Staff shortages preventing environmental policy implementation in Ireland, study finds

A lack of sufficient staff is the biggest barrier for Irish organisations when it comes to implementing environmental policies, a (opens in a new window)new UCD studyhas shown.

Local authorities are expected to do more with less as an increased focus on environmental policy targets, and commitments have not been met with a corresponding increase in staff.

Researchers from UCD’s Environmental Policy programme interviewed stakeholders involved in environmental policy design and delivery about barriers to achieving commitments set out in Ireland’s 2020 Programme for Government. 

This included a number of environmental goals across areas, including water, waste, air pollution and climate action.

Drawn from government and state agencies, NGOs, academia, media, and industry, the interviewees noted an increasing workload without the required staffing resources, with this pressure particularly impacting local government authorities.

“Our research shows that Ireland’s biggest environmental challenge right now isn’t a lack of ambition, it’s a lack of capacity to deliver,” said(opens in a new window)Dr Cara Augustenborg, who led the study.

“Across all sectors, stakeholders described a system where environmental policy targets continue to grow, but the staff and specialist skills needed to implement them have not kept pace. If we want to see real progress on climate, biodiversity, water quality, and the circular economy, we must urgently address these staffing gaps. 

“Strengthening capacity in both private and public sector careers in sustainability would unlock faster, more effective delivery and help Ireland close the persistent gap between environmental ambition and environmental outcomes.”

Stakeholders cited staff shortages in areas such as renewable energy, retrofitting, transport, water services and agriculture. “On-the-ground” skill gaps in construction, plumbing and electrical work were also noted.

“We need double the number of civil servants working on climate,’’ said one interviewee.

The paper’s authors have called for the hiring or redeployment of staff, targeted training for employees, and better allocation of existing resources to allow for faster implementation of these policies.

They also suggest an audit of current job vacancies affecting environmental policy implementation, which would allow for an assessment of the financial resources needed.

Other barriers to environmental policy implementation that emerged from the survey were siloed ways of working and confusing division of environmental responsibilities within government, as well as financial limitations, competing political priorities and planning delays.

The authors recommend improved cross-government coordination, streamlined planning processes and strengthened financial mechanisms to address these barriers and accelerate Ireland’s environmental policy delivery.

By: Rebecca Hastings, Digital Journalist, UCD University Relations