Written Answers Nos. 51-70
51. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to ensure Ireland’s commitments under the political declaration regarding the use of explosive weapons in populated areas are being vindicated in relation to the ongoing bombardment by Israel of Gaza, one of the most densely populated areas on earth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1901/24]
View answerIn line with our commitments under the Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences arising from the use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas, Ireland continues to reiterate the international humanitarian law obligations upon all actors to distinguish at all times between civilians and combatants, and to take all feasible precautions to protect civilians. As per our commitments under the Declaration, Ireland strongly condemns any attacks directed against civilians, other protected persons and civilian objects, as well as any indiscriminate attacks including the firing of indiscriminate rockets, and the use of heavy munitions with a wide blast-area in heavily populated urban centres when their use may be expected to cause harm to civilians.
Ireland seeks adherence to the commitments under the Declaration by all parties to armed conflict. I have raised this issue on a number of occasions at the EU Foreign Affairs Council and have reiterated my grave concern at the unacceptably high civilian death toll and massive destruction of property throughout Gaza. I have made clear my view that we urgently need to see an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of hostages and full, safe and unhindered access to humanitarian aid for the civilian population in Gaza; Ireland's view remains that this should be a united EU position and we will continue to advocate for this at EU level.
53. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will report on the most recent visit of officials from his Department and the Environmental Protection Agency to the Sellafield nuclear facility; their findings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56807/23]
View answerOfficials from my Department and from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) most recently visited the Sellafield site in July 2023. A similar visit took place in July 2022 and another is planned for later this year. These visits are an important opportunity for my officials and the EPA to see at first hand the decommissioning operations now underway at the various individual facilities at Sellafield following the ending of power generation activities in 2003, and nuclear fuel reprocessing in 2022.
I and my Department want to see that the current levels of progress being made on the site on the various projects dealing with the legacy issues is maintained. I also want to ensure that there is a continued commitment, financial and otherwise, by the UK Government to this work.
To ensure Ireland's input into this process, on-going engagement at a technical and regulatory level through the UK Ireland Contact Group on Radiological Matters allows Ireland unprecedented access to documentation, personnel and reports about the Sellafield facility.
54. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if heat tests are carried out as part of the national retrofitting programme in advance of carrying out a retrofit. [56223/23]
View answer141. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications how many homes were heat pump assessed in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023; how many of these were found not to be suitable for heat pumps; how many were offered alternatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1909/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 141 together.
The Climate Action Plan and National Retrofit Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2/cost optimal and the installation of 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes to replace older, less efficient heating systems by end-2030.
The SEAI advises that heat pump heating systems are most efficient when they operate in homes with a low level of heat loss. The metric used to determine whether the dwelling has a sufficiently low level of heat loss is the “Heat Loss Indicator” (HLI).
In order to avail of the heat pump grant, a homeowner must first get an SEAI registered Technical Advisor to carry out an assessment of their home. This assesses the suitability of the premises for a heat pump or whether any other upgrades are necessary. In some instances, the additional upgrades required will qualify for SEAI grants.
In addition, under the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme (NHEUS), since February 2022 grant support has been made available for homeowners to have a more wide-ranging Home Energy Assessment (HEA) carried out which provides information on: Pre-works BER; HLI & Heat Pump design; Design for upgrade to BER B2 and beyond; and Cost estimate quotes and grants available. The HEA is especially recommended if a heat pump is being installed as part of a whole-of-home retrofit project.
It is important to note that a home does not fail a heat pump assessment - rather the assessment identifies the elements that require upgrading in the home for the installation of a heat pump. An independent Technical Advisor, who is registered with SEAI, is engaged by the homeowner. The Technical Advisor guides the homeowner on: the energy performance of the dwelling; the suitability of the dwelling for a heat pump system based on the dwelling’s heat loss; and measures necessary to ensure that the dwelling fabric heat loss is lowered to an acceptable level for a heat pump system to perform effectively and efficiently.
