Thursday, 5 May 2022

Written Answers Nos. 96-116

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Questions (96)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

96. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Taoiseach if he will provide an update on the release of a report in advance of its publication (details supplied). [22493/22]

Awaiting reply from Department.

Company Law

Questions (97)

Patrick Costello

Question:

97. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will seek the extension of the derogation originally introduced during the pandemic allowing AGMs/EGMs of Owner Management Companies (OMCs) to be held online given the increased requirements for ongoing meetings of Owner Management Companies (OMCs) to facilitate higher levels of engagements between directors and owners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22458/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

The Companies (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Covid-19) Act 2020 makes temporary amendments to the Companies Act 2014 and the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1893 to address issues arising as a result of Covid-19.

I am pleased to confirm to the Deputy that the temporary provisions of the Act have been further extended to 31 December 2022 following Government approval on 26 April 2022. This means that, as well as making provision in respect of business solvency, 240,000 companies (including Owner Management Companies) and 950 industrial and provident societies in Ireland can continue to hold their Annual General Meetings (AGMs) and general meetings by electronic means.

The widespread use of virtual AGMs and general meetings in response to Covid-19 has provided new opportunities for shareholder engagement. Thus, while this is likely to be the final extension of these particular measures, my officials are working to put virtual meetings on a permanent statutory footing.

Employment Rights

Questions (98)

Mick Barry

Question:

98. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if in the interests of work-life balance he will consider changes in legislation or in regulations to ensure that workers to receive the minimum notice for information regarding their shifts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22447/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

The Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994 transposed Directive 91/533/EEC concerning an employer's obligation to inform employees of the conditions applicable to the contract or employment relationship. The Act provides that an employer must provide its employee with a written statement of the particulars of the employee’s terms of employment. Included amongst those particulars are the terms or conditions relating to hours of work, including overtime.

The Act also provides that an employer must to notify an employee of the nature and date of any change to the particulars contained in the written statement not later than one month after the change comes into effect. The Act provides a right of complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission where an employer fails to comply with either of the above.

Directive 91/533/EEC has now been updated by Directive 2019/1152 on Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions in the European Union. Article 4(2) of this Directive provides that, if the work pattern is entirely or mostly predictable, the length of the worker’s standard working day or week, arrangements for overtime and its remuneration and, where applicable, any arrangements for shift changes must be notified no later than the 7th calendar day after the commencement of the employment relationship.

For existing employees, the Directive stipulates that any change in the aspects of the employment relationship referred to in Article 4(2) shall be provided in the form of a document by the employer to the worker at the earliest opportunity and at the latest on the day on which it takes effect.

Plans are at an advanced stage to transpose Directive 2019/1152 into Irish law.

Work Permits

Questions (99)

Ivana Bacik

Question:

99. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will designate retail pharmacy as a critical skills shortage in Ireland. [22517/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

The State's employment permit system is designed to supplement Ireland's skills and labour supply over the short to medium term by allowing enterprises to recruit nationals from outside the EEA, where such skills or expertise cannot be sourced from within the EEA at that time.

The system is, by design, vacancy led and managed through the operation of the occupation lists: the critical skills list in respect of skills that are in critical shortage in the labour market and the ineligible occupations lists for which a ready source of labour is available from within Ireland and the EEA.

Changes to the employment permit occupations lists are made where there are no suitable Irish/EEA nationals available, development opportunities are not undermined, genuine skills shortage exists rather than a recruitment or retention problem and Government education, training and economic development policies are supported.

The lists are reviewed twice a year to ensure their ongoing relevance to the State’s human capital requirements, guided by available research undertaken by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN), and the Skills and the Labour Market Research Unit (SLMRU) in SOLAS. Cognisance is also taken of education outputs, sectoral upskilling and training initiatives and contextual factors such as Brexit and COVID-19 and their impact on the labour market. The views of the relevant policy Departments are taken into account as well as those of the Economic Migration Interdepartmental Group which my Department chairs and on which a number of Departments, including the Department of Health are represented.

The occupation of Retail Pharmacist is currently eligible for a General Employment Permit for non-EEA nationals wishing to take up employment in the State. The General Employment Permit is the primary vehicle used by the State to attract third country nationals in occupations with remuneration thresholds of generally €30,000. The General Employment Permit is also subject to a Labour Market Needs Test (LMNT), demonstrating that the employer was unable to fill the position from the Irish and EEA labour market.

However, where the vacancy attracts a salary of over €64,000, an LMNT is not required and the role may be eligible for the Critical Skills Employment Permit.

