Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 10, inclusive, together.

The Cabinet committee on the environment and climate action was formally reconstituted last week. It oversees implementation of the ambitious programme for Government commitments in regard to the environment and climate change. The committee has met on 21 occasions since July 2020, most recently on 22 February. I intend to schedule its next meeting very shortly.

The committee considers the wide range of issues that require action in Ireland's transition to a low-carbon, climate resilient and sustainable future in which we take full advantage of the renewable energy potential we possess and move away from our dependence on expensive, imported fossil fuels. The Government's objective is for Ireland to play its full part in EU and global efforts to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change and to ensure we protect ourselves from the adverse impacts we are already experiencing and that we know will become more acute.

Climate action is a complex challenge. It demands major policy, regulatory, fiscal and sectoral initiatives across all of the economy, with implications for all communities and for every citizen. The realities of climate change and the commitments we have made at UN, EU and national levels demand a transformation in how we do things. The Government will continue to be ambitious in this area and will work with sectors, communities and households to ensure this transformation is done in a way that is fair and collaborative. We will continue to provide the incentives, protections and supports that are required to help people adjust.

Our ambition is that, working together, we can help to create a better Ireland that is well positioned to thrive, economically, socially and environmentally, in the rapidly changing circumstances climate change is bringing. Much work has been done since 2020. We are now starting to see those efforts bear fruit through reductions in the level of emissions. However, we still have a great distance to travel in the years ahead. The Cabinet committee will continue to oversee those efforts, including the implementation of the climate action plan and other environmental and energy commitments in our programme for Government.

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