Vol. 644 No. 3
61 Deputy Phil Hogan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the policy framework in which he intends to reach Government targets of reducing emissions by 3% a year and to bring the country in line with Kyoto emission targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35488/07]
Ireland's commitment under the Kyoto Protocol is to limit emissions to 13% above 1990 levels. The Government's policy framework for meeting this commitment is set out in the National Climate Change Strategy 2007-12, published in April 2007. The strategy addresses emissions across all sectors of the economy and sets out a series of measures that, collectively, will reduce emissions by over 17 million tonnes each year over the period 2008 to 2012. This will enable Ireland to meet its Kyoto Protocol commitments. Furthermore, of the 17 million tonne reductions each year, 13.6 million tonnes relate to reductions in domestic emissions.
The programme for Government sets a challenging target of a 3% reduction per year on average in our greenhouse gas emissions over the lifetime of the Government. Ireland will fulfil its Kyoto Protocol commitment as far as possible by emissions reductions through domestic action rather than the purchase of credits and, therefore, achieve the 3% annual reduction on average between now and 2012. As I set out in this year's carbon budget, meeting this commitment will enable the Government to limit its purchase of credits to no more than 1 million tonnes per annum during the 2008 to 2012 period.
In future carbon budgets, I will be aiming at introducing further measures with a view to minimising the requirement to supplement domestic action with the purchase of credits through the Kyoto Protocol flexible mechanisms. As a result, Ireland will be better prepared to manage more demanding greenhouse gas emission reductions in the period to 2020 and beyond.
The programme for Government also seeks to establish cross-party agreement on longer-term emissions reductions. I look forward to achieving agreement in this regard through the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security.
Arising from the Minister's reply and his reference to the national climate change strategy, I acknowledge that is the ballpark at which we are aiming. In the programme for Government, a 3% reduction, as the Minister pointed out, is an ambitious target. The measures he took in the carbon budget and in the Budget Statement of the Minister for Finance did not clearly set out how we are to achieve a reduction of 2 million tonnes of carbon emissions in 2008. I ask the Minister to set out explicitly how we are to achieve his objective of a 3% reduction in the first year, 2008. We have seen some changes in vehicle registration tax which will achieve a reduction of only 50,000 tonnes. How are we to achieve a reduction of 2 million tonnes of carbon emissions in 2008?
As the Deputy rightly said, I mentioned many of these things in the carbon budget. The Deputy was at the press conference, where he was very welcome.
I was not put out.
The Deputy's party leader specifically requested that the Deputy be present and I was more than happy to facilitate him.
The Minister is always courteous.
I detailed at that stage that the measures leading to additional savings referred to additional savings by the emissions trading sector, following the Commission's decision on Ireland's national allocation plan in July of this year, which were included in the draft energy efficiency action plan published by my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Eamon Ryan. These measures included funding for an initial pilot programme to encourage the owners of older housing stock to upgrade the energy performance of their homes, SEI support for new and retrofit public sector building initiatives, SEI support for small businesses through its energy management schemes and the Dundalk sustainable energy zone, and additional funding for a further phase of the highly successful greener homes scheme. The new phase of that scheme which was launched in October will promote a new range of additional renewable technologies which are ready for the market and will deliver almost double the emissions savings.
To allow Deputy Hogan a supplementary question, I ask the Minister to conclude.
The Minister will have to learn to discipline himself if he is to reduce his verbiage by 3%.
I will try.
The Minister outlined a number of measures taken or announced by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. The measure he referred to with regard to the changing of light bulbs will take effect in 2009. Will the Minister quantify the amount of greenhouse gas emissions reduction for each measure he is announcing? With regard to agriculture, transport, energy and enterprise and employment, I want to get a fix on the impact of each individual initiative the Minister is taking to meet the objective he has set for 2008.
The Deputy will be aware there is a separate question in regard to the phasing out of incandescent light bulbs, which will lead to a saving of approximately 700,000 tonnes per annum. The other measures are ones I have announced, including with regard to greater energy efficiency in housing, which will lead to 40% greater energy efficiency and a saving of 40% in CO2 emissions.
