Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
35. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the actions and engagements that his Department has taken to date to reduce carbon emissions and increase energy efficiency in all buildings under his Department. [40909/22]
View answerMy Department is dedicated to contributing positively towards the critically important climate action agenda and has an active internal “Green Team” with over 30 staff spanning across the Department and its Offices, which include the Companies Registration Office, the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland, the Labour Court and the Workplace Relations Commission.
In terms of the internal day-to-day Departmental operations, it is through the Green Team, that the Department acts to promote and encourage climate action awareness to all staff under the four pillars of energy reduction, water conservation, waste management and ecology/biodiversity. In this regard my Department works closely with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and the Office of Public Works (OPW) given their various responsibilities and expertise.
As part of the annual public sector energy efficiency reporting process, which is overseen by DECC and the SEAI, my Department and its Offices continues to perform very strongly and is ranked 2nd overall. The Department has delivered 63% energy efficiency savings since the baseline year of 2009 significantly ahead of the initial 33% target set. These efficiency reductions have been delivered through a host of initiatives which include:
- Collaboration with the Office of Public Works in the OptimisingPower@Work Programme and implementation of various power related initiatives across our built environment and ICT systems;
- Significant reduction in our real estate footfall by vacating a number of buildings provided to us via the OPW.
- Installation of LED lighting in Departmental headquarters at 23 Kildare Street in 2020/21.
- Adjustment and optimisation of water systems to deliver significant savings in water usage.
- Enhanced recycling and waste management processes which included the removal of individual waste bins and introduction of more green and brown bins.
- Participant in the Government’s “Bike to Work” scheme and, from 2022, participation in the "Smarter Travel Workplaces" programme which is run by the National Transport Authority (NTA).
My Department recognises the urgent need to continuously deliver more to the climate action response. We continue to work closely with the OPW who manage the civil service property portfolio on behalf of all Government Departments. We are a tenant in ten buildings provided to us by the OPW across the country. Currently the Department, with the OPW, is working to install approximately 50 solar panels on the roof of the 23 Kildare Street building and for anticipated completion by year end 2022.
We will continue to actively engage directly with, and receive advice from DECC, SEAI, OPW, NTA and others to explore what new initiatives, over and above those already implemented, could be feasibly initiated over the period ahead.
