Written Answers Nos. 111-130
111. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the WTE staff by job title working in the geological survey division of his Department as of 3 January 2024; the number of vacancies currently in this division; and when he expects these vacancies be filled, in tabular form. [1171/24]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that the information requested from my Department can be found on the table below:
|
Job Title |
Number |
Vacancies |
Expected to be filled |
|
Director of G.S.I |
1 |
|
|
|
Assistant Principal |
1 |
|
|
|
Senior Geologist |
10 |
|
|
|
Chief Superintendent |
1 |
|
|
|
GIS Manager |
1 |
|
|
|
Principal Geologist |
3 |
1 |
Q1 2024 |
|
Geologist |
9 |
|
|
|
GIS Officer |
1 |
|
|
|
Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
|
|
Driller |
3 |
|
|
|
Higher Executive Officer |
2 |
|
|
|
Cartographer GSI |
1 |
|
|
|
Executive Officer |
2 |
|
|
|
Clerical Officer |
5 |
|
|
|
Total |
41 |
|
|
112. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide an update on the Celtic Interconnector; and if the project is on track to meet the target of a 2026 completion date. [1209/24]
View answerThe Celtic Interconnector is a proposed 700 MW electricity interconnector between Brittany and East Cork, promoted and developed by the Irish electricity Transmission System Operator, EirGrid, and its French counterpart, Reseau de Transporte d’Électricite (RTÉ). The project remains on target for energisation in 2026 with takeover planned for March 2027.
Construction activity has commenced in France and as of November 2023 on-land cable works for the Celtic Interconnector project commenced in Ireland. Cable manufacturing timelines remain as per contracted timeframes and some marine survey works were undertaken in 2023 by the cable contractor.
On 13 November 2023, Ireland and France marked the commencement of construction on the Celtic Interconnector project with a visit from a French Government Delegation. The start of construction on the project signifies an important step forward for the energy future of both countries. It will include enough capacity to power 450,000 homes and will create a direct electricity link from Ireland to the EU Internal Energy Market, as well as enhanced market competition and security of electricity supply, to the benefit of Irish and French electricity customers.
113. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason a property (details supplied) was not included in the roll-out of the National Broadband Plan as it does not have access to 30Mb/s of broadband at present and there is no time indication when this will happen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1276/24]
View answerIn 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 commercial operators investing in their networks, complemented by the State’s National Broadband Plan intervention. When taken together, all premises in the State will have access to high-speed broadband in every part of the country no matter how remote.
The BLUE area represents those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high-speed broadband services. The Department defines high-speed broadband as a connection with minimum speeds of 30Mbps download and 6Mbps upload. The activities of commercial operators delivering high-speed broadband within BLUE areas are not planned or funded by the State and the Department has no statutory authority to intervene in that regard. There may be a choice of operators offering this service in any given area. Further information in this regard is available at www.comreg.ie/compare/#/services.
If a person lives in the BLUE area and after contacting their Retail Service Provider are told they cannot get access to greater than 30Mbps, they should raise a query via the DECC webform at secure.dccae.gov.ie/forms/NBP-Customer-Service.aspx and DECC will escalate with open eir to investigate this matter further.
For individual queries received through the Department’s Broadband webform, the location of the premises being investigated is compared against the available commercial operators’ plans, where these plans have been voluntarily shared with the Department. This is to confirm if there are forthcoming commercial plans to provide high-speed broadband to serve the premises in question. Therefore, the current lack of high-speed broadband availability in these areas, may be resolved by commercial operators in the short to medium term. As a result of the planned commercial activity mentioned above, the Department considers it to be prudent, to only reclassify premises in the most exceptional circumstances and include them in the Intervention Area. For example, where there may be a very small number of mapping anomalies identified, adding them to the IA will not impact on the existing detailed design from NBI for the immediate area. There may also be a limited number of premises that cannot be served by the eir Commitment Agreement that are returned to the IA.