Reference was made to the question of more sustainable transport. As I said on the day, as I am quite open about this, we in the House face an uphill battle with regard to transport. Deputy Barrett, who is Chair of the Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security, was with me in Bali. I want to work with him and the committee because we can only achieve these deep emissions cuts by working together. A 3% annual reductions target is hugely ambitious but if one considers the fact that transport has increased by approximately 180% since 1990, and a figure I saw just today suggests it may increase to as much as 256% by 2020, it will be understood that we have real difficulties. The carbon budget is a start but we must move from there and work with the joint committee, not just on targets but on measures. The introduction of a carbon levy is vital.
The Minister has indicated a number of measures but we will judge him on the basis of his targets — that is why he is Minister.
I hope the Deputy will support the measures as well.
We will come back to that. Does the Minister agree that the policy on VRT which the Minister introduced in the 2008 budget has achieved just 50,000 tonnes reduction? Transport statistics for 2006 show an increase of 916,000 tonnes.
That is what I have just said.
I have asked the question twice but will ask it for a third time. Will the Minister tell me the measures he will introduce and quantify what they will mean in terms of emissions reduction in 2008?
I have already answered that. The Deputy was present at the carbon budget presentation where I outlined the measures in detail.
Not on transport.
The Deputy is correct. Transport is the one area where I believe we have difficulty. The Deputy heard me say that on the day and I repeat it now.
I thought the Minister would have reflected on it since then.
I am discussing the issue with the Minister for Transport, Deputy Dempsey. He and I must work together on sustainable transport policy.
That is what worries me.
His neck is on the line due to the provisional licences.
Fine Gael is the party that continues to support the use of the private car and the building of all these motorways. That is the situation.
We must move on to the next question. I call Deputy Ciarán Lynch.
Put the Garda escorts on bicycles instead of in a State car.
I am not in a Mercedes like Deputy Kenny.
These are Priority Questions. The only person allowed to address a question is the Deputy in whose name the question is asked.
If Deputy Kenny stopped heckling me, I would be happy to facilitate the House.
I will leave the Minister alone.
62 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he will ratify the public participation directive, Directive 2003/35/EC; if he anticipates areas of conflict between the directive and the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006; if there are areas of conflict, if he will amend the Act in line with the directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35280/07]
Ireland signed the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters on 25 June 1998. Progress towards ratification of the convention is closely aligned with work at EU level and, in that context, the European Union has adopted two directives as part of the ratification process for the convention. These deal with public access to environmental information and public participation in certain environmental decision-making procedures.
Regulations transposing the European Communities (Access to information on the Environment) Directive came into effect on 1 May 2007. The process to transpose the public participation directive is well advanced, with legislation completed to amend the majority of the relevant consent systems, and the remaining work on the outstanding consent systems will be completed at the earliest possible date. Having regard to the above, I will ensure the instrument of ratification of the Aarhus Convention is submitted to Government and laid before the Dáil as soon as possible.
The Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006 is a key part of Ireland's overall transposition of the directive in so far as the planning code is concerned. A number of key features of the Act, relating to appeals, judicial review procedures and amendments to the EIA directive, specifically transpose provisions of the public participation directive. I do not anticipate any conflict between the implementation of the public participation directive and the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006.
I compliment the Minister on his return from Bali. He is looking well. I am not sure whether it is the tan or whether he has taken, like the Taoiseach, to wearing make-up.
I am not wearing make-up.
I thank the Minister for his reply. He is correct to state there are two directives relating to the Aarhus Convention and that the access directive has been transposed. The directive to which I refer is the public participation directive. As the Minister will know, Ireland is the only EU member state not to have ratified the Aarhus Convention. It has been conceded by the Government that legislation will be required to transpose the public participation directive and that amendments may arise. Furthermore, the European Commission has referred Ireland to the European Court for having failed to transpose the directive to date.
As the Minister knows, three issues arise: the substantial interest, the judicial review and the prohibited costs which arise from the judicial review. Since the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006 has come into force, 64 applications have been made to An Bord Pleanála on this matter, with a number of these having been granted. Speaking to the chairperson of An Bord Pleanála last week, I asked him the position with regard to oral hearings, which are a key aspect of public participation. He informed me that the board is granting oral hearings on applications that are proceeded with. However, this is as a gift of An Bord Pleanála, not as a policy position.
