Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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916. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the measures being taken in 2025 to identify key sectors that will require additional State supports to successfully transition to low-carbon production; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42343/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Last year I published the Roadmap for the Decarbonisation of Industrial Heat. It outlines the necessary trajectory to meet our binding greenhouse gas abatement targets for industry, and decarbonise key manufacturing sectors, including the cement, metals, food, drink and life sciences sectors. The Roadmap sets out the key policy interventions to decarbonise heat use by industry, including the supports available to companies, the regulations to promote decarbonisation, and the enabling measure that will facilitate the transition.

Under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021, my Department has responsibility to reduce industry on-site emissions by 35% by 2030. Reaching our decarbonisation targets will require manufacturers to make investments in new processes, shifting away from those that rely on fossil fuels. The state is supporting these investments through our enterprise development agencies to ensure decarbonisation improves the competitiveness and resilience of our economy.

Last year I announced that €300 million is being made available to drive the decarbonisation of Ireland’s industrial emitters over the coming years, aligned with our roadmap. The fund is already being used by Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland to support client companies to reduce their industrial emissions between now and 2030. At the end of Q2 2025, 46 projects were approved at value of €145 million.

The SEAI also offers a number of tailored grants such as the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat which offers capital and operational funding towards transitioning away from fossil fuel use, and the EXEED Certified grant which supports major energy efficiency projects in line with best practice international standards. The Support Scheme for Energy Audits (SSEA) also provides businesses with a €2,000 voucher to cover the cost of a professional energy audit, to identify where energy is being used inefficiently and highlight opportunities to cut costs and reduce emissions.

Irish cement production is a significant source of greenhouse gases, constituting around 40% of industrial emissions in Ireland and therefore about 5% of total national emissions. These emissions are particularly hard to abate due the requirements for high temperature heating and the industrial process emissions released during the manufacture of clinker. Therefore, my Department established and chairs the cross-departmental ‘Cement and Construction Sector Decarbonisation Working Group’ which is pursuing a ‘multi-pronged’ approach to decarbonising the sector. Last year the group developed guidance for the public procurement of lower carbon cement and concrete. This will drive investment in lower carbon production, products and practices across our manufacturing sector, with public bodies leading by example. My Department also jointly chairs a Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage Taskforce, and which is carrying out detailed analysis on this technology, to be completed later this year.

My department, and state agencies, are working to ensure that all manufacturing sectors in Ireland are activated and engaged in the green transition. This will be a crucial component of ensuring Ireland’s economy remains competitive, resilience and sustainable as we progress towards our target to be net zero by 2050.