SEAI has also commenced a Residential Heat Pump and Heat Loss Indicator research study involving up to 1,000 homes to test the performance of heat pumps across homes with a higher level of heat loss than is currently required by SEAI for grant support. The Pilot remains open to homeowners wishing to participate. SEAI has advised my Department that the scheme has launched and results from participating homes are expected in 2025. Pending the findings of the study, this could allow heat pumps to be installed in many more homes currently deemed ineligible.
Available data provided by SEAI regarding Heat Pumps assessments can be found in the below tables. It should be noted that an application may be made in one year and paid in another.
Table 1a – Better Energy Homes Scheme
|
programme |
Year |
Technical Assessment Applications |
Technical Assessments Paid |
|
BEH |
2020 |
1,065 |
665 |
|
BEH |
2021 |
1,187 |
867 |
|
BEH |
2022 |
2,291 |
1,333 |
|
BEH |
2023 |
1,939 |
1,831 |
Table 1b – National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme
|
programme |
Year |
Home Energy Assessments Applications |
Home Energy Assessments Paid |
|
NHEUS |
2022 |
1,648 |
667 |
|
NHEUS |
2023 |
2,704 |
2,169 |
55. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if a series of matters (details supplied) will be taken into account rather than introducing a brown tag regime on the Roughty River in Kilgarvan; if a person from his Department will meet with an organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56295/23]
View answerIn December of each year a suite of secondary legislation – including the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations (WSSTTSRs) – is made by my Department to set out the fisheries management regime for the following year. This is based on the individual annual assessments of Ireland's salmon rivers carried out by the independent Technical Expert Group on Salmon (TEGOS) in conjunction with Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI).
Every year, each of Ireland's more than 140 genetically distinct salmon stocks, including in the Roughty, is assessed by the independent TEGOS Group. TEGOS is comprised of scientists from a range of organisations and use data averaged over 5 years to ensure that a "good" or "bad" year does not disproportionately impact its evidence-based assessments. These assessments support the annual management advice given by IFI which enables the implementation of legislation for the management of salmon for the coming year.
The primary determinant of facilitating fishing is the availability of a harvestable surplus above the individual river's conservation limit (CL) which is the number of adult spawning fish required to maintain a viable population above safe biological limits as scientifically established.
TEGOS have determined through scientific assessment of the Roughty stock that there is a modest harvestable surplus available for the 2024 angling season (+247), however the size of the surplus above the conservation limit (CL) gives rise to a risk of over-exploitation of stocks. Therefore, it was and is considered necessary to introduce a Brown Gill Tag system on the river to conserve stocks and to monitor angling quotas while ensuring that river-based quotas are not exceeded. The facilitating of a fully open harvestable fishery on the Roughty, either for angling or commercial means, in the current circumstances would be irresponsible, detrimental to the river's biodiversity and ecological balance and run counter to the conservation imperative.
The status of the Roughty stock for 2024 is given legislative effect in the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2023 which came into operation on 1 January 2024, following the completion of a 30-day public consultation process. In setting out annual fisheries legislation, Minsters since 2006, have consistently acted in line with the Government decision that salmon management is aligned with scientific advice. Consequently, the Roughty is open with a requirement for Brown Tags based on the best available current scientific advice. The status of the salmon stocks in the River Roughty will again be reviewed in annual scientific assessments later this year for the 2025 fishing season.
IFI, as the State Body with responsibility for the protection, management, conservation, promotion, marketing and development of the inland fisheries resource, may be best placed to discuss these issues with the Anglers' Club, who may wish to make contact with the IFI.
56. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he is aware of concerns (details supplied) concerning the warmer home scheme, that inadequate work is carried out to reach a B2 standard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56305/23]
View answerThe Warmer Homes Scheme delivers free energy upgrades for eligible homeowners in low-income households who are most at risk of energy poverty. Since the start of the scheme in 2000, over 150,000 free upgrades have been supported by the scheme.