The Minister tells us the matter is well advanced and will be dealt with as soon as possible. There was a Green Paper that was well advanced and was supposed to be dealt with in the Chamber two days ago. In what timeframe does the Minister intend to implement the details referred to in his reply? Can he give a specific date when the legislative framework will come before the House? In the absence of the implementation of the public participation directive, does the Minister concede that planning permissions sought under the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006 may be in legal jeopardy? As I said, 64 applications have been made to date.
I do not know to which Green Paper the Deputy refers.
The programme for Government stated that within six months of coming to power, a Green Paper would be brought before the House. That should happen some day this week.
Yes and we are absolutely on time as regards that.
The Minister was to bring it before the House on 14 December but it is now 18 December. He was in Bali at the time.
Please allow the Minister to continue.
We are absolutely on time as regards that Green Paper. As I told the Deputy before, some of his Labour Party colleagues are on that consultative committee. They asked for a small time extension to go through some of the details and I was happy to facilitate them. I want to be clear on that. I do not concede the Deputy's last point that these matters are in legal jeopardy. He said the European Commission referred Ireland to the European Court of Justice for non-transposition of the directive. However, while Ireland is now the only EU member state that has not ratified the convention, as the Deputy said, I understand that EU infringement proceedings for non-transposition of this directive remain open against a significant number of member states so we are not alone. This suggests that some member states have ratified the convention in circumstances a bit like Ireland's, and have not fully complied.
While there are some outstanding difficulties, I want to move on this as quickly as possible and I have committed myself to doing so. Access to environmental information and participation in the process are absolutely vital. I have been in contact with the Commission about this and it does not see a conflict. If there was a conflict there, the Commission would have alerted me immediately. I want to move as quickly as possible on this matter.
First, the Minister should read up on the matter because there are two current test cases concerning it. Second, Germany was the last European country, apart from Ireland, to ratify the Aarhus Convention in January this year so the Minister might do some further reading on that. Third, when will we see its full ratification? Will it be before autumn or December 2008? In what timeframe does the Minister envisage the matter coming before the House?
I would like to see a timeframe whereby we would ratify it in the new year. That is what I aim to do but there are outstanding difficulties. As the Deputy will appreciate, I am dealing with a number of different Departments. I have written to all the Departments asking them to get their acts together so I am depending on them to come to me. Those are the outstanding difficulties. If I had my way I would have done this last week but it was not possible. I am depending on others to clear it.
The Minister was in Bali last week.
63 Deputy Phil Hogan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the action he proposes to take to make the Poolbeg incinerator project redundant and unviable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35489/07]
The waste-to-energy plant proposed for the Poolbeg area is being promoted by Dublin City Council, acting on behalf of the four local authorities, and is provided for in the statutory Dublin regional waste management plan already adopted by the local authorities concerned in accordance with the provisions of the Waste Management Act 1996.
The project has received planning permission from An Bord Pleanála and the Planning and Development Act precludes ministerial involvement in individual planning decisions. In addition, the project requires a waste licence which is, under the provisions of the Waste Management Acts, the statutory responsibility of the Environmental Protection Agency. The agency is in the process of making a determination in respect of this matter. Under section 60(3) of the Act, as Minister, I am specifically precluded from exercising power or control concerning an application for a waste licence.
My personal views on this project are a matter of public record, as is the emphasis, which I consider necessary in the context of the Government commitment to a waste review, on minimising waste going to landfill and incineration. However, in public comments I have made as a Minister, I have at all times been respectful of the statutory limitations under which I must act in particular instances and I have never suggested that I possess specific powers concerning this proposed development.
As Minister, I set policy and determine the implementation of policy on waste. I have a range of powers and functions under the waste management legislation which enables me to exercise this role. In particular, I have the power to issue directions on policy, to require changes to waste plans, although this power does not apply retrospectively, and to require the making of by-laws.
I have already signalled a fundamental change in waste and resources policy. This policy change will move the emphasis in waste management up the waste hierarchy. As part of this policy change I am commissioning an international study for the purposes of a waste policy review.
The Minister is wrong when he said he could do nothing, or would not attempt to do anything, to make the Poolbeg incinerator redundant. On Monday, 19 November, when the decision was announced, the Minister said he was very disappointed. He said he planned to review waste policy within the next nine months and expected that that review would find the incinerator was redundant and was not viable. The following day, the Taoiseach told the Dáil the Minister had no power to halt the Poolbeg incinerator. Either the Minister or the Taoiseach is wrong, which is it?