The next review of the occupations lists is expected to commence with a public consultation in Q2 2022. When open, submissions will be invited from sector representative bodies and interested parties via the Public Consultation Form which will be accessible on the Department’s website.

Work Permits

Questions (100, 101)

Michael McNamara

Question:

100. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if a minimum time can be achieved for the processing of applications for work permits for non-EEA workers in the hospitality sector in which there is a critical shortage of available skilled workers; if he will consider simplifying the application process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22528/22]

Michael McNamara

Question:

101. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will consider deploying additional staff to the employment permit section of his Department to reduce the backlog in work permit applications and to enhance the level of engagement with applicants to ensure completed applications are not rejected due to a clerical error or omission in the application form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22529/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 and 101 together.

The State’s general policy is to promote the sourcing of labour and skills needs from within the workforce of the European Union and other EEA states. However, where specific skills prove difficult to source within the EEA, an employment permit may be sought in respect of a non-EEA national who possess those skills.  This policy fulfils our obligations under the Community Preference principles of membership of the EU. Under the Employment Permit Acts in order to work in the State all non-EEA nationals require a valid employment permit or relevant immigration permission from the Minister for Justice which allows them to reside and work in the State without the requirement for an Employment Permit.  

Employment permit policy is part of the response to addressing skills deficits which exist and are likely to continue into the medium term, but it is not intended over the longer term to act as a substitute for meeting the challenge of up-skilling the State’s resident workforce.  In order to meet this demand, the Government is committed to building and retaining a highly skilled workforce to serve the needs of the economy and has introduced a series of initiatives focused on workforce upskilling of new workforce entrants and those made redundant by the pandemic.

All applications are processed in line with the Employment Permits Act 2006, as amended and are dependent on a job offer from an Irish registered Employer for an eligible occupation.  It should be noted that the State's employment permit system is ordered by the use of occupation lists which determine which employments are highly demanded and which are ineligible for consideration for employment permits at a point in time.  These lists are reviewed on a twice-yearly basis.

To assist applicants when applying for an employment permit checklist documents have been prepared.  Notably, checklist documents have been specifically prepare to assistant applicants when applying for a General Employment Permit for the roles of Chef and Hospitality Manager and these, inter alia, are available on the Department's website through the following link - Employment Permits Checklists - DETE (enterprise.gov.ie).

There has been a significant increase in applications for employment permits over the course of 2021 and into 2022 which has impacted on processing times.  From the start of January 2021 to the end of December 2021, some 27,666 applications were received, representing a 69% increase over the same period in 2020 (16,293) and a 47% increase on 2019 (18,811), which itself represented an 11 year high in applications. 

The increased demand was also driven by the extension of categories of employment permits following the Review of the Occupational Lists in October 2021.  Processing times were also impacted as a result of the HSE cyber-attack which had a direct effect on employment permit applications associated with the July 2021 Doctors rotation, which had to be processed manually.

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment recognises the impact delays in the processing times for work permits has for businesses and their workers and significant resources have been allocated to processing times. The Department is very conscious of the current timeframes for processing General Employment Permit applications and the staff of the Employment Permits Unit are committed to reducing these.

An internal plan of action has been implemented which has increased resources and implemented more efficient methods of processing applications in the permits system.  The processing team has trebled in size and daily output has more than tripled compared to 2021 levels.

Since the implementation of this plan, the Employment Permits Unit has reduced the number of applications awaiting processing from c. 11,000 in January 2022 to c. 6,900 to date.  As new staff were trained on Critical Skills Employment Permits, waiting times for those permits has fallen from 21 weeks for a Standard applicant to 6 weeks today.

The Employment Permits Unit is currently processing Horticultural and Meat Sector General Employment Permits applications which were submitted in early December 2021, in addition to all other permits submitted then.  Given the large volume of applications from the Agriculture sector (c.1,000 horticulture applications and c.2,000 meat applications) we anticipate that it will take a further 1-2 weeks to fully process all these applications, in addition to normal processing workload.  The Department expects to see a consistent strong fall in waiting times for General Employment Permits from mid-May, with processing times considerably reduced by end Q2.

As a result of incomplete or incorrect information being submitted at the time of application, the Employment Permits Unit may contact the applicant seeking additional information in support of the application in order to have all of the available information prior to making a decision.  In cases where an application has been rejected, a full detailed account of the reasons are detailed in the letter of refusal, as well as information in relation to seeking a formal review of any such decision.  A request for a review of the refusal decision must be submitted within 28 days from date of issue of the refusal notification.

