How this issue shows up in our country:

• Increased road deaths in the past years

• Shortage of healthcare workers in public hospital

Actions/Policies that can tackle this issue

• The Healthy Ireland Framework has four goals. Increase the population of people healthy in all proportions of life, reduce health inequalities, protect the public from threats on health and wellbeing, and create a society where everyone can play their part in a healthy Ireland.

This dimension is connected to Social Equity, since everyone should have access to quality healthcare. 

Info:

https://tinyurl.com/mw4j6sz9

https://shorturl.at/lOA8K

https://loveirishfood.ie/news/23-of-consumers-struggling-with-higher-grocery-prices/ 

In a study in 2024 carried out towards 1000 parents, 41% of which families had to cut out parents’ food in order to provide enough for kids. This means that Ireland still has population that struggle to get sufficient, healthy food. Some of these parents are worrying if they will be able to provide enough food for their kids.

Outcomes of experiment seen through page 8-9: https://www.barnardos.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Barnardos-%E2%80%93-Food-Insecurity-Report-2024.pdf 

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2024/0227/1434595-food-survey/ 

‘A survey of FoodCloud’s community partners in July 2024 reported that 69% of groups have seen an increase in the number of people seeking food services in the past six months. ‘

This signifies that not just the developing/underdeveloped countries are experiencing food poverty, but so is Ireland. Especially when there is an increasing figure for people seeking help on affording food.

https://food.cloud/news/food-poverty-irelands-first-responders#:~:text=Community%20groups%20are%20emergency%20first,2023%2C%20the%20need%20remains%20high. 

Food waste:

In the school, we can sometimes see abandoned oranges, half-eaten apples, and unfinished packed lunches thrown around after lunch. These foods are wasted because there is a sufficient food supply for students in our school. They are not supposed to be dumped into the brown bins as rubbish, but instead should be consumed properly. 

In coffee shops, hotels, and restaurants, consumers would always have leftovers on their plates. These leftovers are dumped and wasted.

Policies/Actions

-What is already there

1. School lunch programs: Set up for primary school students to provide free meal during everyday lunchtime.

2. Income boosts: tax credit, grants and subsidies for people to have more affordability.

-What we can do

1. More government interventions on free food scheme to help those who are in struggle

2. Supermarkets giving out offers such as reduced meal packs

3. Shops selling off food that expires on the day at lower prices

Food can relate to the sector of income, health, housing etc. Housing being too expensive can cause people to have less to spend on food; income too low can cause lack of money to be spent on food; long-term lack of healthy, sufficient food can lead to health problems such as obesity, underweight, malnutrition.

Problems:

Over 1000 Irish citizens were reported to be homeless in Dublin in 2023

13.3% of people reported to be at risk of poverty

Policies:

The Roadmap For Social Inclusion aims to ensure that social inclusion is at the core of the public policy and service strategy

Links:

Income and Work, since most people who live in poverty are low income.

Overview - Poverty Related Targets in Ireland Ireland's UN SDGs - Goal 1 No Poverty 2024 - Central Statistics Office

Ireland's progress towards achieving the UN SDGs - Goal 1 No Poverty 2024 | Social Justice Ireland

The food can affect my area and country in different ways. By consuming food that is imported from other countries, it contributes to climate change and the other country’s economy. It can also impact local businesses as everything is exported or imported from other countries, this leaves local food businesses with an unfair chance at selling their products. 

What kind of policies or actions can I take to help tackle the issue?

I can start buying from foods grown or harvested in Ireland instead of buying only imported foods from other countries. There can also be policies that allow Ireland to only import a certain amount of goods and when fruits or vegetables are in season Ireland cant import those foods.

Introducing free school meals and giving additional supports to low-income families can help tackle this issue. Food poverty links to the area of health as without nutritious food there can be damaging physical and mental health effects.

https://www.barnardos.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Barnardos-Food-Poverty-Report-A4-2023.pdf

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/dublin/dublin-news/more-than-7700-children-in-dublin-relying-on-food-poverty-supports/a1791708095.html

-Ireland’s healthcare systems sometimes cannot reach out to all patients who are in need of healthcare. The waiting list prioritises those that are in fatal sickness, which means people that are in relatively better condition have to wait for a long tim to be able to receive treatment in public hospitals. 

