Government locks people into reliance on volatile fossil fuels at the expense of investing in energy security
Funding for nature at a standstill
The Government’s decision to halt further carbon tax increases in Budget 2027 is a retrograde step which will lock people into volatile and costly fossil fuels. Failure to provide funding for nature restoration is a missed opportunity to address the biodiversity crisis.
The Government has clearly abandoned any pretence that it will address the climate, biodiversity and energy security crises. The budget doesn’t reflect the scale of any of these crises. Instead it offers a series of reactive measures rather than a strategic plan or vision to cut our dependence on fossil fuels and protect our environment.
Halting carbon tax increases will have severe knock-on effects on schemes funded by the tax which are helping people cut down on heating and energy bills.
Oisin Coghlan, Policy Advisor to the Environmental Pillar, said: “The Government has missed an opportunity to maintain the carbon-tax trajectory and ring-fence revenues for future social protection, energy-poverty reduction, retrofit, clean heat, sustainable agriculture, sustainable transport and climate action.
“Ireland’s continued reliance on fossil fuels is leaving households exposed to repeated external shocks and volatile energy prices, with many struggling to meet the cost of essential energy needs.
“Denmark responded to the 1973 oil shock by implementing a radical, long-term transition to renewable energy, increased use of heat networks and district heating, and energy efficiency in buildings.
“But, yet again, an Irish government responds to an energy crisis by doubling down on locking the country into volatile fossil fuel usage.”
“Unfortunately this was not the transformative budget we needed to see from government. The allocation to the SEAI to fund much needed retrofitting rose by only €15 million, a meagre 2% increase on last year. Rather than throwing money at fossil fuel subsidies for all, regardless of income level, we need to fund a publicly-led National Retrofit Mission that prioritises social housing, renters, low-income households and rural homes reliant on oil or solid fuel.
Coming on the heels of the recent public transport fare hikes, it appears that the Government’s resolve for a just transition to tackle the climate crisis has weakened. Budget 2027 shows a government bereft of ideas on how to deal with the climate crisis, combined with an inability to think long-term or strategically to provide energy security for people.”
Oonagh Duggan, Head of Policy and Advocacy with BirdWatch Ireland said: “The paltry €6 million increase in funding for the National Parks and Wildlife Service over 2026 indicates a standstill when you take into account potential inflation increases into 2027. Land acquisitions at NPWS in the last year will require management and they are the lead body to coordinate nature restoration at scale.
“While government undercuts nature funding with one hand, it is systematically unravelling the EU legislation that protects wild birds in the planning process. This is only going to lead to further losses of Ireland’s wild birds and the habitats they need.
“Government is clearly not listening to the needs of the country when it comes to investing in our critical nature infrastructure which is buckling under a multitude of pressures only to be exacerbated by climate breakdown. At a time of most need to restore nature, government has no message, no funding”.
“The biodiversity crisis, exacerbated by climate change, is undermining the ecosystems on which our health, livelihoods, food security and resilience to flooding, drought and other extreme weather depend.
Dr Oliver Moore of Cultivate and Talamh Beo said: “Ireland is legally bound to restore degraded ecosystems following the adoption of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation (EU) 2024/1991. And yet there is still no clear funding mechanism to deliver this.
“The lack of any announcement on funding for delivering an ambitious nature restoration plan is very disappointing. This budget needed to establish a dedicated, ring-fenced, long-term national budget for the implementation of the National Nature Restoration Plan. And it failed to do that.”
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