Information is provided on the Department’s website in relation to employment permits including information in relation to each permit type, latest updates and an FAQ document which answers the majority of the most common questions, all of which are available through this link - enterprise.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Workplace-and-Skills/Employment-Permits/

Online employment permit applications may be submitted at epos.djei.ie.  A user guide to assist with online applications is available at the following link epos.djei.ie/EPOSOnlinePortal/UserGuide.pdf

Question No. 101 answered with Question No. 100.

Work Permits

Questions (102)

Michael McNamara

Question:

102. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will remove the requirement for the hospitality sector to produce a HSE letter confirming their possession of a restaurant licence when applying for an employment permit; if the employment permit section of his Department will accept a copy of a valid restaurant licence as part of the application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22530/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Under the Employment Permits legislation my Department applies a range of criteria to both the employer and the employee when assessing an application for an employment permit, including that a contractual relationship exists, minimum annual remuneration requirements are met and that any registration requirements are met prior to issuing the permit.

When assessing an application for an employment permit for a role in a restaurant, additional documentary requirements are prescribed. This includes the requirement for the employer to establish tax compliance, copies of the restaurant premises utility bills for within a certain period, and a letter from the relevant official agency confirming that the employer has registered its premises in accordance with member States of the EEA regulations with regard to hygiene and foodstuffs. The Health Service Executive (HSE) is the competent authority for regulating food businesses in Ireland and in establishing a restaurant’s compliance with these EU regulations.

The Department has made available a specific checklist for the restaurant sector to assist with applications for General Employment Permits. This checklist is available on the Department’s website at enterprise.gov.ie/en/Publications/Publication-files/Checklist-for-Chefs.pdf.

Electricity Generation

Questions (103)

Richard Bruton

Question:

103. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if there are plans to expand the microgeneration support scheme to make it more accessible for schools, community groups, large housing developments and businesses to partake; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22405/22]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The phased introduction of the Micro-generation Support Scheme (MSS) began with the commencement of the domestic solar PV grant from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on 16 February last. The SEAI plan to introduce a grant in July for installations up to 6.0kW for non-domestic applicants, e.g. businesses, farms, schools, community and sports organisations etc. (maximum €2,400). Applicants under the MSS are also eligible to receive the Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) tariff for any residual exported electricity at a competitive market rate from their electricity supplier.Larger non-domestic applicants will be able to apply for a Clean Export Premium (CEP) tariff for installations greater than 6kW up to 50kW. The CEP will be offered at a fixed rate for 15 years, and eligible volumes will be capped at 80% of generation capacity to encourage self-consumption.Businesses that use a large amount of electricity, will benefit most when they consume electricity on site from their own micro-generation. The financial business case for micro-generation for these high electricity users is already very strong.My Department is also developing a support scheme for small-scale generators, i.e. above 50kW but smaller than those supported by the Renewable Energy Support Scheme (RESS) to enable larger businesses, schools and community projects to maximise their participation in the energy transition.. A public consultation on a draft scheme will be published later in 2022 and the scheme is expected to become available in 2023.

Electricity Generation

Questions (104)

Richard Bruton

Question:

104. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the use of micro-generation for domestic use will offset rising energy costs and the increased cost of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22406/22]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The phased introduction of the Micro-generation Support Scheme (MSS) began with the commencement of the MSS domestic solar PV grant on 16 February last, with grant levels up to a maximum of €2,400 available towards installation of Solar PV. Customers with micro-generation will reduce the variable (or per kWh) component of their electricity bills by replacing imported energy through self-consumption of micro-generated electricity. Maximising consumption of self-generated electricity will provide the most benefit to offset rising electricity costs and shorten the payback period for the investment. Also the Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) tariff is now available for new and existing micro-and small-scale generators so that people can receive payment from their electricity supplier for all excess renewable electricity they export to the grid, reflective of the market value. This will reduce the portion of their bill related to the electricity consumed. From January 2022, a tax exemption applies to income up to €200 per annum received by domestic micro-generators from their suppliers by way of the CEG.

Energy Policy

Questions (105, 106, 107, 108, 109)

Richard Bruton

Question:

105. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of potential policies and legislation relating to anaerobic digestion plants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22407/22]

Richard Bruton

Question:

106. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on whether large centralised anaerobic digestion is being underutilised as a form of renewable energy as this country has a large number of livestock producers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22408/22]

Richard Bruton

Question:

107. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if anaerobic digestion as a renewable energy will be used as an alternative policy measure to cut emissions from the agricultural sector instead of cutting the herd number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22409/22]

Richard Bruton

Question:

108. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps he is taking to develop potential opportunities for farmers from anaerobic digestion as was outlined in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22410/22]

Richard Bruton

Question:

109. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if there will be additional supports introduced particularly in the area of the food and beverage production industry to incentivise companies to establish anaerobic digestion plants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22411/22]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

I propose to take Questions Nos. 105, 106, 107, 108 and 109 together. 105, 106, 107, 108 and 109  together.

