Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

84. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the likely priorities on renewable energy during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64261/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Ireland's Presidency priorities and policy programme are currently under development, taking into account the EU's Strategic Agenda for 2024-29, the legislative programme proposed by the European Commission, and the Government's priorities in relation to the EU. Consultations with other EU Member States will also inform the development of our priorities and policy programme, as will the evolution of the Council’s legislative agenda throughout the current Presidency term of Denmark and that of Cyprus next year. A process of consultation with domestic stakeholders is also underway.

Before the last Energy Council in October, I co-chaired, along with Spain's Secretary of State for Energy, a meeting of the Friends of Renewables in Luxembourg. We discussed, along with the EU Commission, the forthcoming European Grids Package. The Grids Package will enhance grid resilience and electricity interconnection between Member States which will be critical to enable the expansion of the renewables sector and achieve more affordable energy prices for consumers.

The recently published EU Commission Work Programme indicates several other upcoming energy-related initiatives. The extent to which these files will be progressed during our Presidency depends largely on when the specifics of these initiatives are set out by the Commission, and on progress made during the Cyprus Presidency in the first half of 2026.

The Government will agree and publish our programme of policy priorities for the Presidency in June 2026, shortly before the start of Ireland's Presidency term.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

85. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the likely priorities on energy affordability during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64262/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Ireland will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2026. As Chair of the Council of the EU, Ireland will set the agenda, and drive policy and legislative work across all Ministerial formations. For my Department, success will be determined by our ability to lead our fellow Member States on issues of importance across the Energy Council as well as the many other areas for which my Department has responsibility for. At this stage of our preparations, we are developing high-level thematic priorities which will guide policy development.

The Programme for Government acknowledges the increased energy cost pressures on households and businesses, and commits to bringing forward measures to contain energy costs and tackle energy poverty.

In June 2025, my Department established a National Energy Affordability Taskforce to identify, assess and implement measures that will enhance energy affordability for households and businesses, operating within the broader policy context set by the Programme for Government and Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021.

In advance of Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026, a key objective of this cross-Government taskforce will be to progress the development of an Energy Affordability Action Plan which will identify a comprehensive range of solutions, including demand-side solutions, for households to allow them to adjust their energy demand and avail of low cost renewable energy.

The formation of the taskforce and the development of the Affordability Action Plan provides an opportunity to consider the broad range of factors which influence energy costs, and potential supports to those most vulnerable to high energy costs. It will include targeted measures to support households in energy poverty to meet the cost of energy, as well as structural reforms within the energy sector to lower costs for households and businesses.

The first item in the taskforce work programme was the development of an interim report, which included measures for consideration to support customers in the coming Winter, to inform Budget 2026 discussions. This report is available on Gov.ie. The taskforce will now proceed with further work to develop the Action Plan, including a programme of stakeholder consultation and engagement. The Action Plan will be published in 2026.