Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan has criticised the government’s failure to produce a Social Climate Plan in time for the EU’s deadline.
The Dublin MEP said:
“It’s unbelievable that the government will delay Ireland’s access to key EU climate funding because of their own failures.
“The government had a deadline of today to submit a funding plan to the EU, yet they haven’t even put a draft of this plan out to public consultation.
“This funding would have helped support investments in sustainable housing and transport – making Ireland’s energy transition fairer for all and helping to tackle energy poverty.
“Once again Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael seem to have dropped the ball, as they haven’t even started the public consultation that is supposed to form a key part of the plan.
“Sinn Féin flagged this with the department in 2023, urging them to start working on a comprehensive plan with experts on energy poverty, but to date, no consultation has taken place.
“It now looks likely that there will be a rushed and poorly planned consultation during the summer months – despite the fact that the EU’s own guidelines say that this may not be sufficient.
“The government needs to immediately start a high-quality public consultation with individuals and organisations given proper time to respond with in-depth suggestions.
“If the government is serious about eradicating energy poverty, it must also commit to redrafting the plan based on inputs to the consultation.
“The government cannot afford to make mistakes like this when it comes to vital funding to help tackle energy poverty and create a just transition for families and businesses in Dublin and across Ireland.”
