9. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Taoiseach for an update on the first progress report of the Climate Action Plan 2025. [9561/26]

Sentiment score: 0.14

The urbanisation of our flood plains and the mass removal of native trees and hedgerows in recent decades have drastically reduced our land's ability to hold excess water. Alongside conventional engineering schemes, we need to maximise our potential for nature-based approaches to flood management. There is a clear opportunity here for farmers to be paid a premium for taking measures such as the construction of leaky dams and ponds and the planting of native trees on their land. Cork County Council commissioned a survey into such measures upstream from Midleton in August 2024, raising hope locally that these options would form part of the wider flood response, yet this report has still not been published and there is little sign that this work is being actively pursued. Nature-based measures are not a silver bullet to flood risk, but international experience shows they can be very effective around particular settlements. They can often be delivered quickly, at relatively low cost and without the need for planning permission. They are a win-win for people at risk of flooding, farmers and biodiversity. Will Government now ensure that nature-based solutions to flood management are actively advanced alongside structural works, with the ambition, co-ordination and leadership that affected communities need?

Sentiment score: 0.30

22. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Taoiseach his response to the NESC report, Connecting People to the Energy Transition. [11617/26]

Sentiment score: 0.09

A serious structural barrier has emerged in the transition to electric vehicles, EVs, that Government policy is yet to confront. Large numbers of people, particularly those in apartments, terraced houses and rented accommodation, have no driveway and, under current circumstances, they are precluded from installing a home charger. On-street charging schemes remain extremely limited and subject to inconsistent rules across local authorities. In many parts of the country, residents are simply told that no programme exists and installations are not permitted. That lack of flexibility is no longer sustainable if we are serious about EV uptake. Public charging is not a viable substitute for EV owners. It is now significantly more expensive than home charging and would leave many households paying a permanent premium just to play their part in the transition. That creates a grossly unequal shift to EVs, based on housing circumstances. The recent report from the National Economic and Social Council, NESC, stresses the need for an inclusive transition. When will the Government publish a clear national plan for residential EV charging for households without driveways?

Sentiment score: -0.17