187. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether, in making appointments to the Climate Change Advisory Council, he assesses if there is a sufficient balance of specialist expertise and viewpoints to ensure robust scrutiny of climate accounting methodologies, including GWP* and temperature neutrality; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62724/26]

The Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) is an independent advisory body tasked with assessing and advising on how Ireland can achieve the transition to a climate-resilient, biodiversity-rich, environmentally sustainable and climate-neutral economy. The Council works to provide contributions in critiquing, informing and shaping Ireland’s response to climate change.

The CCAC was established on a statutory basis from Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 (www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2015/act/46/enacted/en/html), as amended. The criteria with regard to qualifications and relevant experience required in appointing the chairperson and ordinary members to the Council is set out in Section 9(4)(a).

CCAC members are required to have expertise in at least one of a number of areas relevant to its role and functions. These areas include X, Y, Z, and seek to ensure that the Council is best placed to exercise its full range of functions in supporting Ireland to meet its international climate obligations. In my consideration of the recent appointments, I have taken into account the following areas of expertise required, as identified by the then Chair of the Committee;

Priority Areas of Expertise, as identified by the then Chair:

• Energy policy

• Transport policy

• Agriculture policy

Additional expertise required, as identified by the Chair:

• Political sociology or ethics in relation to climate

• Adaptation policy

• Finance

The attached Table provides a list of the recent appointments which I have made to the Climate Change Advisory Council and I am satisfied that the areas of expertise as identified have now been met.

Table 1: 2026 Ministerial Appointments