Vol. 1028 No. 6
6. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has received a review of the North-South interconnector; when it will be published; and if he will commission a full independent assessment of the potential undergrounding of the project. [55410/22]
I again raise the issue of the North-South interconnector and ask the Minister whether he has received the review of the interconnector which I have been sceptical of, if he could outline when it will be published and, most importantly, whether he will commission a full independent assessment of the potential undergrounding of this project.
The new North-South interconnector, which will allow for the flow of 900 MW of electricity between Ireland and Northern Ireland, will be critical for improving the operation of the all-island integrated single electricity market, ISEM. It will also help to facilitate the achievement of the goal of generating up to 80% of our electricity from renewable sources by 2030. A resilient and well-connected energy infrastructure is vital for Ireland's economic well-being and the ability to respond to the future needs of energy consumers.
The option of undergrounding the North-South interconnector has been comprehensively assessed on several occasions. Most recently, the key finding from the international expert commission's report of October 2018 was that an overhead line remains the most appropriate option for this critical electricity infrastructure.
Notwithstanding this, it was deemed appropriate to carry out a further short review to assess if the overall finding from the 2018 report remained valid. Having requested tenders from a number of grid experts across Europe, two international experts were selected to carry out the study. Work is continuing on the report, which has taken longer than expected. It has not been a short process. I regret that but I understand it is to be finalised shortly. I have not seen it yet but I expect it in the next couple of weeks. Following receipt of the report it will be considered, with publication to follow in due course. At this point, I am not able to provide a publication date.
I raised this issue with the Minister on 20 September and 7 April last, on 4 November last year with the Minister of State, on 21 April with the Taoiseach, and on 10 March 2021 and on 22 September 2020 with the Minister directly. Each time I have raised the issue with the Minister, he indicated his refusal to engage with local campaigners on it. Each time the Minister refused to accede to the demand of a full appraisal of the underground option of the interconnector despite the fact that a report the Minister cited earlier described that as a credible option.
The Minister was in government when EirGrid first announced its plans for this infrastructure. EirGrid then claimed it would take only a few years but, because of the pigheaded attitude of EirGrid and successive Ministers, the project instead ran into significant delays, unnecessary costs and the loss of any semblance of goodwill among the affected communities.
The biggest challenge is yet to come when EirGrid and its agents attempt to enter onto the lands of people who have publicly stated that they will prevent them. My appeal is, rather than entering into further delays and more wastage of public moneys which will be the Minister's legacy unless he learns from the lessons of the past decade, that the Minister engages with the communities and instigates the review that is being sought, which is a full independent appraisal of the underground option.
I, more than anyone else, regret the delay. As a Member of this House in 2003, I remember the then joint Oireachtas committee on energy having a presentation from EirGrid, our transmission grid company, at which it said that we urgently need a North-South interconnector. For many years looking at international experience and reading several reports, the clear analysis presented was that an overground wire was the only way one could do it. One could do it, potentially, on a high-voltage direct current where one can ship power over long distances, let us say, from Belfast to Dublin, but that would then mean economic real disadvantage to counties either side of the Border. It would also undermine necessary greater energy co-operation, North and South.
I was the Minister at the time who introduced the single electricity market and saw EirGrid taking on the role of managing our transmission system in the North as well as in the South. I believe it has good engineers. I regret Sinn Féin's position. I cannot understand not only this issue but other related issues where Sinn Féin seems to support a disintegration of our island on an energy system basis. I am scratching my head wondering why this would be in the interests of Sinn Féin.
The concept that public acceptance must be sought and earned by public bodies before they railroad their way through with an infrastructure project will be alien to the Minister. Experience tells us when you try to do this, you encounter delay after delay and wasted money after wasted money. This is what we have experienced to date. The Minister is simply blind to this fact. I want to see the North-South interconnector proceed. I do not know how many times we need to tell the Minister this before he stops with his disingenuous comment that has become the hallmark of this debate. If the Minister want to see the North-South interconnector proceed, he will have to engage with the local communities.
On whether the North-South interconnector can be undergrounded I ask the Minister not to take my word for it but take the word of the international commission he cited in his initial response. It described the undergrounding of the project as a credible option. I do not know whether it is a pointless exercise but I will appeal again to the Minister to engage with those people who will be affected. Over the coming months, EirGrid will try to enter the lands of people who have told it that they will not let it in. There will be further conflict that will inevitably lead to further delays. Is this what the Minister wants? Is this what he wants his legacy to be or will he now try to ensure we can see this project fulfilled in a way that garners the concept of public acceptance, which is the hallmark of similar projects happening throughout Europe and proceeding much quicker?
I want North-South interconnection and I-----
Apologies to the Minister but Deputy O'Rourke has a supplementary question.
