Written Answers Nos. 21-40
27. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs when the recognition of the state of Palestine will take place; and his views on the failure to do so during the 32nd Dáil (details supplied). [19632/23]
View answerThe Programme for Government states that the Government will “honour our commitment to recognise the State of Palestine as part of a lasting settlement of the conflict, or in advance of that, when we believe doing so will progress efforts to reach a two-State solution or protect the integrity of Palestinian territory”. In the absence of progress towards a two-State solution, I would be prepared to recommend to the Government recognition by Ireland of a State of Palestine, if and when it might be helpful, and this is a matter which I discuss regularly with EU colleagues. The timing and context of any such decision would affect whether the resulting loss of influence would be matched by a commensurate benefit for the Palestinian people and a positive impact on the peace process and a two-State solution. My judgement at present is that this is not currently the case.
28. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will recognise the Armenian genocide of 2015; if he will consult the Attorney General in relation to any legal concerns he may have about doing so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19634/23]
View answerThe Government views the terrible events which saw the deaths of a large number of the Armenian population in the Ottoman Empire as a tragedy. We have expressed deepest sympathy for the enormous suffering of the Armenian people during this period.
I wish to emphasise that our position on the description of these events does not diminish our recognition of the terrible and shocking nature of what occurred to the Armenian people between 1915 and 1917.
The term ‘genocide’ has a particular meaning under international law. The Government has not taken a stance on whether those terrible events should be described as a genocide, because we are not in a position to adjudicate on this matter. To reach a conclusion that any event amounts to genocide involves the consideration and determination of a number of complex factual and legal issues, including an assessment of the actions and intentions of many parties. Ireland has followed the established practice of recognising genocide only where this has been established by a judgment of an Irish or international court, or where there is international consensus on the matter.
Neither the EU nor the UN has adopted a position on this question and there is no international consensus on whether these events amount to genocide. Furthermore, no Irish or international court has issued a final judgment recognising these terrible events as an act of genocide. We continue to carefully monitor developments on this issue.
29. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he is monitoring human rights standards in Pakistan, and in particular if he has assessed the blasphemy law which it is alleged is oppressive to Christians; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19681/23]
View answerIreland consistently engages with Pakistan on human rights, both bilaterally and multilaterally. Mostly recently, in January 2023, Ireland made an intervention on blasphemy legislation during Pakistan’s Universal Periodic Review at the 42nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council. We recommended that Pakistan amend blasphemy legislation to avoid unjustly targeting or discriminating against any religious minority. We also recommended that Pakistan establish an independent inquiry into all suspected cases of enforced disappearance, and hold alleged perpetrators to account. Ireland will continue to support Pakistan’s efforts to advance human rights through this UN Human Rights Council mechanism, acknowledging progress where appropriate.
The Embassy of Ireland in Türkiye, which is accredited to Pakistan, actively monitors the human rights situation in Pakistan, in close consultation with the EU Delegation in Islamabad. Our Ambassador to Pakistan visited Islamabad in November 2022 and discussed human rights issues with a number of Pakistani governmental officials. Earlier, in February 2021, she also met with Pakistan’s then Federal Minister for Human Rights, Ms Shireen Mazari.
At an EU level, the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, Mr Eamon Gilmore met with Minister Mazari in February 2022, as part of a visit to reaffirm the centrality of human rights in the EU-Pakistani relationship. At the EU-Pakistan Joint Commission in October 2022, both sides discussed civil and political rights.
Ireland will continue to engage on human rights issues with Pakistan bilaterally, in multilateral settings and as a member of the EU. We contribute actively to the development of EU policies towards Pakistan and remain engaged on the human rights situation there, reflecting the fact that the promotion and protection of universal human rights is a cornerstone of Irish foreign policy.
30. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 232 of 23 March 2023, if he will confirm if the Foreign Births Office has received the additional supporting documents from the applicants; when a decision on these applications is expected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19685/23]
View answerWith regard to the specific applications about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service will be in contact with the applicants in relation to their applications. The turnaround time for Foreign Birth Registration applications in respect of which further supporting documents have been submitted is 3 months.
31. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will address a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19717/23]
View answerMy Department has been contacted by representatives of Ms. Donghua Li and Ms Songyuan Li regarding their relatives in China.
The Government closely follows reports regarding the treatment of Falun Dafa practitioners by the Chinese authorities. Human rights concerns are regularly discussed with the Chinese authorities in bilateral meetings and in the appropriate multilateral fora.
The EU-China Human Rights Dialogue is the primary formal framework through which Ireland and other EU Member States share with China our experience in the field of human rights protection and promotion, and strongly urge China to take clear steps to improve the human rights situation there. The latest session of this dialogue took place on 17 February, and the EU raised a number of issues relating to freedom of religion and belief, as well as the rights of persons belonging to minorities, freedom of expression and association, arbitrary detention.
