The increase in greenhouse gas emissions has been described as "disappointing" by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA).

Emissions of greenhouse gases from Irish firms in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme in 2015 increased by 5.5 per cent overall compared to 2014.

Laura Burke, Director General, EPA said: "The increased use of coal for electricity generation in Ireland contrasts sharply with the pledge in the December 2015 White Paper on Energy to reduce energy-related carbon emissions by between 80 and 95 per cent, compared with 1990 levels. We need a stronger incentive to move away from carbon intensive fuels like coal in the short term and from fossil fuel use in general in the long term. Reforming the EU ETS to give a stronger carbon price would speed up the decarbonisation needed for a carbon neutral economy."

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Emissions from the Irish power generation sector were up by 5.3 per cent with a rise of 11 per cent from the cement sector and 4.6 per cent from the food and drink sector respectively. The greater use of the coal-fired plant at Moneypoint for electricity generation in 2015 was the main factor in the overall national increase in power generation emissions. In the aviation sector growth was 11 per cent, due to growth in business across the EEA of flights by Irish registered carriers.

(CD/MH)