Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Ireland faces a challenging time in meeting its climate action, EU and COP26 obligations. The need for climate action is clear and the changes we need to make to address climate challenges will affect all aspects of the way we live our lives. The move to green enterprise services and energy use in public and private transport has already begun. Many operations in Ireland in the manufacturing services and retail sectors are making major advances in the positive climate action policies implemented. The climate action plan generally references just transition in terms of fairness, inclusion and protection of the most vulnerable. It also references just transition within climate policy as a transition to a climate resilient, biodiversity rich and environmentally sustainable and climate neutral economy.

In this debate, I will take a balanced view in assessing the scale of challenge and identify practical, deliverable solutions to facilitate a just transition for someone living in rural Ireland. We must ensure people and communities are placed front and centre in our climate action policies, which have the potential to open up new employment and enterprise opportunities, new jobs, new skills and a chance to create a more productive and resilient economy. Through the national and EU just transition funds, the Government needs to deliver flagship projects throughout the country, at scale, to assist communities in the transition to a carbon neutral economy.

The Government must invest and support local authorities to undertake the grant administration role on behalf of the Department on delivery of these projects that will be adequately resourced in the years ahead. The Government must also maximise its resources and strengths in the green economy that will support employment opportunities for rural communities in areas such as renewable energy, sustainable tourism, energy retrofitting, the bioeconomy and the circular economy. The Government must also enable community energy projects to support the target of generating at least 70% of electricity by renewable means by 2030 through supports such as the community benefit fund and a community category within the renewable energy support fund. Prioritisation by Government must also be given to the development of microgeneration of renewable electricity, allowing people to sell excess power back to the grid through the establishment of the microgeneration scheme.

Ireland has made significant progress in its commitment to climate action from fossil fuel divestment, a ban on fracking, to the development of the national just transition fund. However, many obstacles remain, and there is much work yet to do.

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