Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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219. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the status of the national mitigation plan to transition Ireland to a low-carbon economy; the key annual actions for this plan to 2020; the resources being made available to implement actions in the plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23261/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Climate change has been prioritised by the new Government as reflected in the establishment of a new role of Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment.

However, pending the formal legal transfer of the climate functions from my Department to the new Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment later this week, there is an interim period where responsibility for some statutory and other issues remains with me as Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. Notwithstanding this transition process, Minister Naughten is already fully engaged in policy development and issues relating to the climate change agenda within the newly expanded remit of his Department.

In accordance with section 4 of the 2015 Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government must submit a National Mitigation Plan (NMP) to Government for approval by June 2017. In line with the requirements of section 4(3)(a) of the Act, arrangements are currently being made to activate the formal statutory process required to facilitate the preparation of the first NMP. Notwithstanding this statutory process, work has been underway for some time on developing the NMP, with a draft due to be published for consultation by end 2016.

The first iteration of the National Mitigation Plan will place a particular focus on putting the necessary measures in place to address the challenge to 2020 but also in terms of planning ahead to ensure that appropriate policies and measures will be in place beyond that.

The ultimate objective of successive National Mitigation Plans is to incrementally achieve this low-carbon transition vision by 2050. In that context, the National Mitigation Plan will have regard to Ireland’s obligations under the current 2009 Effort Sharing Decision, the Paris Agreement and any likely future EU and international obligations that may arise, including new national targets to be agreed under the EU’s 2030 Climate and Energy Package.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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220. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the status of the national climate-change response dialogue and adaptation framework; the key annual actions for this framework to 2020; the resources being made available to implement actions in the framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23262/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 provides, inter alia, for the approval of climate change mitigation and adaptation plans by Government for the purpose of pursuing the transition to a low carbon, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable economy by 2050.

In relation to adaptation, section 5 of the 2015 Act provides for the making and submission to the Government by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government of iterative national adaptation frameworks which will specify the national strategy for the application of adaptation measures in different sectors and by local authorities in order to reduce the vulnerability of the State to the negative effects of climate change and to exploit any beneficial opportunities that may arise. Work is progressing in relation to the first such framework, which must be submitted by December 2017 and each approved framework must be reviewed no t less than once in every five-year period thereafter.

The Programme for a Partnership Government contains a commitment to establish a National Dialogue on Climate Change. This builds on the Energy White Paper commitment for the establishment of a National Energy Forum which would invite a wide range of stakeholders to consider evidence-based inputs and maximise consensus on broad energy policy measures. 

The National Dialogue on Climate Change will encompass the role set out for the National Energy Forum but with a wider focus to include the examination of key issues that need to be addressed in our long-term transition to a new low-carbon future. Options are currently being assessed as to how best to optimise the processes which will underpin the functioning of the National Dialogue, including scale and format.