183. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment when the Climate Action Plan for 2026 will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62706/26]

184. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the timeline for consultations and publication of the Climate Action Plan 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62707/26]

186. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if the Climate Action Plan for 2026, will set out sector specific actions that are required to address any failure, or projected failure, to comply with the carbon budget and sectoral emissions ceiling for the period to which the plan relates, as per S.4(2)(b)(ii) of the Climate Action Act 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62709/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 183, 184 and 186 together.

This Government is committed to delivering on Ireland’s responsibility to address the climate crisis and work remains ongoing across Government to implement climate mitigation measures every day. We have a robust climate delivery framework and detailed plans in place across all sectors. My priority is driving implementation, particularly of high impact measures with multiple societal and economic benefits.

The EPA's latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory, published in July, shows that Ireland has recorded overall greenhouse gas emission reductions for a fourth consecutive year, and that we have now achieved the first carbon budget on the back of these record emissions reductions.

Ireland now has the lowest level of GHG emissions in 36 years which is notable given a concurrent population increase of approximately 1.5 million people, more than one million new homes and over one million extra vehicles on our roads. Given the strong economic growth over this period, we can see a clear decoupling of growth from emissions which is a key milestone in Ireland's transition to climate neutrality.

We are making significant strides toward our target of 80% renewable energy by 2030. We now have over 8GW renewable electricity generation capacity, and last month we passed the milestone of 3GW installed solar capacity. Regularly throughout the first half of 2026 almost half of Ireland’s electricity demand came from renewable sources. The recent ORESS Tonn Nua offshore wind auction will secure enough clean electricity to power 1,000,000 homes, and we have five Phase One offshore wind developments progressing through planning this year.

To support this transition, the Government has approved an unprecedented investment of €18.9 billion in the Grid for the period 2026 – 2030. This represents the largest ever investment in our electricity grid, delivering major upgrades and developments to enable more renewables to be brought online and allow for the greater electrification of homes, businesses, and transport.

The Climate Action Delivery Board (CADB), which I chair, and the Climate Action Plan Programme Board (CAPPB) are providing oversight of the delivery of our highest impact measures and driving the development of the next update to the Climate Action Plan, which is currently ongoing. A public consultation on the next Plan closed on 17 August 2026, with feedback currently being considered by relevant policy teams and publication of the Plan is expected later this year. This Plan will be more focussed and targeted and will set out my intentions for further action in the coming months and years, including a range of new actions to support mitigation in key sectors as we move towards 2030 and beyond. More detail in respect of the individual actions will be made available on completion of the draft.

In the meantime, the rollout of retrofitting measures, renewable energy deployment, and more affordable electric vehicles continues at increasing pace. Climate Action Plans 2024 and 2025, which build on the series of preceding plans, remain in place and provides a strong framework for delivery of climate action to 2030. Many of their commitments are multi annual in nature and we will continue to focus on accelerating their delivery. Timelines for the publication of future Climate Action Plans have not yet been determined.