Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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International climate finance and climate diplomacy are priorities for the Government, and for Ireland's foreign policy. The Department of Foreign Affairs engages in climate diplomacy in close collaboration with other Government Departments, at the United Nations and the International Financial Institutions and through the European Union.

The scale up of Ireland’s international climate finance is central to this commitment. Last year, the Department of Foreign Affairs led on a cross-governmental process to prepare for the publication of the Government's International Climate Finance Roadmap in July 2022.

The Roadmap sets out a pathway to deliver on the target of providing at least €225 million per year in international climate finance by 2025, a commitment made by the Taoiseach at COP 26 in Glasgow in November 2021. Meeting this commitment will represent a more than doubling of Ireland’s climate finance. The latest official figures for Ireland's climate finance are for 2021, when it amounted to €99.6 million. We expect to be in a position to report significantly higher figures for 2022 and 2023.

The primary focus of Ireland’s support is on adaptation to climate change impacts, with the majority of Ireland’s climate finance targeting projects and programmes that promote climate adaptation. The geographic focus of our funding is targeted towards countries that are highly vulnerable to climate change, particularly Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States.

Through our climate diplomacy, Ireland strongly advocates for increased finance for adaptation action. We also advocate for the enhancement of both the quality and accessibility of adaptation finance for Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States. Ireland is also continuing its diplomacy on Loss and Damage throughout this year and in preparation for COP28.