Background information

The Government has included a number of green initiatives in its Budget for 2024. In a statement, the Government said it was the highest-ever Budget allocation for the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and that this demonstrates the government’s commitment to achieving a climate neutral, sustainable and digitally-connected Ireland. Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, said he “has secured €1.159 billion in Budget 2024 to support families and communities with energy costs while continuing the drive towards a low-carbon, digitally-connected future.”

Content of measure

The measures include:

• Three further Electricity Credits of €150 for domestic customers to a total value of just over €1 billion.
• Funding of €380 million for residential and community energy upgrades.
• The expansion of the Warmer Homes Scheme, which provides free energy efficiency upgrades to households in, or at risk of, energy poverty.
• The introduction of a new Deposit Return Scheme for aluminium cans and plastic bottles and a parallel scheme for the provision of free public water drinking fountains in all Local Authority areas.
• €20 million to remediate former landfill sites.
• €45 million for projects that are approved for EU and national Just Transition funds.

Use of measure

No information.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Applies to all workers	Applies to all businesses	Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Local / regional government	European Funds National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	No involvement
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

Social partners were not involved in the designing of the measures.

Views and reactions

No available information on social partners' views.

Sources

• 10 October 2023: Minister Ryan delivers record €1.159 billion investment in Budget 2024 to support families, communities, and a net-zero future (www.gov.ie)