Climate Action Plan
Dail Éireann — 2026-04-16
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Roderic O'Gorman (GP), Dublin West

I will not get into a back-and-forth over what was said at Christmas because I do not think it is useful at this stage. However, given how far off track we are at this current time, the climate action plan for this year, which sets out the priorities for the next five years within the carbon budget, is absolutely crucial. The Minister spoke about priorities. He will need to take some really big extra steps. It is not just about ticking the box and puttering along from where we are now.
I see the focus that the Government is putting on the Critical Infrastructure Bill, as this is going to be some big part of it. Deputy Whitmore made some points about it earlier and I have made some points to the Minister, Deputy Chambers.
I think what the Government is proposing there is actually counterproductive, but we will have that debate another time. In terms of the big step that was taken last week with a huge package of additional funding to deal with the emergency crisis to end the protest and the blockades, does the Minister believe the Department will get the financial backing across the Government to take some of these really big steps, steps beyond what have been budgeted for previously and steps that might make eyes water in the Department of public expenditure and in the fiscal council, but steps that are now necessary when we see for the second time in four years the vulnerability of our economy to its addiction to fossil fuels and the consequent impact on our emissions? If this climate action plan does not contain some big, bold and new ideas to decarbonise and does not provide greater energy security or affordability for Irish people, and if it does not have a clear financial commitment behind it, it will not be worth anything.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-04-16/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:49+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-16