First, it is completely disingenuous for the Minister to suggest what he did. Many people are not familiar with what is happening with the regulator in the North and with the System Operator for Northern Ireland, SONI, and EirGrid. To suggest Sinn Féin is part of it is completely disingenuous and I ask the Minister to withdraw it. He knows it well in terms of the politics in the North. Similarly with regard to the North-South interconnector, it does not take a genius to work out this is a project that has been delayed and delayed because of the approach taken by successive Governments and EirGrid. In this term and previous terms I, my predecessors and my party colleagues have consistently spelled out exactly the way forward. Government after Government and EirGrid have maintained their position of intransigence. I for one know where we will end up on this and it does not involve delivering the North-South interconnector. I want to see the project delivered.
As Deputy O'Rourke said, I was referring to the issue of the recent regulatory decisions regarding SONI and EirGrid and, in my mind, the very regrettable changes that are afoot. Although it is hard to know because we do not have an administration up North, from the conversations and discussions I have had, my very clear understanding is that the Sinn Féin position was clearly in support of the Northern regulatory position. I find this very strange. I really find it hard to understand how this helps an all-island approach. Be that as may, it is something we cannot have control over. It is a Northern regulatory decision. It does have an influence potentially on how the North-South interconnector is built and developed. I absolutely agree with Deputy Carthy that we need to consult and to listen. We need to be flexible and bring to people with us. Sometimes, having done that and having listened, we also need-----
It has not been done.
-----to do what is important for the wider country, as well as the local community. I believe the North-South interconnector is vital for the economic development of the Border counties.
Then engage with the communities that will be affected by it.
I also believe at a time when energy bills are very high that it is one of the most effective immediate projects to bring down the cost of electricity for everyone and to create economic jobs and other opportunities. This will not be easy. I want to wait for the final further report. We have a list of reports as long as my arm looking at this. We will look at the latest one. I have not seen it yet and I want to read it and see it before I make any further statements.
The Minister should commission the report that is actually being sought. Would he do that?
The principle of us keeping and developing an all-island electricity market and energy market is vital. At present, that is at risk and to my mind, it is at risk from some of the policy positions Sinn Féin is taking.
7. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will be attending the COP27 conference in Egypt; if his attention has been drawn to the grave human rights abuses of environmentalists and climate campaigners by the Egyptian state; if he will meet with representatives of human rights organisations while there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55315/22]
On Friday, young people in Fridays for Future, student organisations and Extinction Rebellion will gather outside the House as part of global action on COP27. They will not be praising the Taoiseach or the Minister for action but will be commenting on inaction. They will be carrying clocks with them to symbolise the fact we are running out of time. They are also very aware that COP27 is taking place in a venue that is mired with human rights abuses. Is the Minister aware of the grave human rights abuses against climate and environmental activists in Egypt? Will he make any statement on the matter when he is there? What intentions does the Government have on this? Will it just turn a blind eye?
I will attend COP27 as head of the Irish delegation for the second week of the conference from 14 to 18 November. Ireland continues to advocate for COPs to be transparent and inclusive for all, promoting the active participation of women and young people in negotiations, and facilitating civil society attendance and engagement. This remains the case more than ever for COP27.
Human rights issues form part of Ireland's regular engagement with Egypt. Ireland has expressed concern regarding the protection of human rights in Egypt, including rights of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, and the constrained space for civil society. The protection of human rights defenders, which includes the fight against reprisals, is a key part of our multilateral work at the UN Human Rights Council and at the UN General Assembly.
Ireland's long-standing support for climate justice and adaptation recognises that women, girls, LGBTQ+ people and other marginalised groups are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis and are more vulnerable to the shocks and stresses associated with current and future climate change. Reflecting this and our domestic commitment to climate literacy, public engagement and participation, Ireland will also be engaging in the development of a new action plan for the action for climate empowerment, ACE, stream, placing these issues alongside human rights and youth participation at the forefront of the process where they belong. I will also be setting aside time in my programme to meet civil society groups, including human rights activists, as I did in Glasgow last year.
I thank the Minister. I want to mention the highest-profile political prisoner in Egypt, Alaa Abd el-Fattah. He has been on hunger strike since April. He has been languishing in jail for ten years because he was an activist and an environmentalist. Since he took over the regime, el-Sisi has built a dozen prisons in ten years. There are 60,000 activists locked up. This week many people were arrested and will probably be tortured and thrown in prison for a long period of time because they are environmentalists and climate activists. It is worth quoting Alaa Abd el-Fattah's sister, who has said that those who attend COP27 do not realise their best allies those who are languishing in prison. They are the people in Egypt who really give a damn about the planet. All COPs are problematic and this venue is particularly problematic. Aside from the problems that go with the venue, I would like to argue that we are not just engaged in a greenwashing of companies with regard to COP, and many big companies play a big role, but we are greenwashing an entire state that is known for its repressive measures. I would like the Minister to comment further.