The objective of the scheme is to make eligible homes warmer, healthier and cheaper to run by providing suitable energy efficiency upgrades from the measures offered under the scheme. The upgrades recommended for a given property depend on many factors, including age, type and condition of the property. For each eligible home, SEAI’s technical surveyor determines which upgrades can be installed and funded. These can include:
- Attic insulation and appropriate ventilation;
- Wall insulation and appropriate ventilation – cavity wall, external wall or dry lining depending on the property;
- Secondary measures – lagging jackets, draughtproofing, energy efficient lighting;
- In certain circumstances: heating system replacements, window replacements where the wall is being insulated
Contractors operating under any scheme supported by an SEAI grant must carry out the works in line with the Domestic Technical Standards and Specifications as well as best practice and technical guidance document. In addition, contractors are required to demonstrate their tax compliance and insurance cover and cooperate with the scheme's Quality Assurance programme.
As Minister I have no function in relation to individual applications to the scheme which are a matter for SEAI. SEAI has established a specific email address for Oireachtas members so that queries in relation to individual applications can be addressed promptly, in line with SEAI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards. The email address is oireachtas@seai.ie.
57. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he is aware of the €170.2 million underspend in residential and community retrofits in 2022; the factors that caused this underspend; the steps that he took to address them; if he anticipates an underspend in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56310/23]
View answerThe total allocation for SEAI residential and community energy upgrade schemes in 2022 was €321.495 million. This includes funding from the Vote, the Energy Efficiency National Fund and a deferred surrender.
Of this amount, total expenditure by SEAI on residential/community energy upgrade schemes was over €200 million with a capital spend of €192.6 million. This capital spend represented a 90% increase on the spend in 2021. The balance was comprised of:
• €128.63 million which was transferred from the residential and community retrofit programme subhead to the Electricity Credit subhead as part of a supplementary estimate in March 2022 to part fund the energy credits.
• A further €40 million was transferred following a second supplementary to fund Emergency Generation Capacity.
• This left a final underspend of €1.54 million.
The expected overall capital spend by SEAI on the Residential and Community Retrofit Schemes in 2023 is €324.5 million versus an allocation of €356.4 million. This spend represents an increase of approximately 68% when compared to 2022. Key drivers of the underspend were:
• Adverse weather episodes had a considerable impact on the outturn of a number of schemes during the year;
• A number of One-Stop-Shops (OSSs) were still building capacity to deliver the number of upgrades expected. An increase in the number of OSSs to now stand at 17 is expected to improve the capacity to deliver in 2024. In addition, the launch of the new loan scheme is expected to stimulate additional demand for deep retrofits this year.
• A number of projects under the Community Energy Grants Scheme were large and complex which required longer to deliver than expected. Demand for the Scheme remains strong however and a number of new contracts have been approved in 2023 for works to be completed in 2024.
58. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of retrofits carried out in 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, broken down by scheme and by pre to post-BER ratings, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56315/23]
View answer59. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the average energy uplift as part of the warmer homes scheme in 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, broken down by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56316/23]
View answer60. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the average energy uplift per SEAI scheme in 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56317/23]
View answer72. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of retrofits completed broken down, by SEAI scheme and the pre-BER, post-BER of completed projects in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56578/23]
View answer92. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of homes upgraded to BER B2 under SEAI retrofitting in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57063/23]
View answer93. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of heat pumps installed on an annual basis in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57064/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 58 to 60, inclusive, 72, 92 and 93 together.
The Climate Action Plan and National Retrofit Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2/cost optimal and the installation of 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes to replace older, less efficient heating systems by end-2030.
To promote and incentivise the achievement of these targets, in 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.
Since then demand across the SEAI grant supported schemes has been exceptionally high with indicative figures from SEAI showing that in 2023:
• A total of 47,952 home energy upgrades were supported. This represents a 76% increase in outputs year on year.
• Of this amount, 17,599 homes achieved a B2 Building Energy Rating. This represents an 107% increase on B2 upgrades supported in 2022.
