Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy knows that the emissions inventory report of the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, from July 2024 shows a decrease of 6.8% in Ireland's greenhouse gas in 2023 compared with 2022, which itself saw a 1.9% reduction on the previous year. This is the lowest that our greenhouse gas emissions have been in three decades below the 1990 baseline. That is significant given that in that period, we have had a population increase of 1.5 million, over 1 million new homes and more than 1 million extra vehicles on our roads. The performance by Ireland in respect of this issue has been quite strong. The last Government made significant investments and decisions that are already bearing fruit and will continue to do so into the future. The energy security initiative will apply to State-led energy. The Deputy knows that. She is, I think deliberately, conflating that with a private sector initiative. I invite the Deputy to talk to the officials in the climate Department in respect of energy security.

We can arrange that briefing for the Deputy.

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