Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My Department's role is broadly to deliver well-managed and well-targeted public spending. When it comes to climate change, this means ensuring we respond in the best way to climate transition in our country.

EU countries have agreed on a 2030 framework for climate and energy, including new EU-wide targets and policy objectives for the period 2021 to 2030. These targets will be underpinned by a new regulation on the governance of the energy union. This regulation will provide for the creation of integrated national energy and climate plans by each member state. The regulation is the subject of an ongoing trilogue process between the Commission, Council and Parliament which is expected to conclude later this year. Until this point, the targets, policy objectives and timelines are subject to revision.

The development of Ireland's national energy and climate plan is, in the first instance, a responsibility of the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment. My Department is working closely with the Department of that Minister, Deputy Naughten, through the structures that have been established to co-ordinate Government activity on climate change. There is a high-level steering committee on climate action, chaired by the Minister, Deputy Naughten, and a technical research and modelling group that provides expert advice and support. My Department is represented on both.

Preparation of the plan is at an early stage but its development will be facilitated by the work under way to complete the national mitigation plan and the recently published national development plan. The latter, in particular, represents a step change in Government commitment to climate change, with €21.8 billion in funding directed to addressing the transition to a low-carbon society. This capital investment will lead to a significant reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions over the period to 2030.

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