• Under the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme 5,897 free upgrades for energy poor homes were delivered. This represents an 33% increase in free upgrades provided versus 2022.
• Final capital spend in 2023 for Subhead B4 was €324.5m, this compares to 2022 expenditure of €192.4m equating to a year-on-year increase of 68%
• 18 OSSs are now registered.
• In addition, 67,411 applications for grant support were received by SEAI equating to a 34% increase on 2022 levels. This indicates a strong pipeline of works for 2024.
It should be noted that in line with the respective terms and conditions of the various SEAI energy efficiency schemes, not all homeowners are not required to have a pre-works Building Energy Rating (BER) to qualify for grant support:
• Better Energy Homes and Solar PV Schemes: homeowners are not required to have a pre-works Building Energy Rating (BER) to qualify for grant support, and for this reason data on the average energy uplift is not available for homes upgraded under these schemes.
• Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme: Pre-works BER data is only available from 2023.
• National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme and Community Energy Grant Scheme: A pre-works BER is required for all homes.
Regarding the requested information on the average energy uplift for properties upgraded under the SEAI energy efficiency schemes:
• Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme: the average energy uplift in 2023 was E2 to C3.
• National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme (including pilots): the average energy uplift in 2023 was D2 to A3, and in 2022 it was from D1 to A3.
• Community Energy Grants scheme: the average energy uplift in 2023 was D2 to A2, and in 2022 it was from D2 to A3.
The remainder of the requested data can be found detailed in the tables attached provided by SEAI.
The SEAI Quarterly Progress Report for Quarter 3, 2023 can be found at: www.seai.ie/publications/SEAI-Retrofit-Quarterly-Report-Q3-2023.pdf. The Q4 report will follow shortly.
61. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications how many sold fuel homes were retrofitted as part of the national retrofit programme broken down, by scheme, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56318/23]
View answerThe Climate Action Plan and National Retrofit Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2/cost optimal and the installation of 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes to replace older, less efficient heating systems by end-2030.
Retrofitting fossil fuel heated homes and replacing the heating systems with heat pumps and renewable energy systems is a key target of the Climate Action Plan. Budget 2024 has provided almost €437 million capital funding (includes funding from the European Regional Development Fund) for SEAI residential and community energy upgrade schemes to support homeowners to improve the energy performance of their properties this year.
These supports are available to households reliant on solid fuel central heating systems who wish to undertake energy upgrades.
Data provided by SEAI below, shows the number of properties supported in 2023 which were solid fuel homes. The SEAI advises that the data from pre-works BERs was used to identify solid fuel homes where available, alternatively post works BER data is used.
|
SEAI Scheme |
Solid Fuel Homes |
|
Better Energy Warmer Homes |
459 |
|
National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme |
63 |
|
Community Energy Grants |
23 |
|
Better Energy Homes |
495 |
|
Solar PV |
503 |
|
Grand Total |
1,543 |
62. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of additional workers required to reach the Government's national retrofitting targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56324/23]
View answerThe Climate Action Plan and National Retrofit Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2/cost optimal and the installation of 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes to replace older, less efficient heating systems by end-2030.
The 2021 report of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs titled ‘Skills for Zero Carbon” identifies a need to increase the number of full-time equivalent workers in the residential retrofit sector from 4,000 to 17,000 over the coming years.
Given the extent of this challenge, the National Retrofit Plan included supply chain development as one of its pillars and a range of measures to expand the supply chain have since been implemented. Crucially, the Retrofit Plan provided certainty to the sector by outlining an unprecedented commitment by Government to support residential and community retrofit. The budget of €8 billion with annual allocations up to 2030 published in the National Retrofit Plan, gives confidence to the sector to grow, take on staff, invest and innovate. Further certainty in the sector has been provided through reformed and enhanced SEAI grant schemes and the expansion of the Local Authority Retrofit Programme which now allow for year-round working as compared to the stop-start nature of the programmes previously in place.
