Climate Council Urges Shift from Reactive Funding to Systematic Climate Planning

The Climate Change Advisory Council has warned that the Government must shift from reactive emergency responses to systematic planning for extreme weather events.

In a statement accompanying its report, *Preparing for Ireland’s Changing Climate*, the advisory body stated that severe damage from recent weather incidents demonstrates that the State is responding to individual crises rather than planning systematically for climate realities.

The council noted that recent extreme weather patterns have been exacerbated by preceding drought conditions. It cited severe impacts including record power outages during Storm Éowyn and heavy flooding during Storm Chandra.

The advisory body also highlighted recent flooding across Kerry and Dublin, where ground hardened by dry summer conditions was unable to absorb heavy rainfall. The council criticised the recurring approach of allocating ring-fenced funding for local flood defences only after severe weather events occur, describing reactive emergency measures as unsatisfactory.