This means that many people may choose to go to private hospitals instead. However, prices can be extremely high if you are not under the covered illnesses. For example, the standard fee for outpatients/emergency patients without a GP reference to see a doctor is 100 in the source listed below. (https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/acute-hospitals-division/patient-care/hospital-charges/ )

At the mean time, due to high transport costs, long waiting lists and many other reasons, some people cannot even access healthcare. 

To tackle this issue, the government could set up more public hospitals to sooth the pressure, or recruit more doctors so that more patients could be seen at one time. We could also spread awareness of how to avoid getting sick.

https://www.socialjustice.ie/article/healthcare-inequalities-persist-and-undermine-treatment-and-care 

Policies to address food poverty in Ireland should include strengthening the Free School Meals Programme, piloting out-of-term time meal provision, increasing government coordination to develop a national food poverty strategy, supporting community-based initiatives like food banks and gardens, and addressing underlying drivers of poverty such as the housing crisis. 

In Ireland, food poverty and malnutrition are deeply intertwined with poverty, social exclusion, and poor health. They are linked to factors such as low income, unemployment, and housing instability, which restrict access to healthy food. This can lead to negative consequences including poor physical and mental health.

https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-social-protection/organisation-information/social-inclusion-division/#:~:text=The%20Social%20Inclusion%20Division%20of%20the%20Department,inclusion%20for%20those%20who%20are%20most%20disadvantaged. 

https://www.thejournal.ie/four-in-ten-parents-skipped-meals-cost-of-living-ireland-6756316-Jul2025/ 

https://www.svp.ie/end-poverty/poverty-in-ireland-key-facts-and-figures/ 

Policies to help solve food poverty could include reducing the VAT rate on groceries, working to produce more of our own food in Ireland as well as schemes for free school meals.

Food poverty can connect to a number of other areas as the absence of a proper nutritional diet can have adverse effects on people's help as well as making it difficult for children to concentrate in school.

Social housing stock has not kept pace in recent years, homelessness is on the rise, and challenges persist in quickly deploying effective government policy

Policies or actions that can help:

Under HAP, local authorities can provide housing assistance to households with a long-term housing need, including many long-term Rent Supplement recipients.

Links:

This links to social equity, due to both having homelessness trends as problems

Home - Housing Assistance Payments

Addressing Ireland’s Housing Crisis: Urgent Policy Reforms Needed | Social Justice Ireland

https://www.socialjustice.ie/article/managing-change-delivering-fair-outcomes-time-transitions#:~:text=The%20problem%20of%20inequality%20has,of%20people%20with%20a%20disability. 

https://health.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2021-12/2021_chp_ir_english.pdf 

https://publicpolicy.ie/papers/healthcare-hierarchy-in-ireland/ 

To tackle this issue, we should encourage the right type of supply and reduce reliance on the Build to Rent sector as this increases overall housing costs by focusing on profit, invest in modern construction methods to speed up construction and setting achievable targets for housing construction.  

https://aontu.ie/issues/housing-crisis/#:~:text=Action%20needed%20to%20address%20our,accessing%20emergency%20accommodation%20in%20Ireland. 

https://www.socialjustice.ie/article/addressing-irelands-housing-crisis-urgent-policy-reforms-needed 

Problems:

39% of energy used was reported to be oil energy, and 33% of households reported to use natural gas as their energy.

Policies and actions that could help:

The Sustainable Energy Policy aims to increase the usage of renewable energy in households.

Links:

This links to Transport due to the rise in electric cars, since they use sustainable energy.

Sustainable Energy Policy | SEAI

Sustainable Development Goal 7 Progress, Ireland | Irelands Hub for Sustainable Development Goals

https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2025/0318/1502610-ireland-water-crisis-infrastructure-usage-conservation-pollution-weather-events/ 

https://www.water.ie/help/supply/water-shortages 

• In the article above, more than half of the respondents (53%) in the survey expressed that they are feeling insecure about their current houses in 2024. This figure has been increasing for the past two years.