The Department expects that the majority of the Blue area of the NBP Map will be served with high-speed broadband from commercial operators. The European Electronics Communications Code (EECC) requires a broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) to be implemented by Member States, which provides an assurance that all premises can access a high-speed broadband connection. This provides another tool to help deliver upon the NBP’s policy objectives that every home and business in the country will have access to high-speed broadband.
The EECC legislation now transposed into Irish Law provides a broadband USO, which will designate a Significant Market Power (SMP) for broadband in specific areas. Therefore, premises that do not have access to “adequate” broadband will be covered by the USO. The timeframe for implementation of the USO is yet to be finalised, however it is likely to provide some safeguards to citizens in the commercial areas, ensuring they get access to adequate broadband services from operators in these areas.
Commercial operators’ fibre rollouts are progressing at pace. Open eir have already passed over over 1.1 million homes. SIRO has recently reached a milestone of enabling over 555,000 premises for full fibre and is on track to reach 700,000 premises by 2026. Virgin Media recently announced a €200 million investment plan to upgrade its cable network to bring full fibre to up to 1 million premises over the next three years, to date it has passed 252,000 premises with full fibre.
Recent ComReg data shows that Quarter 2 of 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 substantially 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.
114. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if an additional Eircode will be assigned to a building (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1306/24]
View answerCapita Business Support Services Ireland, trading as Eircode, assigns Eircodes to new property addresses using a valid postal address and verified geo-locations. An Post collects information on all new and existing buildings, as well as changes to existing addresses and Tailte Éireann (formerly Ordnance Survey Ireland) provides the geo-locations for these buildings. An Post GeoDirectory (APG), a subsidiary company of An Post and Tailte Éireann, issue a new release of database files monthly to Capita in accordance with their revised licence agreement.
Capita have advised my officials that they have been in direct contact with the individual in question. An Post have confirmed to my officials that the property in question has been assigned a verified postal address. My officials are liaising with Tailte Éireann in relation to a verified geo-location for this property. The updated information will then be included in the database files supplied to Capita from APG.
In recognition of the fact that earlier assignment of Eircodes for new builds is desirable, Capita have now reduced the timeframe to assign Eircodes from quarterly to a monthly basis. All new Eircodes will be published on the free to use Eircode Finder website, a notification letter will be issued to the property occupant containing the new Eircode and an updated Eircode Database files will be provided to licenced businesses for their use. The average number of Eircodes assigned to new properties on a monthly basis is currently c.3,693.
115. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the current SEAI housing insulation scheme (details supplied) will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1461/24]
View answerIn February 2022, the Government launched a package of supports to make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to undertake home energy upgrades, for warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes, with lower energy bills.
It is important to note that the grants available through SEAI aim to maximise emissions reductions and deliver energy savings for the widest range of homeowners possible. The grants which are available, and their respective eligibility criteria, were selected as the most likely to deliver significant energy savings to homeowners as well as the best value for money for the Exchequer. The grant schemes provided by SEAI are reviewed on a regular basis.
Under the SEAI home energy upgrade schemes, the general principle applies whereby grant funding can only be issued once per measure per property.
However, under the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme, a homeowner may be permitted to avail of a second grant for a measure where it is recommended in the One Stop Shop (OSS) Home Energy Assessment to achieve the B2 and heat pump target. In cases where the OSS determines through the Home Energy Assessment and Heat Loss Indicator assessment that a second wall insulation is required to meet the heat pump requirement, then grant support for a second measure is permitted as follows:
- Internal Wall Insulation is eligible where cavity has previously been funded.
- External wall insulation is eligible where either cavity or internal wall insulation has been funded.
Further information on the grants available from SEAI under the One-Stop-Shop scheme can be found on their website: seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants/one-stop-shop/
In addition, SEAI has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members, and it is open to the Deputy to forward any specifics regarding the matters raised to that address so that they can be examined and addressed promptly, in line with SEAI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards. The email address is oireachtas@seai.ie.
116. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to examine a matter (details supplied) in relation to the NBI broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1507/24]
View answerComReg conducted a public consultation on a switch-off of the eir copper network and received submissions from a range of bodies. ComReg issued a ‘Response to Consultation and Decision’ on the matter on 1st November 2023, which placed detailed regulatory obligations which eir need to comply with in the event that eir decide to proceed with switching off their copper based network. These obligations provide protections for consumers and businesses.
The ComReg decision is available on the ComReg website at www.comreg.ie/publication/framework-for-the-migration-from-legacy-infrastructure-to-modern-infrastructure-2. Under this Decision eir must submit a plan to ComReg and I understand that no such plan has been submitted to date.
118. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the process for a firm to register on the SEAI website; what checks are performed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1593/24]
View answer119. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will report on concerns (details supplied) that insufficient oversight is performed on firms registered on the SEAI website; the measures he is taking to address these concerns and to provide adequate protection to people pursuing energy upgrades; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1594/24]
View answer120. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he is aware of recent reports (details supplied) that due to firms going into liquidation, would be customers have lost significant investment into home energy upgrades; what measures he is taking to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1595/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 118, 119 and 120 together.
The Domestic Solar PV scheme operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), provides grant supports to homeowners wishing to increase the proportion of renewable electricity they consume by installing solar panels on their property.
Successful applicants receive grant payments for Solar PV systems installed by registered companies in accordance with the specified terms and conditions. Registration with SEAI does not guarantee or warranty a company or their works and SEAI encourages applicants to shop around, check references and carry out appropriate due diligence on their chosen solar PV company.
Scheme applicants are required to have a contract in place with their chosen solar PV company which provides appropriate levels of consumer protection. Any payment schedules agreed to by the homeowner with their chosen solar PV company, is a contractual matter between those two parties, as is the case for any goods, works and services contracts. As SEAI is not a party to such contracts, they are unable to intervene. SEAI remains available to process grant applications for any homeowners affected by a company going into liquidation, should the applicant choose to proceed with a different registered solar PV company and where no works have been completed, subject to the normal scheme T&Cs. As part of their administration of the solar PV scheme, SEAI maintains a register of solar PV companies who are authorised to complete works under the scheme. To register, companies must demonstrate continued tax compliance, give evidence of requisite insurance cover and commit to installing the works in accordance with the prescribed technical requirements. More information on the registration process and required documents for solar PV companies and installers is available on the SEAI website: www.seai.ie/register-with-seai/solar-pv-installer/solar-pv-scheme/
121. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he has assessed the capital investment which will be required in Ireland to meet higher recycling and reuse targets and lower exports of materials for recycling over the years to 2030 and beyond; if it is anticipated that this investment will require State direct investment or State support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1606/24]
View answerThe Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy (WAPCE), Ireland’s National Waste Policy for the period 2020 to 2025, sets out an overall policy and regulatory approach to support the development of adequate and appropriate treatment capacity at indigenous facilities to ensure that the full circularity and resource potential of materials is captured in Ireland. This policy and regulatory framework is intended to create the market conditions required to support indigenous capacity by ensuring that the right material ends up in the right bin, and in a suitable condition, thus making it available for separate collection and subsequent recycling, reuse, or repair. Incentivised pricing systems backed by strong and consistent enforcement also play a key role. The measures outline in the WAPC provide a significant incentive to drive segregation, increasing the value of the contents of recycling bins and brown bins and thereby creating the necessary conditions to support the viability of indigenous recycling capacity as well as composting and digestate facilities. The Regional Waste Management Planning Offices will shortly launch a new National Waste Management Plan (NWMP) which will set out the required actions at local and regional levels to deliver on the WAPCE and support Ireland's circular economy transition.
A number of measures outlined in the WAPCE have already been successfully introduced, including the following:
• The revision of the list of material accepted in the missed dry recyclable bin to now include soft plastics.
• The introduction of incentivised waste collection charging in the commercial waste sector.
• The introduction of an initial €10 per tonne Waste Recovery Levy on municipal waste recovery operations in Ireland and on the export of municipal waste for recovery abroad.
