Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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99. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the role Ireland is playing in international efforts to combat climate change, particularly through its participation in the UN Climate Change Conferences and other global environmental agreements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42594/24]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland is actively involved in international efforts to combat climate change, particularly through negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in preparation for COP29 in Azerbaijan next month. The Government is engaging on key issues for a successful outcome of COP29, especially related to strengthening the resilience of the most vulnerable countries.

In Budget 2025, the Government increased the provision for international climate finance to ensure that we will meet the target of providing at least €225 million annually by 2025, which we committed to at COP26 in Glasgow. Ireland’s steadfast commitment to climate finance for the most vulnerable will be important in the context of the new collective climate finance goal to be negotiated at COP29. We are actively engaged in those negotiations.

Loss and Damage is another key issue for COP29. Ireland, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, is represented on the Board of the new Fund for responding to Loss and Damage. We are working actively to ensure that the Fund becomes operational as soon as possible having been agreed at COP28. Ireland’s main priority remains ensuring that vulnerable countries and communities can access the Fund.

Every year the COP Presidency appoints ‘Ministerial pairs’ from developed and developing countries to assist with the COP negotiations. This year, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications has been asked to work alongside Costa Rica on the topic of adaptation. This is a mediation role to drive progress on negotiations. The invitation for an Irish Government Minister to carry out this role is a recognition of the long-track record Ireland has in providing support for adaptation.

In relation to other global environmental agreements, the Department of Foreign Affairs is working alongside colleagues from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to prepare for the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties (COP16). This will be held in Colombia at the end of October and the Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan will lead the Irish delegation.