I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "affirms that, the Government: — is fully committed to delivering on Ireland's climate ambition across all sectors, and to progress climate action in a planned and coherent way in pursuit of the National Climate Objective of a climate neutral economy by 2050, in a way that ensures that sustainability, affordability, competitiveness and energy security are all central to our future climate planning; and — is acutely aware of the impact on households and businesses of the recent increases in fuel prices, and is progressing both immediate and longer-term measures to support households with these costs; notes that: — work is ongoing across the Government to deliver on climate commitments and accelerate climate mitigation efforts every day, supported by unprecedented Government funding across the National Development Plan (NDP), which will fund major upgrades to deliver carbon emission reductions, including major public transport projects, more efficient public buildings, and supports an €18.9 billion investment into the Irish electricity grid; — this Government is committed to the delivery of major public transport projects, the NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for Transport, published in November, provided €10.1 billion for public transport, as well as an additional €2 billion from the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund to progress MetroLink, giving a total of €12.1 billion for public transport, this compares to an allocation of approximately €8.7 billion for roads capital investment; — the unprecedented €505 million worth of practical measures introduced by the Government on 12th April, included: — further reductions in excise duty on diesel, petrol and marked gas oil (green diesel) in addition to a deferral of the planned increase in carbon tax, scheduled 1st May until October 2026; and — reductions in excise duty, including the National Oil Reserves Agency levy reduction with effect from midnight on 14th April and will run until 31st July, 2026; — Government will also be establishing a new road transporters' support scheme, as well as supports for coach operators providing local link services, at a cost of €40 million per month for three months; — a comprehensive €100 million Fuel Subsidy Support Scheme to assist farmers, agricultural contractors and fishers will be put in place; — this package of supports is in addition to the measures announced in March, which included: — an expansion of the diesel rebate scheme, backdating it to January, to help sectors of the economy most impacted by the rise of fuel costs; and — an extension of the fuel allowance season to help the most vulnerable with the cost of home heating; — the Government has established the National Energy Affordability Taskforce, to identify and implement additional measures that will enhance energy affordability for households and businesses while delivering key renewable commitments and protecting security of supply and economic stability; — the Environmental Protection Agency's most recent emissions reporting confirms progress in delivering on climate action and records that Ireland has recorded overall greenhouse gas emission reductions for a third consecutive year, with a decrease of 6.8 per cent in 2023 followed by a further 2 per cent reduction in 2024, this is despite the concurrent increase of approximately 1.5 million people, more than one million new homes and over one million extra vehicles on our roads; — Ireland is a world leader in electricity generation from renewables which has increased fivefold since 2005, and that in February 2026 wind energy provided a record 50 per cent of the State's electricity; — Ireland has now reached a record circa 8 gigawatts (GW) of renewable generation capacity, up from 4.8 GW in 2020, and renewable energy provided half of Ireland's energy in March 2026; — the Government is committed to 5 GW of installed offshore wind capacity, with 5 Phase One projects all currently being progressed through the planning system, and the Government is also aiming for 20 GW of offshore wind by 2040 to help power a new green industrial revolution; — the Offshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme Tonn Nua site, offshore wind auction was successfully concluded in November 2025; and — the 2025 Zero-Emission Vehicle Intelligence target for electrical vehicle sales of 195,000 was surpassed in October 2025, and Electric Vehicle sales are now at over 227,000; — the Climate Action Plan 2025 and its predecessor, Climate Action Plan 2024, provide a strong framework for continued delivery of climate action across all sectors each and every day, including measures and actions that are multi-annual in nature and effect, and the Government is committed to supporting their implementation; — projected costs of compliance with the European Union (EU) climate and energy targets have not been confirmed at this point in time and that there are several routes to compliance available within the overarching EU framework, and the Government's focus is on implementing the measures at hand; — the Critical Infrastructure Bill 2026 is a targeted piece of legislation that allows the Government to designate certain critical projects or programmes as critical infrastructure, including: — grid infrastructure which is vital for Ireland's climate, societal and economic objectives, it does not seek to undermine the functioning of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act; — climate considerations will continue to be fully integrated into decision-making processes, including through the planning system and national policy framework, even where limited and exceptional provisions apply; — the Government's position on the need for a State-operated Strategic Gas Emergency Reserve, in the form Liquified Natural Gas, has been clear - it is a priority project of a strategic nature required to mitigate