Ireland has called on all States to adhere to their international commitments and obligations, including for the immediate and unconditional release of all persons in arbitrary detention. Ireland also routinely expresses concerns at the discrimination, persecution, intimidation and violence endured by religious or other minorities in various parts of the world. In February 2021, Ireland joined a newly established coalition of 63 countries to endorse a Declaration against Arbitrary Detention in State to State Relations. The Declaration aims to protect people from arbitrary detention abroad through coordinated action to uphold core human rights principles.
We strongly condemn all forms of persecution on the basis of religion or belief, irrespective of where they occur or who the victims are.
Ireland, together with our EU partners, will continue to address human rights concerns with China, in frequent and regular dialogue, through our contacts in both Dublin and Beijing, and through the relevant multilateral channels.
32. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will clarify whether Irish passport applications received from the North need a member of An Garda Síochána to witness the application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19809/23]
View answerPassport applicants residing in Northern Ireland can avail of a broad range of witnesses for the purpose of completing their identity and consent forms. A full list of acceptable witnesses can be found on my Department’s website: How to get your passport application witnessed - Department of Foreign Affairs (dfa.ie).
The Passport Service recently carried out a number of upgrades to the Passport Online portal to provide a more citizen centric user experience for the over 90% of applicants who apply online. The changes included changing the position of the date of birth screen for child and adult applications. This has been introduced to ensure errors in the application process, such as the wrong type of passport or an incorrect date of birth, are captured at an earlier stage of the application process. New screens have also been created for our citizens based on their citizenship type. These screens provide clearer and more specific information about the documentation requirements needed for their application.
Finally, a personalised confirmation page, cover page and confirmation email is created for the applicant based on their citizenship category. This upgrade utilises the information provided by first time applicants to auto-generate a custom coversheet that provides them with a bespoke list, in straightforward language, of the documents that they should submit as part of their application.
The Passport Service is aware that, in the course of these customer enhancements, a cohort of applicants applying from Northern Ireland received identity verification forms that directed them to An Garda Siochána. This was due to a technical issue in the release of these complex upgrades, which resulted in the auto-generation of an incorrect form for applicants resident in Northern Ireland. The Passport Service has since resolved this issue and instructed staff to accept applications received during the short window the issue existed, if completed by an approved witness. The witnessing policy for applications from Northern Ireland remains otherwise unchanged.
33. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications about warmer homes scheme particularly in relation to the finding of the 2020 'Social Impact Assessment - SEAI Programmes Targeting Energy Poverty' that the level of data collected was not sufficient to provide an assessment of the schemes' impact on recipients (i.e. does the scheme bring them out of energy poverty); if that data is being collected; and the impact of retrofitting on warmer homes schemes recipients. [20021/23]
View answer42. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications regarding the warmer homes scheme particularly in relation to the finding of the 2020 'Social Impact Assessment - SEAI Programmes Targeting Energy Poverty' that the level of data collected was not sufficient to provide an assessment of the schemes' impact on recipients (i.e. does the scheme bring them out of energy poverty), if that data is being collected; and if he will outline the impact of retrofitting on warmer homes schemes recipients. [19835/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 42 together.
The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures free of charge to low-income households vulnerable to energy poverty. The primary aim of the scheme is to provide upgrades to those living in, or at risk of, energy poverty.
The scheme is available to people in receipt of certain qualifying payments from the Department of Social Protection. Data on the qualifying payment for each applicant is collected under the scheme. In the case of means tested payments, this gives an indication of the income of the households.
Increased awareness of the multiple benefits of retrofit and improvements to the Warmer Homes Scheme are driving demand for the scheme. This can be seen in application numbers with over 9,900 applications received in 2022 and 4,407 applications received in the first three months of 2023 alone. In 2022, the average cost of the energy efficiency measures provided per household had increased significantly to €22,000. A budget allocation of €148 million has been provided for this scheme this year, which will support an increased output of 6,000 upgrades.
Following a review of the Scheme a number of changes were announced in February 2022 including a decision to commence the collection of both pre and post works Building Energy Ratings (BER). The primary purpose of this is to improve targeting of the scheme to those most in need. The scheme now prioritises those homes rated E, F or G for retrofitting.
The impact of these upgrades for recipients can include:
• improved energy performance of the home resulting in a reduction in the amount of energy needed to heat, ventilate and light their home to an adequate level;
• reduction in the home’s overall energy demand and the relative amount that the household must spend on energy;
• a warmer and more comfortable home;
• health and wellbeing improvements that can be attained through retrofitting including lower rates of respiratory diseases and improved mental health and wellbeing;
• improved asset value of the home.
