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

I agree with the Deputy that many communities have been ahead of successive Governments on this but, to be fair, the Government is here to support communities and local authorities. To specifically answer the Deputy's question as regards even the financial support for local authorities, first, local authorities have never been better funded than over the past five years. By any fair assessment, if one looks at the funding streams and the level of funding they have received, it has been very significant. This is particularly the case in respect of the local authority climate action plans and the decarbonising zones. If I go back to 2022, €3.2 million was paid out by my Department to the sector to begin phase 1. In 2023, that increased to €4.7 million and that was paid for the sector to develop phase 2. In 2024, that increased again, to €5.815 million in annual funding. Under this agreement to date, some €5.6 million of that has actually been paid out.

I agree with Deputy Connolly that implementation is critical. I have seen some of the work already across the local authorities. I was in Kilkenny on Monday and saw some very good work by the climate and active travel teams there. We have to support those plans and the implementation of them on the ground. On the reporting of these plans later this year, I will get the Deputy the information on exactly which quarter that will be. I do not have that information to hand. It will show how each of the climate action plans at a local level are performing and the assessment of that. I will get the Deputy those details as to when exactly that will be published.

I intend to be in Galway over the summer and I will also be visiting all of our climate teams and active travel teams. We had a very good conference in Limerick recently, attended by all of the local authorities, where we saw the brilliant work which is being done on active travel, supported by €360 million of Government Exchequer funding. It is making a real difference out there to allow people to walk or cycle safely to work or school and for leisure purposes. We want to continue to invest in that and to increase investment in it further.

See this speech in context