Climate & Environmental Policy

THE PROPOSAL

1. Flood Prevention
A) Prioritise and expedite outstanding flood prevention works.
B) Fast-track protection for towns, homes, businesses and farmland.
C) Improve drainage, river maintenance and flood defences.
D) Restore wetlands and natural floodplains where viable. 
E) Establish a national flood prevention programme.

2. Renegotiate EU Climate Targets
A) Seek renegotiation of EU climate targets and deadlines.
B) Extend implementation periods where alternatives and infrastructure are unavailable.
C) Protect Irish households, agriculture and industry from disproportionate costs.
D) Prioritise practical emissions reductions over financial penalties.

3. Wastewater & Water Infrastructure
A) Prioritise all outstanding non-compliant wastewater facilities.
B) Expedite unfinished treatment plants and sewerage upgrades.
C) Resolve drinking water contamination and infrastructure failures.
D) Redirect planned expenditure and available funding towards remedial works rather than paying avoidable fines.
E) Publish deadlines for achieving compliance.

4. Carbon Tax Reform
A) Remove carbon tax from essential home heating fuels.
B) Reduce carbon-related costs on essential household electricity.
C) Protect essential transport and agricultural fuel use where alternatives are unavailable.
D) Provide relief for rural households and businesses.
E) Retain appropriate emissions incentives where practical alternatives exist.

5. National Carbon Storage Industry
A) Expedite suitability assessments of the exhausted Kinsale gas fields.
B) Assess Corrib fields for future carbon storage following production and decommissioning.
C) Explore Atlantic offshore geological storage capacity.
D) Develop necessary processing, compression, pipeline and pumping infrastructure.
E) Commission an international commercial viability study.
F) Develop Ireland as a potential international carbon storage and processing centre.

6. Environmental Cost Reduction
A) Audit all outstanding EU environmental fines and potential penalties.
B) Resolve infringement issues before they become expensive legal cases.
C) Reduce unnecessary environmental consultancy and administrative expenditure.
D) Improve public infrastructure procurement and contractor accountability.
E) Expand domestic recycling and waste processing.
F) Reduce water leakage and energy waste.
G) Restore degraded peatlands and protect natural flood defences where possible. 

7. Agriculture & Rural Protection
A) Protect farmers from disproportionate environmental taxation.
B) Support slurry storage and water-quality improvements.
C) Provide incentives for practical emissions reductions.
D) Reward farmers for flood prevention, wetlands and biodiversity improvements.
E) Protect productive agricultural land.

8. Energy Efficiency
A) Prioritise affordable home insulation.
B) Upgrade schools, hospitals and public buildings where costs allow. 
C) Reduce energy consumption across government departments.
D) Support domestic energy-efficiency manufacturing.
E) Recover industrial waste heat and develop commercially viable biogas production.

9. Environmental Accountability
A) Establish an annual national environmental infrastructure audit.
Publish all outstanding compliance failures and associated financial liabilities.
B) Set clear completion deadlines for remedial works.
C) Publish annual environmental expenditure, fines avoided and savings achieved.