Written Answers Nos. 8-22
8. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Taoiseach to provide an update on progress of the annexe of actions contained with each annual climate action plan; to provide a breakdown of which actions are completed, are in progress and-or remain outstanding, by year, for the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [72966/25]
View answerUnder the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021, updates of the Climate Action Plan (CAP) are published on an annual basis. They detail climate policies, measures and actions required to reduce Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions in pursuit of statutory emissions reduction targets. The CAP and its Annex detail specific actions that Government departments, agencies and public bodies commit to take together with a timeline for the completion of each action.
To track delivery of actions, the Department of the Taoiseach prepares quarterly progress reports, in collaboration with implementing Departments. Detail on every action due in that quarter is published as an Appendix to each report.
Once approved by Government, progress reports are published online. These reports, as well as detailed tables of actions completed and delayed since CAP19, are available online at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/55fde-climate-action-important-publications/
Six Progress Reports were produced under Climate Action Plan 2019 . These reports show that, overall, 78% of the 500 measures in the Climate Action Plan 2019 due by the end of 2020 were completed.
Four progress reports were produced under Climate Action Plan 2021. Between Quarter 4 2021 and Quarter 4 2022, 79% of the 965 measures due for delivery were completed.
Four progress reports were produced under Climate Action Plan 2023 (CAP23). These reports show that 65% of the 290 actions due for delivery in 2023 were completed within the year.
In preparation of CAP23, a decision was taken to focus on a smaller number of more significant actions than in previous updates. A legacy exercise was conducted on the 205 outstanding actions that had not been completed by the end of 2022. The more significant of these were retained for reporting under CAP 23. A separate table was published that details how delayed measures from 2022 and actions listed in CAP21 for delivery later than 2022 were accounted for in the preparation of CAP23 or if they were actioned elsewhere.
Two progress reports, providing details on two quarters each, were published under Climate Action Plan 2024 (CAP24) and show an overall implementation rate for the year of 64%, with 80 of 125 actions completed in 2024. For CAP24, a report on legacy actions, those not completed in 2023, was published alongside the Q4 2023 Progress Report. Delayed actions were retained for progress reporting in Q1 2024 and beyond, until completion, alongside the CAP24 actions.
One progress report has been published to date under Climate Action Plan 2025 (CAP25). This report shows that 4 of the 6 new actions due for delivery were complete. Of the 64 delayed CAP23 and CAP24 legacy actions remaining, 10 were completed in Q1 2025.
Publication of the Q2 progress report under CAP25 (including reporting on legacy CAP23 and CAP24 actions) will be combined with results from Q3. This combined Q2/Q3 progress report will be presented to Government for its consideration and approval for publication.
9. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will introduce in person checks on all military aircraft flying through Shannon airport; to confirm that the manifest for each flight correctly records the cargo carried thereon; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72714/25]
View answer10. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade her views on the Government's position in relation to military flights through Irish airspace, whether permission is granted to military aircraft to fly through Irish airspace; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72715/25]
View answer11. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will confirm that permission is given to American military aircraft to fly through Irish airspace while carrying lethal weapons and other lethal miliary equipment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72716/25]
View answer12. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will confirm that US miliary aircraft are permitted while carrying lethal weapons and other lethal miliary equipment to Isreal or to support the Israeli Defence Forces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72717/25]
View answer13. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she will prevent US military aircraft from transiting Irish airspace while carrying military equipment to be used by Israeli Defence Forces in connection with Gaza or the occupied Palestinian territories; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72718/25]
View answer14. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the basis in which Ireland's military nonalignment permits her to grant permission to military aircraft to fly through Irish airspace; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72720/25]
View answer15. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the legal basis on which she allows any military aircraft carrying lethal weaponry to fly through Irish airspace; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72721/25]
View answer16. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the legal basis on which her allows military aircraft to carry lethal weapons or other lethal military equipment, to be used by the Israeli Defence Forces, to pass through Irish airspace; whether this breaches Ireland's military nonalignment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72722/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 9 to 16, inclusive, together.
Under the terms of the Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order, 1952, all foreign military aircraft wishing to overfly, or land in, the State require diplomatic clearance from the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Diplomatic clearance is only provided where the conditions set out by my Department are fully met, including that the aircraft is unarmed; that it carries no arms, ammunition or explosives; that it does not engage in intelligence gathering; and that the flight in question does not form part of a military exercise or operation. This policy is well known and is fully understood by international partners.
The permission given by Ireland to foreign military or state aircraft to overfly or land in the State is fully compatible with our policy of military neutrality, which, as practised by successive Governments, means that Ireland does not participate in military alliances or common or mutual defence arrangements. As the Government has stated on numerous occasions, there are no plans to alter this policy.
