Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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159. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the extent if any of fines or penalties imposed on this country to date arising from failure to meet carbon emission reduction targets; the extent of any such potential penalties in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52393/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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No fines or penalties have ever been imposed on Ireland in respect of greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, as non-compliance has never arisen.

In this regard, Ireland is on course to confirm compliance with its target for the purposes of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in the commitment period 2008 to 2012.

In respect of the ambitious greenhouse gas emission reduction target for the period 2013 to 2020, while this target will prove challenging to achieve , I am satisfied that Ireland is on course to comply with the mitigation trajectory in the first half of this compliance period. I will review progress in terms of meeting the compliance challenge in the second half of the period, having regard to the outcome of the ongoing programme for the development of national climate policy and legislation.