Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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184. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps taken or likely to be taken by his Department in the future to combat the effects of climate change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42188/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Ireland’s climate is changing consistent with regional and global trends. These changes are projected to continue and increase over the coming decades and include temperature rise, changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, sea level rise, and changes in precipitation patterns. The policy responses to climate change are two-fold:

- Mitigation of emissions of the greenhouse gases that are driving climate change

- Adaptation to the impacts of climate change

The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 provides for the preparation of plans covering both mitigation and adaptation with the purpose of transitioning to a low carbon, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable economy by 2050. In responding to the low carbon challenge I published Ireland’s first “National Mitigation Plan” on 19 July 2017 and under section 5 of the Act, my Department must also submit to Government for approval a National Adaptation Framework not later than 10 December 2017. A draft version of the Framework is currently out for public consultation which is scheduled to close on 27 October 2017.

The policy in relation to adaptation was first set out in Ireland’s 2012 non-statutory “National Climate Change Adaptation Framework” and subsequently restated in the “National Policy Position on Climate Action and Low Carbon Development”. Under the 2015 Act, the new National Adaptation Framework is to specify the national strategy for the application of adaptation measures in different sectors and by local authorities in their administrative areas in order to reduce the vulnerability of the State to the negative effects of climate change and to avail of any positive effects that may occur. Relevant Ministers will be required to develop sectoral adaptation plans which will specify the adaptation policy measures they propose to adopt.   

A number of resources are already in place to assist with adaptation planning including the web resource "Climate Ireland", forthcoming “Sectoral Guidelines for Planning for Climate Change Adaptation” and the 2016 “Local Authority Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Guidelines”. Some sectors, that is Agriculture and Forestry, Transport, Energy and Flood Risk Management, have already developed plans under the 2012 Framework, while Local Government is currently examining how a regional approach might be developed to address local/regional effects. A National Adaptation Steering Committee, chaired by my Department, was established under the 2012 Framework, and includes representation from key sectors and agencies. The work of this committee and its future deliberations under the new Framework will ensure appropriate levels of coordination across the relevant sectors so as to facilitate an effective transition to a climate resilient economy.