I was explicit in my reply to the Deputy if he listened to what I said.
I did.
As regards this project, I am not claiming that I have specific powers. However, while I am not pre-empting the outcome of the review, I said repeatedly in the House that if the review carefully examines the figures that have been supplied to me and which I have issued in the House concerning the total municipal waste arising, which is about 3.2 million tonnes, it can be reduced by recycling. If one has a 50% recycling rate, and with mechanical biological treatment or MBT, one can raise that substantially — it can be reduced to about 1.7 million tonnes, and it can be reduced even further with MBT. The national figure I gave here was between 400,000 and 600,000 tonnes. The emphasis has to be on MBT.
As was mentioned, I was in Bali last week where the Austrian environment minister launched an MBT plant. That is the way to go. As regards climate change, I am conscious of the fact that replacing a hole-in-the-ground landfill simply by putting everything into a fire is not a sustainable method of dealing with waste in the long term.
Does the Minister accept that all his huffing and puffing before the election and since he became Minister is largely redundant? His words are not viable in the context of doing anything to stop the incinerator going ahead.
All the huffing and puffing is coming from the Deputy's side. Last night, I attended a meeting in Ringsend and was happy to take questions. Funnily enough, however, there was no one there from Fine Gael.
Deputy Gormley is the Minister so what did he tell them? Did he tell them the same thing?
The Deputy and his colleagues say they did X, Y and Z, but they voted for the incinerator in Ringsend. It is all documented there.
What did the Minister tell them? Did he tell them he would make it redundant?
The Minister should answer the question and be direct.
Answer the question.
I believe the Leas-Cheann Comhairle was the Minister at the time the waste management legislation was introduced.
The Minister knows it is not proper to involve the Chair in the debate, but accolades are all right.
It is not proper but it is a fact that he did a wonderful job as Minister for the Environment and Local Government.
Answer the question.
I must say, however, that when incineration was included in that legislation, Fine Gael voted for it.
Will the Minister answer the question he was asked? If not, he can do nothing.
64 Deputy Phil Hogan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will make further funding and resources available for long-term supported accommodation for those homeless with high support needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35490/07]
Significant progress has been made in recent years in tackling homelessness. In the Housing Needs Assessment 2005, local authorities recorded a 46% fall in the numbers of homeless persons nationally, from 5,581 persons in 2002 to 3,031 persons in 2005. A recent survey carried out by the Homeless Agency found that the numbers of rough sleepers in Dublin city had declined from 185 in 2005 to 104 on 20 November 2007.
This progress has been facilitated by close co-operation by all the agencies involved in addressing homelessness, including my Department, the Department of Health and Children, local authorities, the Health Service Executive and the voluntary sector. Their efforts have been underpinned by significant resources, totalling €450 million since 2000, through my Department and the Department of Health and Children. This has delivered a wide range of accommodation and services for homeless persons across the country, from emergency hostels and transitional accommodation programmes to outreach and resettlement services and long-term supported accommodation.
In 2008, over €1.7 billion will be available to my Department for housing, representing an increase of 16% on the 2007 Estimate. This enhanced overall level of resources will allow my Department to continue to provide capital funding to assist voluntary and co-operative housing associations to deliver high quality housing for vulnerable groups, including homeless persons. It will also support the implementation of the increase in grant assistance, which I recently announced, from 95% to 100% of project costs where all tenants are drawn from the local authority social housing list.
Work is at an advanced stage in my Department on the preparation of a revised Government strategy to address adult homelessness, which will include a refocusing on the provision of long-term accommodation through the social and voluntary housing programmes and in the private rented sector, including through the rental accommodation scheme, and ensuring the availability of appropriate outreach and resettlement support as required. The new strategy will provide a comprehensive framework for the achievement of the commitment in the Towards 2016 agreement to eliminate long-term occupancy of emergency homeless accommodation by 2010. I expect the new strategy to be finalised and published in spring 2008.
Under the national development plan, 9,000 social housing units were supposed to be provided annually over the past few years but only 5,000 were delivered. The Minister of State received documentation prior to the budget from Focus Ireland, the Simon Community and other organisations that work with the homeless. Between 50 and 100 people sleep rough in Dublin city every night and they will not accept only a social housing unit. Does the Minister of State agree independent living accommodation to meet specific purposes and circumstances is required for this category of people and not only bed and breakfast accommodation, which is not suitable as an emergency measure? Will he outline the number of units he has targeted to be provided in the coming year or two to address the homelessness issue? I accept hard cases are involved but they urgently need the attention of the State.
