Tuesday, 10 Oct 2023

Written Answers Nos. 36-49

Energy Policy

Questions (36)

James Lawless

Question:

36. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to examine an energy issue (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43899/23]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (Deputy Eamon Ryan)

The Supplier of Last Resort (SoLR) process is managed by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) which also has responsibility for the regulation of the retail gas and electricity markets as assigned under the 1999 Electricity Regulation Act and subsequent legislation.

The primary objective of the SoLR process is to ensure that customers’ electricity and gas supply is not interrupted. Under the process, all customers of exiting suppliers are transferred to the?standard tariff of that gas or electricity supplier. The duration of the SoLR term is determined by a number of factors, including the volume of customers transferring, the requirement of the SoLR to purchase additional energy in the short-term on the wholesale market to provide for these additional customers and to allow adequate time to facilitate the registering of customers and issuing of bills. The SoLR term is approved by the CRU.

Any credit or debit that was built up between a customer and a supplier will?not?be passed on to the SoLR as unfortunately, the SoLR does not have access to the customer’s old supplier’s billing system and is therefore unable to quantify this.

The CRU is engaging in a review of the SOLR process, following the first, second and third ever SOLR events arising between June and October 2022. The CRU is accountable directly to the Oireachtas, and has a dedicated email address where Oireachtas members can contact them via [e-mail].

Broadband Infrastructure

Questions (37)

Duncan Smith

Question:

37. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when broadband infrastructure in new builds in Ireland will be completed, and in particular the Estate of Kenure Gate, Rush; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43944/23]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

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

These targets will be achieved through a combination of commercial investments and through the State investment in National Broadband Ireland (NBI).

Commercial operators’ fibre rollouts are progressing at pace. Eir is in the process of building a FTTP (Fibre To The Premises) network to 1.9 million premises. SIRO recently reaching a milestone of enabling 520,000 premises for full fibre, and is on track to reach 700,000 premises by 2026. Virgin Media recently announced plans to bring 2Gbps services to 345,000 premises, through an upgrade and expansion of their own network, and to bring gigabit broadband upgrades to 1 million premises.

Through the State’s investment in high-speed broadband, NBI (National Broadband Ireland) has now reached ‘peak’ build (in the Intervention Area – a key part of the National Broadband Plan). As of the end of September, NBI had ‘passed’ 182,000 premises with fibre. They expect 200,000 premises to be passed by the end of 2023. Over 55,000 premises have already taken up a fibre broadband service, through one of the many retail service providers that are working with NBI.

The estate referred to in the Question appears to be a new housing estate built circa 2018/19. It is in the AMBER area. NBI advise that a connection to high speed broadband will be available to order by mid-2024. Regarding the wider area of connections to new build estates, this will be determined by where the estate is situated as it may be in the AMBER (State Intervention) or BLUE (Commercial operators) area and also when the estate is due to be completed.

Recent ComReg data shows that Quarter 2, 2023 saw a 7.4% increase in fibre broadband subscriptions compared to the first 3 months of the year, and a 33.7% increase when compared to Quarter 2 of 2022. This demonstrates that take-up of fibre connectivity for homes and businesses is increasing massively as it is deployed to areas where it had previously been unavailable. The same ComReg data also indicates that c.40% of homes and business throughout the State now have access to gigabit services through either fibre (576,856) or cable (359,669) infrastructure.

Departmental Funding

Questions (38, 40)

Darren O'Rourke

Question:

38. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the total amount of funding awarded and community energy grants awarded in 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023; the average level of funding awarded per each successful grant application; the total number of applications rejected; the total number of successful applications per county; the target for community energy grants in the same period, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44016/23]

Darren O'Rourke

Question:

40. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications regarding community energy grants awarded in 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023; the total amount of funding awarded in 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023; the average level of funding awarded in 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023 per successful grant application; the total number of applications rejected in 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023; the total number of successful applications per county in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 and to date in 2023; the target for community energy grants in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44023/23]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (Deputy Eamon Ryan)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 38 and 40 together.

The Communities Energy Grant (CEG) Scheme aims to upgrade the building stock and facilities to high standards of energy efficiency and renewable energy usage, thereby reducing fossil fuel usage, energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Scheme supports cross-sectoral and community-oriented partnership approaches that deliver energy savings to a range of building types including public, commercial and community buildings with a particular focus on using the projects to deliver home retrofits.

I have asked the SEAI to respond directly to the Deputy to provide the specific data sought as soon as possible.

Additionally, SEAI has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members so that such queries can be addressed promptly, in line with SEAI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards. The email address is [e-mail]

Telecommunications Infrastructure

Questions (39)

Richard Bruton

Question:

39. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he is satisfied that there is good oversight of the safety of telecommunications infrastructure in residential areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44018/23]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (Deputy Eamon Ryan)

Operational matters of private commercial operators, including the safety of telecommunications infrastructure, are a matter for these commercial operators and not one in which I have any function as Minister.