Ireland's Climate Action Plan 2021 commits to the production of 1.6 TWh by 2030 of indigenously produced biomethane using waste materials and agricultural based feedstock.

The introduction of supports for biomethane, as a replacement for natural gas in the context of the changed outlook for natural gas supply and prices, will be appraised by Q3 2022, as set out in the National Energy Security Framework, published on 13th April 2022. 

In addition, supports for biomass/biogas in the heat sector under the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH) are to be reviewed. The SSRH provides an operational support for biomass boilers and anaerobic digestion heating systems and an installation grant for renewable heating systems using heat pumps

Any support for biomethane production or use must take due account of the level that can be produced from indigenous sustainable feedstocks, as set out in the National Heat Study.

I also expect to be in a position to seek a Government decision in the near future in relation to the introduction of a Renewable Heat Obligation Scheme. It would be expected that any Renewable Heat Obligation would place an obligation on the suppliers of fuel that is to be used for heating to ensure a certain proportion of that fuel is renewable.

In tandem with the steps being taken by my Department, my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine oversees, through the National Development Plan (NDP), a capital fund of €24 million to support the development of a pilot of agri-led Anaerobic Digestion plants. These Anaerobic Digestion plants will provide a market opportunity for farmers to participate as operators and/or feedstock providers. All sustainability criteria under RED II (recast Renewable Energy Directive) must be met and the scale up of production of renewable energy must not undermine food production.

In addition, the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine (DAFM) has a key role in the regulation of AD plants in Ireland when using animal by-products as feedstocks. Through this regulatory role DAFM continuously engages with stakeholders, including farmers, involved in anaerobic digestion both as operators and suppliers of feedstocks. The development of an AD industry provides farmers with both an income diversification opportunity as well as a land use alternative. To enhance understanding of the sector and how farmers and landowners may contribute, DAFM has funded a number of relevant research projects in this area. Of particular importance are two projects which have received part-funding from DAFM through the European Innovation Partnerships initiative (EIP), as part of the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020.  The Bio-refinery Glas (small scale farmer-led green bio-refineries) and Irish Bio-energy Association (IrBEA) (small biogas demonstration programme) have both been awarded funding of over €900,000 each and upon completion will provide valuable information of specific relevance to Irish farmers.

Question No. 106 answered with Question No. 105.

Question No. 107 answered with Question No. 105.

Question No. 108 answered with Question No. 105.

Question No. 109 answered with Question No. 105.

Energy Policy

Questions (110)

Richard Bruton

Question:

110. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if time of use tariffs will be made mandatory along with smart meters in order to make use and production cheaper; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22414/22]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The electricity and gas retail markets in Ireland operate within a European Union regulatory regime wherein electricity and gas markets are commercial, liberalised, and competitive. Operating within this overall EU framework, responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets is solely a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) which was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the Irish electricity and gas markets following the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act (ERA), 1999.The National Smart Metering Programme is overseen by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) and ESB Networks is delivering the electricity smart meter rollout. To date over 750,000 smart meters have been installed and 1.1 million are due to be installed by the end of this year. The National Smart Metering Programme will roll out and install 2.3 million meters by 2025.In February 2021, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) made it an obligation on electricity suppliers to provide Time of Use tariffs to their customers. Response 22 of the recently published National Energy Security Framework identifies the need to drive customer demand for these smart tariffs. Therefore, building on the existing supplier obligation, work is underway to put in place a smart meter data access code (due Quarter 4 2022), which will allow consumers to access much more detailed data on their historical energy usage, empowering them to engage with suppliers to find the smart tariff offering most suitable for them. This will in turn drive consumer demand for an increased range of more sophisticated smart tariff offerings from suppliers.The National Energy Security Framework response also tasks the CRU with examining the charges within its remit to ensure that the differential between peak and off-peak tariffs provides the opportunity for electricity customers to save money by moving some consumption to off-peak times.The Deputy may wish to note that CRU provides a dedicated email address for Oireachtas members, which enables them raise questions on general energy regulatory matters to CRU at [e-mail] for timely direct reply.

