Written Answers Nos. 133-150
134. Deputy James Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if a foreign birth registration will be expedited for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21647/23]
View answerMy Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship.
Demand for this service increased significantly as a result of the Brexit vote in the UK. The service was also impacted by necessary Covid-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021 and the unprecedented demand for passports seen in 2022.
FBR applications are currently being processed within the normal turnaround time of between 6 and 9 months from receipt of supporting documents. Applications which require further supporting documents will take longer to process.
Foreign Birth Registration, by its nature, is a detailed and complex process, often involving official documentation relating to three generations and issued by several jurisdictions. Such documents take considerable time to validate.
With regard to the specific FBR application about which the Deputy has enquired, this application has been approved and the certificate of Foreign Birth Registration will be sent to the Applicant in the coming days.
135. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport will issue on time for a child (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21689/23]
View answerWith regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, this is a paper application which was received on 6 April 2023. The turnaround time for paper applications is 8 weeks. The Passport Service will contact the applicant's parent directly in relation to the application.
136. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of a foreign birth registration of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21754/23]
View answerMy Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship.
Demand for this service increased significantly as a result of the Brexit vote in the UK. The service was also impacted by necessary Covid-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021 and the unprecedented demand for passports seen in 2022.
FBR applications are currently being processed within the normal turnaround time of between 6 and 9 months from receipt of supporting documents. Applications which require further supporting documents will take longer to process.
Foreign Birth Registration, by its nature, is a detailed and complex process, often involving official documentation relating to three generations and issued by several jurisdictions. Such documents take considerable time to validate.
With regard to the specific Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications about which the Deputy has enquired, these applications were registered on 24 October 2019. The applications were initially processed on 14 June 2021, at which point the Passport Service requested further supporting documents.
Further supporting documents were received for the applications in April 2023, and have been processed. However, the applications remain incomplete. A member of the FBR team will contact the applicants' parent to outline the outstanding documentation that is required in order for the applications to proceed.
137. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if officials from his Department are using an application (details supplied) to conduct business; if his Department has had official meetings on 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 considering the use of 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. [21101/23]
View answerMy Department requires all applications to be used in line with Departmental policies and procedures, including compliance with GDPR. My Department has restricted access to the application referred to in the Question pending a risk assessment of its use and therefore does not use the application to conduct its business. My Department continues to work closely with experts in the National Cyber Security Centre to ensure that we follow best practice and advice on all aspects of cyber security.
138. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications 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. [21182/23]
View answerThe information requested in the Question is being compiled by my Department and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
|
Legislation |
Year |
Reviews as per provision of that Act |
Amendments made as a result of review |
Title of amending legislation |
|
The Communications Regulation (Postal Services) (Amendment) Act |
2017 |
Section 1 of the Communications Regulation (Postal Services) (Amendment) Act 2017 repealed Section 30 of the Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Act 2011. Section 2 of the 2017 Act amended Section 10 of the Communications Regulation Act 2002 which provided for ComReg to undertake a review of any consequences of the repeal in Section 1 and report to the Minister. ComReg undertook this review and laid the report before the Oireachtas on 31 March 2020 https://opac.oireachtas.ie/AWData/Library3/Documents%20Laid/pdf/CCAEdoclaid310320_310320_122010.pdf |
Nil |
Not Applicable |
|
Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act |
2022 |
The Act provides for reviews to be carried out at different stages after enactment but no reviews have been carried out date. |
Nil |
Not Applicable |
139. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide an update on the roll-out of the deposit return scheme; the timeline for the development of the relevant IT, infrastructure and communication systems associated with the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21227/23]
View answerIn July 2022, I approved an application from Deposit Return Scheme Ireland CLG (trading as Re-turn) to act as the approved body for Ireland’s deposit return scheme (DRS) under the Separate Collection (Deposit Return Scheme) Regulations 2021.
Re-turn are responsible for all operational matters relating to DRS and, following the launch of the Scheme in November last year, have been working to ensure the necessary infrastructure and systems are in place prior to go-live on 1st February 2024.
