Environmental Policy

5. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the additional measures he is taking to address the fact that the EPA has said that emissions are falling "far too slowly" (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65909/26]

What additional measures is the Minister taking to address the fact the EPA recently stated emissions are falling far too slowly? Will he make a statement on the matter?

We are committed to supporting emissions reductions in the built environment sector across the economy. That is what Deputy Daly specifically asked in the question. We are taking action every day to implement climate mitigation measures, which also provide warmer and more comfortable homes and support energy affordability, energy security and energy sustainability for households and businesses. The EPA's latest provisional greenhouse gas emissions inventory, published in July, shows the impact this work is having. Emissions fell in all main sectors in 2025 and emissions from buildings decreased by 4.7%. Overall emissions have fallen for a fourth consecutive year and they are at the lowest level they have been for 36 years. Emissions per capita are now at the lowest level since 1990. On foot of these record reductions, we are projected to achieve the first carbon budget and the sectoral emissions ceiling in the residential and public and commercial building sectors. Looking forward, existing measures and additional measures are projected to improve. They will not get us to 50% by 2030 but the EPA projections to 2030 have improved across most sectors. This is a clear sign that we are making progress. Very importantly, for four years we have been able to decouple economic growth from emissions growth. We are back to the 1990 emissions level but we have 1.5 million more people in the Republic, 1 million more homes and more than 1 million more cars. We need to accelerate this and try to bridge that gap. A big part of this, and Deputy Daly mentioned the built environment in particular, is made up of the grant schemes and the investment in retrofitting that I mentioned. There have been about 287,000 home upgrades. We need to do more on the public built environment also. Some very good work is being done in our university sector and in hospitals and local authorities. It is our job to accelerate this. The next climate action plan, which I will publish well before the end of this year and intend to bring to Cabinet at the end of October, will cover this year and 2027. It will be a more focused plan and will identify strategic climate priorities that will shape our approach to closing the gap to 2030.

My question was on what additional measures the Minister will be taking. He knows that many people feel excluded. In my view, there is not a just transition because people cannot afford to get on a lot of these schemes. There is the risk of fines from Europe, of up to €28 billion, as has been said. The Minister also mentioned offshore wind. I spoke with developers yesterday who told me it is unlikely that a turbine will be wet by 2035. We had a target of 5 GW. Clearly, that is not going to happen. Will there even be 1 GW in place by 2030? We are way behind on solar energy too. The programme for Government outlined that there will be solar guidelines, but we are still waiting for them nearly one and a half years later. Developers, communities and people need to know and have clarity about what is going to be allowed into their community. Some of the solar developers work better than others. Some have better community engagement than others. Does the Minister have any views? Is he going to tell us when those guidelines will come in?

There were a number of supplementary questions there. The Deputy mentioned the accessibility of grants. That is what I changed earlier this year. We do not want to leave anybody behind. There are some questions later about the warmer homes scheme, which is the full 100% grant. We have done full deep retrofits, which are 100% grant-aided, for close to 40,000 homes for lower income families. That is really important. I changed the grants earlier this year to break them down and I brought in the windows and doors grant. Previously, people could not get these grants unless they did a deep retrofit. The combined grant is €4,800. I doubled the heat pump grant to €12,500. Wall, cavity and attic grants were all increased. These grants are all accessible. It is not necessary to do everything together. With certain BER ratings for homes, it is possible to get the windows and doors grant with only one additional measure, like attic additional insulation. We are seeing people respond to that. I gave a figure earlier of well over 80,000 grant applications. I always keep this situation under review in respect of whether there are additional supports - not increased grants - we can bring in. That is paid for through the carbon tax, and this is why it is important that the tax is used to make permanent changes for households. I responded to the Deputy earlier in relation to home heating oil. We are looking at it in advance of the budget.

I am not going to speak too long about the carbon tax, except to say it does not work. It is also not ring-fenced.

It is ring-fenced.

The Government gives the impression it is completely ring-fenced, but it clearly is not. Apart from committing not to have any more carbon tax increases, because people in poorer households are suffering much more than others because of the carbon tax, will the Minister consider solar energy guidelines? I ask him to answer this question because we have not got an answer to it yet. We see what is done in the Netherlands. It has a solar ladder that prioritises rooftop, followed by urban and industrial land, then brownfield sites and then agricultural land as a last resort. There is a more plan-led approach in Denmark, underpinned by strong local engagement, municipal-led site selection and a long tradition of community participation. Some of the solar companies work much better than others with their community engagement. I see that in the various developments happening around County Kerry, but guidelines are needed, as opposed to having communities depend on industry-led guidelines that the companies themselves operate to varying degrees.

On the planning guidelines, work is being done on them. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage is the lead on that process. Obviously, we feed into it. I agree with the Deputy. Most companies in the development sector engage well with communities. After these questions conclude, I will be out in my own county, in Ballyboughal, for the opening of a very large solar farm up there. Solar energy is a very important clean resource. There are 3 GW of it in our energy system now. If we go back 11 years, there were approximately 2 MW. It has grown substantially. Households are responding as well. We have over 1 GW of rooftop solar energy installed and it is having a significant impact in reducing people's bills. I want us to do more on this. I will speak to the Minister, Deputy Browne, over the next few days and seek an update on the progress being made with the solar PV guidelines.

Will they be in place by the end of the year?

I am not going to give the Deputy a date now, because I will have to talk to the Minister. We are feeding into that process. I ask the Deputy to let me get a timeframe that is realistic and I will come back to him directly.