Written Answers Nos. 197-207
197. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if IDA Ireland has provided funding to a company (details supplied) in the past 24 months; and if so, the nature and value of the funding provided. [55374/21]
View answerIDA Ireland has not provided funding to Amazon in the past 24 months.
198. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when it is planned to reopen the Institute for Trade and Investment in Taiwan as 17 other EU countries have trade offices there and the EU has a Mission Office in Taiwan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55379/21]
View answerAs the Deputy may know, the European Union is represented in Taiwan by the European Economic and Trade Office. This Office represents all EU Member States, including Ireland, and seeks to seeks to strengthen economic and trade relations with Taiwan. There has been a Taipei Representative Office in Dublin since 1988.
Enterprise Ireland is the Government agency responsible for the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets. Marketplace services for Irish companies targeting Taiwan are provided through Enterprise Ireland's office in Hong Kong and locally in Taipei via a consultancy arrangement, which is managed by the agency's Hong Kong office.
IDA Ireland, the agency responsible for attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) to Ireland, actively manages the Taiwanese market from its Singapore office as an integral element of its market development plan for the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Taiwan. In response to continuing trends identifying Singapore as the primary source of outbound FDI destined for Europe, IDA Ireland considers it prudent to maintain its market presence in Singapore. In this context, IDA Ireland does not have any immediate plans to reopen an office in Taipei and will continue to service the Taiwanese market from its Singapore office.
199. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the details of the funding his Department has provided to develop onshore wind energy projects from 1 January 2011 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55283/21]
View answerThe cost of developing commercial electricity generation plant is borne by project developers, within an open competitive market. There are no Exchequer funds allocated for this purpose. Renewable electricity projects such as onshore wind and solar can currently benefit from participation in the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS). The RESS, and similar previous support schemes, are supported by the Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy, which is collected from all electricity customers in Ireland through their energy bills.
The proceeds of the levy are used to contribute to the additional costs incurred by PSO-supported electricity generation which are not recovered in the electricity market, typically via contracts that suppliers have in place with electricity generators. The PSO is a vital policy support for the development of renewable electricity and to enable Ireland reach national and EU renewable energy and climate targets. The money raised from the levy is paid to qualifying generators.
The legal basis for the PSO levy and its method of calculation are set out in regulations made under the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 and the Public Service Obligations Order 2002 (S.I. 217 of 2002). Under this legislation, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) is assigned responsibility for the calculation of the levy each year and the calculation of the Levy is strictly a CRU matter.
The CRU is accountable for the performance of its functions to a Committee of the Oireachtas. It provides a dedicated email address for Oireachtas members - oireachtas@cru.ie - to raise questions with CRU on electricity and gas regulatory matters for timely direct reply.
200. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his plans to introduce legislation to support the guidelines issued to local authorities on 18 August 2021 with regard to telecommunications infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54972/21]
View answerLegislation relating to Planning and Development is a matter for the Minister for Housing. Local Government and Heritage.
I assume that the Deputy is referring to Circular Letter PL 07/2021 issued by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on 18 August 2021. The purpose of that circular was to bring to the attention of all Local Authorities that the Minister of State for Planning & Local Government had made new regulations - Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 422 of 2021) - that set a prescribed fee for Section 254 licences in respect of an overground cable which is part of an electronic communications network. I understand that the focus of the circular was on the new Regulations that had actually been made, rather than planned legislation.
201. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if a grant is available for the installation of a wind turbine to generate domestic electricity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55237/21]
View answerThere are currently no grants available for domestic wind turbine installations. However, an upcoming Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) tariff represents the first phase of a comprehensive enabling framework for micro- and small-scale generators in Ireland, including for micro-wind turbines, allowing them to receive remuneration from their electricity supplier for all excess renewable electricity exported to the grid which reflects the market value of that electricity. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) published a consultation on a draft enabling framework on 1 October which outlines the details for the introduction of the CEG payment. A decision is expected to be published this month with a compensation regime to follow shortly afterwards. My Department is also developing a final scheme design for the Micro-generation Support Scheme (MSS) that incorporates the feedback from a public consultation held earlier this year and subsequent additional analysis. It is expected that a proposal on the supports to be offered under the MSS, which may include grants or premium tariff payments for new installations, will be submitted to Government before the end of the year. While the level of supports will be based on bridging the viability gap of the lowest-cost technology, which is solar PV, it is envisaged that micro-wind will be an eligible technology for support under the MSS.
202. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if improvements were made to the better energy warmer homes scheme in the recent Budget; if he is considering providing a grant for low-income households in order to avail of a free building energy rating assessment; if he has plans to include solar panels under the better energy warmer homes scheme; if double glazed windows are available under the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55338/21]
View answerBudget 2022 has allocated €202 million for SEAI residential and community retrofit schemes and a further €10 million for the Solar PV scheme next year. Of this amount, €109 million will be used to provide free energy efficiency upgrades to households that are in, or at risk of, energy poverty.
