Budget Must Offer Tax Support for Green Energy Innovators

Budget 2026 must include tax measures to support green energy innovators, according to Hydrogen Ireland. With less than four weeks to go until October 7th, the organisation has identified supportive fiscal frameworks as crucial elements of the drive to promote emerging opportunities.

CEO of Hydrogen Ireland, Paul McCormack, says the right framework of technologies and personnel with the right skillsets must be in place – and that requires support for funding now:

“With the right approach, hydrogen projects could be having an impact on Ireland’s energy landscape in three to five years. To achieve that, our hydrogen economy needs to be underpinned by a progressive tax strategy – one that rewards innovation, de-risks investment, and aligns fiscal tools with our climate ambition.

We engage with dozens of investors and international organisations that all recognise Ireland’s potential as the epicentre of the hydrogen revolution. What we need is the right support framework to convince them to invest here. We need to provide tax reliefs that will help convince people that Ireland is ready to lead the way towards a just transition, with hydrogen as a central element on that journey”.

Paul McCormack’s comments follow the Taoiseach’s comments in a letter to the EC President Ursula von der Leyen, expressing concerns about the impact of rising energy costs on semiconductor chipmakers, and calling for ‘interim measures’ to be taken to address the situation.

CEO of Hydrogen Ireland Paul McCormack welcomed Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s decision to raise the issue directly with Ms von der Leyen and sees the move as ‘a strategic inflection point’:

“If Europe wants to lead in high tech, semiconductors, big data and AI, it must also lead in clean, affordable energy. That means coupling hydrogen innovation, grid reform, and industrial resilience into one cohesive vision.

“Thanks to progress made to date, Ireland is in a prime position to harness the full potential of green hydrogen. We’re calling on the government to create the kind of fiscal environment that will capitalise on the work done so far and allow innovators the space to accelerate progress towards a cleaner energy future for ourselves and our European neighbours”.

The global hydrogen dialogue will take centre stage at the World Hydrogen Technologies Convention in Dublin from October 21 – 23. Hosted by Hydrogen Ireland, WHTC is one of the best-known conventions in the fields of hydrogen energy and fuel cell technology.

Speakers will include Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Timmy Dooley TD, Tony O’Reilly, Founder and CEO of dCarbonX and President of the International Association for Hydrogen Energy, Dr Ayfer Verizoglu. Sponsors include ESB, Gas Networks Ireland and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency.