Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 November 2025
369. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the progress in emission reduction targets in areas that are the responsibility of his Department; which measures are particularly successful and which measures are underperforming; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67052/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraReporting on Sectoral Emissions Ceilings is set out under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2021. Sectoral Emissions Ceilings set out the maximum amount of greenhouse gas emissions that are permitted in different sectors of the Irish economy.
Ireland’s Sectoral Emissions Ceilings were agreed by Government on 28 July 2022 along with the initial allocation of Ministerial responsibility for the ceilings as follows:
|
Sector |
Minister with Responsibility |
|
Electricity |
Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications |
|
Transport |
Minister for Transport |
|
Residential Buildings |
Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications |
|
Industry |
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment |
|
Commercial Buildings |
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment |
|
Agriculture |
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine |
|
LULUCF |
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, coordinating with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage |
|
Public Sector |
Minister the Environment, Climate and Communications, with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to take a joint coordinating role across various Departments (Hospitals – Minister for Health, and Schools – Minister for Education) |
|
Other (F-Gases, Waste & Petroleum Refining) |
Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications |
The Climate Action Plan lays out a roadmap of actions, aimed at achieving a 51% reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. It is updated annually to ensure alignment with our Carbon Budgets and Sectoral Emissions Ceilings.
Details of Ireland’s GHG emissions from 1990 to 2023 by sector can be found in the EPA’s report, Ireland’s Provisional Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990–2023. www.epa.ie/publications/monitoring--assessment/climate-change/air-emissions/EPA-Final-GHG-Report-Final.pdf.
The EPA report also publishes quarterly greenhouse gas emissions indicator reports for 2024 and 2025 to support more frequent monitoring of national and sectoral progress on climate action. These are available here:
www.epa.ie/publications/monitoring--assessment/climate-change/air-emissions/.
Estimated savings from measures by each sector are provided in the Climate Action Plan annex of actions available at the following link; https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-climate-energy-and-the-environment/publications/climate-action-plan-2025/
Updates on actions delivered by all Departments are available in quarterly reports published by the Department of the Taoiseach and available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-the-taoiseach/publications/climate-action-plan-progress-reports/.