Foreign military aircraft which are given permission to land in Ireland are not subject to inspection in this regard. Sovereign immunity, a long-standing principle of customary international law, means that a state may not exercise its jurisdiction in respect to another state or its property, including state and military aircraft. This principle applies automatically to foreign State or military aircraft in the same way that it applies to Irish State or military aircraft abroad.
In 2025, my Department has granted permission on a small number of occasions for US military aircraft to land in Shannon for the specific purpose of transporting senior officials travelling from the United States to the Middle East.
I am fully satisfied that the stringent procedures for diplomatic clearance were followed in full on each of these occasions, meaning that the aircraft were unarmed; carried no arms, ammunition or explosives; were not engaged in intelligence gathering; and did not form part of a military exercise or operation.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade publishes statistics in relation to overflights and landings of foreign military and state aircraft on the Department’s website.
17. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if her Department has undertaken an assessment of potential risks or financial vulnerabilities in respect of possible cases that may be taken against the Irish State under ISDS or ICS rules, particularly vulnerabilities under fair and equitable treatment grounds in light of Article 8.10.4 of CETA, which states 'where a Party made a specific representation to an investor to induce a covered investment' shall be taken into account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73240/25]
View answer18. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his Department has undertaken an assessment of potential risks or financial vulnerabilities from possible cases that may be taken against the Irish State under ISDS or ICS rules, particularly vulnerabilities under fair and equitable treatment grounds in light of Article 8.10.4 of CETA, which states 'where a Party made a specific representation to an investor to induce a covered investment' shall be taken into account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73241/25]
View answer19. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his Department has undertaken an assessment of potential risks or vulnerabilities which may be attached to future regulation or policymaking, from possible cases taken against the Irish State under ISDS or ICS rules; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73245/25]
View answer20. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if her Department has undertaken an assessment of potential risks or vulnerabilities from possible cases taken against the Irish State under ISDS or ICS rules, including but not limited to, the exposure of the Irish housing and rental market to external venture capital and investment funds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73247/25]
View answer21. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if her Department has undertaken an assessment of potential risks or vulnerabilities which may be attached to future regulation or policymaking, from possible cases taken against the Irish state under ISDS or ICS rules; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73250/25]
View answer22. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if her Department has undertaken an assessment of potential risks or vulnerabilities which may be attached to future regulation or policymaking, from possible cases taken against the Irish state under ISDS or ICS rules; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73251/25]
View answer34. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if her Department has undertaken an assessment of potential risks or financial vulnerabilities in respect of possible cases that may be taken against the Irish State under ISDS or ICS rules, particularly vulnerabilities under fair and equitable treatment grounds in light of Article 8.10.4 of CETA, which states 'where a Party made a specific representation to an investor to induce a covered investment' shall be taken into account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73249/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 17 to 22, inclusive, and 34 together.
The EU’s new approach to investment protection includes the Investment Court System (ICS), which will replace the long-standing Investor-State Dispute Settlement or ISDS mechanism. The European Union and its Member States are keenly aware of the criticisms of the ISDS system. To overcome the shortcomings attributed to the ISDS system, the EU and its Member States have put forward new reforms addressing these concerns head-on. This new, progressive system contains investment protection provisions that are balanced against a State’s right to regulate in the public interest.
The Government is currently progressing the Arbitration (Amendment) Bill 2025 in Dáil Éireann as part of ongoing efforts to take forward ratification of the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and other international agreements containing similar ICS investment dispute resolution provisions. The preparation of this Bill has been informed by careful assessment.
These agreements include clearly defined investment protection standards, including on fair and equitable treatment, and provide clear guidance to standing dispute resolution Tribunals on how these standards should be applied. Furthermore, in order to ensure that Tribunals in all circumstances respect the intent of the Parties, the agreements establishing these Tribunals include provisions that provide for the issuance of binding notes of interpretation where serious concerns have arisen as regards matters of interpretation. In the case of CETA, the Joint Interpretative Instrument confirms that “Canada and the European Union and its Member States are committed to using these provisions to avoid and correct any misinterpretation of CETA by Tribunals.”
These agreements include provisions that affirm that the Parties preserve their rights to regulate for public policy purposes. They also provide that investment protection provisions shall not be interpreted as a commitment from governments that their legal frameworks will remain unchanged. The agreements further clarify that the fact that a measure may negatively affect an investment or affect an investor’s expectations of profits is not sufficient to say that the measure is inconsistent with the agreement.