the major consequences for our society and our economy that would arise if Ireland was to experience an interruption to our gas supplies via subsea interconnection; — the proposed Dublin Airport (Passenger Cap) Bill 2026 will enable the sustainable development of Dublin Airport, with full regard to environmental constraints, legal obligations, and the independent regulatory role of the Irish Aviation Authority, while supporting national connectivity and economic resilience; — the National Residential Retrofit Plan 2026, announced on 27th January, introduced a number of new and expanded measures to make energy upgrades more affordable, and accessible to many more homeowners; — in Budget 2026, the Government provided a record allocation of €640 million, targeting 73,000 home energy upgrades this year, this includes a record €340 million for the Warmer Homes Scheme which provides fully funded upgrades for those in energy poverty and will target 11,500 upgrades this year; — capital expenditure of over €1.7 billion has delivered over 257,500 home energy upgrades from 2019 to end Q1 2026, and there are already over 170,000 heat pumps in existing homes and businesses across the country; — the 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan, which was published in January 2024, strives for a 'whole-of-Government, whole-of-society' approach to the governance and conservation of biodiversity; — the finalisation of the Report for Phase 2 of the National Land Use Review is advancing with a view to publishing later this year; — work is ongoing on the general scheme of the Bill to amend the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021, to provide for marine protected area designation through the National Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP) process with a view to bringing forward proposals this year; and — the MPA LIFE Ireland project (2024-2033) has been working at a practical level to help deliver Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Ireland in line with the DMAP process and the principles of public participation, co-design, co-development and co-delivery, this nine-year €25 million project co-funded by the EU will focus on the social, economic and ecological dimensions of MPA designation.". I very much welcome any opportunity to discuss sustainability, renewable energy, opportunities to reduce emissions and, of course, biodiversity and nature restoration. It strikes me, though, that we do not debate nature restoration and biodiversity enough in the House. Even in the 20 minutes the Opposition had to put forward their case on the motion, which alludes to nature restoration, ten seconds of it referenced biodiversity in nature. In fairness, Deputy Murphy referenced MPAs, Sitka spruce plantations and water quality but Deputy O'Gorman had ten minutes to begin and did not reference nature and biodiversity. It strikes me how low a priority nature and nature restoration are on the Opposition benches. That said, I welcome the opportunity to discuss the motion. The Government has tabled a countermotion. We must oppose this motion because it calls for a restatement of commitments already in law, does not reflect established statutory and parliamentary processes and fails to acknowledge the significant body of work under way across government. Let me be clear from the outset that the Government is fully committed to delivering on Ireland’s climate ambition across all sectors, and to progressing climate action in a planned and coherent way. Our approach ensures that sustainability, affordability, competitiveness and energy security remain central to policy. We are also acutely aware of the impact on households and businesses of recent increases in energy and fuel prices. Energy affordability is a core priority and that is why we have taken action by introducing one of the most comprehensive support packages in the European Union. The motion draws attention to concerns regarding the State’s current trajectory, suggesting a lack of progress. The facts, however, demonstrate a very different reality. The EPA’s most recent emissions report confirms our progress, recording overall greenhouse gas, GHG, emission reductions for a third consecutive year. We saw a decrease of 6.8% in 2023, followed by a further 2% reduction in 2024. Ireland now has the lowest level of GHG emissions in 35 years, despite the concurrent increase of approximately 1.5 million people, the construction of more than 1 million new homes and over 1 million additional vehicles on our roads. Work is ongoing across government every single day to accelerate climate mitigation efforts. We are undergoing a renewables-led energy transformation. Ireland is a world leader in renewable electricity generation, which has increased fivefold since 2005. We have now reached approximately 8 GW of renewable generation capacity, up significantly from 2020 levels. In February this year, wind energy provided a record 50% of the State’s electricity. The Government is prioritising offshore wind, with five phase one projects currently progressing through the planning system. The offshore renewable electricity support scheme, ORESS, Tonn Nua offshore wind auction concluded successfully last year and will make a major contribution to Ireland’s clean electricity supply. We are also advancing the solar for schools programme, which successfully completed installations in over 2,000 schools as of 2025. To attract the next generation of investment in strategic energy-intensive sectors, our large energy user action plan is deploying a plan-led approach to co-ordinate the delivery of key enabling infrastructure, ensuring that long-term industrial growth is fully aligned with Ireland’s green transition. To support this rapid transition, we are backing our ambitions with unprecedented investment. The Government has approved an unprecedented €18.9 billion investment in the electricity grid. In the transport