The Government’s Energy Poverty Action Plan outlines a programme of research which will examine the distributional effects of the current schemes for retrofitting. The provision of pre works BERs will be an important input into this work which will be carried out by the ESRI. This will also address recommendations identified in the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service Social Impact Assessment referred to in the Question.
34. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will extend eligibility for the warmer homes scheme to homeowners with traditional stone walls in their dwelling, given that many of the families/persons living in homes of this type are families/persons of limited financial means. [19658/23]
View answerThe Warmer Homes Scheme delivers free energy upgrades for eligible homeowners in low-income households who are most at risk of energy poverty. There are a number of home energy improvements offered as part of the Scheme. The upgrades that will be recommended for a property will depend on many factors, including age, size, type and condition of the property. For each eligible home, SEAI’s technical surveyor will determine which upgrades can be installed and funded.
With specific regard to pre-1940s stone-built dwellings, all eligible homes are assessed and where they comprise stone, SEAI will not insulate the stone walls. SEAI will however assess, and insulate where appropriate, any post-1940 extensions that may be present in the same home.
Stone-built (traditional built) structures were designed to be vapour permeable. Therefore, the materials and techniques used in energy efficiency upgrades of such buildings must be suitable for the buildings in question including for use with vapour permeable construction where applicable. Otherwise vapour becomes trapped leading to problems which can cause harm to the building and its occupants. These walls are not suitable for the currently NSAI approved products and standards for retrofitting which are used on more modern construction types.
To support the proper upgrade of traditional buildings a new technical Guidance Document - “Energy Efficiency in Traditional Buildings” is being developed by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. My Department and the SEAI are participating in the steering group overseeing the project. The objective is to finalise the guidance having regard to submissions received in the public consultation with a view to publishing it this year. Once available this guidance will be an important resource to support contractors in the appropriate energy efficiency upgrade and renovation of older stone-build buildings while ensuring compliance with the appropriate building regulations.
35. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will engage with domestic-waste-disposal companies to ensure that no charge is applied to the compost-bin lift (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19665/23]
View answerThe waste management market is serviced by private companies, where prices charged are matters between those companies and their customers, subject to compliance with all applicable environmental and other relevant legislation, including contract and consumer legislation.
As Minister I have no role in setting prices in a private market. However, in the interest of encouraging further waste prevention and greater recycling, flat-rate fees for kerbside household waste collection were phased out over the period autumn 2017 to autumn 2018. In order to give effect to this measure, the permits of all household waste collectors were amended at that time.
Under the revised permit condition, waste collectors are required to charge fees which contain a weight based and/or per lift fee for collection of residual waste. Where a fee is charged for the collection of recyclable, food waste and bio-waste that fee must not negate the incentive to segregate waste and shall be lower than the fees applied for the collection of residual household waste. Collectors are allowed to charge a service fee, so long as there remains an incentive to segregate waste.
Within these rules, the structure of pricing plans is a commercial decision for the waste collection companies and as Minister I have no power to intervene in this. Given the the significant market reforms due to be delivered this year, including introduction of incentivised waste collection charging in the commercial sector, the introduction of a "recovery levy" and the nationwide expansion of kerbside bio-waste collections, I have however instructed my officials to reinstitute the Price Monitoring Group to monitor whether fair and transparent pricing is consistent in the market, in line with commitments given in the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy.
Enforcement of the permit conditions is a matter for the relevant local authority. Under section 60(3) of the Waste Management Act, I am am precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to the performance, in specific cases, by a local authority or local authorities of their statutory functions under the Act.
36. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the meetings he has had to date in 2023 with domestic energy suppliers in the electricity and gas markets; the names of any companies he met with and the date they met; if he has written to them or raised directly with them the failure to lower prices for domestic customers following the fall in wholesale gas prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19674/23]
View answerHigh energy prices are a very serious concern to Government which is why a range of measures have been implemented, most recently the €1.2 billion package, announced in February, which extended the VAT reduction on electricity and gas until the end of October. This is in addition to the measures announced in Budget 2023 which introduced €2.5 billion of once of cost of living supports to protect households from high energy costs. This included three €200 (VAT inclusive) Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payments, bringing the total support given under the the two Electricity Benefit Schemes to over 2.1 million domestic electricity accounts to €1.5 billion in 2022. This was alongside the €400 lump sum payment to Fuel Allowance recipients, bringing the total payment for the 2022/3 winter to 1,324.
Wholesale energy prices reached peak levels in August of last year, when wholesale gas prices were 706% higher than January 2021, while wholesale electricity prices increased by 463%. Due to high gas storage levels, warmer than normal winter conditions and efforts to reduce natural gas demand across Europe, wholesale gas prices have fallen dramatically and are currently well below the peak values of last year. However, wholesale gas prices are still trading at twice their pre-pandemic levels.
