Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore has accused Minister Darragh O’Brien of playing a reckless game of chicken with the EU by downplaying the risk of billions in fines if Ireland fails to hit its climate action targets.
Deputy Whitmore, who is the party’s climate spokesperson, said:
“Earlier this year, the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (IFAC) and the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) jointly warned that this country faces compliance costs ranging from €8 billion to €26 billion if we miss our emissions reduction target by 2030.
“Incredibly, our Climate Minister has now sought to play down this serious financial risk, dismissively describing the fine projections as a ‘back of an envelope’ calculation.
“Playing a game of chicken with the EU is an extremely risky strategy, especially when you consider that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned that Ireland is likely to miss its climate goals by some distance – with a potential 23 per cent reduction more likely than the legally binding 51 per cent target.
“In fact, even if every measure in the government’s most recent Climate Action Plan is achieved, it will only result in a 29 per cent emissions cut.
“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.
“It is particularly disquieting to see a minister tasked with overseeing our climate action measures displaying such a blasé attitude about the potential consequences of missing our targets.”
October 8, 2025