Written answers

Wednesday, 18 January 2023

Department of Education and Skills

Climate Change Policy

Photo of Marc Ó CathasaighMarc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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700. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide details of the outputs from her Department’s actions in the Climate Action Plan Annexe of Actions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63623/22]

Photo of Marc Ó CathasaighMarc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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701. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the School Sector Climate Action Mandate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63624/22]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 700 and 701 together.

My Department has a strong record with respect to sustainable energy in school buildings and this performance has been recognised at both National and International level with sustainable energy awards for excellence in Design and Specification.

Schools designed and built in accordance with the Department’s schools technical guidance documents, have been achieving A3 Building Energy Ratings since 2009, with current schools typically achieving up to 20% higher energy performance and 25% better carbon performance than required by the current Building Regulations. In addition, 10% of primary energy is provided via photovoltaics and infrastructure provision for electric vehicle charging.

The Department of Education and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications established a jointly funded pathfinder programme, which is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and the Planning and Building Unit in my Department. Support is also provided from Limerick Clare ETB. The programme is being used to evaluate and demonstrate the approach to energy retrofit and carbon reduction in the schools’ sector. This government-funded energy retrofit pathfinder programme will target energy use and CO2 emission reduction by 51%, testing deep retrofit and low carbon heating solutions. The pathfinder is paving the way for, and informing, a much larger schools national programme for decarbonisation and retrofit and will play a key part in meeting delivery of the Climate Action Plan.

Ireland's Climate Action Plan provides a roadmap to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and tackle the climate crisis. It provides specific actions that Government Departments, Agencies and public bodies will take across sectors, together with a timeline for the completion of each action.  My Department has a strong compliance record in relation to the Department’s actions in the Climate Action Plan Annex of Actions. Progress Reports on the Climate Action Plans are published each quarter on Gov.ie: www.gov.ie/en/publication/55fde-climate-action-important-publications/

A Public Sector Climate Action Mandate was published in 2022 to support public sector bodies leading by example on climate action with the aim to inspire the necessary climate action in wider society to reduce Ireland’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 51% by 2030. The Public Sector Climate Action Mandate excluded the school sector, which would have its own dedicated climate action mandate that would best reflect the particular circumstances in schools and also minimise the burden on schools where possible. This dedicated School Sector Mandate recognises the variance between large public bodies and the school sector and the distinctive role schools are playing in the areas of Education for Sustainable Development and Climate Change. The draft School Sector Climate Action Mandate for 2023 was issued in early December to Stakeholders and it is envisaged that it will be finalised and published in Q1 2023.

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