One of the proudest moments I have had as a Member of the House was when I took part in a joint Oireachtas visit to Egypt six years ago to visit Ibrahim Halawa when he was in prison outside Cairo. I do not think anyone in the Chamber was on the delegation. It was one of the most important, interesting and engaging events I have taken part in. I am very familiar with what the Deputy has said in terms of freedom in Egypt for such prisoners and the need to think of them at this time. One measure we have progressed recently as a Government is directly funding a UN special rapporteur for environmentalists who face persecution or state oppression in whatever form.
I am going by memory, but I think it was Austria and ourselves who came together specifically to finance and support front-line defenders to be able to act on behalf of environmentalists who are imprisoned or under threat from whatever regime. That international office has just been established following the provision of funding from the Government. I had the pleasure of meeting its chief executive in Government Buildings in recent weeks. That is the best approach to take, between what we do in the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly, and through the international legal mechanisms open to us: to stand up for the rights of those who may be persecuted for what they believe in, for their identity or gender, or for anything else we see as being in contravention of the UN Charter of Human Rights.
The problem is, however, that the funding of human rights groups and countries that suffer the most, although it is important, will not deal with the problem of the rising CO2 levels in the atmosphere. The atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has increased from 358 parts per million in 1994 to 415 parts per million today. The Minister and I understand this is hugely problematic and that science is telling us we must leave 80% of known fossil fuels in the ground.
The Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, tweeted tonight that he is so proud and that we have to take responsibility as leaders to drive the necessary transformation. He will come back from Egypt and step off the plane and start to argue, as many of the leaders in this House have done, that we need to increase our fossil fuel infrastructure in the current period. That will not do anything to help. It will hinder and utterly fail the groups of young people who will stand outside the Dáil on Friday. It is not their responsibility this is happening. It is the responsibility of the leaders who stand up at COP and say we can hold our heads up high but who cannot because CO2 emissions are increasing year on year since the first COP in Kyoto.
The Deputy is right. That fear is real and it belongs to every one of every party, age and country. It is the primary challenge we face in this time. It has to guide us towards radical system change to reduce emissions. The test of that will come in the near future when our latest iteration of the climate action plan will put forward proposals in areas such as transport, energy, agriculture and industry, which have gone beyond compare in the scale of the changes that need to be made. Many of the changes will not be popular, as we heard earlier in discussions on some of the projects we have to do. It will be similar, I imagine, in my constituency, other Dublin coastal constituencies and along the east coast with the development of offshore wind. I have heard some of the Deputy's colleagues, such as Deputy Boyd Barrett and others, raise concerns which are absolutely valid. We have to listen to every aspect of this, but we must be careful not to find ourselves not being able to act. It is the same in transport. I have been around the country to every local authority, as best I can. It has been fascinating to listen to a lot of the intelligence in local government, but I also sense it will be difficult for us to do the scale of change we need to do to reduce our transport emissions. I could go through any sector with that. The test of this will be for all of us in the next five years, or next three years, I would argue, as to whether we can do the scale of system changes that are needed. That will be a test for everyone of every party.
8. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his interim solutions for householders in rural areas waiting on broadband that is some years away under the national broadband plan; if he will provide further details of the efforts to accelerate the roll-out of national broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55327/22]
What is the Minister of State's interim solution for householders in rural areas waiting on broadband that is some years away under the national broadband plan, NBP? Will he provide further details of the efforts to accelerate the roll-out of national broadband, and will he make a statement on it?
I am advised by National Broadband Ireland, NBI, that, as of 28 October 2022, more than 97,000 premises can order or preorder a high-speed broadband connection, with in excess of 87,700 premises passed and available for immediate connection. Construction is under way across all 26 counties, demonstrating that the project is reaching scale. To date, the level of connections is increasing daily and is in line with or exceeding our expectations. I am advised that 3,334 premises in County Louth are now available to order or preorder a connection.
Broadband connection points, BCPs, are a key element of the national broadband plan, providing high-speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll-out of the fibre to the home network. Some 778 BCP sites have been installed by NBI to date, and the high-speed broadband service will be switched on in these locations through service provider contracts managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development for publicly accessible sites and the Department of Education for school broadband connection points.
There are many black spots in County Louth that need urgent attention. It is creating a divide between rural and urban areas. It is also costing small businesses jobs. It is stopping people from working from home. Households and businesses cannot wait for years. Several people have come to my constituency office saying they cannot continue to survive. I cannot understand why they are not connected to this essential broadband service.
A business family has told me that, according to the national website, they are scheduled for June 2024. In this day and age, they do not think that is very fair. I do not use the words "black spot" lightly. It is 2022 and for these people to wait another two years does not seem fair. I appreciate a lot of work has been done in recent years. In 2007, it was suggested we put in broadband the same way we put in the ESB network. It was not done and people laughed at it. In this day and age, there should be no black spots in County Louth.
The way the NBP contract works is that the contractor is paid only when it connects 100% of an area. Every single home in a deployment area has to be connected for the contractor to get its payment, which is different from what happens in the urban areas. As the rural areas are connected, there will be no black spots in them. The urban areas are where I am concerned about black spots. I am the Minister of State with responsibility for broadband in all of Ireland, not just the rural areas. The NBP is there to remove that urban-rural divide.
