Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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211. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has established or will establish a coordination and or liaison group for sustainability officers in central Government offices and Departments; if he has given consideration to the roles and duties of sustainability officers in such offices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56941/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I am committed to ensuring the Department of Transport is operated on a sustainable basis. My Department participates in the cross-departmental steering group established under the Public Sector Energy Efficiency Strategy co-ordinated by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications. As part of that strategy a dedicated Green Team was established in the Department of Transport in 2019 to implement practices to help reduce the organisation’s energy and environmental footprint and to promote resource efficient practices among employees and suppliers, along with the goals and targets identified more specifically in our organisation’s Resource Efficiency Action Plans.

The Green Team consists of volunteer representatives from management and staff and work closely with our Facilities management to ensure that recommendations are progressed. The representatives serve as ‘Green Champions’ to move towards ensuring that our buildings become carbon neutral.