Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 April 2025
85. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the work his Department has carried out to ensure that our infrastructure is resilient to climate change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16102/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand from clarification provided by the Deputy to my Department, that the Deputy is referring specifically to energy infrastructure in the Question.
The impacts of recent storms, including Storm Éowyn, have illustrated the importance of the need to improve the climate resilience of our infrastructure.
Issues regarding the development of the national electricity grid rest with EirGrid, as Transmission System Operator, and ESB Networks, as Distribution System Operator, who are independent of me as Minister in the exercise of their respective functions. Both entities are overseen by the independent regulator, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU).
The CRU sanctions investment in the onshore electricity grid in five-year cycles called Price Reviews (PR). Work has commenced on PR6 which will see the CRU sanction the investment in the grid to 2030. A final decision on this is expected from the CRU in Q3 this year.
To ensure climate adaptability and resilience, the investment under PR6 will see an evolution in ESB Networks climate adaptability framework to ensure that the risks and impacts of climate change on the network are evaluated and addressed. As part of this work ESB will identify climate hazards, monitor trends, and put in place climate risk control measures to protect the network. They will further ensure effective governance of climate risk and develop climate resilience metrics linking climate risk mitigation initiatives. Innovation will also play a role as ESB will trial new materials and technology to assist with tackling the changing impacts of climate.
The need for greater prioritisation of climate adaptation is also linked to ensuring improved climate resilience of infrastructure.
Significant resources are available through the National Development Plan which outlines the allocations for capital investment for the period to 2030. Individual Government Departments decide on the most appropriate prioritisation and application of the funding allocated to them, including the allocation of resources for climate change adaptation.
Expenditure ceilings for climate adaptation, as for all spending priorities, are decided as part of the annual estimates process. A total of €3.9bn of expenditure allocated in 2025 is assessed as favourable to climate change adaptation including funding for flood risk management, infrastructure retrofitting, international climate finance, funding for the provision of climate services, adaptive and sustainable farming practices, and research programmes across a number of Departments and State bodies.
In June 2024, the Government approved and published a new National Adaptation Framework (NAF). The NAF requires 13 key sectors that are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change across 7 lead Government Departments to develop Sectoral Adaptation Plans (SAPs) under sectoral guidelines published by my Department. The development of these SAPs is ongoing, including for those the electricity and gas networks sectors directly under my remit. Officials from my Department are on the SAP planning teams and are collaborating with the Sectors, the EPA and the CCAC to progress this work. All SAPs must be completed to seek Government approval by 30 September 2025.
Completed SAPs should clearly set out the adaptation priorities for key sectors including an assessment of resources required to implement SAP actions.
