merrion street

• · Energy Efficiency (€117m): Significantly expand the energy efficiency programmes investing an additional €35m in the residential, commercial and public sectors to reduce CO2 emissions from the built environment
• · Supporting the Transition to a Low Carbon Economy (€17m): Rollout the Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme and increase uptake of electric vehicles
• · National Broadband Plan (€15m): Finalisation of the procurement process for the State-led intervention
• · Support Small Businesses & Digital Skills (€5.6m): Support more small businesses to trade online and fund the provision of digital skills training for citizens
• · Support the Environmental Protection Agency (€17m): Support the EPA to meet its expanded role in areas such as air quality and noise monitoring, and the climate change challenge 
• · Environmentally-degraded landfill sites (€34.8m): Continue to address environmentally-degraded landfill sites

Budget 2018 provides a 22% increase in Capital funding, and an 11% increase in net Current funding, resulting in a total allocation of €581m for the Department, reflecting the scale of the Government’s ambition and policy commitments across key areas of national strategic importance, including climate action, energy, communications, broadcasting, environment and natural resources.

Announcing his Department’s increased funding allocation, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action & Environment, Denis Naughten T.D., said “This significant increase in funding allows my Department to deliver a step change in efforts to improve energy efficiency in our homes, businesses and across the public sector. Building on the National Mitigation Plan, the Budget reflects the incremental steps necessary to ensure a low carbon, climate resilient and sustainable future. We will continue to build on this start over successive Budgets”.

The Minister added: “Budget 2018 demonstrates the Government’s ongoing commitment to regional and rural Ireland. Funding has been set aside to finalise the tender process for the National Broadband Plan intervention which is a key social and economic priority for me, and to promote digital inclusion among businesses and citizens.”

Key Priorities
Energy efficiency programmes targeted at reducing CO2 emissions from the built environment will be expanded significantly through additional investment of €35m in the residential, commercial and public sectors

· Funding of €7m will facilitate the rollout of the new Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

· Funding of €10m was secured to incentivise the use of electric vehicles

· €15m has been allocated to the National Broadband Plan, as the Department moves to the finalisation of the procurement process to ensure that every home and business in Ireland has access to high speed broadband

· Funding of €5.6m will be provided for the Trading Online Voucher Scheme to support more small companies to trade online to help them grow sales, jobs and exports, and for the Digital Skills for Citizens training programme to help citizens get online for the first time.

· Funding of €11m will be provided to continue the landfill remediation programme, while other measures to protect the environment include anti-dumping initiatives and the promotion of waste prevention and recycling in the transition to a resource-efficient circular economy.

· Increased funding for the EPA to meet its expanded role in areas such as air quality and noise monitoring, as well as its research programme with a significant focus on climate change.


The Ministers speech can be accessed here.

Notes to Editors.