Progress to date includes:
Registration for producers and retailers opened in November 2022;
Communications plan is underway for Business-to-Business engagement, targeting producers and retailers, with a Business-to-Consumer campaign to commence in Q4 2023;
Producer fees were published in January 2023;
Retailer handling fees were also published in January 2023, along with exemptions and a financial support package for small retailers;
Specification for reverse vending machines (RVM) and list of approved RVM suppliers was published in January 2023;
Draft planning exemption regulations for RVMs were published in April 2023; and
Contracts for an integrated IT system and for the collection, counting and processing of returned containers are in place.
140. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department can engage with a service provider (details supplied); if grants or assistance are available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21244/23]
View answerAny queries with respect to planning policy are a matter for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
Anaerobic Digestion (AD) produces biogas which can be captured and used for renewable energy, and my Department has developed a number of schemes and initiatives designed to increase the energy generated from renewable sources, whilst also reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland. These schemes include the grid scale, auction based Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS), the Microgeneration Support Scheme (MSS), for smaller installations, up to 50 kW in size (30kWe for micro-renewable Combined Heat and Power), and the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH).
The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) provides for the incentivisation of the supply of biomethane in transport through the issue of additional RTFO certificates. The Renewable Transport Fuel Regulations 2023 authorises the National Oil Reserves Agency to issue additional renewable transport fuel obligation certificates for specified renewable transport fuels and, where those fuels are used for specific purposes or means of transport, to incentivise their supply. The renewable transport fuels specified includes biomethane, and under these regulations, biomethane/biogas supplied in the road or rail sectors, or in non-road mobile machinery will receive a 1.7x multiplier. Biomethane and other renewable transport fuels can contribute to further decarbonising hard to abate HDV and road haulage sectors.
In line with the agreed Sectoral Emissions Ceilings and the Climate Action Plan commitment to deliver up to 5.7 TWh of biomethane to further accelerate the reduction of overall economy-wide emissions. Chaired by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, a dedicated Biomethane Working Group has been established to oversee an all-of-government approach to developing a National Biomethane Strategy which aims to deliver up to the 5.7TWh of indigenously produced biomethane by 2030. Development of an anaerobic digestion industry is at a nascent stage in Ireland and a primary focus of the Working Group is the examination of the types of supports necessary to develop this industry. CAP 2023 has committed to delivering the National Biomethane Strategy by Q3 2023.
141. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of whole-time equivalent, WTE, staff working in the National Cyber Security Centre as of 2 May; and the number expected to work in the NCSC at the end of 2023. [21284/23]
View answerThe National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) currently has 52 WTE staff working across various technical and non-technical roles. The NCSC has sanction to increase to 62 staff by the end of 2023 with recruitment processes underway through the Public Appointments Service to fill these posts.
142. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if woodchip imported to fuel power plants is sustainably sourced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21300/23]
View answerImportation of woodchip would be an operational matter for the companies involved and I as Minister have no role in this regard.
143. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number waiting, and the median waiting time, between the time of application and time of works completed under the warmer homes scheme; the breakdown of same, per county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21325/23]
View answerThe 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 Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) operates the scheme on behalf of my Department. Delivering free energy upgrades to low-income households, as quickly as possible, is a top priority for my Department and the SEAI.
Increased awareness of the multiple benefits of retrofit and improvements to the Warmer Homes Scheme (WHS) are driving demand for the scheme. This can be seen in application numbers with over 9,900 applications received in 2022 and 5,653 applications received in the first four months of 2023 alone.
It should also be noted that the scheme has been delivering a greater volume of deeper and more complex upgrades in recent years. This is reflected in the average cost of upgrades which have increased from €2,600 in 2015 to approximately €22,000 in quarter 4 of last year. The increase in depth of retrofit is also reflected in the waiting times as more significant works take a longer time per home to complete. It is important to note that the scheme was also impacted significantly by construction sector closures and restrictions on home visits associated with COVID-19 in recent years.
As of end-March 2023, the number of homes outstanding under the WHS countrywide is 14,261. The breakdown of these homes per county is set out in the attached document.
