The Green Party has hit out at the Government for its "shameful" record on climate change.

The party said the government continues to dodge targets and have failed to "live up to their own hype".

Leader Eamon Ryan said: "We spend €6 billion a year importing energy. How have the Government still failed to see that we'd be better off spending that money on home grown renewables, and making our schools and homes more comfortable and energy efficient?

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"Throughout negotiations over the last year, the only priority of the Government has been to lobby for exemptions for Irish agriculture from emissions targets. That one dimensional focus on target avoidance has seriously tarnished our international reputation, at a time when we should be realising the potential to harness our renewable resources and and develop the green economy.

"The Taoiseach made it clear in the Dáil this week that we will not now meet our immediate 2020 climate commitments, and regretted that we had shown some ambition by agreeing to those targets in the first place. By adopting such a negative position, and by becoming one of the leading voices against climate action in Europe, he is doing the country a disservice."

(CD/JP)