Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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197. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps that he and his Department continue to take to incentivise carbon reduction without penalising the community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10775/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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In 2021, my Department undertook a series of interlinked public consultations, the Climate Conversations, as part of the National Dialogue on Climate Action. These consultations provided information on where financial support is required for local climate action, where capacity building is needed and the types of projects and initiatives that are being considered at local level. The Conversations helped to inform the development of the Community Climate Action Programme. The Community Climate Action Programme was launched on 10 November, 2021. Under this programme €60 million from the Climate Action Fund will be invested in community climate action projects and initiatives, as well as capacity building, over the next three years. The overall aim of this Programme is to support and empower communities to shape and build low carbon, sustainable communities in a coherent way to contribute to national climate and energy targets. Phase 1 involves the allocation of an initial €30 million over an 18-month period for two strands of the Programme.

Under Strand 1, €24 million is being provided to all local authorities to support communities to build low carbon communities in a considered and structured way. This strand is currently being finalised with the local authorities. Further information will be available from the websites of the local authorities and my Department shortly.

Under Strand 2, a total of €6 million will be provided to build community capacity in relation to climate action. €1 million of this has already been allocated for 14 projects under the Creative Climate Action Fund. The remaining €5 million has been allocated for an open call for projects and initiatives that facilitate community climate action through education, capacity building and learning by doing, which is being run by Pobal on behalf of the Department. A total of 72 applications were received in response to this call and are currently being assessed.