As the Deputy said, broadband is vital for working from home, creating jobs in villages and towns throughout the country, and to allow people study from home and have their work-life balance and communications and so on. Therefore, I understand how critical it is. Louth has double the average rate of connection for Ireland. It is the number one county for connections for rural broadband. I believe 37% of rural homes in Louth have been passed, which is twice the average overall, so it is doing very well.
For a person who is waiting and absolutely needs something a year before the connection is delivered, the options are fixed wireless access, 5G or satellite connections. It is a seven-year contract and that means some people will be connected in years 6 or 7. I am working on reducing that number down to five years.
The last thing we want to do, especially in County Louth, is to drive people away from the countryside. It is bad enough having local needs and people not being able to build on their land along with everything else. It is very frustrating. People come to me knowing there are households and companies down the road from them that have broadband installed and ask me what is going on. I understand the Minister of State has said Louth is one of the best for connections, but to me it is not for the simple reason that there still many black spots. I know the Minister of State hates that term. How can I go back to those people and convince them to stick it out? Many of these people living in rural Ireland are talking about going back to work because it is too expensive to stay in rural Ireland and it is costing them a lot of money. The Minister of State is aware there is an energy crisis ongoing. When I go back to my constituency office on Friday, what will I tell the people who ask me what they are supposed to do if they do not have broadband in their area?
Deputy Ó Murchú has a supplementary question.
We are in a better place in the context of hitting targets. The Minister of State has said it is a seven-year project. There are still people who are several years away from getting broadband. We know part of the real solution lies with Eir, in that its make-ready product needs to be provided to NBI. The other thing is the possibility of the self-install product that NBI is looking to get off Eir. I understand there may be legal issues that need to be dealt with.
The Minister of State said he was looking at the possibility of a five-year project. I have been led to believe the acceleration time would be six years. Will the Minister of State provide information on that? The other question is whether people could be provided with alternatives, be it low Earth orbit satellite systems or wireless.
You will have a supplementary question.
ComReg or the mobile phone and broadband task force could do this.
I want to talk about householders in Carlow who contact me every day. A homeowner contacted NBI, the Department and me several times regarding concerns about the change of ownership before a project was completed. He believes he will be forgotten. The original contract specified 200,000 connections by the end of January 2022. The man lives on Coppinaugh Road in Tullow. There are 34 houses on a 3 km stretch of road which is not served by broadband. His area was surveyed two years ago and he was meant to be connected in 2015. I have repeatedly supplied his Eircode and asked for help. What is happening? I raised this with the Minister of State recently. People are becoming disillusioned. It is important that the broadband roll out is done right. I ask the Minister of State to look into the cases I have raised with him as soon as possible.
Starting with Louth, as I said, 3,334 homes out of 8,837 have been passed, making it the number one county in Ireland for connections. For those who need connection and do not yet have it, and have been waiting for three or more years, we have provided information on the website. We want to be honest and let people know they will have to make other arrangements. The three technologies available are fixed wireless access, 5G or satellite connection for somebody who needs to have something and cannot have fibre to a cabinet or whatever is being provided at the moment.
In response to Deputy Ó Murchú, I am considering various options including speeding up Eir Make Ready, self install and so on to see what we can do to reduce the time. I expect to have an announcement on that soon.
In response to Deputy Murnane O'Connor, I acknowledge that she has come to me a number of times on a particular case. I will come back to her. I have been to Carlow and went to connect the 15,000th customer. I commit to helping the Deputy with each customer she mentioned.
9. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide a publication date for the McCarthy review into what went wrong in relation to the electricity generation capacity shortfall which the State is now facing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55351/22]
Will the Minister provide a publication date for the McCarthy review into what went wrong regarding the electricity generation capacity shortfall which the State is now facing and make a statement on the matter?
I engaged Mr. Dermot McCarthy, former Secretary General to the Government and the Department of the Taoiseach, to conduct an independent review into the circumstances requiring emergency measures to be introduced to secure electricity supply over the coming winters. Mr. McCarthy's engagement, along with the terms of reference for the review, were noted by Government at its meeting on 14 June 2022.
The review is being conducted under the following terms of reference: to identify factors which have contributed to the capacity shortfall, including the possible role of the growth in demand for data centres and the associated policy; to identify factors which contributed to any underestimation of the risk of capacity shortfall; to identify factors associated with the respective roles and responsibilities which may have contributed to this situation; to identify learning which may be relevant to strengthening policy, capacity, governance and operational effectiveness in this area; and to identify any further technical analysis which may be helpful in this regard. I expect to receive Mr. McCarthy's report before the end of the year.
As it happens, I met him yesterday. He had a very short interim report on his work. Following consideration of the content of the final report I will then consider if it should be published and in what form. I have confidence in him and his ability. He has been at the centre of the public service for many years and that makes him uniquely qualified to assist us in this regard.