• 74% of the respondents said they face challenges to pay for other living expenses after paying for their increasing rent.

• If they could get a chance to save money, it would still take long for them to own a house under the striking prices. 

•  ‘Property prices in Ireland continue to be on the rise. The latest Property Price Index figures from the Central Statistics Office show that prices increased by 7.8% overall (8.0% on houses and 6.6% on apartments) in the 12 months to June 2025.’ (https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2025/0901/1529355-house-prices-ireland-eircode-property-price-index-cso/#:~:text=Property%20prices%20in%20Ireland%20continue,12%20months%20to%20June%202025. ) 

• Dublin being the capital, has fairly high rental prices already, making it impossible to live close to where you work.

• New figures issued by the Department of Housing today show an increase in homelessness of 422 people for January 2025 to a new record high total of 15,286 people homeless. For the same month there are also 93 more children, and 72 more families compared to December 2024 (4,603 children and 2,164 families for January 2025). (https://www.focusireland.ie/press-release/homeless-figures-increase-to-a-record-high-of-15286-as-focus-ireland-urge-government-to-prioritise-new-social-housing-for-vulnerable-families/ )

Ideas to tackle these issues

• Setting up more social welfare houses 

• Building road networks from suburbs to city centers in order to relieve transport pressure so that more people choose to live on outskirts

• Raise minimum wage for people to earn more to pay their rent

This relates to:

• Health: when people pay off their rent they might be left with little or no money to pay off living expenses

• Networks: roads get crowded due to people living in the outskirts but commute to the town. Sometimes worse if road accidents happen.

• Income and work: companies cut off employees to save more money for their rental fee

• Food: people cutting off meals and groceries to save money for rents, bills and fuel.

https://www.epa.ie/publications/compliance--enforcement/drinking-water/annual-drinking-water-reports/FINAL-EPA_DrinkingWaterQualityinPublicSupplies2024-v1.4.pdf

In July 2024, over a half million people are drinking water from resources that are considered ‘at risk’. This means that their drinking water could be not filtered enough, contaminated, dirty, or causing health problems such as diarrhea and infection.

https://www.thejournal.ie/environmental-protection-agency-report-at-risk-water-supplies-6425556-Jul2024/#:~:text=Over%20half%20a%20million%20people,in%20water%20treated%20with%20chlorine.

This relates to sectors of health, income and work, network, energy

We should set up more pipes piping water to further rural areas to improve water quality for the residents there. There should also be filtering pipes set up around the town for people to drink when needed.

Ireland currently plans on increasing the quality of rail and sea ports, as well as plans for a future metro tunnel link for trams.

Links:

This links to energy, since most trams use electrical energy, which is renewable.

Dublin's Metrolink project has (finally) been granted planning permission

https://www.socialjustice.ie/article/energy-security-crisis 

https://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/fears-of-arrears-crisis-as-record-number-of-families-are-three-months-or-more-behind-on-energy-bills/a249797653.html 

https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-isshict/internetcoverageandusageinireland2024/householdinternetconnectivity/#:~:text=The%20survey%20estimates%20that%206,Figure%203.3%20and%20Table%203.3. 

People in rural areas find it hard to access public transport. At the same time, high fuel prices also troubled many. Urban residents suffer from endless traffic in the citycenter, lack of seats on buses, delayed buses and darts. People in rural areas struggle with high fuel prices, lack of accessibility to public transport, and the difficulty to commute to citycenters.  https://www.theaa.ie/blog/new-aa-survey-highlights-difference-between-public-transport-in-rural-and-urban-areas/#:~:text=%22It's%20very%20clear%20that%20there,the%20pandemic%2C%E2%80%9D%20states%20Comyn. 

Many people in Ireland are ‘disconnected’ from the other areas. This means that they cannot contact anyone if there are incidents, fires, robbery or danger. People’s daily life can also be hugely affected by the lazy traffic system.

This links in with income and work, health, energy.