• An increase of €10 per tonne on the existing Landfill Levy from €75 per tonne to €85 per tonne.
• The expansion of the household “brown” bin collection service to now make it mandatory as part of a waste collection service for all households.
• Continued efforts to drive behavioural change through education and awareness campaigns.
• Ensuring that waste enforcement activities are focused on maximising the proper segregation and recycling of municipal waste through making household and commercial waste a National Waste Enforcement Priority.
• A number of other significant measures, which are due to be delivered over the lifetime of the WAPCE, will also have a major impact on our municipal recycling rates including a Deposit and Return Scheme (DRS) for certain plastic bottles and aluminium cans which will come into operation in February 2024.
122. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when he expects to fill the vacancies on the board of Inland Fisheries Ireland. [1629/24]
View answerOn 20th December 2023, I announced the appointment of a Chairperson and eight members to the Board of Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) to commence their terms of office on 16 January 2024. The board members are:
Professor Tom Collins – Chairperson
Maria Graham
Jackie Maguire
Raymond O’Dwyer
Aebhín Cawley
Jonathan Derham
Karin Dubsky
Paul Leo Connolly
Lorraine O’Donnell (Staff Representative)
These board appointments were made pursuant to Section 12 of the Inland Fisheries Act 2010, in accordance with the Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards and the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies.
123. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when he last met the CEO of the ESB. [1630/24]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that I last met the CEO of the ESB Mr Paddy Hayes on the 31st of August 2023.
125. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he is aware of reports that the EPA and SEAI are only including Dublin Airport’s on-site operating emissions in their reports, that this would not include emissions driven by its core business (aviation) or any associated road traffic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1659/24]
View answerAs a public body, the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) reports its energy consumption and energy-related emissions data to the SEAI annually via the SEAI’s monitoring and reporting system. The SEAI uses the data reported by each public body to track its progress towards 2030 energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets for the public sector. The scope of energy consumption reportable by a public body for the energy efficiency target is the energy consumed by the public body in undertaking its activities and delivering its services. For an airport, this would exclude energy consumed by passengers or staff travelling to/from the airport and energy used by flights to/from the airport. The greenhouse gas emissions that are tracked by the SEAI are, therefore, the energy-related emissions arising from the energy consumption reported by the public body.
Dublin Airport is also a permitted entity under the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) in respect of its on-site combined heat and power (CHP) plants, which are used to heat buildings across the airport. The EPA is responsible for administering the EU ETS in Ireland which includes issuing greenhouse gas permits. The permit requires the holder to monitor, report and verify their emissions to the EPA, and to purchase EU ETS allowances to cover those emissions.
Since 2012, the EU ETS also applies to aviation activities. This requires all airlines operating in the EU, regardless of ownership, to monitor, report and verify their emissions, and to purchase and surrender allowances against those emissions. This system ensures that the entity that is producing emissions is also required to pay for them, acting as an incentive for a reduction in emissions over time.
126. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications in light of the Post Office scandal in the UK, if he has considered conducting a review of the situation of postmasters in this country, or of the potential need for an independent adjudication mechanism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1664/24]
View answerThere are no plans to establish an Ombudsman for the Post Office network. An Post is a commercial State body with a mandate to act commercially.
The operation of the post office network and the terms under which Postmasters contract with An Post is a matter between the Postmasters and An Post and any negotiations are a matter for both parties directly and I, as Minister, have no function.
127. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No. 118 of 21 November 2023, to provide an update on the development of the National Biomethane Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1721/24]
View answerThe National Biomethane Strategy is being developed around a number of key pillars to ensure that the necessary pathway to the delivery of 5.7TWh of indigenously produced biomethane by 2030 is established.
The Strategy is currently at an advanced stage of drafting and a draft will be submitted to Government for consideration prior to publication. The Strategy is being developed under the remit of the Biomethane Working Group, chaired by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and in conjunction with my Department.
The Working Group has undertaken examination of the actions necessary to develop an anaerobic digestion industry of scale in Ireland. Extensive analysis on the best end use of biomethane has also been conducted, paying particular focus on production in a sustainable manner.
128. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No. 105 of 28 September 2023, the number of submissions received by his Department as part of the public consultation on private wires; when he expects the policy on private wires to be finalised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1734/24]
View answerDuring 2023, my Department held a public consultation on private wires. The consultation ran from 18th August until 27th October 2023 and during this time over 120 submissions were received. Work in respect of the consultation submissions is currently ongoing within my Department, with a report on submission responses expected for publication in Q2.
The aim of this consultation was to gather the views of the public, stakeholders and interested parties alike, to consolidate our understanding of the role which private wires may play in the future Irish electricity ecosystem, as well as to identify the challenges and opportunities such a policy change may present. Publication of the consultation represented the first step towards a final policy and completed action EL/23/15 of the Climate Action Plan 2023.
If permitted for, private wires would allow private individuals and/or undertakings to install their own privately owned electricity infrastructure linking generation with demand. This would represent a major shift in electricity policy in the State and as such may impact upon all citizens while also overhauling aspects of the electricity sector which have been in place since soon after the foundation of the State.
In accordance with Action EL/24/9 of the recently published Climate Action Plan 24, it is intended to publish a private wires policy during Q4 2024.
129. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide an update on the required establishment of dedicated resources within regional lead authorities to provide co-ordination, expertise and advice to ensure enforcement of the new air-quality regulations nationwide, further to the €500,000 awarded to local authorities to support targeted enforcement campaigns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1757/24]
View answerMy Department has continued to work with the Local Government Management Agency to develop the business case for an enhanced enforcement structure to support the provision of improved co-ordination, expertise, and advice to underpin consistent implementation of air quality legislation across the country. I have made funding of up to €3m available to support this regional enforcement group and I expect the business case to be submitted formally to the sector for approval in the coming months.
In the absence of a co-ordination body, officials from my Department have been engaging directly with enforcement personnel on the ground, developing guidance and training, holding workshops, providing funding, and supporting the sharing of best practice in relation to a range of legislative obligations that are under the remit of the Local Authorities.
Delivering the enhanced enforcement model must be a priority for the sector in 2024, not just in terms of improving the health of the people Local Authorities serve, but in protecting compliant local businesses from unscrupulous actors seeking to gain commercial advantage through abuse of both environmental and tax laws. In the interim I will continue to make funding available to support specific enforcement programmes throughout 2024.
130. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if there is any possibility of ensuring a fully funded energy upgrade scheme application by a person (details supplied) is processed as a matter of priority due to medical need. [1770/24]
View answerThe Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) operates the Warmer Homes Scheme on behalf of my Department. Delivering free energy upgrades to low-income households and reducing the waiting times for the Warmer Homes Scheme is a top priority for my Department and the SEAI.
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 such applications. Applications are assessed on the basis of when they first apply to SEAI. Homes with the worst Building Energy Ratings (E, F or G) are then prioritised for works. No other prioritisation takes place under the scheme.
Applicants 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 on applicants by contacting the dedicated email address oireachtas@seai.ie.
SEAI has also published information on their website in relation to waiting times at the various stages of the scheme: www.seai.ie/grants/home-energy-grants/fully-funded-upgrades-for-eligible-homes/#:~:text=online%20here.-,Waiting,-Times%3A
The Deputy may wish to note that Government also has other schemes and supports in place which may be of assistance where there is an urgent need:
• The Department of Social Protection's Additional Needs Payment is a payment available to people who have essential expenses that they cannot pay from their weekly income. Additional Needs Payments are paid under Supplementary Welfare Allowance which is administered by the Community Welfare Service (CWS) or the Department of Social Protection. Details are available here: www.gov.ie/en/service/4eb45-additional-needs-pay
• The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage's Housing Adaptation Grants for People with a Disability assists people with a disability to have necessary adaptations, repairs or improvement works carried out in order to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. Details are available here: gov.ie - Housing Adaptation Grants for older people and people with a disability (Private Houses) (www.gov.ie)
