Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 15 together.

Local authorities play a key role, working with local communities and businesses, in delivering climate action. The Deputy can be sure of my continued support for local authorities to do that. This role is underpinned by the statutory requirement on each local authority to prepare a local authority climate action plan. Following approval by each council’s elected members, all local authorities adopted their plans in the first quarter of 2024.

Galway City Council and Galway County Council adopted their plans in February 2024. Each local authority established a decarbonising zone, DZ, as part of its plan. DZs are intended to be the focus for a range of climate mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity measures. The Galway City Council decarbonising zones includes parts of Newcastle, Rahoon, Shantalla, and Westside, while Galway County Council selected Oileáin Árann as its decarbonising zone. Galway City Council has established a community one-stop shop in its decarbonising zone to provide guidance to households on retrofitting and a training accelerator programme for the construction industry. Galway County Council is already involved in several climate action projects on the Aran Islands, including Athchúrsáil Árann Teoranta, an award-winning waste collection, recycling and reuse project. Detail on the progress of the local authority climate action plans and the DZs will be made available later this year in line with the statutory annual reporting requirements.

Decarbonising zones offer a significant opportunity for every local authority to drive, promote and showcase climate action at a local level. The week after next, we will, in conjunction with four local authorities, be looking at the progress made in their own climate action plans. To support local authorities, my Department established a decarbonising zone advisory group with the SEAI and it is providing €5.8 million annually to support implementation of those plans. We are also providing €2 million annually to the climate action regional offices, which are supporting local authorities to implement their climate plans and the decarbonising zones. Local authorities recently showcased their work on climate action at an event in Wexford. The implementation and monitoring of local authority climate action plans and indeed the decarbonisation zones is, in the first instance, a matter for the local authorities. They are required to do that on a statutory basis. As Minister, I can assure the Deputy that I will work closely with the local authorities to maximise the potential from the implementation of the plans and decarbonising zones and to showcase progress nationally.

The specific progress on each of the plans will be published later this year. On foot of the Deputy's question, I have sought specific details relating to Galway City Council and Galway County Council. I assure the Deputy, and experience in my previous portfolio will assist me in this, that the local authority network is critical to ensuring that our climate plans are implemented on the ground. These are really good community projects which need to be supported by our local authorities. I will be supporting them as Minister. Over the past four and a half or five years, I have got to know pretty much every director of service right the way across the country. I have been in the Deputy's own dáilcheantar, as she knows, many times and I look forward to visiting Galway again. On the specific measures, I have sought further details for the Deputy on which I will correspond directly with her but the full report will be published later this year.

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