Question No. 40 answered with Question No. 38.

Recycling Policy

Questions (41, 42, 43)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

41. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps being taken to introduce the EU Textile EPR Directive of July 2023 for fashion brands in Ireland; whether retailers and producers will be encouraged to work with social enterprise and charitable companies primarily to deliver on the intention to extend the lifetime of textiles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44068/23]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

42. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the progress that has been made in relation to the measures set out in the A Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy Ireland’s National Waste Policy 2020-2025 in relation to developing a separate collection framework proposals which would take account of the potential global impacts of the international trade in used textiles and whether any consultation has been had with Ireland’s recycled textile collection operators. [44074/23]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

43. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the regulations that exist to regulate the distribution, location and operation of textile collection banks [44075/23]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

I propose to take Questions Nos. 41, 42 and 43 together.

Textiles is a key priority area for action to realise this Government’s circular economy ambitions.  The Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, 2020-2025 (WAPCE) establishes our policy commitments to tackle the environmental degradation caused by textiles, in close collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

In 2022, my department established a Textile Advisory Group as a sub-group of the broader Waste Advisory Group, bringing together relevant expertise from industry, community and regulatory bodies. Operating under an external chair, the Group has been asked to identify key opportunities for Government to promote, facilitate and enable circularity in the textiles’ ecosystem and examine the way in which textiles are designed, produced, used and discarded, moving away from a linear economy to a just, sustainable and circular textile industry. Stakeholders involved in the work of the group include those from the social enterprise/charity sector as well as textile recyclers operating in Ireland and retailers.  Full information on the work of the Textile Advisory Group can be found at gov.ie (www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/528f7-circular-economy/#textiles).

The work of the sub-group is also helping to inform Ireland’s negotiating position on the proposal for a revision of the Waste Framework Directive. On 05 July 2023, the European Commission published its proposal for targeted amendments to that directive with respect to both food waste and textiles. The proposed revisions aim to introduce a mandatory and harmonised EU wide Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for textile waste, supporting the EU requirement to have a separate collection of textiles in place by 01 January 2025, however, negotiations on the legal instrument are yet to begin in earnest.

Feedback from all members of our Textiles Advisory Group on a proposed EPR for textiles in Ireland was invited and received.  At this very early stage of the negotiations, my Department has submitted high level comments only on the proposal but will be fully engaged as discussions progress in the coming months.

Regarding the separate collection of textiles, and within the framework of the Textile Advisory Group, the Local Authority Sector is leading a sub-working group on Post-Use Textiles.  This group includes representation from the social enterprise, charity and textile collection operators. Given the importance of our textile banks in the orderly management of used textiles, I understand that their role and regulation will also be considered within the work of that sub-working group.  Those deliberations are on-going, but I expect to receive recommendations from the Textile Advisory Group process before the end of the year.

Questions Nos. 42 and 43 answered with Question No. 41.

Broadband Infrastructure

Questions (44)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Question:

44. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the timeframe for the roll-out of at least 30mb broadband speeds to a location (details supplied) in County Donegal as part of the national broadband plan; if such areas with poor or no broadband coverage shall be prioritised during the roll-out phase as part of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44105/23]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (Deputy Eamon Ryan)

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

These targets will be achieved through a combination of commercial investments and through the State investment in National Broadband Ireland (NBI).

Commercial operators’ fibre rollouts are progressing at pace. Eir is in the process of building a FTTP (Fibre To The Premises) network to 1.9 million premises. SIRO recently reaching a milestone of enabling 520,000 premises for full fibre, and is on track to reach 700,000 premises by 2026. Virgin Media recently announced plans to bring 2Gbps services to 345,000 premises, through an upgrade and expansion of their own network, and to bring gigabit broadband upgrades to 1 million premises.

The National Broadband Plan intervention contract provides for the roll out of a high speed and future-proofed broadband network to primarily rural areas. The intervention area covers over 1.1 million people living and working in over 560,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with some 679 schools.

The Government and NBI have agreed to accelerate the rollout of high-speed broadband to schools across the State in the Intervention Area. According to NBI, this acceleration will be complete by the end of 2023. This will ensure that all schools across the State will have the necessary infrastructure to carry out their critical day to day educational activities unimpeded by poor broadband. As of 29 September 2023, NBI reports that the necessary infrastructure is installed in 669 Primary Schools in the Intervention area with 29 installed by other operators as agreed with the Department of Education and the remaining installed by NBI.  NBI reports that 484 schools have been connected and that 484 schools are live.

