Climate Change Policy

Wednesday, 25 February 2026

Questions (285)

Ciarán Ahern

Question:

285. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to provide details of all occasions in which he or his predecessors exercised the power conferred on them under Section 15(3) of the Climate Action & Low Carbon Development Act (2015), which states that ‘the relevant Minister may, from time to time, give a direction to a relevant body requiring it to adopt such measures as are specified in the direction for the purposes of compliance by the relevant body with subsection (1)’; to provide the details of the direction given in all cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15249/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht

Neither I nor my predecessors have issued any directions to relevant bodies pursuant to section 15(3) of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015. This reflects the fact that the bodies under the remit of my Department are not involved in energy or carbon intensive activities.

My Department is committed to meeting its obligations under the Climate Action Plan and Public Sector Climate Action Mandate. Central to this is the development of my Department’s annual Climate Action Roadmaps, which are available [at DRCDG Climate Action Roadmap]. The most recent Roadmap was published in October 2025, and it includes information on both measures taken with regard to reduce energy use within Departmental buildings, and how the Departments programmes are, for example, helping to engage communities with regard to climate action.

My Department was formed in 2017, and on 1 June 2025, following a transfer of functions, responsibility for the Gaeltacht was also transferred to my Department. As a result, there are now eight bodies under the aegis of my Department; the Western Development Commission, the Charities Regulator, Pobal, Water Safety Ireland, Foras na Gaeilge, the Ulster-Scots Agency, Údarás na Gaeltachta and An Coimisinéir Teanga. I can confirm that all agencies are aware of the requirement to prepare Climate Action Roadmaps.