Minister O'Brien announces almost €27 million for community climate action
- Published on: 29 October 2025
- Last updated on: 29 October 2025
Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, Darragh O'Brien, has today announced funding of almost €27 million being provided from the Climate Action Fund (CAF) for local authorities to support and build low carbon communities across the country.
This funding comes as part of the Community Climate Action Programme, which supports projects and initiatives that facilitate community climate action through education, capacity building and learning by doing. Phase 1 of Strand 1 of the programme saw €24 million supporting 650 community climate action projects across the country.
Today, Minister O'Brien launches phase 2 of the programme, which sees the funding being provided from the CAF to all local authorities to partner with community groups to run projects that will contribute to national climate and energy targets. The programme supports direct engagement with communities to promote and assist in the scale up of community climate action.
Community projects eligible for this guidance and potential funding will address the following five themes:
- community energy
- travel
- food and waste
- shopping and recycling, and
- local climate and environmental action
Speaking about the launch, Minister O’Brien said:
"Taking climate action is a global challenge, but our local communities across Ireland are at the heart of the effort. Through the Community Climate Action Programme (CCAP), people in towns and villages nationwide have already come together to make real change — from installing solar panels on community centres, to creating shared bike schemes, restoring local biodiversity, and reducing energy use in public buildings. With the launch of the new phase of CCAP, local authorities can continue empowering community groups to take practical steps that build vibrant, low-carbon, and resilient communities for generations to come."
This strand is administered by the Community Climate Officers (CCAO) in our local authorities, who are there as a go-to resource to guide, support, and advise groups and organisations on how they can become lower carbon communities.
If a community group would like to learn more about they should contact their local CCAO, details can be found on the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment's website.
Details on the Strand 1 Phase 2 funding allocated to each of the local authorities
| Local authority | Allocation |
| Cork City | €860,000 |
| Clare | €572,000 |
| Cork County | €1,241,000 |
| Cavan | €439,000 |
| Carlow | €378,000 |
| Dublin City | €1,938,000 |
| Donegal | €699,000 |
| Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown | €883,000 |
| Fingal | €1,127,000 |
| Galway City | €446,000 |
| Galway County | €762,000 |
| Kildare | €897,000 |
| Kilkenny | €511,000 |
| Kerry | €663,000 |
| Longford | €328,000 |
| Louth | €604,000 |
| Limerick City and County | €811,000 |
| Leitrim | €300,000 |
| Laois | €465,000 |
| Meath | €811,000 |
| Monaghan | €392,000 |
| Mayo | €609,000 |
| Offaly | €444,000 |
| Roscommon | €402,000 |
| South Dublin | €1,073,000 |
| Sligo | €405,000 |
| Tipperary | €700,000 |
| Waterford City and County | €405,000 |
| Westmeath | €478,000 |
| Wicklow | €646,000 |
| Wexford | €669,000 |
ENDS
Notes to the Editor
Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment’s Climate Action Fund
The Climate Action Fund was established on a statutory basis in 2020 to provide support for projects, initiatives and research that contribute to the achievement of Ireland’s climate and energy targets. The fund also supports projects and initiatives in regions of the State, and within sectors of the economy, impacted by the transition to a low carbon economy. The fund is resourced mainly from proceeds from the levy paid to the National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA) in respect of relevant disposals of petroleum products, after the funding requirements of NORA have been met.
Further information on the Climate Action Fund is available on the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment's website.