The Government must spend less time trying to find loopholes to dodge EU fines and more time making genuine attempts to reduce our emissions, according to Social Democrats climate spokesperson Jennifer Whitmore.
Deputy Whitmore said:
“Projections by the Environmental Protection Agency show an overall reduction of 25% in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 is possible – but this high watermark amounts to only half of the decrease that is required by law.
“In response, Climate Minister Darragh O’Brien took to the airwaves this morning, speaking delusionally to RTÉ radio listeners about the prospect of meeting these targets. The Minister responsible has stuck his head in the sand when faced with the level of abject failure.
“Even if every measure in the Government’s most recent Climate Action Plan is achieved, it will only result in a 29% emissions cut. There’s no reason to believe that this will happen.
“Instead of committing wholeheartedly to meeting our targets, the Government is attempting to lobby at EU level for fines to be ditched when we inevitably fall short of what is required.
“The Government is playing chicken with the EU while €28 billion of public money is at risk of being gobbled up in fines. This is grossly irresponsible and a bad-faith manner in which to approach the climate crisis.
“Minimising the risk of potential EU fines is reckless. Government complacency will not only put our public finances at risk, it will accelerate climate change and lead to more frequent extreme weather events.
“If we are to have any chance of reaching our targets, we must commit to introducing a new climate action plan that will radically decrease our greenhouse gas emissions. The Social Democrats have outlined a suite of measures which would do so, but they’ve fallen on deaf ears.
“Our Solar for All plan, for example, includes a doubling of grants for solar installation to €3,600, and the inclusion of solar panels in the ‘Warmer Homes Scheme’ to help families cut electricity costs by an average of €450 a year while reducing our emissions.
“Up to a million homes in Ireland are deemed suitable for solar panels and a nationwide installation programme could be rolled out relatively quickly. This is something we have been calling for since 2022.
“There is no more time for delay; the Government must commit to genuine climate measures to give us any chance of reaching our 2030 targets.”
May 27th, 2026