sector, the national development plan sectoral investment plan provided €10.1 billion for public transport, alongside major projects such as MetroLink and the DART+ programme. Electric vehicle uptake also continues to grow. We are delivering warmer, more comfortable homes through the national residential retrofit plan. Since 2019, more than 257,500 home energy upgrades have been delivered. In budget 2026, the Government provided a record allocation of €640 million, targeting 73,000 home energy upgrades this year. This funding includes a record €340 million for the warmer homes scheme, supporting those experiencing energy poverty. I want to speak to what we are doing on biodiversity and nature. I fully accept and appreciate, as the Minister of State with responsibility for this area, that we have a massive tide to turn in terms of the loss of species and of habitats. We are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to restoring nature. We will soon have an amendment to the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021 where we will see MPA legislation included. This will set the way very shortly after for MPAs to be designated. For the first time ever, in budget 2026 there was an allocation of €100 million for the National Parks and Wildlife Service, which allows us to put in place a structure where we can restore nature across the board. I will give a brief example of what this looks like. I recently visited counties Galway and Mayo where I saw the extraordinary work being done by the Wild Atlantic Nature LIFE project there. They are investing in the restoration of habitats and the removal of invasive species. There are so many wins in this approach. First, the farmer or landowner is getting paid to participate in this scheme, so they win. Second, the local development companies are leading out on this. The local development companies who employ so many people locally are administering and putting in place the measures to ensure this can be done at scale. One of the big benefits is that the same farmers and fishermen, who are in the west where it can be more difficult to earn a decent income, are the ones being employed directly by the local development partnership to actually carry out this work, including to remove invasive species and restore peatland habitats, for example. We will increase the scale of this; we will scale it up. There are even more benefits because the rhododendrons they are removing is being processed and turned into a biochar, which has so many benefits for farming and renewable energy. To say there is nothing happening in that area would be completely unfair and the advisory committee's recommendations will be published shortly. Despite this substantial body of work, the motion presents several demands that are either unnecessary, inaccurate or premature. First, it calls on the Government to recommit to the legally binding target of a 51% emissions reduction by 2030. As that target already is provided for in law under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015, no further recommitment is required. Second, the motion expresses concern that the Critical Infrastructure Bill 2026 limits the effectiveness of the climate Act. This is incorrect. The Bill is a targeted measure to accelerate delivery of certain critical projects including vital grid infrastructure. It does not seek to undermine the functioning of the climate Act nor does it disapply climate obligations. Climate considerations will continue to apply through planning and wider statutory processes. Many of the projects that will be supported by this Bill are of strategic importance to the State’s climate action ambition, including critical electricity infrastructure and public transport projects. Without these projects, we will not be able to meet our overall climate targets and delays in their delivery will have significant negative consequences in this regard. Third, the motion mischaracterises the proposed strategic gas emergency reserve. The Government’s position on this has been clear. This is a priority project of a strategic nature required to mitigate the major consequences for our society and our economy that would arise if Ireland were to experience an interruption to our gas supplies via subsea interconnection. It is a State-led, transitional reserve intended strictly for emergency use and it will be divested when it is no longer required to secure our energy systems. Fourth, the motion demands the immediate implementation of the recommendations of the independent advisory committee on nature restoration. We have not published the recommendations yet. This will be launched on 29 April and anyone who wishes to attend is more than welcome. Fifth, the motion calls for the removal of provisions from the draft legislation that limit the effectiveness of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act. It is a matter for the Oireachtas through the established legislative processes to scrutinise proposed legislation as it is progressed through the various stages. It is through these established democratic procedures that legislative proposals are examined, refined and determined, rather than through sweeping motions that overlook existing statutory frameworks. The Government's counter-motion reflects the reality of the decisive actions already being taken and the commitments already in place. It offers a balanced, practical and deliverable path forward. We are making tangible, measurable progress in reducing emissions, expanding renewable energy, improving affordability and advancing the conservation of our biodiversity. We have the plans, the legislative framework and the unprecedented investment in place to deliver on our climate ambitions. I reiterate that the Government rejects the Independent and Parties Technical Group motion and proposes a Government counter-motion that more accurately reflects the reality of the situation.

Sentiment score: 0.17