Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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216. To ask the Minister for Finance the amount that has been raised in Irish sovereign green bonds; the way this money has been used; his plans to raise green revenue by this mechanism in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55655/21]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I am informed by the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) that by the end of 2020, the NTMA had issued a total of €6.1bn nominal of Irish Sovereign Green Bonds (ISGBs) in three separate transactions.

1. The inaugural issue of €3bn, through a syndication, in October 2018

2. A syndicated tap of €2bn in October 2019

3. A €1.1bn auction in September 2020 – this includes €0.1bn sold in the non-competitive auction

The cash proceeds raised from the three transactions totalled just over €6.5bn.

Just over €6.3bn or 97% of those proceeds have been allocated to eligible green projects across the six eligible green categories which include Clean Transportation, Renewable Energy and Sustainable Water and Wastewater Management. The balance of just under €0.2bn will be available for future allocation.

The Irish Sovereign Green Bond Allocation Report 2020, which was published in July 2021 on the NTMA’s website, provides further detail in respect of the allocation of monies raised via ISGBs.

Last Thursday, 11 November, the NTMA held its second auction of ISGBs, selling €650m. It sold a further €97.5m in the non-competitive auction bringing to €747.5m nominal the total issued in the auction. The cash proceeds raised from this auction were €839m and these are also available for future allocation.

The NTMA will continue to look for opportunities to issue further sovereign green bonds as market conditions allow.