The median waiting times from application date to installation completion in the first quarter of 2023 was 19 months as compared to 27 months in 2022. SEAI do not gather data on a by county basis with respect to WHS waiting times. Achievement of this reduction in the median waiting time has been supported by the following actions taken over the past year:
SEAI has been allocated additional staff for the WHS;
SEAI is working to increase contractor output through active contract engagement and management; and
Actions to address supply chain, cashflow and inflationary pressures.
An unprecedented budget of €148.5 million has been allocated to the scheme this year which will deliver 6,000 home upgrades. Additional funding of €248 million has also been secured for the scheme from the European Regional Development Fund and will supplement the annual allocations over the period from now until 2027.
My Officials continue to work with the SEAI to maximise and accelerate output of free energy upgrades delivered. Importantly, a new contractor panel for the scheme will be established later this year. It is intended that the panel will be in place for 4 years, with an estimated contract budget of €700 million for that period, which will be a very strong signal of intent.
|
County |
Total |
|
Carlow |
158 |
|
Cavan |
152 |
|
Clare |
218 |
|
Cork |
1,488 |
|
Donegal |
495 |
|
Dublin |
4,669 |
|
Galway |
613 |
|
Kerry |
369 |
|
Kildare |
540 |
|
Kilkenny |
187 |
|
Laois |
188 |
|
Leitrim |
117 |
|
Limerick |
446 |
|
Longford |
80 |
|
Louth |
240 |
|
Mayo |
630 |
|
Meath |
543 |
|
Monaghan |
195 |
|
Offaly |
293 |
|
Roscommon |
215 |
|
Sligo |
257 |
|
Tipperary |
528 |
|
Waterford |
322 |
|
Westmeath |
245 |
|
Wexford |
470 |
|
Wicklow |
603 |
|
Total |
14,261 |
144. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide his response to a semi-State company (details supplied) that imports large amounts of biomass fuels form other jurisdictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21340/23]
View answerThe sourcing of biomass fuels is a matter for the Board and management of Bord na Móna and is not matters in which I as Minister have any function. I have asked Bord na Móna to correspond with the Deputy directly on this question.
145. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps he is taking to assist families meeting high energy bills between 1 June and 31 December 2023, inclusive. [21341/23]
View answerGovernment 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, and a package of once off measures, worth €2.5 billion, included in Budget 2023.
Budget 2023 included an Electricity Cost Emergency Benefit Scheme through which €550.47 (exclusive of VAT) was credited to each domestic electricity account in three payments of €183.49 (exclusive of VAT). These payments were made to accounts in the November/December 2022, January/February and March/April 2023 billing cycles. The estimated cost of this scheme is €1.211 billion, bringing the total amount paid to consumers to help with energy costs to €1.5 billion.
On the 21st of February, Government announced a further €470 million package of measures to help social protection recipients from April to July and an extension to the reduced VAT rate on electricity and gas bills until October.
Government is closely monitoring the impact of these supports through the implementation of the Energy Poverty Action Plan and possible future measures are under consideration in the context of Budget 2024.
In addition, my Department commissioned a nationally representative fortnightly research tracker, which indicates that Irish families are making every effort to reduce their energy use and there is a reduction in the difficulty being experienced in meeting energy costs. Nevertheless, there are still groups who are facing real financial pressure, including their energy bills. Government of Ireland public information messaging on available supports and available advice is being specifically tailored to these segments.
146. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide both the allocation and drawdown of Renovate Wave funding by Ireland in 2020, 2021, 2022 and the forecasted drawdown in 2023. [21580/23]
View answerRenovation Wave is an EU Commission strategy and action plan launched in 2020 aimed at Member States increasing their renovation of buildings, with a view to driving energy efficiency. It is not a direct funding mechanism and as such, no Renovation Wave funding has been allocated or drawn down.
The Renovation Wave strategy sets out the Commission intention to ensure various EU funding sources may be used by Member States towards facilitating renovation and building retrofits, such as EU cohesion funds and the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility. In addition, the strategy notes that Member States should seek to leverage private finance where possible, for example, through public private partnerships, green loans etc. An example of where EU funds are being leveraged is the OPW project on retrofitting Tom Johnson House which is being funded via the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility. My Department will be moving into Tom Johnson house in the coming year, which will have improved building quality and energy performance following renovation and retrofitting.
147. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason a person (details supplied) has been given the wrong information after waiting two years on his or her insulation grant; the reason the person has been told that he or she has gone from a C3 rating to an A3 after no work has been completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21642/23]
View answerThe Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) operates the Warmer Homes Scheme on behalf of my Department. However, individual applications to the Warmer Homes Scheme are an operational matter for SEAI and as the Minister I have no function in relation to individual applications.
The applicant can contact SEAI at any time to get further information on the status of their application either by email to warmerhomes@seai.ie or by phone to 1800 250 204. Oireachtas members can make queries on behalf of applicants by contacting the dedicated email address oireachtas@seai.ie.
148. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will respond to the assertion made by Gas Networks Ireland in its Gas Forecast Statement 2022 (details supplied). [21730/23]
View answerIn July 2022, the Government published a statement on the role of data centres in Ireland’s enterprise strategy. The Statement addresses sustainable data centre development to align with Ireland’s renewable energy targets, security of supply, sectoral green house gas emissions, and climate priorities.
The goal of this policy is to ensure the positive benefits for sustainability are maximised and that digital technologies are used in a sustainable manner to ensure the energy and circular economy challenges from digitalisation are aligned with our climate objectives.
Data centres play a critical role in supporting the digital and communications infrastructure for many sectors of our economy, as well as in supporting employment and foreign direct investment. Nonetheless, the Government is aware that, as large energy users, they pose a unique challenge to the energy eco-system and recognises the need for actions to ensure alignment between data centre development, decarbonisation ambitions and energy security.
The statement on the role of data centres sets out that ‘Islanded’ data centre developments, that are not connected to the electricity grid and are powered mainly by on-site fossil fuel generation, would not be in line with national policy. These would run counter to emissions reduction objectives and would not serve the wider efficiency and decarbonisation of our energy system.
The Statement also sets out that for such proposed developments ,with limited or no connection to the electricity system, it is essential that developments are consistent with a planned trajectory to net zero emissions, including through decarbonised gas if applicable and that they do not threaten energy security.
Flexible and decarbonised demand from large energy users, such as data centres, is critical to protecting security of supply and ensuring consistency with the binding carbon budgets. As such the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) will publish an Electricity Demand side strategy and implementation plan this year. Additionally, the CRU will also carry out a review into the current gas and electricity connection policies for new Large Energy Users.
The Deputy may wish to note that both a biomethane strategy and a hydrogen strategy are also currently under preparation.
149. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the measures that were proposed and adopted to reduce the total monthly gross electricity consumption by 10 %, per Article 3 of Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1854 of 6 October 2022 on an emergency intervention to address high energy prices. [21731/23]
View answer150. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the measures that were proposed and adopted to reduce the gross electricity consumption during the identified peak hours by 5% per Article 4 of Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1854 of 6 October 2022 on an emergency intervention to address high energy prices. [21732/23]
View answer151. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will publish the written inputs of the Government to the Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1854 of 6 October 2022. [21733/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 149 to 151, inclusive, together.
Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1854 on an emergency intervention to address high energy prices was agreed at the Council of Energy Ministers on 30 September 2022 and came into effect on 8 October 2022.
The Council Regulation sets out two obligations on Member States to achieve reductions in electricity demand consumption, as follows:
1. To endeavour to reduce overall electricity consumption in the period November 2022 to March 2023 by 10% (compared to the average of the previous five years over the same period) and,
2. To reduce peak electricity consumption in the period December 2022 to March 2023 by 5% (compared to forecasted consumption). This target is mandatory.
Measures identified and implemented for these targets included a conservation voltage reduction scheme, ESB’s ‘Beat the Peak’ pilot schemes, a public sector energy efficiency scheme, the introduction of peak tariffs by CRU and a nationwide ‘Reduce Your Use’ information campaign.
The Department has to date reported to the Commission twice regarding the work undertaken in pursuance of this target, as required under the regulation. The Department will, in the near future, publish on Gov.ie the measures pursued in order to comply with this aspect of the regulation along with recent data on electricity demand.