We could find out a more efficient public transport timetable so that buses and darts are not always late. We need to increase the coverage of broadband for people in the countryside in order to keep them linked in.

https://www.socialjustice.ie/article/measuring-what-matters-alternative-wellbeing-framework-fairer-future#:~:text=Vulnerable%20groups%20%E2%80%93%20including%20renters%2C%20single,and%20resilient%20progress%20for%20all.&text=The%20key%20question%20is%20how,fairer%20and%20more%20just%20society. 

https://www.socialjustice.ie/article/measuring-what-matters-alternative-wellbeing-framework-fairer-future#:~:text=Vulnerable%20groups%20%E2%80%93%20including%20renters%2C%20single,and%20resilient%20progress%20for%20all.&text=The%20key%20question%20is%20how,fairer%20and%20more%20just%20society. 

https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/publications/housing-for-all-a-new-housing-plan-for-ireland/#:~:text=the%20file%20View-,For%20first%20time%20buyers,in%20long%2Dterm%20mortgage%20arrears 

https://www.socialjustice.ie/article/addressing-irelands-housing-crisis-urgent-policy-reforms-needed

Fuel prices have been continuously rising. https://www.independent.ie/business/money/petrol-and-diesel-prices-rise-for-fourth-month-in-a-row/a663505710.html#:~:text=In%20August%2C%20the%20Government%20restored,have%20contributed%20to%20recent%20increases.%E2%80%9D 

Ireland’s electricity mainly comes from wind and gas. Sometimes imported from other countries. Wind is sustainable but gas isn't. However we are progressing on switching from traditional resources to renewable ones, which lessens reliance on fossil fuels.

https://www.cso.ie/en/csolatestnews/featurearticles/featurearticles2024/fivethingsyouprobablydidntknowaboutwhereyourelectricitycomesfrom/#:~:text=Wind%20and%20Gas%20Dominate,electricity%20is%20generated%20from%20gas. 

Electricity prices have risen again which puts pressure on households.

https://www.rte.ie/news/2025/0919/1534334-electricity-prices-hike/ 

No more electricity credits, more burden. Income will not rise but fuel prices will.

https://www.rte.ie/news/budget-2026/2025/1007/1537074-budget-2026-energy-fuel-excise-duty/ 

This sector links in with income and work, health, food.

We should put back the credits for electricity as we usually do. Digging for more ways to produce energy sustainably is key in this sector.

How the issue shows up in our country: 

• High food prices make it more difficult for lower income families to buy enough food

• 2.4% of Ireland experience food insecurity

Policies/Actions that can tackle this issue:

The Edible Dublin Food Strategy can make sure everyone has access to healthy and affordable food.

This dimension is connected to health, since food with proper nutrients can maintain good health

Info:

https://shorturl.at/t2tZa

https://shorturl.at/9AWKa

Reducing our dependence on foreign imported energy by switching to renewable sources such as wind and solar is an important step in reducing energy poverty. Grants to make homes more energy efficient can also be used. Inter connector projects with other European nations can also help with energy supply during peak times

https://swanireland.ie/threats-to-our-waters/#:~:text=Ireland's%20water%20environment%20is%20in,is%20the%20second%20top%20pressure. 

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/environment/coasts-and-waterways/water-conservation-and-water-shortages/#:~:text=Water%20shortages%20happen%20when%20the,from%20using%20a%20hosepipe%20to: 

https://www.seai.ie/sites/default/files/publications/Energy-in-Ireland-2023.pdf 

https://www.pwc.ie/services/deals-advisory/insights/energy-transition.html#:~:text=Ireland%20faces%20several%20significant%20hurdles,Investment%20trends

Unless resources are made available and unrestricted access granted, lost lives and the reversal of hard-earned development gains will be the price to pay.

income inequality remains stable, and a significant portion of the population lives in poverty, including many children and older people.  Approximately one in seven children lives in poverty. Those out of work due to long-term health problems and those in rented or rent-free accommodation are also at a high risk of enforced deprivation.

https://universityobserver.ie/the-daily-gamble-navigating-irelands-unreliable-public-transport-system/ https://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2024/03/13/promoting-livable-cities-by-investing-in-urban-mobility#:~:text=Developing%20countries%20face%20challenges%20in%20financing%2C%20constructing%2C,GHG%20emissions%20continue%20to%20rise%20(SDG%2013). 

