Written answers
Thursday, 28 May 2026
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
Environmental Schemes
Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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296. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to provide a breakdown of funding that has been allocated through the Climate And Nature Fund to date, broken down by project, in tabular form. [41409/26]
Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Act 2024 established the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund (ICN Fund).
The purpose of the ICN Fund is to support the economy in times of exceptional need and to support Ireland’s transition to a low carbon economy through the funding of designated environmental projects. A total of €2 billion will be invested in the Fund each year from 2024 to 2030 building up to an overall fund of €14 billion.
Designated environmental projects will be those that contribute, either directly or indirectly, or are likely to contribute to:
- the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions,
- an improvement in water quality,
- an improvement in nature and biodiversity objectives.
As outlined in the Programme for Government 2025, the review of the National Development Plan in July encompassed all public capital investment, including that available from the ICN Fund. The NDP Review confirmed the following indicative allocations to Departments over the period 2026-2030:
- €2 billion for the Department of Transport to support low-carbon transportation, such as MetroLink;
- €500 million for the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment (D/CEE) to fund projects/programmes that support climate mitigation and renewable energy development;
- €650 million for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (D/HLGH) for projects and programmes that will support improvements in water quality.
The designation process commenced in end-2025, and informed a new Appendix included in the Revised Estimates Volume (REV) which outlined total allocations from the ICN Fund for 2026. The relevant Ministers must formally designate, in writing to the Minister for Public Expenditure; Infrastructure; Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the environmental projects that they intend to fund and this process remains underway.
Later this year, relevant Departments will be required to submit an update on their ICNF expenditure and project delivery for Q1. This will serve as an initial update on expenditure to date.
Funding for designated environmental projects will be confirmed in the Revised Estimates Volume (REV) in each year between 2026 and 2030.
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