Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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64. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if research has been undertaken by his Department into the processes engaged in the production of plastics in Ireland and transforming plastics in Ireland into syngas using solar technology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14288/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Government provides significant funding to research-performing organisations to carry out climate-relevant research in the sciences and humanities including policy relevant research. The research and innovation required to address climate change challenges span a range of areas from fundamental and applied sciences, to the social sciences, to technology and innovation, to the production of knowledge and evidence to inform public policy. The Climate Action Plan 2023 has an action to simulate research, development and demonstration projects across industry and enterprise sectors with a focus on accelerating energy decarbonisation e.g., innovative approaches to decarbonising heat and electricity, energy storage solutions, renewable energy and energy efficiency. Its contains actions focussing on the introduction of zero-emissions gas, an in particular biomethane and hydrogen sourced from renewable energies.

SEAI manage the National Research, Development and Demonstration programme which provides funding to support solutions that enable technical and other barriers to market uptake to be overcome and to grow Ireland's national capacity to access, develop and apply international class RD&D.