Labour leader Ivana Bacik has said that the government does not have a “credible” climate plan.
The Dublin Bay South TD said that climate change is no longer just an abstract concept, it is already a part of Irish summers.
Bacik said, “families and workers across Ireland are already living with the consequences of climate failure; parents are worried about polluted air and rising asthma rates among children.”
She said that “households are spending enormous amounts on fuel, insurance and transport because reliable public transport alternatives simply do not exist. Communities want climate action that improves everyday life, lowers costs and delivers cleaner, healthier places to live.”
Bacik was speaking following the latest report from the Environmental Protection Agency, which found that Ireland is on track to miss its legally binding emission reduction targets by 2030.
The Labour leader said that the government are “complacent” and has put climate issues to one side since the Greens were wiped out at the last general election.
“The reality is that climate ambition has collapsed since the Greens left government,” she told the Dáil
“The 2026 Climate Action Plan has still not been published, and the Minister has now confirmed it will not arrive until the third quarter of this year. Publishing a climate plan with only months left in the year is simply not credible.”
Taoiseach Micheál Martin asserted that “we will achieve far more on climate than perhaps the Labour Party approach or, at times, the Green Party approach because we need to bring people with us.”
“That consensus has broken down. I can see it in the Dáil in the past few years. The government’s commitment has not lessened on climate,” he claimed.
Martin replied, “the bottom line is that Ireland now has the lowest level of greenhouse gas emissions in 35 years. The Deputy said it is rising. Our emissions are decreasing.”
“One of the successful things we have been able to do is decouple economic growth from emissions. The EPA’s latest projections predict we are likely to either achieve our first carbon budget or marginally exceed it, as well as showing significant emissions reductions across major sectors of the economy.”
Bacik replied, “the figures speak for themselves. The Taoiseach may seek to scapegoat climate for delays in infrastructure. The children’s hospital has seen chronic delays. This was not due to climate or environmental concerns. There are failings in the government on delivering infrastructure projects.”
Under European legislation, Ireland stands to face up to €28 billion in fines for failing to meet its climate obligations.
Under European law, Ireland must reduce its greenhouse emissions by 2030, but the latest EPA report indicates that Ireland is well on track to miss the target.
Friends of the Earth said that the government are “sidelining” climate action.
Deirdre Duffy, CEO of Friends of the Earth, said the EPA’s findings are bitterly disappointing but not surprising. This is no longer a warning sign, it is a flashing alarm that Ireland is failing to treat climate breakdown with the seriousness it demands.”
“It is unacceptable that the Government is failing its own Programme for Government commitments to meet key climate targets and decisively reduce fossil fuel reliance,” she said.