The following motion was moved by Deputy Roderic O'Gorman on Wednesday, 22 April 2026:
That Dáil Éireann:
recognises that the triple planetary crises of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss are an existential threat to humanity;
notes that the 22nd of April, is Earth Day, where people around the world are called to stand in defence of the only home we share;
declared a climate and biodiversity emergency, becoming the second national parliament in the world to do so, and in so doing recognised the importance of Ireland responding to these crises in 2019;
further recognises that:
— to address this challenge, the Government has committed to achieving a climate neutral economy by no later than 2050 and, through carbon budgets and the Climate Action Plan, to reduce by 51 per cent the annual greenhouse gas emissions reported for 2030 compared to 2018;
— these commitments are underpinned by the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015, amended and strengthened in 2021, which acts as a foundation for the State's climate policy, and provides the legal basis for Ireland's climate ambitions;
— biodiversity targets are driven by Ireland's 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan 2023-2030 (NBAP), which aims to meet international commitments, including 30 per cent protected land and marine areas by 2030, this plan is on a statutory footing, and public bodies have a duty to contribute to these targets;
— achievement of these ambitions requires a Whole-of-Government approach to the decarbonisation of the energy system, the provision of electrified public transport at scale, the retrofitting of Ireland's building stock, and the development of new renewable energy sources;
— the ongoing crisis in the Middle East has demonstrated that the objective of affordable, secure and decarbonised energy cannot be met through importation of fossil fuels, which are carbon intensive and subject to rapid price shocks;
— in confronting the fact that 29 per cent of Irish households are in energy poverty and hundreds of thousands of electricity and gas customers are in arrears, we must ensure that in moving to a net-zero Ireland we adhere to the principles of the Just Transition Commission, and must reach those furthest behind first;
— energy crises disproportionately impact the most marginalised, including one parent families, carers, disabled people, members of the Traveller community, and older people are driven by an energy system that is too reliant on expensive imported fossil fuels; and
— climate change and its consequences are and will continue to have profound effects on human health and the wellbeing of future generations;
notes, with concern that:
— the Minister for Climate, Energy, and the Environment has indicated that the Government will miss its 2030 emissions reduction target by half, and has provided no emergency plan to reverse this trajectory;
— the Environmental Protection Agency, in preparing its latest emissions projections, found that the Government had not included any significant new policies or measures in the Climate Action Plan 2025, to close the gap in meeting 2030 climate targets;
— relevant Government Ministers have not yet fulfilled their duties under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Acts to attend the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy, and outline corrective measures to meet sectoral emissions ceilings;
— the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council and the Climate Change Advisory Council published a joint peer-reviewed analysis in 2025, indicating a potential €8-€26 billion in compliance costs for Ireland through missing climate targets;
— the Government has proposed legislation that will fundamentally undermine the functioning of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act, by exempting carbon intensive projects from scrutiny under that Act;
— the Government intends to increase Ireland's reliance on fossil fuels through the creation of a State-owned Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal which will be reliant on imported gas and subject to geopolitical price shocks far beyond the State's control;
— the enabling legislation for a State-owned LNG terminal, the Strategic Gas Emergency Reserve Bill 2025, seeks to pre-empt scrutiny of this project under Section 15 of Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act, suggesting that the Government understands that it is not compliant with Ireland's climate targets;
— an LNG terminal will lead to locked-in fossil fuel industry expansion that does not align with Ireland's binding climate obligations;
— a similar provision in the Dublin Airport (Passenger Cap) Bill 2026 suggests that the Government is placing the interests of airlines ahead of the need for a healthy environment and climate action;
— the newly published Critical Infrastructure Bill 2026 will allow the wholesale exclusion of carbon intensive projects from scrutiny under the Climate Action Act;
— despite a target of 5 gigawatts (GW) of new offshore wind energy by 2030 under the Climate Action Plan, no new offshore wind projects have been delivered, and the projects currently planned amount to less than 5 GW;
— the Government is due to fall well short of its retrofitting targets of 500,000 residential retrofits and the deployment of 400,000 heat pumps by 2030;
— the National Development Plan Review 2025 has reversed the previous Government's policy of providing a ratio of 2:1 investment in public transport over new roads, which will undermine plans to improve public transport and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector;
— rapid growth in the number of data centres in Ireland has created significant induced demand for electricity, which will eliminate the net positive effect of new renewables projects and lead to increased energy prices for ordinary households;
— the Government has raided the €3.15 billion Climate and Nature Fund to plug holes in its infrastructure budget;
— the Marine Protected Areas Bill has yet to be published;
— the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, has disbanded its climate division;
— funding for farmers to implement the NBAP is wholly inadequate;
— the Final Report for Phase 2 of the National Land Use Review has been with the Minister for Climate, Energy, and the Environment, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Minister of State at Housing, Local Government and Heritage almost a year and is still not published;
— the Government has not fully met its legal obligations under the Climate Act as emissions limits do not account for the Land Use, Land Use Change, and Forestry sector;
— the Government has not yet addressed the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy regarding the preparation and delivery of Carbon Budgets 3 and 4 (2031-2040); and
— the Climate Action Plan 2026 has been significantly delayed and is still not yet published; and
calls on the Government to:
— re-commit to the legally binding target of 51 per cent emissions reduction by 2030;
— remove any provisions from draft legislation that limits the effectiveness of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act;
— implement the recommendations of the Independent Advisory Committee on nature restoration and to adequately fund Ireland's Nature Restoration Plan; and
— protect vulnerable households from the ongoing fossil fuel price crisis through new targeted supports and safeguards, by speeding up access to home energy upgrades, and by ensuring that Ireland develops its own secure and clean renewable energy.
Debate resumed on 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.".
- (Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan)
I must now deal with a postponed division relating to the motion regarding Earth Day. On Wednesday, 22 April 2026, on the question, "That the amendment to the motion be agreed to", a division was claimed and in accordance with Standing Order 85(2), that division must be taken now.
Amendment put:
The Dáil divided: Tá, 81; Níl, 64; Staon, 0.
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Mary Butler and Emer Currie; Níl, Deputies Roderic O'Gorman and Ciarán Ahern.
Amendment declared carried.
Question put: “That the motion, as amended, be agreed to."
The Dáil divided: Tá, 82; Níl, 63; Staon, 0.
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Mary Butler and Emer Currie; Níl, Deputies Roderic O'Gorman and Ciarán Ahern.
Question declared carried.
Cuireadh an Dáil ar athló ar 7.33 p.m. go dtí 8.47 a.m., Déardaoin, an 23 Aibreán 2026.
The Dáil adjourned at 7.33 p.m. until 8.47 a.m. on Thursday, 23 April 2026.