Parliamentary questions

Grant Payments

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

101. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when clarity will be provide to the SEAI by his Department and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications to ensure that applicants to the enhanced defective concrete block grant scheme can avail of the maximum SEAI retrofitting grant. [21632/24]

Recycling Policy

Peadar Tóibín

102. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the amount of tax collected on plastic bottles and cans since the deposit return scheme was introduced, and the amount in deposits paid back to customers in each of those months. [21718/24]

Recycling Policy

Niamh Smyth

103. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications for an update on the deposit return scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21184/24]

National Broadband Plan

Niamh Smyth

104. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications for an update on the roll out of the national broadband plan specifically in relation to counties Cavan and Monaghan; if he will outline what percentage of both counties have received connections under the scheme; how much is left to do, and the timeframe for same.
[21190/24]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Denis Naughten

105. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will outline the implications at household level as a result of the extension of the ETS to cover domestic heating; the projected additional costs to householders with a threshold set at €45/tonne; if this is on top of existing domestic carbon tax commitments; if not, its implication for the carbon fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21218/24]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Denis Naughten

106. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will outline the implications at the fuel pumps as a result of the extension of the ETS to cover transport emissions; the projected additional costs road users with a threshold set at €45/tonne; if this is on top of existing domestic carbon tax commitments; if not, its implication for the carbon fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21219/24]

Waste Management

Michael Healy-Rae

107. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21230/24]

Recycling Policy

Holly Cairns

108. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his attention has been drawn to the fact that disabled people in rural areas cannot avail of the deposit return scheme as collection machines are not generally available in small retail outlets; and if he would consider introducing a grant to small retailers who cannot afford to purchase a collection machine. [21244/24]

Energy Policy

Matt Shanahan

109. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if Ireland has purchased the gas storage ship it announced in 2023 which customers were told that they would be paying for through their household bills; if, given that Ireland has apparently less than two years' supply of gas left and this ship was intended for reserves, the ship has been purchased; if customers have begun paying for it; to provide a status update; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21263/24]

Emergency Planning

Matt Shanahan

110. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the 'public warning system' which enables mobile phone operators in Ireland to send warnings to the public via text message on behalf of the Government before or during large-scale public emergencies or when there is danger to life; if, given that it is EU law that every State operates a warning system to alert citizens to a national emergency, he will respond regarding an announcement around this in 2023; what progress has been made with respect to any implementation; to provide a timeline for the completion of this emergency service fully tested; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21264/24]

European Union

John Paul Phelan

111. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No. 166 of 30 April 2024, to list all Acts sponsored by his Department, or Statutory Instruments signed by Ministers at his Department, from 20 February 2020 to date, and which were necessitated, either in whole or in part, to transpose or give effect to regulations, directives or other measures passed at European Union level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21296/24]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Violet-Anne Wynne

112. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications what penalties Ireland will accrue if it does not meet its 2030 targets of a reduction of 50% on emissions and the 2050 target of 100% reduction on emissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21375/24]

Electricity Grid

Violet-Anne Wynne

113. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he is aware that there were two orange alerts on the grid in recent months as high energy demand units continue to be added to the network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21376/24]

Data Centres

Violet-Anne Wynne

114. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he is aware of the recent planning permission granted for a data centre in Ennis; if he is concerned by the development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21377/24]

Renewable Energy Generation

Violet-Anne Wynne

115. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he accepts that there is an urgent need to accelerate our offshore wind projects to allow for economic development based on renewables; if he is satisfied that his Department is doing so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21378/24]

Data Centres

Violet-Anne Wynne

116. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will consider freezing data centre projects until we have sufficient renewables to supply the energy required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21379/24]

Energy Policy

Niamh Smyth

117. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department will review the need to classify batteries as dangerous substances when it comes to the building of large battery energy storage systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21381/24]

Energy Policy

Niamh Smyth

118. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department will reclassify batteries as dangerous substances for the purposes of mass storage facilities in rural communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21383/24]

National Broadband Plan

Niamh Smyth

119. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the rollout of high-speed broadband in Cavan and Monaghan. [21323/24]

Grant Payments

Darren O'Rourke

120. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he is aware of the reason a person (details supplied) did not qualify for a home heating upgrade as part of the SEAI's warmer homer scheme despite being an eligible applicant and having a suitable household; if there is sufficient scope to appeal the decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21406/24]

Energy Conservation

Richard O'Donoghue

121. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on whether BER assessors are more than qualified to provide the home energy assessment required for the home energy upgrade loans scheme, and that excluding domestic BER assessors that are not on the SEAI technical assessors panel is anti-competitive and restricts choice to the homeowner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21529/24]

Energy Conservation

Richard O'Donoghue

122. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will change the policy preventing BER assessors that do not have a background in a few select professions from joining the SEAI technical assessors panel, and instruct the SEAI to immediately invite and approve applications to the technical assessor panel from those experienced BER assessors that are ten years or longer registered with the SEAI as domestic assessors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21530/24]

Illegal Dumping

Thomas Gould

123. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications whether consideration has been given to the establishment of a dumping taskforce in Cork city. [21616/24]

National Broadband Plan

Thomas Gould

124. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications for an update on the National Broadband Plan in Cork. [21617/24]