Following the Minister's conversation yesterday, will be a specific focus on a review of the T-4 option. There has been considerable discussion on this. Some 500 MW were not delivered, 400 MW of which related to the ESB. Will that be included in the review? Is it not entirely clear from the terms of reference whether that will be the case?
On a related matter, I ask the Minister for an update on emergency generation. We had the turf and EirGrid Bills and a recent piece on planning exemptions. Is that progressing apace? In a committee I raised with the Minister the capacity that is due to come on stream in the middle of next year. There was a question mark over the deliverability of that, given inflation etc. Can the Minister provide assurances on that?
I thank the Deputy. As I said, the first of the terms of reference related to the factors which contributed to the capacity shortfall and that directly relate to the auction to which the Deputy referred. In 2019, 500 MW of power was not delivered. That is the first item on the terms of reference, in terms of what factors contributed to that.
With regard to emergency generation, I want to thank the Deputy's party and other Members of the House for their overwhelming support for emergency legislation, unwelcome as it was. No one wanted to do it but I very much appreciate the support which has helped us to move to the next phase. I understand the contracting of generators from the OEM operator has been completed. I happened to visit Tarbert in County Kerry last Friday. I visited the sites in Shannonbridge and Tarbert and spoke to the engineers there. It seems that everything is ready to go. I cannot recall the timelines, but progress is imminent. Clearing of the land depends on planning approvals and so on. The two projects are on track.
With regard to more recent auctions, there are key issues. The CRU is out in public consultation on the issue the Deputy referred to with regard to the impact of inflation. Consultation closed on 26 October and I expect the information will come out relatively quickly. There are ongoing issues with grid connections and our planning system.
I presume public consultation will not help those projects that are currently in the system and are due to deliver in the middle of next year. I ask the Minister to give us some assurance on that and what type of intervention might be needed to move that on.
One of the issues Mr. McCarthy is dealing with is data centres. I understand that a number of weeks ago the Minister wrote to Gas Networks Ireland, GNI, and asked it not to enter into any more contracts with gas dependent data centres. There was a question mark over whether legislation would be needed to give effect to that decision. Can the Minister provide an update on that situation? Is legislation needed? Will the Minister bring it forward?
On the first issue, it is complex and the regulator will have to decide on it. I understand it applies to T-3 and T-4 auctions which are in train at this moment in time. My expectation, depending on what the CRU comes out with in its final decision, is that it is not precluded that the terms and conditions for the ongoing existing options would be updated or amended according to the decision. It has to make the best call on that situation. As I said, the biggest problem with the other two areas of difficulty are with regard to the planning system. The Attorney General is working to revise the Planning Act 2000. That will be critical because I understand it will help to reduce the incredible length of time that projects are caught in judicial review or other lengthy delays in the planning system.
With regard to the role of data centres, I wrote to GNI. I think it was appropriate and responsible to do so as Minister at a time when we have to reduce our use of gas to make sure that we are not developing any further connections and there was absolute clarity in that regard. Given the energy security framework we are in, we cannot continue to see the expansion of gas. I wrote, on a precautionary basis, to make sure-----
Do we need legislation?
I do not believe we do. I had a meeting with GNI and do not recall the need for legislation being raised.
10. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the main barriers on the route to market facing the renewable energy industry in its efforts to increase the amount of renewable energy available to Ireland; the steps being taken by the Government to remove these barriers expeditiously; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55036/22]
At COP27 the Taoiseach said, "Let us not waste a second more". In that regard, the barriers on the route to market in terms of the renewable energy industry are massive. What is the Government doing to remove the barriers so that we get a much quicker route to market in a comprehensive way so that we can get the renewable energy we need into play?
In order to fully realise the potential and provide a competitive route to market for a strong pipeline of renewable energy projects, the Government is tackling barriers, exactly as the Deputy suggested, across our planning, grid-development and financing systems to better support the timely delivery of additional renewable energy sources and the required supporting infrastructure. Under action 102 of the climate action plan 2021, several measures are being undertaken to enable the delivery of a more comprehensive and consistent spatial planning policy approach for renewable energy development at regional and local levels.
My Department is currently developing a policy framework that would set targets for onshore renewable electricity capacity, that should be planned for on a national and regional level, with which regional strategies and the county development plans will be required to be consistent. EirGrid is currently updating its Shaping Our Electricity Future infrastructure roadmap to reflect increasing ambition, including the sectoral emissions ceilings and the target of up to 80% renewables on the grid by 2030.
The renewable electricity support scheme is Government's primary policy for the delivery of renewable electricity. Ireland is now at more than 5 GW of onshore renewables with approximately 700 MW to be connected this year, which will make 2022 a record year for new renewable generation. Ireland is third in the world for its share of electricity provided by onshore wind and this year, the first large-scale solar projects are now generating power.
