The government is "delusional" if it believes Ireland won’t face billions of euro in EU fines for missing its 2030 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets.

That's according to Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore, following the latest publication today by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

It has stated that total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the agriculture sector “will range from a 1% increase to a 16% decrease over the period of 2018 to 2030".

According to the EPA, these projections are based on the level of adoption of measures contained in the Climate Action Plans, AgClimatise and the Teagasc Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC).

Social Democrats Deputy, Jennifer Whitmore, who is the party’s spokesperson on climate, said: “The latest analysis from the Environmental Protection Agency offers a bleak assessment of the government’s efforts to meet our legally binding 51% emissions reduction target in five years’ time.

"This is even lower than the 29% reduction projected by the EPA last year, showing that Ireland is going backwards when it comes to our climate responsibilities," Whitmore added.

“Despite dire warnings from the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council and the Climate Change Advisory Council that Ireland could face EU fines of up to €26 billion for missing our targets, the government continues to be in denial, with the Taoiseach recently dismissing these fears as ‘highly speculative’."

The Wicklow TD has claimed that the current approach by the government will cost Ireland, not just economically, but also in terms of the severe risks posed by more extreme weather events caused by global warming.

“According to the EPA report, we are making insufficient progress in areas such as onshore wind, offshore wind, electric vehicles and district heating," Whitmore continued.

"In transport and agriculture, emissions are projected to remain well above the sectoral ceilings for 2030. And despite the growth in renewable energy, this is negated by our continued reliance on gas during times of peak demand."

Deputy Whitmore has also raised concerns abut "logjams" in the planning system which she said could result in wind power companies pulling out of Ireland.

“Today’s report represents a major setback for our climate ambitions. How many more wake-up calls does this government need before it takes this issue seriously?” Deputy Whitmore concluded.