Written Answers Nos. 1-20
1. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Taoiseach if he will provide a schedule of the amounts paid to independent experts by a commission (details supplied) from since it was formed to date, including the amount by year and expert name. [26617/23]
View answerThe IBRC Commission of Investigation engaged three independent experts to assist it in its work. They were paid €150 per hour up to a maximum of €750 per diem and details of the amounts paid to each by year to date are set out in the table beneath.
|
- |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
|
Donald Rushton |
€5,904 |
€3,594.11 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Brenda Hannigan |
€12,205.25 |
€13,852.95 |
€1,270.50 |
0 |
0 |
|
Brendan Russell |
0 |
€10,952.03 |
€26,041.57 |
0 |
€13,182.40 |
2. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if passports will issue for children (details supplied) in County Donegal on time for their travel date of 8 June 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26476/23]
View answerWith regard to the specific applications about which the Deputy has enquired, these applications are within the current turnaround times and have not yet reached their issue by date.
3. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number and name of public authorities which requested passport application form and passport document data under the provisions of section 41 of the Data Protection Act 2018 for the period 1 January 2020 to date in 2023, inclusive; the number of requests received and declined in respect of each public authority; the data set information sought from each in each instance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26592/23]
View answer4. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the breakdown of the information requested by public authorities, departments and An Garda Síochána from the Passport Office data set in the past three years to date in 2023; the number of requests for access to data in the past three years to date in 2023; the number of times his Department has refused access; the schedule of bodies and number of requests made over the timeframe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26593/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together.
The Passport Service is committed to its obligations under the GDPR and Data Protection Acts 1988-2018, including providing information to the public on the personal data processed for the purpose of assessing passport applications, provision of customer care in relation to passport applications and the issuance of passports. This information is available in its data privacy notice (www.dfa.ie/about-us/our-commitments/privacy-policy/passport-service-privacy-policy/).
This notice, which is updated regularly, also provides information to the public on when passport data may be shared with other public authorities. The Passport Service will only share personal data where it is satisfied that the requesting public authority has a lawful basis for requesting the information and after deeming that the provision of data is both necessary and proportionate.
In addition to this and as part of our ongoing compliance with data protection legislation, in 2022 my Department was party to five data sharing agreements with other public sector bodies, which were published for public consultation (www.gov.ie/en/consultations/?q=&sort_by=published_date&topic=92424-dsga-data-sharing-agreements&page=1) and were signed in line with the full commencement of the Data Sharing and Governance Act (DSGA) 2019. The DSGA gives further effect to the GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.
It has not been possible for the Passport Service to compile the requested figures in time for the Parliamentary Question response. The Passport Service will follow up with the Deputy directly with the requested information.
5. Deputy John Brady asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide an update on the status of the passport application for a child (details supplied), as the applicant’s travel date is imminent and all requested supporting documentation has been submitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26598/23]
View answer7. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport will issue on time for a child (details supplied) travelling to a family wedding abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26689/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 7 together.
With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has issued passports to the applicants.
6. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if a first-time passport application will issue for a child (details supplied) who is travelling in early June; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26643/23]
View answerWith regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the application was made on 20 January 2023. Supporting documents for this application were received by the Passport Service on 07 April and further supporting documents were received on the 19 May. Turnaround time from the receipt of further supporting documents is 15 working days.
8. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the staffing levels of the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities, by job title; the estimated full-year cost of filling each position, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26408/23]
View answerThe Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) is an independent regulator, accountable to a committee of the Oireachtas and not the Minister. The CRU was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the Irish electricity sector, following enactment if the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 and subsequent legislation.
While CRU is financed by means of a levy on regulated entities, it must receive approval from the Minister of Environment, Climate & Communications and the Minister of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery & Reform, in consultation with the Department of Housing Local Government & Heritage, for staffing levels.
The latest such approval has been given, in full, for the CRU three-year workforce plan, which includes 74 new whole time equivalent positions to meet its objectives under the Strategic Plan 2022-2024.
The average number of staff working in the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) at the end of 2021 was 109, at a cost of €8.436 million (payroll and non-payroll costs), funded by industry levy. These are the last published numbers and costs. Figures in respect of 2022 will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas shortly.
A breakdown of the costs, extracted from the CRU Annual Report 2021, is set out in the following table:
|
- |
€’000 |
|
Staff Salaries |
7,342 |
|
Employee PRSI |
741 |
|
SEM Committee Fees |
32 |
|
Recruitment and Training |
291 |
|
Staff Travel and Subsistence |
30 |
|
Total |
8,436 |
Further details, such as employee benefits breakdown, can be found in CRU’s Annual Report 2021 www.cru.ie/publications/27362/.
The CRU provides a dedicated email address for Oireachtas members at oireachtas@cru.ie , which enables them to raise more specific operational and resourcing matters directly to the CRU.
9. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the total amount of solar PV capacity that there was by the end of 2022; and the amount of new solar PV capacity that is expected to be installed by the end of 2023 and 2024 respectively, in tabular form. [26413/23]
View answer10. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the total amount of solar PV capacity that is expected to be installed by the end of 2023, 2024 and 2025 respectively, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26414/23]
View answer13. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide a breakdown of capital and current funding allocated to the solar PV scheme in each of the years 2021 to 2022 and to date in 2023 respectively, in tabular form. [26417/23]
View answer14. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide a breakdown of capital and current funding expended under the solar pv scheme in each of the years 2021 to 2022 and to date in 2023 respectively, in tabular form. [26418/23]
View answer15. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the average value of grants awarded under the solar pv scheme in each of the years 2021 to 2022 and to date in 2023 respectively, in tabular form. [26419/23]
View answer16. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the amount of solar PV capacity that has been supported by grants provided under the solar PV scheme in each of the years 2021 to 2022 and to date in 2023, respectively, in tabular form. [26420/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 10, 13, 14, 15 and 16 together.
I propose to take the above PQs together as the requested data is interrelated. The data provided below relates exclusively to the Domestic Solar PV scheme.
The Microgeneration Support Scheme (MSS) was approved by Government on 21 December 2021, to support Ireland’s ambitious targets for micro-generation installations, under the Climate Action Plan 21. The MSS provides supports to both domestic and non-domestic applicants, in the form of grants for Solar PV installations, which are available through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), up to a maximum of €2,400.
In 2022 the SEAI received 16,819 applications to the Domestic Solar PV programme, which resulted in grant support for 10,017 homes, at a cost of €24.4m and a total installed capacity of 46.5 MW. This indicates an average installation size of 4.6kW. This is a huge increase on the numbers from 2021 when 4,077 homes were supported, and 16.3 MW installed. The SEAI maintains data regarding the financing and functioning of this scheme and has facilitated the information in response to your questions below.
The installed capacity of Solar PV is as follows
|
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
46.5MW |
55.6MW |
TBC |
TBC |
The 2023 figure is based on the current 2023 budget of €29.4m. However, with continued very strong levels of demand seen since the start of this year, in conjunction with Government's decision to reduce the rate of VAT on the supply and installation of solar panels to 0%; it is expected that application levels will exceed the current projections for 2023. The 2024 and 2025 figures remain to be confirmed as the MSS is currently undergoing a planned review, in order to ensure maximum efficiency and effectiveness of the scheme.
Allocations of capital and current funding to SEAI in respect of the Domestic Solar PV scheme, are as follows:
|
- |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|
Capital |
€ 11,000,000 |
€ 25,200,000 |
€ 28,770,000 |
|
Current |
€500,000 |
€680,000 |
€630,000 |
Capital and current expenditure in those same years is below;
|
- |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 to date |
|
Capital |
€9,757,211 |
€ 24,962,000 |
€ 12,878,318 |
|
Current |
€479,116 |
€682,134 |
60,606 |
The average grants awarded during this period are;
|
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|
€2,307 |
€2,439 |
€2,337 |
The amount of solar PV capacity that has been supported by grants provided under the Solar PV scheme is below;
|
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|
16.3MW |
46.5MW |
26.9MW |
Up to the end of April this year the SEAI have had 6,429 applications for the Domestic solar PV scheme and have already supported 5,443 homes with 26.86 MW installed.
11. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the total amount of onshore wind capacity that there was by the end of 2022; and the amount of new onshore wind capacity that is expected to be installed by the end of 2023 and 2024 respectively, in tabular form. [26415/23]
View answer12. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the total amount of onshore wind capacity that is expected to be installed by the end of 2023, 2024 and 2025 respectively, in tabular form. [26416/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 12 together.
With approximately 4,400 MW of onshore wind generation capacity at the end of 2022, Ireland is in the top five globally for installed wind power capacity per capita.
In order to build on this success and increase wind and solar generation on the grid, my Department is delivering a regular programme of auctions under the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) including a third onshore renewables auction to take place later this year.
The Climate Action Plan 2023 sets out a target of 9 GW of onshore wind by 2023. A supportive spatial planning policy for onshore renewables is essential to enable this and further onshore wind development will play a critical to supporting Ireland's carbon budget for electricity and increasing our security of supply through use of indigenous energy resources.
I refer the Deputy again to the published Indicative Schedule of RESS Auctions for further information on the timeline of further RESS auctions and the indicative volume of renewable electricity generation for each auction, RESS - Proposed Auctions Schedule - 86c32a4e-c3a1-4bda-9140-853e89a0f000.pdf (www.gov.ie).
17. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No. 111 of 4 May 2023, the specific provisions under European Union law which require the separation of ESB's generation and retail supply arms specifically, irrespective of ESB's role as the Distribution System Operator (DSO). [26426/23]
View answerThere is both EU and domestic law available at the links below in relation to this matter. The relevant EU legislation is – Directive 2019/944 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 5 June 2019 on common rules for the internal market for electricity and amending Directive 2012/27/EU (recast)
Specifically Article 35 of the Directive relates to unbundling of DSOs
“1. Where the distribution system operator is part of a vertically integrated undertaking, it shall be independent at least in terms of its legal form, organisation and decision-making from other activities not relating to distribution. Those rules shall not create an obligation to separate the ownership of assets of the distribution system operator from the vertically integrated undertaking.
2. In addition to the requirements under paragraph 1, where the distribution system operator is part of a vertically integrated undertaking, it shall be independent in terms of its organisation and decision-making from the other activities not related to distribution. In order to achieve this, the following minimum criteria shall apply:…”
Irish legislation of relevance includes – Electricity Regulation Act 1999 as amended, as well as Part 2 of SI 280/2008 which relates to separation of the functions of the Board (ESB).
Section 14(13) Electricity Regulation Act 1999 states
(b) Subject to such arrangements as the Commission may approve in the interest of economic efficiency in relation to the discharge by the holders of licences of their functions under paragraphs (f) and (g) of subsection (1), the Commission shall ensure that the licence granted pursuant to the said paragraph (g) shall contain provisions which—
(i) secure the complete and effective separation of that part of the business of the licensee as relates to any of the operation, maintenance and development of the distribution system (or any part thereof) from all other parts of its business, and
(ii) require the preparation of separate accounts in respect of that part of the licensee’s business which relates to the operation, maintenance and development of the distribution system (or any part thereof).
18. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason (details supplied) in Cork Harbour has been sanctioned despite two of the rivers flowing into the harbour are not meeting their conservation limits; if he would review this decision, given the risk to fish being caught in the nets and the precautionary principle; his views on whether the sanctioning of draft nets in Cork Harbour is in breach of Inland Fisheries Ireland protocols and commitments to conservation under the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26450/23]
View answer19. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason a draft net fishery has been sanctioned in Castlemaine Harbour given one of the rivers flowing into the common embayment area, the Behy river, is closed to angling for several years and the harbour is a mix stock fishery; if he will endorse scientific monitoring samples from intercepted fish in the Behy river; his views on whether the sanctioning of draft nets in Castlemaine Harbour is in breach of Inland Fisheries Ireland protocols and commitments to conservation under the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26451/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 19 together.
Salmon stocks in each of Ireland’s more than 140 salmon rivers are assessed annually by the independent Technical Expert Group on Salmon (TEGOS) based on each rivers conservation limit (CL) - the number of adult spawning salmon required to ensure a healthy stock above safe biological limits. These assessments support Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) management advice to my Department.
Harvest is only facilitated on estuaries, where each contributing river simultaneously exceeds CL. An annual specific risk assessment is undertaken for each potential common estuary fishery, including Castlemaine and Cork harbour. A higher CL is applied to the estuary rather than simply aggregating individual river CLs. Where this common estuary higher CL is exceeded harvest is advised.
A pilot fishery conducted in Castlemaine in 2010 underpinned genetic analysis of the river stocks contributing to the fishery. IFI advise that results showed the fishery almost exclusively exploited salmon from 3 rivers (Caragh, Laune/Cottoners and Maine), all of which have been exceeding CL since 2011. The total surplus for the three rivers combined is also reduced in the annual common estuary analysis to ensure that each river can meet CL simultaneously.
IFI further advise that the results of catchment wide electro-fishing, for TEGOS assessments, show that juvenile salmon production in the Maine is consistently amongst the highest in the country. The most recent results show a catchment-wide average of fry of double the minimum threshold indicative of a healthy spawning stock.
IFI has established district fishery committees, including angling and commercial representatives, and the available total allowable catch for each sector is determined, as far as possible, by local agreement.
TEGOS recommended a surplus for harvest in Castlemaine Harbour and associated catchments for 2023 with no undue negative impact on the conservation status and sustainability of contributory river stocks. IFI based management advice to my Department on this recommendation. This was given legal effect in the annual Wild Salmon and Seatrout Tagging Scheme Regulations, effective from 1 January last. The status of all salmon stocks will again undergo scientific assessment and management advice later this year in advance of the 2024 season.
In the time available for reply, it has not been possible to collate the equivalent detailed data relating to Cork Harbour but I undertake to reply directly to the Deputy on this matter at the earliest opportunity.
20. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of complaints received by the National Waste Collection Permit Office in 2020, 2021, 2022 and in Q1 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26464/23]
View answerThe National Waste Collection Permit Office (NWCPO) processes waste collection permit applications and review applications for all local authorities. It maintains the Waste Collection Permit register, revokes Waste Collection Permits as appropriate, and provides data reports to relevant stakeholders- including enforcement authorities where required. Questions in relation to the number of complaints received by the NWCPO should be directed to that office, please see National Waste Collection Permit Office Home (nwcpo.ie).
