Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank both Senators for their contributions. I will respond to the easy one first. Senator Kyne's presumption is correct. I would like to speak more widely to these amendments and acknowledge the contribution, as ever, from Senator Higgins. I would like to make a number of points about including these provisions. The main point to be considered for each of the additions is that only a finite number of resources are being deployed from this fund. By adding further objectives, we would dilute its impact in the existing identified areas.

This element of the infrastructure, climate and nature fund, valued at up to €3.15 billion aims to support projects that directly or indirectly contribute to climate change, nature, water quality and biodiversity objectives. The goals were identified in collaboration with the Ministers for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

A considerable amount of work is already being done on the specific objectives proposed by the Senator. This fund is not the sum total of the State’s efforts on climate and nature. I acknowledge the significance and importance of the UN sustainable development goals and I appreciate the Senator proposing this amendment. As the Senator is aware, Ireland remains firmly committed to the achievement of the sustainable development goals and takes a whole-of-government approach to the implementation of Agenda 2030, with each Minister having specific responsibility for implementing individual targets relating to their ministerial functions and each of the 169 targets relating to the goals being assigned to a lead Department.

Funding allocated to Ireland’s international development programme has increased significantly in the period since our most recent voluntary national review. Ireland’s official development assistance budget grew from €792 million in 2018 to €1.233 billion in 2023, an increase of 56%. Contributing to global sustainable development is clearly not just about the quantity of development assistance, but also its quality.

The National Implementation Plan for the Sustainable Development Goals 2022-2024 was published in October 2022 and runs until the end of this year. It was developed in collaboration with all Departments and key stakeholders and is based on input from two public consultation processes held in 2021. The plan sets out five strategic objectives and 51 actions, with 119 individual measures to increase Ireland’s ambition and strengthen implementation structures to achieve the sustainable development goals.

In July 2023, Ireland presented its second voluntary national review on progress relating to the sustainable development goals to the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. The report found that Ireland is progressing well in achieving the goals. We have fully achieved over 80% of the 169 targets. The report also found that significant progress has been made on targets in areas such as education, hunger, health and well-being.

Regarding the just transition, the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Amendment Act 2021, provided for the approval of plans by the Government on climate change for the purpose of pursuing the transition to a climate-resilient, biodiversity-rich and climate-neutral economy by no later than the end of 2050 and to thereby promote climate justice and just transition. The Government, through the climate action plan, has adopted an overarching framework for policy development, which takes a principles-based approach to define the just transition in Ireland. This framework comprises four principles that align with the International Labour Organization guidelines, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and EU frameworks and recommendations, thereby enabling their application across diverse sectors. In line with the Government’s ambition that these principles be steadily mainstreamed into climate policy, key sectors are integrating these principles in the design of their respective policies and measures through the annual climate action plan. For example, Ireland is set to receive up to €84.5 million from the EU Just Transition Fund over the period to 2027. With the Government providing matching funding using Exchequer resources, up to €169 million will be available. Resources are already being deployed to meet these requirements. As the Senator has alluded to, a just transition is the fastest way to a green transition and is the only way which guarantees that we bring everybody with us as we move to a climate-neutral economy.

Regarding climate justice, it is recognised that there will be a significant shift when tackling the climate crisis, which runs the risk of hitting marginalised or vulnerable communities the hardest if their needs are not accounted for. The Government’s climate action plan contains a commitment to contribute €225 million per year to developing countries by 2025.

As regards the climate and nature part of the infrastructure, climate and nature fund, the intention here is to support positive climate actions and to assist in preventing the degradation of the natural environment, including rivers, lakes and oceans and assisting in preventing a reduction in biodiversity. There is important work to be done in this area and it is inappropriate to dilute the funding further to provide for other initiatives.

The two main points are that a range of measures are being implemented to address the areas referred to in these amendments and that, in light of the finite amount of resources being deployed from this fund, adding more objectives could dilute the impact of the Bill in the existing identified areas. On this basis, I cannot accept the amendments.