SDG6: Ireland's most vulnerable left behind in accessing ...

Record-Breaking Public Transport Usage in Ireland for 2023 ...

Greystones most of the shops that are mainly used are foods brought in from other areas and countries meaning that the money does not go back to the local area to support the smaller Irish businesses to help them grow further in the future 

Actions we can take are starting to reuse and support the smaller more local irish businesses and use less big name brands that import most of their produce 

Food shows up as in Food issues in Ireland include food insecurity, which is driven by affordability and accessibility, particularly for vulnerable groups like one-parent families. Other challenges include high levels of household food waste, concerns about the cost of food, and public health issues stemming from dietary habits.

Food actions in Ireland involve a national Food Vision 2030 strategy for sustainable agri-food systems, a Food Poverty Action Plan addressing affordability 

This equates to 162 kg of food waste per person and is higher than the EU average of 132 kg of food waste per capita[4].

Policies/Actions: The government has a Food Poverty Action Plan (2023) to improve access (i.e. funding school meals and case workers) and urges all departments to help ensure no one goes hungry.^[2]

Sources:

1: Ireland's UN SDGs - Goal 2 Zero Hunger 2024

2: Minister of State Joe O’Brien publishes the Food Poverty Action Plan

• One in eight people in Ireland experience food poverty, a situation where individuals cannot afford an adequate and nutritious diet. 

• Cost Increases:

  The rising price of food, influenced by global events like the war in Ukraine and increased energy and fertiliser costs, has put affordable food beyond the reach of many. 

  
  

Dietary & Health Issues 

• Unhealthy Diet:

  The average Irish diet is rich in cereals, dairy, red meat, and processed foods, with low consumption of fruits, vegetables, and legumes.

• Nutritional Deficiencies:

  This diet leads to issues like low fibre intake, which increases the risk of disease, and certain cancers.

• Chronic Diseases:

  Poor nutrition, high in saturated fats, salt, and sugar, contributes to rising rates of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and heart disease.

Ireland faces significant energy issues including grid constraints, which limit the connection of new renewable power and contribute to high prices, and slow progress in the energy transition due to complex planning processes and market design. The reliance on imported fossil fuels  creates dependency on global markets and geopolitical instability,

Ireland's actions to address energy issues include a major push for renewable energy, aiming for 80% of electricity from renewables by 2030 through offshore wind and solar projects, and upgrading the national grid to handle this.

Energy is linked to other problems primarily through its production and consumption, which cause environmental issues like climate change, air and pollution and waste disposal. Socially, energy is tied to problems like energy pollution which impacts living conditions and health, and to economic issues through demand, development, and resource depletion

Some projects

The Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) programme aims to reduce educational disadvantage. It is a Department of Education and Youth policy.

Under the DEIS programme, schools with the highest number of students at risk of educational disadvantage get extra resources. A number of pre-existing programmes were brought together under the DEIS framework.

Policies/Actions: Retrofitting home insulation and investing in clean energy to reduce fuel consumption are viable solutions. Ireland’s Climate Action Plan commits €2 billion by 2030 to retrofit homes (especially for low-income households).^[1] Targeted supports (like higher fuel allowances or direct energy bill credits) can also protect vulnerable people.^[1]

Sources:

1: Irish energy poverty reaches highest recorded rate

Foreign vulture funds can buy up entire housing developments. Central Bank figures show that 47,000 Irish homes are currently owned by vulture funds. Taxing these companies more severely by closing loopholes could help make the market more accessible to first time buyers.

Policies/Actions: Ireland needs continued investment in water infrastructure such as to build and upgrade treatment plants, to replace old pipes, and to enforce rules on septic tanks. The EPA has raised grants (from €5,000 -> €12,000) to help households fix broken septic systems.^[1] More sewer connections in towns and better maintenance of rural wastewater systems can improve sanitation.^[1]

Sources:

1: Over half of septic tanks failed inspection, putting householders’ health and the environment at risk, says EPA.

