Written answers
Tuesday, 12 November 2019
Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment
Climate Change Policy
Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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454. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of climate action regions set up here; the counties that are grouped together to make up the regions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46424/19]
David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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456. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the regional climate action offices that have been established to date; the location, staffing levels and funding allocated to each office, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46494/19]
Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 454 and 456 together.
In January 2018, my Department entered into a five-year financial commitment of €10m to establish four Climate Action Regional Offices (CAROs). Building on a business case prepared by the Local Government sector itself, this commitment recognises the significant obligation which has been placed on Local Government to develop and implement its own climate action measures, as well as the need to build capacity within the sector to engage effectively with climate change – both in terms of mitigation and adaptation.
The establishment of these offices is enabling a more coordinated engagement across the whole of Government and will help to build on the experience and expertise which exists across the sector. The following table sets out the locations of the offices in terms of the lead authorities and the functional areas they work within.
| Climate Action Region | Local Authority Functional Areas | Lead Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Seaboard North | Donegal, Sligo, Mayo and Galway City and County | Mayo County Council |
| Atlantic Seaboard South | Clare, Limerick, Kerry, Cork County and Cork City | Cork County Council |
| Dublin Metropolitan Region | South Dublin, Fingal, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and Dublin City | Dublin City Council |
| Eastern and Midlands | Louth, Meath, Wicklow, Wexford, Kildare, Carlow, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Westmeath, Longford, Leitrim, Tipperary, Cavan, Monaghan, Roscommon and Waterford | Kildare County Council |
Under the five year financial commitment entered into in 2018, €2 million has been assigned across the four CAROs for 2019. Each regional office has a coordinator in place to coordinate actions across both the CARO structure itself and also with the other Local Authorities in its respective region. The regional coordinators are supported by small dedicated teams within each CARO, the staffing of which is a matter for each individual lead Local Authority to consider within the funding allocated to support the work of these offices. With the publication of the Climate Action Plan in June of this year, a revised work programme for the CAROs for 2020 will now be agreed during Q4 2019.
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