Liaising with, and in partnership with, the various voluntary groups, our spending on homelessness increased from €15.84 million in 2000 to €52 million in 2006. In the coming year, the Government will spend €1.7 billion on housing, €114 million of which will be invested in homelessness. Under Towards 2016 and the housing agency's strategy, we aim to move people on from emergency and transitional accommodation to permanent accommodation with supports. We have put a programme in place and we are examining it currently. It will be important going forward that the review, which will be published next spring, should examine supports, apart altogether from the accommodation. Joined up thinking involving the HSE and other State bodies is needed to ensure supports are in place and education and training is provided for the homeless so they can sustain themselves better as part of overall independent living.
65 Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will fast track the implementation of the commitments in Towards 2016 to reform social housing including adequate funding to cover capital, maintenance and management costs for community and voluntary organisations that are providing social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35491/07]
My Department, in conjunction with the housing forum and related groups, has been active in progressing the social housing reform programme outlined in Towards 2016 and elaborated upon in the Government's housing policy statement, Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities, published in February 2007. Work is well under way on the drafting of a new housing Bill to underpin the reform process. The housing forum has been consulted on developments in a number of areas, including the proposed approach to a new means of assessing housing need and housing allocation policy, both of which will be central to the transformation of housing services over the medium term. Good progress is being made also on delivery of social housing programmes with indications that there will be some 9,000 new social housing starts in 2007, which is absolutely in line with the commitment in Towards 2016 to achieve 27,000 starts in the period 2007 to 2009. Output by the voluntary and co-operative housing sector is expected to reach record levels in 2007.
In line with commitments in Towards 2016, funding levels under the capital assistance scheme were increased to 100% of project cost earlier this year where all tenants are drawn from the local authority social housing list. In addition, new streamlined arrangements for the assessment and approval of schemes will be introduced early next year with the objective of speeding up the delivery of projects on the ground. Record levels of funding in 2008, when more than €2.5 billion will be available for housing programmes, are also in line with the commitments to housing in Towards 2016 and the national development plan and will enable local authorities to achieve the ambitious targets set for next year.
I thank the Minister of State for his reply. As he will be aware, delivering increased social housing will prevent and alleviate homelessness. The National Economic and Social Council estimated 73,000 units would be needed between 2005 and 2012. However, the Government has failed to meet its target under the national development plan to provide 9,000 social housing units annually. The number of units delivered over the past two calendar years did not exceed 5,000, as Deputy Hogan stated. A shortfall of 13,000 units, therefore, has arisen between the Minister of State's commitment and delivery, which is not good enough.
Even the commitment made by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in the social partnership agreement, Towards 2016, to provide an additional 23,000 social rented dwellings over the next three years will fall well short of what is needed. Most social housing tenants pay relatively low rents and, therefore, rental income does not meet management maintenance costs. The Government needs to provide other adequate funding to cover maintenance and other essential costs. Given the lull in the housing market and the glut of apartments on the market, especially in my own constituency of Dublin North-East, what measures will the Minister of State take in conjunction with developers to ensure people who have been on local authority waiting lists for years are looked after? What new initiatives will he undertake?
This is a good news story. We set out to deliver 27,000 units between 2007 and 2009. This year we will deliver 9,000 units, which is on target. Record funding of €1.7 billion will be provided in 2008, which is a 16% increase on last year. Local authorities will deliver 6,500 social housing units and in the first nine months of the year, they delivered almost 4,500. The voluntary and co-operative sector was due to deliver 2,000 units and it has delivered in excess of 1,500 already, while RAS, which was due to deliver 500 units, has delivered 796. As a result, output has increased by 66% compared to the first nine months of 2006, which is a record achievement. More than 11,000 social housing units will be under construction at the end of 2007. This programme will continue in 2008. Local authorities will provide 6,600 units while the voluntary and co-operative sector will provide 2,000. We will continue the implementation of RAS and I have also asked the affordable homes partnership to lease 1,000 accommodation units in the Dublin area under the scheme over a three-year period to meet the need outlined by the Deputy.