Policies/Actions: To improve networks, Ireland is rolling out high-speed broadband nationwide (National Broadband Plan) so remote communities aren’t left behind. For transport, policies include more frequent bus and train services (e.g. rural TFI Local Link routes) and safer cycle lanes or pedestrian areas to cut car use. Smarter ticketing and travel subsidies can make buses/trains more affordable.

Sources:

1: Digitalisation - Internet Coverage and Usage in Ireland 2023

2: Record highs for public transport passenger numbers in 2023

Water is a problem in Ireland due to two main issues: water shortages and poor water quality. Shortages are caused by a combination of leaking pipes, increased demand from a growing population, and climate change leading to unpredictable rainfall. Poor quality is a result of pollution from sources like agricultural runoff, untreated wastewater, and physical alterations to water environments, with trends indicating a general decline in water quality

the Water Action Plan 2024, a roadmap to protect and restore rivers, lakes, and coastal waters by addressing pollution from agriculture and wastewater, restoring natural river flows, and investing in infrastructure

There has been high consumptions of ultra-processed foods, a low intake of fruits and vegetables, widespread food waste, and the food industries failure to meet health and sustainability goals. These issues are linked to rising rates of chronic diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes which are health issues.

New research has warned that the Irish diet is rich in unsustainable foods, is causing nutritional and financial problems and is not good for the environment.

Food waste is a big environmental issue. Over a million tonnes of food is wasted annually in Ireland, contributing significantly to the nation's carbon footprint and costing households and businesses billions. 

How issues with food in Ireland connect to…

Energy:

-farming in Ireland relies heabvyily on fossil fuels for the machines and transport. Rising energy prices increases food production costs making food less affordable.

-when food is wasted all the energy used to grow, process and transport it is wasted too.

Water:

-livestock and crop farming  consume large amounts of water. Nutrient runoff from fertillizers and manure pollutes rivers and lakes, creating a major issue for Irelands water quality.

-Droughts or heavy rainfall impact crop yields and water availability.

Transport:

-A lot of Irelands food is exported and imports travel long distances increasing emissions and vulnerability to disruption.

-supporting loacal and seasonal foods reduces transport emissions and strengthens community resilience.

Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment

36,156 followers

October 28, 2025

Tackling food and textile waste is a key step that we can take to achieve sustainability, to help combat climate change, and to support the transition to a circular economy.

The revised Waste Framework Directive sets binding food waste reduction targets to be achieved at national level by 2030. It also introduces measures to establish a more sustainable textile sector. The Directive entered into force in October 2025. Ireland is required to transpose the revised Directive into national law by June 2027.

The food and textile sectors are both resource intensive, and systemic solutions are required to reduce the environmental and climate impacts associated with food and textile waste generation.

National Policy Context

The Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment will soon be preparing the next iteration of Ireland’s National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap. It is also in the process of finalising its first National Policy Statement and Roadmap on Circular Textiles.

The revised Directive, backed up with our policy approach, will be a gamechanger in helping to reduce food waste, curb fast fashion trends, boost the reuse and recycling of textiles, and reduce the environmental footprint of food waste generation and the textile sector.

Food Waste

The revised Directive also lists specific prevention measures to be taken by Member States to reduce food waste, including:

• developing behavioural change interventions,

• identifying and addressing inefficiencies in the functioning of the food supply chain, and

• supporting cooperation amongst all actors,

• supporting training and skills development,

• encouraging and promoting innovation and technological solutions.

There is also a strengthened focus on surplus food donation in the revised Directive.

Textiles

In relation to textiles the revised EU Directive contains wide ranging measures aimed to tackle fast fashion and the environmental degradation caused by textile waste.

It contains measures to:

• support the separate collection of textiles, and

• apply the “polluter pays principle” which will make the fashion industry responsible for its textile waste.

• Create an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Scheme for textiles

Such a scheme will support efficient textile collection, sorting, reuse and recycling while incentivising eco-design of textile products. Under this new law, Ireland will be required to have an EPR scheme for textiles established by April 2028.

This revised Directive will facilitate the reduction of environmental and climate impacts of textile and food sectors in the EU, whilst contributing to a more circular and sustainable economy.