In the offshore sector, I am concluding the process of assessing the maritime area consent applications from Ireland's first phase of offshore renewable energy projects. The projects can then start engagement with An Bord Pleanála before submitting applications for development consent. The first offshore renewable electricity support scheme, RESS, auction will launch before the end of this year.
I hear about strategies and plans but I do not see the grid being built or the offshore wind being provided. Does the Minister agree we need to shorten the route to market with regard to offshore wind planning in the provision of grid infrastructure and the development of the ports? It is no good having all of these policies if we do not do the things that those policies should lead to. Does he agree we need to shorten the route between having green hydrogen and producing green hydrogen, in making sure that we invest some of the windfall profits coming from the high-tech corporation tax sector in Irish ownership of the grid and invest in offshore industry in order that returns come back to Ireland and in the connectivity to Europe and the UK? We will produce surplus energy that we could sell to make this country wealthy. What will the Minister do to make these things happen on the ground? All I hear is about plans and strategies but I do not see it happening in the ground.
I hope the Deputy will see real change occurring in the coming weeks. I was in Tarbert last week subsequent to a visit to Shannon Foynes Port. I could talk about the Sceirde Rocks project in Connemara or the plans in Galway but I will take the Shannon Estuary as an example. A very significant report has been commissioned from Bechtel to look at the potential in the Shannon Estuary. I had a meeting with the Shannon Estuary economic task force and I believe we are all ad idem with the sense of the opportunity. It is an opportunity on a considerable scale and not without its challenges. We have to get environmental and public support for it but there is potential for development in the Shannon Estuary with Money Point and Tarbert on either side, a fantastic grid connection and sites that are ideally suited for new power generation, green hydrogen or other infrastructure developments. Shannon Foynes Port is a deep-water port with an island right beside it which could be a good place for the development with regard to the construction, assembly and formation of these new offshore turbines. There are locations in the estuary where we would look to store them in response to getting the weather opportunity to go out to the Atlantic. This is real. The Government is 100% committed to it and we will deliver.
When will we see wind turbines in the Irish Sea which is the easiest place to put offshore energy at the moment or where there has been most advancement? When will we see turbines turning and producing electricity? All of these strategies and plans will not produce electricity. What will produce it are turbines connected to the grid. A recent report stated that there was only one port in Ireland, in Belfast, fit to service this industry. When will we get a ports policy for the offshore wind industry? Is all of the coast relevant to this? The Minister mentioned Sceirde Rocks. Will the west coast of Ireland be covered by this ports policy?
My own county of Mayo has abundant renewable energy resources, including the potential for a further 2 GW of onshore wind which is deliverable in the short term. We are ideally placed to become a national renewable energy and hydrogen hub. We are, however, aware that this opportunity is time limited. It will certainly pass us by if essential policy drivers are not delivered with urgency. The Minister's Department invited submissions to the consultation on the delivery of a hydrogen strategy for Ireland in July this year. It is a welcome step which is long overdue. When does the Minister plan to publish the national green hydrogen strategy which is an urgent step to allow us to unlock the potential of this new industry for Ireland? What incentives and financial supports does the Minister propose to include in this strategy to assist the development of a sustainable green-hydrogen industry on this island?
We are engaged in a support process on onshore renewables. The Deputy is right in that we will need further onshore wind and solar energy, batteries, pump storage and a range of other solutions as we transition to this zero-carbon, stable, secure and lower-cost energy system for our people. The RESS auctions systems will continue. We have done two of them. The third will come up and we have learned lessons from the first two. In the coming weeks, if not days, we will be setting out the renewable support scheme which we will use for offshore energy. There is a potential project in Sceirde Rocks or on the east coast. We are competing, as the Deputy says, with the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium; there is a list as long as one's arm of countries with a similar ambition so we need to be quick.
The expectation is that our auction system will start before the end of this year and conclude in spring or summer of next year. The planning system then has to engage. The timeline that will take is the key unknown in answer to Deputy Ó Cuív's question but if it was concluded and projects then ready for contracting early or in mid-2024, construction would start in the period 2025 to 2026. It is in that sort of timeframe we need to deliver. While we are doing that, there are other projects onshore that we also need to deliver.
We are out of time. The Minister might be able to come back in on a different question.
11. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will outline his short- and medium-term plans for emergency electricity generation at Huntstown, Finglas; and if a district heating system may form part of future developments. [55200/22]
I recently attended the EirGrid road show in Erin's Isle GAA club. It is a fairly big hall but it was fairly packed with people who I think had a renewed curiosity in the security of electricity supply and where our supply comes from and how it is used. There was considerable discussion around Huntstown, which is located just north of Finglas, with regard to future plans there and the possibility of a district heating system at that location.
The Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, has statutory responsibility to ensure security of supply. It also has the duty to monitor electricity supplies and to take such measures as it considers necessary to protect the security of supply. It is assisted in this role by EirGrid and my Department. The CRU currently has a programme of actions under way to ensure the security of electricity supply over coming winters. The security of supply programme of actions contains both a number of demands and supply-side mitigation measures to address the forecasted shortfall. These actions include the procurement of new enduring capacity through a number of capacity auctions; procuring additional temporary generation; extending the availability of existing generation capacity; additional use of grid-scale batteries; and improved demand-side measures.