Based upon an estimated annual bill retail gas and electricity prices , were 138% higher for gas and 98% for electricity in January 2023 vs January 2021. The difference in the level and speed of fluctuation in the wholesale market vs. that of retail prices demonstrates the importance of supplier hedging strategies and the extent to which these strategies shield consumers against the full extent of this utterly unprecedented international energy market volatility. Retail prices are likely to remain at current levels for some time. This will vary from supplier to supplier, based on their current hedging and retail price positions.
As Minister I meet with a range of stakeholders on a number of important topics including energy prices. This includes energy suppliers. In addition, to my interactions, my officials meet with suppliers on a regular basis and a key message to them is the critical importance of prices being reduced as soon as possible.
However, the retail electricity and gas markets are commercial and price setting is a matter for individual suppliers. Responsibility for the regulation of the retail gas and electricity markets was assigned to the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) under the 1999 Electricity Regulation Act and subsequent legislation. CRU is accountable to the Oireachtas and not to me as Minister. CRU has a dedicated email address for Oireachtas members to contact them at: oireachtas@cru.ie.
The most significant factor affecting retail electricity and gas prices in Ireland is the wholesale price of gas. While wholesale prices have reduced from their peak in August 2022 they are still trading and twice their historic levels. Due to supplier hedging strategies it may take a more sustained period of reduced wholesale prices before retail prices can reduce.
37. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department tracks the wholesale price of gas; if he is provided with regular briefings on the costs being paid by Irish energy supply companies for gas; if he will provide copies of any briefings, memos or notes he has been given to date in 2023 on energy prices in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19675/23]
View answerHigh energy prices are a significant concern to Government which is why a suite of measures has been introduced, most recently the new €1.2 billion package, announced in February, which extended the VAT reduction on electricity and gas until the end of October. This is in addition to the measures announced in Budget 2023 which introduced €2.5 billion of once off cost of living supports to protect households from high energy costs. This included three €200 (VAT inclusive) Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payments as well as a €400 lump sum payment to Fuel Allowance recipients.
The most significant factor affecting retail electricity and gas prices in Ireland is the wholesale price of gas. While wholesale prices have reduced from their peak in August 2022 they are still trading at twice their historic levels. My Department actively monitors the wholesale price of gas and electricity. The retail electricity and gas markets are commercial and price setting is a matter for individual suppliers.
38. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the further measures he intends to introduce for consumers using the revenue from energy windfall taxes; the estimated revenue he expects to be available in 2023; if the revenue will accrue to his Department or the central fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19676/23]
View answerCouncil Regulation (EU) 2022/1854 on an emergency intervention to address high energy prices came into force in October 2022. This Regulation seeks to address windfall gains in the energy sector through a temporary solidarity contribution based on taxable profits in the fossil fuel production and refining sectors and a cap on market revenues of specific generation technologies in the electricity sector. A General Scheme of the Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) Bill 2023, which will implement the temporary solidarity contribution and the cap on market revenues, was approved by Government and published on 21 March. It is estimated that the two measures will result in proceeds of between €280 million and €600 million being collected. The majority of these proceeds are expected to be collected in 2023. It should be noted that the level of proceeds collected from these measures will be dependent on many variables, such as the cost of wholesale gas. The proceeds from the temporary solidarity contribution will be collected by the Revenue Commissioners and remitted to the Exchequer. The proceeds from the cap on market revenues will be collected by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities. It will be a matter for Government, as part of the annual Budget process and in line with the Council Regulation, to determine how the proceeds collected from the temporary solidarity contribution and cap on market revenues will be distributed.
39. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he is satisfied with the level of regulation and oversight of the Irish energy market covering domestic and commercial supply of electricity and gas; if he is satisfied with the current powers available to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities; if he intends to provide stronger powers to the CRU to regulate energy prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19677/23]
View answerThe Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) was assigned consumer protection functions under the 1999 Electricity Regulation Act and subsequent legislation and has statutory responsibility for the compliance by energy suppliers with their consumer protection obligations. The electricity and gas retail markets in Ireland operate within a European Union regulatory regime wherein electricity and gas markets are commercial and liberalised. Operating within this overall EU framework, responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets, including the matters raised by the Deputy, is solely a matter for the CRU. In line with long standing policy on deregulating price setting, CRU ended its regulation of retail prices in the electricity market in 2011, and in the gas market in 2011. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) is an independent regulator, accountable to a committee of the Oireachtas and not to me as Minister.
40. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when he last met with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities; the purpose of the meeting and the issues discussed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19678/23]
View answerI last met with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities on the 2nd of March. A wide range of issues were discussed, including the decarbonisation challenge, energy security, as well as electricity and gas sectoral issues.
