Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 April 2026
74. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the total amount of carbon tax paid to the Exchequer from 2022 – 2025, in tabular form; the amount of the tax paid that was specifically ringfenced for climate initiatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29185/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Department of Finance and Revenue that the amounts raised through the Carbon Tax in each of the years 2019 to 2024 are shown in the following table. The provisional amount of Carbon Tax collected in 2025 is €1,176m. This figure may be subject to revision.
Carbon Tax Receipts (2019–2025)
|
Year |
Carbon Tax Receipts (€ million) |
|
2019 |
430 |
|
2020 |
494 |
|
2021 |
652 |
|
2022 |
791 |
|
2023 |
935 |
|
2024 |
1,067 |
In line with the Government’s commitment to allocate ringfenced carbon tax funding over this decade to support climate action measures and to ensure the most vulnerable are protected from unintended impacts of the carbon tax increase, between Budget 2020 and Budget 2026, over €4.2 billion in additional Carbon Tax revenues has been allocated to programmes to support a range of social protection, decarbonisation and agri-environmental measures.
This total includes over €2 billion allocated to the Department of Climate, Energy and Environment to support Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland (SEAI) residential and community energy efficiency upgrade schemes, including the Warmer Homes Scheme, the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme, the Better Energy Homes Scheme, the Community Energy Grant scheme and the Solar PV Scheme.
It also includes €539 million funded from increases in the Carbon Tax to part-fund the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) and to continue prior commitments on green agriculture pilot projects. This will support farmers as they undertake a range of actions which will result in improved outcomes on biodiversity, climate, air and water quality.
From Budget 2020 to date, €140 million of Carbon Tax revenue has also been allocated to the Department of Transport to support sustainable transport measures such as greenways and electric vehicles. In addition, €35 million has been allocated to the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage to fund peatlands rehabilitation, which delivers a range of climate and ecosystem benefits, as well as €42 million allocated to the Just Transition Fund to support the areas most affected by the transition to climate neutrality, ensuring that no one is left behind.
The Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation issues an annual publication on Budget Day titled The Use of Carbon Tax Funds, which contains further detail on these allocations, and includes information on the programmes funded from these amounts. All previous versions of this report are available on the Department’s website.