Other tangible steps taken by Government to ensure that we have the required number of skilled workers to deliver on our retrofit targets include:
• Six Near Zero Energy Building (NZEB) Centres of Excellence are now in operation offering NZEB and retrofit upskilling and reskilling programmes. The courses are free, fast and flexible with weekend and evening provision available.
• Availability and uptake of these courses has increased significantly. Provisional Department of Further and Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science data indicates that 4,442 people availed of upskilling and reskilling courses across these Centres of Excellence in 2023 compared to 2,069 in 2022.
• NZEB awareness will continue to be addressed in relevant craft apprenticeship programmes when they are due to go through a revalidation process.
• A mobile NZEB Training Unit is now in place which will travel to construction sites and schools across the country to allow people avail of the courses wherever they are.
• Supports for employers to take on apprentices are available.
• The Careers in Construction Action Plan, a deliverable under the Housing for All plan, was launched in August 2023. The actions in the Plan were developed to minimise key barriers to careers in the sector and promote career opportunities. Actions included fundamental changes to our education sector’s skills offering, and include steps to tackling the gender bias in the sector.
• Government also wants to make it easier and more attractive for school leavers to take the option of a career in the new green economy. For that reason, the CAO website now includes information on apprenticeship options with a link to www.apprenticeship.ie.
63. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the solar PV scheme for schools will be amended to include free-standing solar structures as well as roof-top structures, given many schools could benefit from a dual-function structure as part of their solar PV deployment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56341/23]
View answer67. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will extend the schools PV solar panel support scheme to include panels installed on secondary structures where the existing roof is not suitable to take panels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56525/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 63 and 67 together.
The Climate Action Fund, which is administered by my Department, is providing funding to the Department of Education for the Schools Photovoltaic Programme. The Department of Education is managing the programme and has made detailed guidance documentation for schools and contractors available on the gov.ie website.
Schools applying for funding under this programme must have appropriate roof areas to accommodate 6kW of PV. It is not currently proposed to extend the scope of the programme to include panels installed on secondary structures where the existing roof is not suitable to take panels.
64. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department has issued any guidance on the disposal of decommissioned wind turbine blades; if he accepts that due to the material from which these blades are constructed there are exceptional environmental challenges in disposing of them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56344/23]
View answerIn the coming years, a significant number of onshore wind turbines are expected to reach the end of their service life. Approximately 90% of a turbine's components are made of steel or iron material, which is readily recyclable. However, wind turbine blades do represent a challenge, as current designs cannot be melted or re-moulded.
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland participates in the International Energy Agency Technology Collaboration programme for Wind Energy, which is undertaking research on ways to minimise waste from blades and how to make wind turbine blades more recyclable. This includes using new materials such as bio-based composites, or designing new blade structures to ease the separation and recycling of different blade materials.
Further information can be found at the following link: iea-wind.org/task45/
With regard to offshore wind farms, under the new Marine Planning system as part of their planning application, a developer must submit a decommissioning plan for consideration by An Bord Pleanála, and it is anticipated that these decommissioning plans will include proposals around recycling and reuse. Any conditions applied to a subsequent permit granted by the Board, including with respect to decommissioning and end of life policies, will be for the new maritime agency, the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, to monitor and ensure compliance with.
65. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications how many applications have been made and approved by the SEAI for residential retrofitting for houses built prior to 1940; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56372/23]
View answerMy Department funds a number of grant schemes, administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to support homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their properties.
SEAI advise that it is open to owners and non-corporate landlords of pre-1940 homes to apply for any of its grant supported schemes. However, the retrofit of traditional buildings is a complex issue that requires careful consideration. The materials and techniques used in energy efficiency upgrades of such buildings must be suitable for the buildings in question including for use with vapour permeable construction where applicable.
All of the SEAI approaches are determined by the Building Regulations, incorporating NSAI S.R.54: 2014 Code of practice for the energy efficient retrofit of dwellings. This means that wall insulation is not recommended under any of its residential energy efficiency schemes on dwellings built before 1940 which are constructed in stone, single-leaf masonry or composite wall construction. However, SEAI will assess applicant homes under the various residential energy efficiency schemes for other measures which may be possible.