One of the sites selected for temporary generation capacity is located in Huntstown. It will provide 50 MW of back-up capacity to meet peak demand as a last resort, if all other dispatchable generation has been exhausted. These units are temporary in nature and, therefore, are not expected to be available to provide a long-term district heating solution for their localities. My Department established a district heating steering group this year which draws together expertise and experience relevant to district heating from a number of public sector stakeholders.
The steering group is in the process of drafting its report, in which it will make recommendations to advance district heating projects in the State.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. I welcome the clarification about the temporary emergency power generation at that location. That will bring the total power generation on the site up to almost 800 MW. I was surprised to hear that 20% of the total generation on the island is generated at the Huntstown plant. There is also a bioenergy anaerobic digestion power station separate to the conventional gas generator. The idea of retrofitting a district heating system to an established generation plant is, of course, complex but these large projects have a community benefit. If we could provide a district heating system connected with the various different activities at Huntstown it would provide a significant benefit to the surrounding community.
The Deputy is right to draw our attention to the potential of district heating. It is going to play a vital role in meeting our climate targets, protecting our people from high fossil fuel prices and building better homes for them. As the Deputy knows, it is not without its complications. We need to learn from other countries and from the small number of projects that have been developed here. However, it is going to play a key role. That is why we have set up the working group, which has met more than a dozen times and which will produce a report shortly.
It would be good for Deputy McAuliffe to talk to Codema, which is Dublin's energy efficiency agency. It has done a really good map of the entire city that shows potential district heating source locations. It is less likely with the type of power generation we are talking about here because in a more flexible system, it might be turned on and off and would not provide constant heat. Anywhere there is a waste heat source, whether it is from industry or from the Poolbeg incinerator, may be suitable. Such sources include data centres, which are quite extensive in the Deputy's constituency. In one instance in south Dublin, we have taken the waste heat from a data centre to heat a local hospital. That might be an avenue to pursue.
I thank the Minister. We must be very open to finding such sources. Many of the speakers at the meeting, including those from Codema, whet our appetite about what is possible. There are planning applications for data centres at the site in question. As I said, I would like us to keep an open mind about how we could provide district heating or other forms of community benefit. Whatever else happens, there is a far greater awareness within the community about where our energy comes from and the fact that the move away from fossil fuels and towards more efficient sources of heating is to our benefit.
I will be brief. I am very glad Codema was represented at the roadshow. If there are projects at planning stage, that is the time to design in such a system as a planning condition. Companies should be willing to support this. They also have corporate social responsibility and their own emissions reduction targets. There can be no better way of achieving that than using waste heat from any commercial industrial process to support the local community to create a commercial opportunity around the use of that heat. I urge the Deputy to continue the work with industry and Codema to deliver it locally.
12. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will advise on matters raised in correspondence (details supplied) regarding broadband in an area; his plans to supply a high-speed broadband service to this location in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55447/22]
Will the Minister advise on matters arising from correspondence, details of which I supplied to him, regarding broadband in an area and his plans to supply a high-speed broadband service to this location in County Louth?
I am advised by NBI that, as of 28 October 2022, over 97,000 premises can order or pre-order high-speed broadband connections. More than 87,700 premises have been passed and are ready for immediate connection. Construction is under way across 26 counties. This demonstrates that the project is reaching scale. NBI has advised that over 3,334 premises in County Louth are passed with a high-speed fibre broadband network and available for immediate connection.
The area referred to in the question is covered by the Riverstown deployment area. NBI advises the survey is complete in this area and it is due to be connected between January and June of 2024. The network roll-out for the national broadband plan is divided into 227 deployment areas across the country. Each area is approximately 25 km in radius. In total, the areas involved cover 96% of Ireland's landmass. The architecture of the network design is specifically based on the design of the NBI network coming from the Eir exchanges or the metropolitan area networks. It is based on an engineering design that allows NBI to reach every premises as quickly as possible working within the confines of how fibre networks are built. Villages, townlands and counties may be covered by a number of deployment areas, which means there are differing time scales for the roll-out across county areas. As already indicated, BCPs are a key element of the national broadband plan. They provide high-speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre-to-the-home network. Some 778 BCP sites have been installed by NBI to date, including eight in County Louth. While well over 3,000 premises in Louth can already be connected to the national broadband plan network, the BCPs offer the opportunity to connect to a high-speed broadband service for those whom the network has not yet reached.
I have correspondence which reads:
I am a resident of Ravensdale. Currently there is no wifi / broadband available in our area and myself along with other families and residents have very limited access to the internet. The main area of Ravensdale itself has a broadband supply, however once past the Carrickdale hotel (we are along Edentober) there is nothing available to us. I am self employed and run an online business. I have recently had to move into my parent’s house as we are trying to buy/ build our own house and I unfortunately can’t even run my business as I have no access to internet and will have to shortly close it down. Along with everyday needed use for all families, broadband has become a necessity, even for phone use as we also have very limited network coverage to use mobiles phones.
