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

I reject that comment. A total of €1 out of every €5 spent under the national development plan will be spent on climate related projects. The national planning framework specifically targets brownfield sites. We have a 65% loading of wind energy on the grid, the highest anywhere on the globe. The Moneypoint plant will be decommissioned by 2025. Ireland will be one of the first countries in Europe to take coal out of the system. Smoky coal will be banned by the end of this year. Again, this one of the first countries in the world to do so. Peat will be taken out in power generation by 2030. The support scheme for renewable heat will I hope go live in the coming weeks. It will support the use of biomass and biogas. The broadband plan will be built out in the coming months, which will have a direct impact on transport emissions. We are discussing a ban on the use of non-zero emission cars from 2030. We are banning the use of diesel in new buses from 2019. The climate action fund, announced yesterday, has been allocated €500 million. The smart farming programme which targets a 10% reduction in emissions is being scaled up this year. We have genotyped 1 million beef animals in the past few years. The warmth and well-being deep retrofit pilot scheme is being expanded nationwide through the warmer homes scheme. The carbon tax report will be presented before the budget. We have introduced benefit-in-kind relief on electric vehicles. We have reduced toll fees. We have increased supports for taxis and Government services and business to convert to the use of electric vehicles.

We are improving the charging infrastructure. We have established Bord na Móna BioEnergy. The Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill is going through the House.

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