SEAI advise that while it does not track applications for traditional homes, its data shows that since 2020, 16,403 properties that have received grant support under the residential and community energy efficiency schemes energy efficiency were built prior to 1940.
To support the appropriate upgrade of traditional buildings, a new guidance document – ‘Improving Energy Efficiency in Traditional Buildings’ has been recently developed by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and can be found on the Gov.ie website at www.gov.ie/en/publication/18cb9-improving-energy-efficiency-in-traditional-buildings-guidance-for-specifers-and-installers-2023/.
This guidance will be an important resource to SEAI as well as the retrofit and wider construction industry in the appropriate energy efficiency upgrading of older, traditionally-built buildings while ensuring compliance with the appropriate building regulations.
66. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to the order of business debate of 5 December 2023, to outline the consideration being given to the development of floating offshore wind infrastructure in phase 3 of the Climate Action Plan; when he expects details on phase 3 to be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56482/23]
View answerThe Climate Action Plan 2023 commits to achieving at least 5GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030. To achieve this target and Ireland’s long-term plan to deliver 20GW by 2040 and at least 37GW by 2050, Government has adopted a phased approach to offshore renewable energy development in Ireland.
Phase One is intended to deliver the maximum competitively procured offshore wind capacity at the earliest feasible deployment stage, with the six most advanced offshore wind projects in Ireland having taken place in our first competitive offshore wind auction earlier this year, known as ORESS 1. This auction procured over 3GW of capacity across four projects on the East and West Coasts. All of these projects currently have Maritime Area Consents (MACs), provisional grid offers (Grid Connection Assessments) and are actively engaged in the pre-application process with An Bord Pleanála. Under the conditions of the MACs awarded in this phase, these projects must formally apply for planning permission by June 2024 at the latest.
Phase Two aims to procure the remainder of the 5 GW capacity target for 2030 through further competitive ORESS auctions, with all future offshore wind developments to be located within Designated Maritime Area Plans, or DMAPs. This includes establishment of an initial South Coast DMAP, which will identify a number of marine areas for development of fixed bottom offshore wind for delivery by both 2030 and post 2030. Fixed bottom offshore wind is a proven technology that has been delivered at scale in other jurisdictions and offers the best prospects for the accelerated delivery of future offshore wind, at an affordable cost to Irish electricity consumers.
The final phase of offshore wind deployment is referred to as the Future Framework. Led by my department, the Future Framework Policy (previously the Enduring Regime) will consider the potential of floating offshore wind as a feasible technology. It will provide an evidence-based framework to support post 2030 development of Offshore Renewable Energy and for the inclusion of floating offshore wind in those plans.
The intention is that a draft Future Framework policy will be published for consultation in January 2024, before consideration by Government and publication in March 2024, to coincide with the publication of the Industrial Strategy Roadmap by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. To provide further market confidence and to enhance inward investment, the policy will be submitted for Oireachtas approval and an international launch is planned at the Wind Europe conference in March 2024.
68. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will consider a proposal from a post-primary school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56538/23]
View answer69. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide funding for a school initiative on waste disposal (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56539/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 68 and 69 together.
This Department does not provide funding directly to schools to purchase waste management infrastructure such as bins. It would be expected that all schools would be provided with a three bin collection service (residual, mixed dry recyclables and a "brown bin" for food and organic waste) by their waste collection company. However there is no requirement for waste collection companies to provide schools with additional waste bins to be used within the school itself, for example in common areas, canteens etc.
There may be funding available for a project of this nature under the Department's Anti-Litter & Anti-Graffiti Awareness Grant Scheme, which is administered at local authority level. However the school concerned would have to apply through the Environment Awareness Officer in their local authority in the first instance. They could also contact the Department of Education who may be able to advise them of any alternative funding sources that might be available for a project of this nature.
