Irish cities will have to adapt to rising sea levels, Cabinet to hear

Irish cities will have to be adapted to protect against rising sea levels while extremes of cold and heat may necessitate protection of the housing stock, the Cabinet will be told on Wednesday.

Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan will seek Government approval for the second National Adaptation Framework which will set out the potential impacts of climate change, while outlining strategy for the development of adaptation measures.

He is expected to tell the Cabinet that all Ministers, local authorities and infrastructure providers will have to plan for “a very different climate future”, including zoning and future-proofing developments at council level.

Ministers will be told that all sectors will have to adapt to “live risks”, and that the impacts of climate change are already evident in persistent and heavy rain over the winter and spring months which impacted food production, incomes and local and regional roads.

Garda reservists will be eligible for three times the current stipend paid to members of the backup force, under plans being brought to Cabinet by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee.

The Government has set a target of recruiting at least 1,000 Garda reservists by 2026. While service is voluntary and unpaid, subject to certain conditions members are currently eligible for up to €1,000 per 12-month period.

[ Imagine it being impossible to grow potatoes and carrots in Ireland because of climate change, and this would just be the start ]

Ms McEntee plans to introduce a sliding scale with different rates for those completing more hours, with a maximum of €3,000 tax-free for those who complete 200 hours or more.

She is starting a recruitment campaign on Wednesday.

Ms McEntee will also update Cabinet on plans to increase fines for airlines and ferry companies which do not ensure passengers have the correct travel documents to €5,000 per offence.

Meanwhile, Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien will brief Cabinet on plans to expand the Local Authority Home Loan in a way that will allow eligible households to combine it with measures designed to tackle vacancy.

[ Number of vacant and derelict homes brought back into use for social housing fell last year ]

The home loan will now be open to homes which are eligible for the vacant and derelict property refurbishment grant, which gives up to €70,000 in support. Previously, only homes which were habitable were eligible for the home loan, which could be used for the purchase of property but not renovation.

The existing criteria for the local authority home loan will largely apply, according to Coalition sources, and it will be available in the coming weeks. Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke will brief Cabinet on the digital services levy Bill which will allow the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and Coimisiún na Meán to raise funds from industry to cover their obligations under the Digital Services Act.

[ Rising Tides: Ireland’s Future in a Warmer World – Kills off myth we are among small states with minor emissions ]

Minister for Arts and Media Catherine Martin will make a pitch for an expanded version of her basic income for the arts scheme, which pays recipients €325 a week in an effort to counteract financial instability for those in the arts.

She is expected to argue at Cabinet that it has had a measurable income on artists’ lives and output and say it should be expanded further.

Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe will brief the Cabinet on plans to develop a prototype government digital wallet which may eventually hold paperless versions of a driving licence, birth certificate and other documents. It also plans to develop a digital “life events” service expanding on the MyGovID electronic identification system.

Elsewhere, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys will update the Government on payments of €1,850 to 132,000 people under the carer’s support grant, due to be paid out on Thursday. Almost 15,000 carers providing care for two or more people will receive a grant in respect of each person they are caring for.