The school referred to in the question is part of the NBI rollout and I am informed by my officials that high-speed broadband has been connected to the school  since April this year. However, we will engage with our colleagues in the Department of Education to ensure that the school is availing of the network provided by NBI.

Recent ComReg data shows that Quarter 2, 2023 saw a 7.4% increase in fibre broadband subscriptions compared to the first 3 months of the year, and a 33.7% increase when compared to Quarter 2 of 2022. This demonstrates that take-up of fibre connectivity for homes and businesses is increasing massively as it is deployed to areas where it had previously been unavailable. The same ComReg data also indicates that c.40% of homes and business throughout the State now have access to gigabit services through either fibre (576,856) or cable (359,669) infrastructure.

Departmental Properties

Questions (45)

Violet-Anne Wynne

Question:

45. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the full complement of buildings and lands owned by his Department, or by agencies under the aegis of his Department in County Clare; if they are currently in use, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44156/23]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

My Department does not own any buildings or land in county Clare.

The information requested in relation to the agencies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for each agency. The Department will request the relevant bodies to reply directly to the Deputy with the information requested in respect of their organisations.

Official Engagements

Questions (46)

Darren O'Rourke

Question:

46. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he has spoken to the United States Secretary for Defence to date in 2023. [43650/23]

Written answers

Minister for Defence (Deputy Micheál Martin)

To date in 2023, in my capacity as Minister for Defence, I have not spoken with the United States Secretary of Defence, Lloyd Austin.

However, I look forward to engaging collectively and bilaterally with international colleagues as and when the opportunities present themselves. In that regard, I look forward to an opportunity to speak or meet with Secretary Austin.

Defence Forces

Questions (47)

Darren O'Rourke

Question:

47. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the nature of refurbishment works that were carried out Gormanstown Camp to date in 2023; if each refurbishment works programme is completed or still ongoing; and if still ongoing, when those refurbishment works will be completed, in tabular form. [43651/23]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Defence

I can advise the Deputy that the following significant capital projects are currently underway at Gormanston Camp, at stages ranging from design planning to construction, representing a total estimated value of over €21 million:

Project	Status
Refurbishment of Building 23	Currently on site - expected completion in January 2024.
New Dining Hall Complex	Design Team appointed and currently undergoing planning and design.
New Gymnasium and Obstacle Course	Currently undergoing planning and design.
New Accommodation Block	Planning and design to commence.

Defence Forces

Questions (48)

Ivana Bacik

Question:

48. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if the Defence Forces own properties or sites which are vacant or derelict; if so, the number and addresses of such properties; if they are recorded on the vacancy or dereliction registers; and the reason for which they are vacant or derelict, in tabular form. [43706/23]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Defence

I assume the Deputy is referring to residential type properties housing within military installations. The allocation of such housing is decided locally by the military authorities. My Department has requested updated statistics on same and I will arrange to forward these to the Deputy when available.

The administration of the derelict sites register is a matter for the relevant local authority.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51

I refer to the above- referenced Parliamentary Question (43706) in which you sought information in regards to whether the Defence Forces own properties or sites which are vacant or derelict; if so, the number and addresses of such properties; if they are recorded on the vacancy or dereliction registers; and the reason for which they are vacant or derelict, in tabular form. As noted in my reply in the Dáil, the allocation of residential type properties within military installations is decided locally by the military authorities. Please find below table listing uninhabitable or vacant DF accommodation properties as requested. Some properties have been vested to DPER, these are noted in the table. As previously noted, the administration of the derelict sites register is a matter for the relevant local authority.

Deferred Response Table 43706

Naval Service

Questions (49)

Brendan Howlin

Question:

49. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence following the successful operation of the Joint Task Force in interdicting a huge drugs consignment off the Irish coast, and acknowledging the importance of having members of An Garda Síochána and the Revenue Commissioners on secondment to the Maritime Operations Centre in Lisbon, if it is intended that an Irish naval officer would also be seconded there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43764/23]

Written answers

Minister for Defence (Deputy Micheál Martin)

As the Deputy will be aware overall responsibility for the prevention of drug trafficking rests primarily with the Customs Service of the Revenue Commissioners, while responsibility for the prevention of crime rests primarily with An Garda Síochána.

I understand that the Naval Service has enjoyed a highly beneficial relationship with MAOC (N) since its establishment in 2007, participating in a number of successful joint task force operations with partner nations and agencies across Europe and the Atlantic and ongoing consultation between MAOC (N) and Naval Service Command will continue in order to ensure provision of maritime military expertise in support of future MAOC (N) operations. I am advised that my Department has not received a formal request from the appropriate authorities for the secondment of a Naval Officer as referred to by the Deputy.