviewed once every five years.

This week I secured Government approval for a new support scheme for renewable heat to stimulate and support the replacement of fossil fuel heating systems with renewable energy and contribute to meeting Ireland’s 2020 renewable energy and emission reduction targets and support the establishment of both the biomass and bio-gas sector in Ireland.

I am announcing the extension of the free warmer home scheme to families in receipt of the domiciliary care allowance from 1 January next. This scheme offers a broad package of measures free to householders in need of energy efficiency upgrades worth an average of €3,000. For community energy projects, I am putting in place a new funding commitment, with €28 million worth of grants to be awarded in 2018, which will include support for a transition away from fossil fuel use. The intention is to ensure every application which is agreed in partnership with the SEAI will secure funding. A new incentive for people who want to move away from using fossil fuels to heat their home through a significant new grant of €3,500 for heat pumps will come into effect from April of next year.

Waste efficiency is effective climate action. I am committed to making the regulatory changes required in order to provide an organic, or brown, bin service to every single home in Ireland, regardless of where people live. Industry has a responsibility in driving the successful roll-out of brown bins to every community with a population greater than 500 people. That is ongoing at the moment but I am determined to ensure every single home, regardless of location, has that opportunity.

The measures put in place this year to phase out flat fees are not new for about half of kerb-side household customers who are already on an incentivised usage pricing plan which contains a per-lift or weight-related fee. This approach gives the market the flexibility to offer a suite of pricing options to further promote the prevention and segregation of household waste.

We have also put supports in place for electric vehicles, including home charging points and rolling out further infrastructure across the country in regard to charging and a 0% benefit-in-kind rate for battery electric vehicles. It is the intention to enhance some of these supports in the coming years.

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