Telecommunications Infrastructure

Rose Conway-Walsh

125. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to outline the role he has in ensuring with ComReg that phone signal is delivered across the State and addressing black spots that continue impact on connectivity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21621/24]

Electricity Grid

Rose Conway-Walsh

126. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to outline the role he has in ensuring with Eirgrid that grid infrastructure investment is sufficient to support a green transition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21622/24]

Departmental Schemes

Darren O'Rourke

127. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of applications received under the warmer homes scheme since its announcement; the number of homes completed in the country; the number of applications received in County Meath, by year, since 2020, in tabular form; the number of homes that have been completed under the scheme in Meath, by year, since 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21627/24]

Departmental Schemes

Darren O'Rourke

128. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of applications waiting to be approved under the warmer homes scheme; the current average wait time for applications; the number of approvals, per month, in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form; the number of approvals, per year, since 2020, in tabular form; the average cost, per grant, per year, since 2020, in tabular form; the efforts that are being made to reduce the wait times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21628/24]

Employment Rights

Ged Nash

129. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if any State, semi-State or commercial semi-State agency under the aegis of their Department is aware of any cases of bogus self-employment in any bodies under their remit from 2020 to 1 May 2024; if they will outline if there are currently any cases from such agencies or bodies currently before the SCOPE section of the Department of Social Protection for investigation or determination; if there are any SCOPE findings and recommendations relating to any agencies or bodies under their remit where SCOPE has found in favour of the worker, and where they recommended the reclassification of the workers’ employment status to that of direct employee between 2020 and 1 May 2024; if they will provide information on the numbers involved and the names of the individual agencies and bodies in all cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21690/24]

Renewable Energy Generation

Denis Naughten

130. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason homes built before 2021 are eligible to apply for a rooftop solar panel grant but not homes constructed since that date; his plans to review same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21795/24]

Broadband Infrastructure

Bernard Durkan

131. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps he can take to speed up the provision of broadband services through the medium of fibre-optics throughout County Kildare, with particular reference to known blackspots; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21831/24]

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Bernard Durkan

132. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the extent to which each sector in the economy can contribute to greenhouse gas reduction over the next five years without negatively impacting on economic output; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21832/24]

Environmental Policy

Bernard Durkan

133. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the extent to which his Department has examined the fullest possible extent to which all measures to offset the impact of meeting such targets on industry, sector by sector, with particular reference to the need to avoid permanent damage to the economy while at the same time meeting carbon reduction targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21833/24]

Renewable Energy Generation

Bernard Durkan

134. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the extent to which his Department continues to explore electricity generation from non-fossil fuels by way of wind, wave or solar; the full extent of the investment to date in each element of the sector; the degree to which he expects such investment to materialise in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21835/24]

Telecommunications Services

Bernard Durkan

135. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the extent to which mobile telephone services remain good when compared with other European Union or adjoining countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21836/24]

Broadband Infrastructure

Bernard Durkan

136. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the extent to which the provision of broadband continues to meet targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21837/24]

Waste Management

Bernard Durkan

137. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the extent to which the national waste management plan continues to address the relevant issues, with particular reference to reduction, reuse and recycle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21838/24]

Renewable Energy Generation

Bernard Durkan

138. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the degree to which investment in wind turbines that are capable of producing electricity in the short term can be funded as a matter of urgency, with particular reference to the dependency of Ireland and Europe on imported fuels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21839/24]

Electricity Generation

Bernard Durkan

139. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the extent to which electricity generation and production costs here are in line with those in other EU member states; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21840/24]

Departmental Advertising

Carol Nolan

140. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the total costs incurred by his Department from 2019 to date relating to the placing of advertisements in print media; the names of the print media publications involved, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21863/24]

Air Quality

Ivana Bacik

141. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the Government’s clean air strategy. [21908/24]

Environmental Policy

Ivana Bacik

142. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will make a statement on the waste and circular economy action plan. [21909/24]

Environmental Policy

Ivana Bacik

143. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will make a statement on the circular economy unit in Government. [21910/24]

State Properties

Matt Shanahan

144. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if the St. Bricin's military hospital in Stoneybatter, which is currently lying idle, could be readied in case of emergency or surge capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21260/24]

Defence Forces

Matt Shanahan

145. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if his Department would consider increasing the size of the 'bambi buckets', the collapsible bags that hang from a helicopter assisting with firefighting and so on (details supplied); if he will provide an update on this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21261/24]

Defence Forces

Matt Carthy

146. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he is aware of any personnel not discharged from the Defence Forces operating as private military contractors in Libya; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21339/24]

Departmental Meetings

Matt Carthy

147. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if his Department has ever engaged with companies (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21340/24]

Defence Forces

Matt Carthy

148. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will report on the contribution of the Defence Forces to missions enforcing a United Nations mandated arms embargo on Libya; if he is aware of any activities by any Irish citizens in breach of the arms embargo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21341/24]

Defence Forces

Jim O'Callaghan

149. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence his response to claims that former members of the Defence Forces, including from the elite Army Ranger wing, have provided training to a Libyan military group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21532/24]

Naval Service

Jim O'Callaghan

150. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence when the two recently acquired Naval Service inshore patrol vessels will enter service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21533/24]