Climate Change Policy

Questions (111, 115)

Richard Bruton

Question:

111. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if there is potential to create a carbon credit system for companies here to help lower emissions and to help this country reach its global climate targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22416/22]

Richard Bruton

Question:

115. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if there is a potential market to expand the sale of carbon credits to other industries outside of the agricultural sector such as construction and aviation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22421/22]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

I propose to take Questions Nos. 111 and 115 together. I intend to take Question Nos 111 and 115 together.At EU level, Ireland participates in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). The EU ETS has established a carbon market, based on a cap-and-trade principle for carbon dioxide across a number of sectors such as electricity and heat generation, energy-intensive industries, as well as commercial aviation within the European Economic Area. Annually, individual companies regulated by the EU ETS must acquire sufficient European Union Allowances (EAU) equal to their emissions. Some companies may receive a free allocation of EAUs, but most will buy EAUs from the market and through EU EAU auctions. If these companies do not comply with the regulation, heavy penalties are imposed. Sectors not included in the EU ETS, are covered by national policies under the EU’s Effort Sharing legislation.In relation to agriculture, the European Commission recently adopted a Communication on Sustainable Carbon Cycles setting out how to increase removals of carbon from the atmosphere. The Communication details actions to support carbon farming and upscale this green business model to better reward land managers for carbon sequestration and biodiversity protection. The Climate Action Plan 2021 includes a commitment for the Government to develop an enabling framework to facilitate the development of a carbon farming initiative in Ireland. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has convened a Carbon Farming Working Group to explore opportunities for the development of practices which encourage the removal of carbon in line with developments at EU level.

Climate Change Policy

Questions (112, 114)

Richard Bruton

Question:

112. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps that can be taken to prevent companies from using carbon credits to buy themselves out of reducing their emissions; the steps that can be taken to prevent the use of carbon credits as a greenwashing technique; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22417/22]

Richard Bruton

Question:

114. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if there are plans to introduce carbon credit schemes similar to the one introduced by Dublin City Council which would invest in carbon offsetting projects that would result in generating carbon credits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22419/22]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 114 together. I intend to take Question Nos 112 and 114 together.Ireland partakes in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). Sectors not included in the EU ETS, are covered by national policies under the EU’s Effort Sharing Regulation. Landowners and industry can pursue voluntary initiatives, such as those adopted by Dublin City Council, for the trading of carbon and other corporate social responsibility mechanisms. Such models provide all stakeholders with opportunities to review their climate impacts and take actions to mitigate them. Irish businesses have a crucial role to play in bringing down emissions. Some of these actions will be challenging and the Government is committed to helping businesses to adapt.The recently launched ‘Climate Toolkit for business’ is a website which acts as a one-stop-shop for Irish business. The Toolkit directs users to advice, Government grants and other resources available from the Local Enterprise Offices, Enterprise Ireland, the Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland, Irish Water, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Industrial Development Authority and others.

Climate Change Policy

Questions (113)

Richard Bruton

Question:

113. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of carbon credits this country purchased in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22418/22]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The 2009 Effort Sharing Decision (ESD) set annual binding emissions reduction targets for EU Member States for the period 2013 to 2020. These targets cover emissions from sectors outside of the EU Emissions Trading System, such as agriculture, transport, buildings and waste. To enable Member States to comply with their annual emissions targets, the legislative framework of the ESD provides for a number of compliance options, including banking excess allowances from earlier years, purchasing international carbon credits, and trading excess allowances between Member States. Generally, compliance is calculated 18 months after the year in question (e.g. compliance for 2020 will take place in late 2022). To date Ireland has complied with its obligations under the ESD through direct emissions reductions and availing of the options to bank allowances from earlier years and to purchase international carbon credits.

The latest estimates of greenhouse gas emissions, published in October 2021 by the Environmental Protection Agency, indicate that for 2020, the projected shortfall to Ireland’s target is 6.7 MtCO2eq.

As Ireland currently holds 2.9 million international credits, of which 1.4 million were purchased in 2021, the State will need to purchase an additional 3.8 million credits (from the international market) or allowances (from other Member States) to comply with the ESD target for 2020. As the designated purchasing agent on behalf of the State, the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) administers and manages purchases of carbon credits. Details of all transactions entered into by the NTMA are published annually in a Carbon Fund Report at www.ntma.ie in accordance with section 6 of the Carbon Fund Act 2007. 

Question No. 114 answered with Question No. 112.

Question No. 115 answered with Question No. 111.

Departmental Meetings

Questions (116)

Michael Ring

Question:

116. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason that officials from his Department will not meet a person (details supplied) in County Mayo despite numerous requests in view of the fact that this person has stated that they have a viable solution to a climate issue. [22460/22]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The issues raised in the correspondence referred to in the Question relate to a proposed innovation in fuel or a fuel additive. Policy in relation to transport fuel and fuel additives are matters for officials in the Department of Transport.  As I am also Minister for that Department, I will ensure that the relevant officials are made aware of the correspondence and respond directly.