The Green Party draws a positive assessment of the actions carried out since it took office in the government. Major progress has been made on the ambitious but essential green agenda – in public transport, renewable energy and nature restoration, as well as in arts, culture, childcare and equality.
Since the environment is too important to be left to the whims of political games, the Greens decided to enter government on June 27, 2020 to regulate this sector.
One of their top priorities was the Climate Action Bill, which enshrined in law the ambition to move from climate laggards to climate leaders. They secured legally binding commitments to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.
Such ambition had to go beyond words, and the Green Party secured the funding necessary to make those commitments a reality.
“We have secured a six-fold increase in long-term infrastructure funding to support clean, healthy and sustainable travel. Since entering government, spending has increased from €45 million in 2019 to €289 million in 2022. We also launched the largest home insulation and retrofit program ever offered in the state. For homes, the new grants cover nearly half the cost of a deep renovation that improves efficiency energy up to a high B2 rating,”
said a statement posted on the party’s website.
Minister Eamon Ryan, Leader of the Green Party, recalled that Hardly a week goes by in the government without a green policy, decision or initiative being launched, progressing and being implemented. He says their work in the government has been remarkable because under the initiative of the green party, important measures have been taken for the climate – such as in transport where they introduced the first fare reduction in more than 75 years and offers a new or improved rural bus route each week; in renewable energy, where they successfully conducted the first offshore wind energy auction while supporting a rooftop revolution in solar, or in energy efficiency.
“We are not just meeting, but exceeding, our ambitious renovation targets. Without the Greens in Government there would not be the singular focus on climate that we must have if we are to deliver, not just on our emissions targets, but on our promise and commitment to future generations,”
he said.
It should also be noted that the Green Party obtained a tripling of the budget for the organic sector to 37 million euros, and there was a substantial increase in the number of organic farms from 1,686 in 2020 to 4,100 in 2023. Through their actions in government, the Greens have made important strides to deploy solar power, such as subsidies, removing VAT and removing planning requirements.
While these measures have already had a significant impact, they demonstrate a vision for Ireland’s future.