Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 February 2026
260. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment his plans to reduce reliance on fossil fuels to achieve climate objectives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14976/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs set out in the Programme for Government, this Government is committed to delivering on Ireland’s responsibility to address the climate crisis. Ireland now has the lowest level of GHG emissions in 35 years, despite the concurrent unprecedented demographic and economic growth including an increase of approximately 1.5 million people, more than one million new homes and over one million extra vehicles on our roads.
We are currently undergoing a renewables-led energy transformation and making significant strides in reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. The Programme for Government has reaffirmed Ireland’s targets of 80% of electricity demand to be met by renewables in the near term, with plans to fully decarbonise Ireland's energy supply by 2050. Renewables play an important role in supporting economic and population growth as we increasingly electrify our economy, build new energy efficient homes, and attract foreign direct investment in.
Ireland is due to reach 8 GW of renewable electricity generation capacity installed this week, an addition of approximately 5 GW of new renewable electricity generation capacity in just ten years, including doubling our wind capacity and establishing solar energy as a major pillar of our electricity supply. The 2025 Energy in Ireland Report showed renewables made up 41.3% of Ireland’s electricity fuel mix in 2024, the highest share of renewables to date. The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) is Ireland’s flagship support scheme for grid-scale renewable electricity generators and the five auctions to date have been key drivers of Ireland’s renewables success story so far. The next RESS auction, RESS 6, is expected to take place later this year.
There are presently five Phase One Offshore wind developments, all of which are being progressed through the planning system. The ORESS Tonn Nua offshore wind auction was successfully concluded last November, and this project will deliver enough clean electricity to power one million homes. Last year, I announced the acceleration of the National Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP) for offshore renewable energy which will identify sites for additional renewable energy development.
This Government is prioritising grid upgrades which will facilitate further deployment of renewables and enable the electrification of homes, businesses and transport and it has approved an unprecedented investment of €18.9 billion in Grid for the period 2026 – 2030.
We are also seeing rapid progress in other sectors; the 2025 ZEVI target for electrical vehicle sales of 195,000 was surpassed in October 2025 and home retrofitting is scaling up with supports improving to bring more people in, especially those at risk of energy poverty. In January, I announced The National Residential Retrofit Plan which will revise and improve the provision of grants and financing models for homeowners who wish to retrofit, enhancing energy efficiency and reducing costs, while ensuring all grants and schemes are accessible to older people in our community. By promoting retrofitting, renewable heating, and solar energy, we will make homes warmer, cheaper to heat, and less reliant on fossil fuels, and in doing so maximising emissions abatement and contributing towards climate progress.
