New research reveals more than 4 out of 5 Irish people support moving away from fossil fuels

New Friends of the Earth Ireland report “Crisis to Security: Ireland’s Path to Fair Bill and Clean Energy” presented to Government

A new poll published today (Friday May 15^th) reveals that more than 4 out of 5 Irish people – 82% of the population - support a move away from fossil fuels backed by a considered clean energy plan.

The poll, from Ireland Thinks and commissioned by Friends of the Earth Ireland, also finds that as part of reducing reliance on fossil fuels, 86% of the public support policies aimed at making electricity in Ireland cheaper, more secure and widely accessible. Only 7% polled didn’t agree.

The poll was published to coincide with the publication of a new Friends of the Earth Ireland report, From Crisis to Security: Ireland’s Path to Fair Bills and Clean Energy, which says recent energy shocks and the ongoing Middle East conflict have brutally exposed Ireland’s dependence on fossil fuels. The report has 50 recommendations for Government aimed at tackling energy poverty, improving energy security and accelerating the transition to clean, homegrown energy.

The recommendations include shifting taxes and levies from electricity to fossil fuels to make fossil-free homes more affordable for everyone. It also calls for the introduction of a “windfall levy” on excess profits made by energy companies during price shocks, and for the removal of VAT on energy efficient upgrades. The rollout of Balcony solar, particularly for renters, should also be introduced, the report says.

Friends of the Earth Ireland CEO, Deirdre Duffy, warned that recent geopolitical shocks and energy price spikes have exposed the dangers of Ireland’s continued reliance on imported oil and gas, with nearly 320,000 electricity customers and 180,000 gas customers currently in arrears.

She said:

“Recent shocks have exposed the true cost of Ireland’s dependence on imported fossil fuels. The solution cannot be to double down on the system that created the crisis in the first place. Rather than subsidising fossil fuels generating even more profit for corporations, we need to prioritise cheaper, secure electricity for households and businesses. The vast majority of the Irish public agree with this approach.”

She added: “This is the same fossil fuel reliance which is driving storms and floods, making life harder for everyone, especially people working the land. Ireland’s response must protect people from rising costs without doubling down on the fossil fuel dependence that caused the crisis in the first place.”

“The immediate priority must be to shield households and communities from unaffordable heating, electricity and transport costs. People in hardship, families and households facing energy and transport poverty, should be prioritised. This includes lower-income households, disabled people, older people, one-parent families, renters, rural households and others at greater risk of energy deprivation.”

“Public money should not be wasted on blanket subsidies for higher-income households. Recent reports from the ESRI have shown that €370 million in targeted support could do more than the €575 million spent on universal credits last year.”

Clare O’Connor, Heat Programme Coordinator at Friends of the Earth, said: “The Government must immediately act to insulate families from further global energy shocks. This means a massive acceleration in retrofitting, clean heating, and targeted support for those facing persistently high bills.”

“We need these solutions to actually reach the people who would benefit most - renters, single-parent families, and rural communities. Our polling shows that 86% of the public believe financial support for upfront costs is essential when moving away from fossil fuel heating. The Government is currently sitting on hundreds of millions of euros in unspent windfall tax and EU funding; this must be the #1 priority in the budget to ensure the transition reaches those without the upfront cash to invest.”

Other key recommendations in the Friends of the Earth Report, From Crisis to Security: Ireland’s Path to Fair Bills and Clean Energy include:

• Introducing heat pump and solar grant bundles and prioritising these less labour-intensive technologies to circumvent the shortage of skilled carpenters and builders required for deep retrofits.
• Supporting rural households to move away from oil and solid fuel heating.

• Introducing automatic placement onto the cheapest available energy tariff, particularly for vulnerable consumers and
• Accelerating community and small-scale solar energy initiatives to both reduce costs and improve local energy security.

The organisation also warned that Ireland risks undermining its international climate credibility ahead of its upcoming EU Presidency and the planned co-hosting of the 2027 Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels with Tuvalu.

The Friends of the Earth Report also comes in the wake of the recent finding of the Climate Change Advisory Council which highlighted that fossil fuel subsidies reached €4.7 billion in 2024, significantly outweighing the amount households paid in environmental taxes.

ENDS

Notes to Editor

1. Report is available here https://www.friendsoftheearth.ie/assets/files/pdf/from_crisis_to_security_-_irelands_path_to_fair_bills_and_clean_energy.pdf
2. Poll - Findings

The poll was conducted by Ireland Thinks, on May 1st. with a sample size of 1,774 and a margin of error of +/- 2.4%. Fieldwork was carried out online among a nationally representative sample of adults aged 18+ in the Republic of Ireland. Respondents were recruited through Ireland Thinks’ online panel, with the final sample weighted to reflect the known profile of the adult population, including factors such as age, gender, region and socio-economic characteristics.  

86% of people say it is important that a move away from fossil fuel boilers includes financial support for upfront costs for households.

82% of people say Ireland should move away from fossil fuel heating and a majority think this should happen when affordable alternatives are available.

86% support policies aimed at making electricity in Ireland cheaper, more secure  and widely accessible as part of reducing reliance on fossil fuels

 

3. See Climate Change Advisory Council’s (CCAC) Annual Review 2025 - Cross Sectoral Review https://www.climatecouncil.ie/councilpublications/annualreviewandreport/CCAC-AR2025-Cross-sectoral-final.pdf