Written Answers Nos. 151-165
152. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason electricity prices have remained so high in Ireland compared with Ireland's EU partners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21736/23]
View answerThe unprecedented increase in international wholesale gas prices have continued as result of the volatility in the international gas market driven by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the on-going war. These gas increases feed directly through to retail electricity prices as the wholesale price of electricity correlates strongly with the price of gas. Ireland faces particular challenges in this regard as we are a price taker on international markets and that Irish electricity and gas prices have historically been affected by long standing drivers such as geographical isolation, dispersed population, fossil fuel dependency and small market scale.
Responsibility for the regulation of the retail electricity and gas markets was assigned to the CRU under the 1999 Electricity Regulation Act and subsequent legislation. CRU ceased price setting for electricity and gas in 2011 and 2014. Therefore, the setting of prices and charges is a commercial matter for individual supply companies.
Government is acutely aware of the impact that the increases in global energy prices continue to have on households and has prioritised action across Government to support people to stay warm and well. This is why a €2.4 billion package of supports was implemented during 2022, a package of once off measures worth €2.5 billion included in Budget 2023, followed by a further €1.25 billion package of supports in February 2023. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) also introduced enhanced consumer protection measures to be implemented by electricity and gas providers. These measures provided additional protections from disconnections and other safeguards for customers.
Our long term priority and the best long-term approach for Ireland is to insulate consumers from volatility on international wholesale energy markets is to invest in energy efficiency, renewable energy and expand interconnection with European and neighbouring markets and deepen internal market integration.
153. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the average cost per retrofit in each of the SEAI’s schemes per post-BER rating; and to report this in tabular form . [21741/23]
View answer154. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the median cost per retrofit in each of the SEAI’s schemes per post-BER rating; and to report this, in tabular form. [21742/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 153 and 154 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: individual energy upgrade grants for step-by-step retrofits; One Stop Shop end to end service; Community Energy scheme for aggregation; and fully funded upgrades for qualifying households.
Each SEAI energy efficiency scheme has its own set of terms and conditions which tells a homeowner whether there is a requirement for a pre-works Building Energy Rating (BER) in advance of works commencing. A pre-works BER is required for all homes under the deep retrofit schemes i.e. National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme (One Stop Shops); and Community Energy Grant Scheme, while the requirement for a pre-works BER was introduced under the Warmer Homes Scheme in February 2022. There is no requirement for a pre-works BER under the Better Energy Homes or Solar PV Schemes.
The cost of an energy efficiency upgrade depends on a range of factors including the size and type of home as well as the age and starting condition of the property and the retrofitting works required or recommended.
The collection of the BER data sought by the Deputy is an operational matter for the SEAI. I have directed SEAI to reply directly to the Deputy with the data requested, in so far as it is available, as soon as possible.
155. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on the solid fuel regulations that came into force on 31 October 2022; the measures in place to enforce them; how they have been resourced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21743/23]
View answerThe Air Pollution Act 1987 (Solid Fuels) Regulations 2022 (S.I. No. 529 of 2022), which took effect from 31 October 2022, introduce minimum quality standards that apply to all solid fuels distributed throughout the State. This is to ensure that the most polluting fuels can no longer be made available on the Irish market and to assist the public in transitioning to less polluting alternatives.
Local Authorities are responsible for the enforcement of the solid fuel regulations, identifying unauthorised fuels placed on the market and taking measures to counteract any illegal trade. Indications from Local Authorities to date are that there has been a high level of compliance.
Local Authorities are also responsible for the allocation of appropriate resources to ensure that they can fulfil their air quality enforcement obligations. It is at the discretion of each Local Authority to decide its own priorities and to allocate staff and resources accordingly. Funding of such services would generally be met from the Exchequer and Local Authority own resources.
My Department and the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) are continuing to work together to establish an enhanced enforcement support structure. This structure will support the provision of improved co-ordination, expertise and advice to support consistent implementation of air quality legislation across the country.
In the interim, my Department is also continuing to engage with enforcement personnel on the ground, developing guidance and training, and supporting the sharing of best practice in relation to a range of legislative obligations that are under the remit of the Local Authorities.
I also made grant funding available in 2022 to support Local Authorities through a pilot solid fuels enforcement scheme to support innovation and enhanced enforcement of the new solid fuel regulations. The Local Authorities involved have reported on the outcomes of their pilot enforcement schemes.
I intend to make €500,000 available to Local Authorities in the coming months for further enforcement projects to be undertaken this year and will continue to work with the sector into the future to provide further co-ordination and support as appropriate. Funding will be made available to support the enhanced enforcement structure once the optimum model has been agreed with the LGMA.
156. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will clarify the way in which persons outside of the NBP intervention areas can access broadband provided by NBI and-or others in instances in which a service provider was built into their new development resulting in a monopoly-type situation; and if ComReg can investigate this situation. [21866/23]
View answerThe High-Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie, shows the areas included in the National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led intervention as well as areas targeted by commercial operators. The map is colour coded and searchable by address and Eircode. Premises in the AMBER area will be provided with high-speed broadband through the State led Intervention. The BLUE area represents those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services.
The focus of the National Broadband Plan State led Intervention, the contract for which was signed in November 2019 with National Broadband Ireland (NBI), are those premises in the country that are unable to achieve high speed broadband, and where commercial providers have confirmed to my Department that they have no plans to upgrade services to enable premises to achieve or exceed these speeds. My Department defines high speed broadband as a connection with minimum speeds of 30Mbps download and 6Mbps upload. Under State aid rules, my Department is not permitted to displace commercial investment by intervening in areas where commercial investment exists or is planned, as to do so would be an infringement of these State aid rules. The activities of commercial operators delivering high-speed broadband within BLUE areas are not planned or funded by the State and my Department has no statutory authority to intervene in that regard.
In December 2022 my Department published Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy which supports the ambition outlined in the National Digital Strategy and sets out a number of ambitious targets, including that:
· all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028· all populated areas will be covered by 5G no later than 2030, and· digital connectivity will be delivered to all schools and broadband connection points by 2023. 83% of approximately 2.48 million premises in Ireland now have access to high-speed broadband of more than 30 Mbps.
Eir has committed to rolling out fibre to some 1.9 million premises. SIRO has passed more than 480,000 premises with gigabit services and has recently announced plans to extend its network to an additional 290,000 premises. Virgin Media plans to bring gigabit broadband upgrades to 1 million premises. The network operators and telecom service providers across the State also continue to invest in their networks.
The majority of digital connectivity across the State will be delivered through commercial investment by the telecommunications industry and this will be complemented by the National Broadband Plan.
Where a residential development owner or manager has contracted a telecoms service provider to supply a particular development on an exclusive basis, and a customer has concerns regarding choice of service provider, they should in the first instance raise this with the building owner or management company as appropriate as this is a contractual matter between them.
If this avenue has been exhausted without a satisfactory resolution, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) may be able to assist further. ComReg is the independent body that issues licences to broadband service providers and investigates complaints to make sure that companies are delivering services in line with their licence obligations.
157. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will set out the supports available to former Defence Force personnel who find themselves in need of material support; if such supports also extend to funeral costs for family members of former Defence Force personnel; if he will set out the total amount paid out in such supports for each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21046/23]
View answerMy Department provides support to two recognised Veterans Associations which represent all former personnel of the Defence Forces, namely the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel (ONE), and the Irish United Nations Veterans Association (IUNVA). My Department engages on an ongoing basis with these associations and has entered into Service Level Agreements with them. An annual grant of €130,000 is paid to ONE and a grant of €30,000 is paid to IUNVA to assist with their overheads. As a further means of assistance, my Department has secured a total of €700,000 from the Dormant Accounts Fund since 2021 in order to assist ONE and IUNVA with specific special projects.
Funeral costs for family members of former Defence Forces personnel are not funded by the Exchequer. I am informed that the Defence Forces Benevolent Fund, which is funded from contributions of serving Defence Forces personnel, may make a contribution to funeral expenses on a case-by-case basis.
158. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the position Ireland took regarding the inclusion of a humanitarian or search and rescue mandate during EU negotiations for the renewal of Operation Irini; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21070/23]
View answerEUNAVFOR MED Operation IRINI is tasked with “contributing to the implementation of the UN arms embargo on Libya,” and “within its means and capabilities, supporting the monitoring of the implementation of the UN measures to prevent the illicit export of petroleum from Libya”. It does not have a humanitarian search and rescue mandate. The inclusion of a humanitarian search and rescue mandate was not raised during negotiations around the renewal of the mandate for Operation IRINI earlier this year. The most recent Strategic Review of Operation IRINI concluded that the Operation should continue “contributing to the detection and monitoring of human smuggling and trafficking networks within its Area of Operation.”
In agreeing to extend the mandate of Operation IRINI by two years, until 31 March 2025, it was agreed to conduct a mid-term assessment on the mandate of Operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI by 31 March 2024. While Operation IRINI has no mandate for Safety of life at Sea/Search and Rescue (SOLAS/SAR) and, as such, is not regarded as a pull factor for migration, the mission direction is that, should there be an occasion where an Operation IRINI ship is involved in SOLAS/SAR, the migrants would be disembarked to a European Coastguard ship as soon as possible. The involvement of Operation IRINI assets in any SAR/SOLAS event would be conducted in line with international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The recent strategic review of the mission indicated that in 2022, 91,985 migrants arrived via the Central Mediterranean Route into Europe in 2022. Of this figure, an estimated 163 (0.17 per cent) were rescued by Operation IRINI. Since the beginning of the mission in March 2020, Operation IRINI ships have only been directly involved in three rescue events – two events in 2022 and one in April 2023. In April 2023, the Italian Flagship for the Operation IRINI mission conducted a rescue and recovered 611 migrants over two occasions on 13 and 16 Apr 2023. The migrants were brought to Augusta, Italy and disembarked. In July and September 2022, Greek and Italian frigates were each involved in rescue missions. Two US ships were also involved in the latter rescue mission.
159. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if officials from his Department are using an application (details supplied) to conduct business; if his Department has had official meetings regarding the use of the application by officials; if his Department has assessed the risk of using the application by Department officials and the input of Government-related data into the application; if his Department is using or is considering using other forms of artificial intelligence; if his Department is considering banning the use of the application by Department officials; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21099/23]
View answerI can confirm that officials from my Department are not using this application to conduct business and that no official meetings were held regarding the use of this application by officials. The Department of Defence requires that all applications must be used in line with the Department’s policies and procedures and advice that has been received from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). In line with the National AI strategy, we will continue to keep the use of artificial intelligence for business purposes under review.
160. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will list all reviews of Acts carried out by his Department in line with the provisions of the Act in question from 2000 to date; if a summary will be provided of any substantive amendments of the Act in question that occurred on foot of each review and the amending legislation, if any, in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21179/23]
View answerSection 66 of the Defence Forces (Evidence) Act 2022 provides for a review of the operation of Parts 6 and 7 of the Act not later than 6 years after the commencement of that section. None of the other Acts passed by my Department since 2000 have review periods.
161. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will provide a detailed process of how military housing is applied for. [21554/23]
View answer162. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of applications received for military housing between 2018 to 2023, broken down by year, in tabular form. [21555/23]
View answer163. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of successful applications received for military housing between 2018 to 2023, broken down by year, in tabular form. [21556/23]
View answer164. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will provide a breakdown of the ranks held by successful applications for military housing from 2018 to 2023. [21557/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 161 to 164, inclusive, together.
As the Deputy may be aware it has been a long standing policy, in line with other public sector employers, to discontinue the historic provision of tied housing to serving personnel. Single living in accommodation is provided for operational and transient use and by its nature it is not designed for long stay accommodation.
There is a residual amount of habitable housing stock maintained for personnel to avail of for training and operational purposes. The allocation of such housing is decided locally by the military authorities pursuant to the provisions of Defence Forces Regulation Q6 (Public Quarters). The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available in the format requested. My officials will seek this information from the military authorities and I will arrange to have this data forwarded in due course.
|
Military Housing |
|||
|
Year |
No of applications receivedPQ Ref 21555/23Dáil No: 162 |
No of successful applicationsPQ Ref 21556/23Dáil No: 163 |
Rank of Successful ApplicationsPQ Ref 21557/23Dáil No: 164 |
|
2018 |
8 |
2 |
Capt x 2 |
|
2019 |
9 |
3 |
Capt x 2, Comdt |
|
2020 |
4 |
1 |
Comdt |
|
2021 |
6 |
3 |
2/Lt, Lt, Comdt |
|
2022 |
6 |
2 |
Lt, Capt |
|
2023 |
2 |
0 |
165. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of married quarters and houses that remain within the possession of the Defence Forces or his Department; and the respective locations of each. [21558/23]
View answer166. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the married quarters and houses that remain within the possession of the Defence Forces or his Department; and the number that are currently occupied. [21559/23]
View answer167. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the married quarters and houses that remain within the possession of the Defence Forces or his Department; and the number currently vacant. [21560/23]
View answer168. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will provide information on whether the occupied married quarters and houses within the possession of the Defence Forces or his Department are currently occupied by current or former members of the Defence Forces; and if he will provide a breakdown of their respective ranks. [21561/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 165 to 168, inclusive, together.
Based on the most recent data supplied to my Department by the military authorities, the information sought by the Deputy is set out in the following table. Details in relation to the ranks of those occupying the premises are not readily available within the Department, as the allocation of such accommodation is decided upon by the military authorities. My Department have requested same and I will arrange to have this information forwarded to the Deputy as soon as available.
|
- |
Occupied Married Quarters |
Unoccupied Married Quarters |
Occupied and Unoccupied |
|||
|
Location |
Military |
Overholders |
Totals |
Location |
Total |
Total |
|
Cork |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Cork |
10 |
10 |
|
Dublin |
6 |
14 |
20 |
Dublin |
5 |
25 |
|
Kildare |
10 |
27 |
37 |
Kildare |
62 |
99 |
|
Total |
16 |
41 |
57 |
Total |
77 |
134 |