The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to low-income households vulnerable to energy poverty. To date, over 143,000 homes have received free upgrades under the scheme. In the first six months of 2021, the average value of the energy efficiency measures provided per household was approximately €17,100. In addition to the significant capital allocation for the Warmer Homes Scheme next year, resources have been provided to expand the capacity of the SEAI to deliver the scheme. In addition, delivery capacity in the supply chain has increased due to a new, broader contractor panel that commenced at the end of 2020.
Window replacement was introduced as a measure under the Warmer Homes Scheme in 2018. Window replacement can be recommended in limited circumstances, subject to a technical survey by SEAI. This recommendation is typically where only single glaze windows exist and where wall insulation is also being installed.
The measures available under the scheme were selected as the most likely to deliver significant energy savings to homeowners as well as the best value for money for the Exchequer. Currently, there are no plans to make solar panels available under the Scheme. Separately, the SEAI operates a grant scheme since July 20218 to help domestic customers who install rooftop solar photovoltaic equipment on homes built and occupied before 2011. In addition, the National Retrofit Plan includes a commitment to review ways to improve how current energy poverty schemes target those most in need. Recommendations in relation to the implementation of changes to the scheme to better target those most in need will be finalised shortly. A BER grant is currently available under the SEAI Better Energy Homes Scheme.
203. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the average grant provided to a household in County Cork for retrofitting their home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55341/21]
View answer204. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of homes that have been retrofitted to date in 2021, by county; the number by county estimated to be retrofitted by the end of 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55342/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 203 and 204 together.
My Department funds a number of grant schemes, administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to support homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. Since 2000, over 450,000 homeowners have upgraded their homes with support from these schemes, representing nearly one home in four across the country. This has resulted in warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes that are easier to heat and light.
€221.5 million in capital funding has been provided this year for SEAI residential and community retrofit programmes. This represents an 82% increase on the 2020 allocation and is the largest amount ever for the schemes. This allocation has facilitated the expansion and improvement of existing SEAI grant schemes and the introduction of new initiatives.
Extensive COVID-19 related restrictions on construction activity in the residential sector between January and April have had a significant impact on activity and expenditure this year. Over 9,800 retrofits have been delivered to date in 2021 and the SEAI estimate that the numbers will rise to over 16,000 by the end of the year. The request for the additional specific information sought by the Deputy has been forwarded to the SEAI and available data will be sent to the Deputy as soon as possible.
In addition to the schemes funded by my Department and operated by the SEAI, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage funds the Local Authority Retrofit Scheme. In 2021, €65 million was allocated for energy upgrades of Local Authority homes.
205. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the estimated number of households in energy or fuel poverty in 2021 by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55343/21]
View answerEnergy poverty or fuel poverty is influenced by a person’s income, the energy efficiency of their home and the cost of the energy they use in their home and is defined as an inability to heat or power a home to an adequate degree. Analysis carried out in 2016 for the Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty found that 28% of households in Ireland could be in energy poverty i.e. would need to spend more than 10% of their income on their energy needs. The ESRI carried out an analysis of the number of households at risk of experiencing energy poverty in 2019 and again in 2020. This showed that the share of households needing to spend more than 10% of their income on their energy needs was 17.5% in 2020. The Survey on Income and Living Conditions supports this, indicating that the proportion of people who report that they are unable to afford to keep the home adequately warm, has fallen from 9% in 2015 to 4.9% in 2019.
A review of the implementation of the Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty will be completed early next year and will inform next steps in relation to the development of a new strategy. Measures to support those least able to afford to retrofit their homes have also been included in the new National Retrofit Plan, which was published as part of Climate Action Plan 2021.
206. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has considered the introduction of a returns and refund scheme on cans and bottles to encourage the public to recycle these items in return for a small financial sum; the estimated cost of such a programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55386/21]
View answerThe Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy sets out a clear roadmap for the introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for plastic bottles and aluminium cans in the third quarter of 2022. The legislative framework for the scheme will be put in place shortly.
The scheme will look to recover only its operational costs by way of fees and will operate on a not for profit basis.
207. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No. 141 of 2 November 2021, if he will provide the name of the Italian consultant companies appointed to undertake the review of the North-South Interconnector. [55400/21]
View answerThe North-South Interconnector is critical to improving the efficient operation of the all-island Integrated Single Electricity Market (I-SEM) and increasing security of electricity supply in Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is also a critically important element in EirGrid’s recently published ‘Shaping Our Electricity Future’ roadmap for the delivery of our renewable electricity targets by 2030.
As the Deputy will be aware, the North South Interconnector has now passed all planning and legal challenges both North and South and has been reviewed on a number of occasions, most recently in 2018 where it was found that an overhead line remains the most appropriate option for this critical electricity infrastructure.
Notwithstanding this, I decided to commission a further short review to assess if the overall finding from the 2018 report remains valid. Two Italian experts in transmission grid infrastructure, Dr. Angelo L’Abbate and Andrea Mansoldo, both operating as independent consultants, are now engaged on the review and their work is well advanced at this stage.
