€1 in every €5 spent under National Development Plan will go towards tackling climate change, the Irish government has vowed.

As Fine Gael kicks off the party’s Green Week - an environmental awareness campaign - Tánaiste Simon Coveney said the funding is another step towards Ireland becoming a leader in climate action.

The Fine Gael-lead government recently launched a 10-year National Development Plan, which will commit €21.8bn on actions designed specifically to protect our environment and move us towards a greener society.

“This is the largest single package within the Plan, and represents a step change in public investment in climate action which will see €1 in every €5 being spent toward tackling climate change," says the Tánaiste.

“We acknowledge that we have a longer journey to travel than many countries, but investment under Project Ireland 2040 will help bring us towards our national transition objective."

The newly established Special Joint Committee on Climate Action, chaired by Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, will also be reporting within five months and ensuring the State’s response to climate change is as comprehensive and as ambitious as possible.

From September, Ireland will be the first country in Europe to introduce a ban on smoky coal.

The Government is also legislating to ban microbeads to protect our marine environments and the Bill should be published soon after the Dáil returns.

From next year, all new buses bought for Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus will be low emission or no emission vehicles and we will spend €4 billion on energy efficiency upgrades over the next ten years.

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten’s Department will soon receive applications for a dedicated €500 million fund for projects that will decrease Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions and increase our use of sustainable energy.

This week, Fine Gael is going green. Our climate is changing, so we are raising awareness about how you can be greener, what supports are available to you and why we need your help to tackle climate change. For more, visit: https://t.co/rud70TFc46 pic.twitter.com/b0RbwDKiZH

— Fine Gael (@FineGael) August 20, 2018

“However the challenge presented by climate change requires more than investment. It requires significant behavioural change and some tough decisions or trade-offs by government, by business, by communities and by individuals," says the Tánaiste.

“It requires citizen and community engagement - from planning for renewable energy projects through to individual purchasing decisions.

“Our plans over the coming years are ambitious, but we need everyone to get behind these initiatives, to make small changes in their lives so that Ireland can remain green for generations to come.

“This week, we will be raising awareness around the supports available to you to help you be greener, reduce your carbon footprint and save you money in the process."

Delighted to welcome Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tanaiste @simoncoveney to @CIT_ie @rubiconcentre to meet Vietnamese students participating in #StudentInc #VIBE 🇻🇳🇻🇳@dfatirl pic.twitter.com/6RKkW8COpO

— Orla Flynn (@OrlaFlynnCIT) August 20, 2018