Ciarán Ahern (Dublin South West, Labour)
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111. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the reasons for the delay in transposing the Renewable Energy Directive III into national law, for which the European Commission has now launched infringement proceedings against Ireland; the steps he is taking to address this failure; if a detailed roadmap or legislative timeline for compliance with the Directive is now in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44859/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland is fully supportive of an ambitious EU legislative framework for renewable energy up to 2030 and beyond, and is committed to transposing RED III as soon as possible. This is an important priority for me as Minister and for my colleagues across Government.

RED III is a complex and wide-ranging Directive, covering requirements for renewable energy in electricity, heating and cooling, transport, industry and buildings. The scale of the changes required has created challenges for Ireland and the majority of EU Member States regarding timely implementation. 26 Member States have received a Letter of Formal Notice from the European Commission for failure to transpose RED III by the May 2025 deadline. Furthermore, all Member States are under infringement proceedings for the RED III provisions with an earlier deadline of July 2024.

A broad programme of work is underway across several Departments, Agencies and Semi-State Bodies to implement the necessary requirements as soon as possible. This includes the preparation of multiple legislative measures as well as administrative measures. My Department is working to ensure that implementation of the necessary requirements is expedited. Priority is being given to those provisions which are most overdue.

Ireland continues to engage regularly and proactively with the European Commission as we work to transpose and implement RED III in the earliest possible course.