Minister for the Environment Darragh O'Brien will seek Cabinet approval on Tuesday for this year’s Climate Action Plan (CAP), which identifies measures to be taken in 2025 to help reduce carbon emissions by 51% by the year 2030.
It is expected there will be a renewed focus on boosting offshore wind energy, which has been hit by withdrawals by some international developers.
In parallel with the plan, there is a Government commitment to convert the Moneypoint power station in Kilrush, Co Clare, from being coal-fired to oil-fired before the end of the year.
The 2025 Climate Action Plan, which runs to more than 150-pages, was mostly drafted prior to the Coalition taking office.
The retrofitting budget is expected to be in the region of half a billion euro.
A total of €280 million will be allocated to the warmer home scheme which provides free energy upgrades to households at risk of fuel poverty, whole €270m will mainly be used in grant schemes for residential homes who are seeking energy upgrades, such as heat pumps and solar panels.
On transport, there will be a further roll out of high powered charging points, with 170 being installed this year.
Regarding renewables, there will be a third offshore wind auction in 2025 which the minister hopes can open-up new sites for development - a strategy the Government hopes will make a sizeable contribution to Ireland's wider climate and renewable electricity targets.
However, previous developments have run into the sand due to international developers pulling out amid complaints of a complicated planning and regulatory system in Ireland.
Minister O'Brien will tell the Cabinet that he hopes the fuel conversion of Moneypoint power station will be completed before the end of the year. While oil is a fossil fuel, it is deemed to be less polluting than coal.
Originally, the intention had been to stop any burning of fossil fuels at the Shannon Estuary plant by this year, however that commitment was shelved given the need to prevent power outages.
Climate campaigners and opposition parties will be examining the CAP in great detail to assess if any existing targets or commitments have been watered down by the Government.
They will also be assessing if the action outlined in the CAP will deliver the required emissions reductions to reach our legally-binding targets.
The considered view of the Environmental Protection Agency is that the Government is currently set to miss its target - even if existing measures are delivered in full.
The Government says its CAP will align with the legally binding economy-wide carbon budgets and sectoral emissions ceilings that were agreed in July 2022.