Can you please give me any help or advice on how I could move forward to get the process of broadband connected in our area or who to contact. I have spoken with most residents and they have all agreed they would help sign a petition or anything to collectively support trying to get broadband connection in Edentober, Ravensdale. On the National Rollout website it is scheduled for June 2024 which is just too far away.
Does the Minister of State think that what he said is going to help them? Nobody in rural Ireland should be left behind.
I hear the Deputy and have read that letter. I can see there is a personal story behind it of somebody who has moved home to their parents to save money for a house and then found they do not have the connection they need to run their business, and I understand that. It is not just to run a business because you need the Internet if you want to work from home, study from home or even just conduct your social life. It is absolutely essential. It is a utility. It is like providing water or electricity, so everybody needs to get it. We are in a roll-out period. Our plan is much more ambitious than those of other countries. I have talked to counterparts in other European countries and they are not providing fibre to every house.
People have options in every area and they must be investigated. The first question is whether there is somewhere nearby that has a broadband connection point. Is there somewhere like a GAA place that is offering a solution for somebody to come into the local village, sit down and get a desk for the day? If there is not, the Deputy can come to me and ask for a new BCP to be set up and we can investigate and look at that. The next question is whether there is fixed wireless access. There are fixed wireless access providers that put a mast on the roof and then the customer gets a connection. One can get an acceptable level of connection of something like 100 MB from those. A satellite connection can be used in most parts of Ireland and in many cases people can use 5G. Those are the correspondent's options as they wait the 16 months.
The Minister of State's second answer was from the heart. He realises the problem we are having but this is not just one family as there are others. We are trying to encourage people to work from home, and that is what these people are trying to do. I agree with the Minister of State. The correspondent asked me to ask the question and the Minister of State has given me a few different solutions. As he knows, I am very involved with the GAA. There is a GAA club in the area and maybe that is another way of looking at this. However, these families are very frustrated. This has been going on for a long time. When they contacted the provider they were told the date was June 2024. It is not that they mind that date, it is just that they do not think it is actually going to happen. As I said to the Minister, people are struggling. The man to whom I refer has a wife and kids, and it is not a nice situation to move in and live with your in-laws. There is also the pressure of running a business. I know how hard this is because I have had my own business for 25 years. The correspondent is running an online business and he depends so much on the broadband Internet connection. He is having problems with his Internet, the broadband and his phone. I appreciate the Minister of State's second reply and will bring it back to the correspondent.
At this rate, NBI is passing by 5,000 homes every month. Next year, that will accelerate to 7,000 homes per month.
Approximately 100,000 Irish families in rural Ireland who had no decent broadband Internet access will have fibre broadband by the end of the year. The project is back on track after really being set back during the pandemic.
The Deputy said there is a sense from the people he represents that the roll-out is never going to happen. It certainly is going to happen. Rural Ireland will be 100% connected. Our target at the moment is to have 100% gigabit broadband provision throughout the whole of Ireland by 2028. At the rate we are going, we will have completed that provision in rural areas before we have done urban Ireland. The supplier, NBI, has proven its ability as this stage. It has learnt how to connect 100% of homes in each deployment area. Nobody will be left behind. The constituent to whom the Deputy referred and all the people in that area will be connected. I know it is difficult in the meantime but I ask him to investigate the alternatives while we are waiting.
13. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the position regarding plans to boost microgeneration in the farming sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55419/22]
There is less than a minute and a half remaining for this question. The Deputy has 30 seconds to put his question but he will not get back in after the reply.
In the 30 seconds available to me, I will communicate my point as efficiently as I can as somebody from a farming background. At the moment, there is absolutely nothing for commercial farmers in Ireland when it comes to getting sufficient levels of financial support to install renewable energy infrastructure on their farms. A clear indication of this is that, as of last year, only 2% of dairy farmers had taken up photovoltaic, PV, solar schemes. Will the Department look into this and draw up a plan to allow Irish farmers in the dairy industry and in other areas in which there is heavy energy usage to join efforts to reduce our usage of fossil fuels by increasing renewable energy use on Irish farms?
A total of 44,000 households in Ireland are now generating their own power.
I asked about farms.
I take the Deputy's point that we need to extend the schemes to farms and make renewable energy generation part of farm income. That is why we are consulting on a new scheme for small-scale generation, which goes from 50 kV up to 6 MW. Farmers will not have to go into an auction system or other complicated processes. Solar energy is the type of generation that makes the most sense for farmers. The scheme will open up an opportunity to install panels, whether on the barn roof or in a field. There is a huge opportunity there, which we recognise. I commit to ensuring the solar revolution that is only starting will take off on farms as well as in Irish homes.
I thank the Deputy and the Minister for their co-operation.
