Vol. 652 No. 2
72 Deputy Phil Hogan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress he has made to date in 2008 in achieving the 3% annual reduction in greenhouse gases as laid out in the programme for Government; if the Government is on track to meet this target; the further initiatives planned for 2008 to meet the set target; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14405/08]
I refer to my first carbon budget statement on 6 December 2007 in which I presented an overview of greenhouse gas emissions to date and how they are expected to develop over the next five years. I related these to the programme for Government commitment of an annual average reduction of 3% in emissions, which would equate to a target of 64 million tonnes for our average emissions over the 2008-12 period.
The carbon budget showed that the measures in the national climate change strategy, along with further measures announced since the Government took office, were projected to reduce annual average emissions to 65.6 million tonnes over the 2008-12 period, leaving a gap of around 1.6 million tonnes still to be bridged.
I also outlined the further steps we are taking to deliver more reductions in emissions and which will take us closer to the 3% target. The more successful we are in closing that gap, the less we will have to spend on carbon credits in order to comply with our Kyoto Protocol commitments.
The 2007 carbon budget was only a first step and efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will be an ongoing and central feature of the work of Government across every sector. Through the Cabinet Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security, my ministerial colleagues and I are looking at what more can be done in the sectors for which we have responsibility. The annual carbon budget will draw together the progress made on developing further policies and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
First, will the Minister give us some indication of what the reduction in CO2 emissions will be in regard to policies he has introduced since he became Minister such as the light bulb, motor tax and building regulations initiatives? What does he expect those particular measures will mean in terms of reductions in CO2 emissions? Second, if there are various reasons he cannot meet his target, will the Minister consider introducing punitive measures in various ways to force Departments other than his own to help meet the 3% target?
I made it clear in the carbon budget that what I was announcing would reduce it by approximately 600,000 tonnes. We have a range of issues across all Departments, which is precisely the reason we put in place the committee, chaired by a member of the Opposition, on climate change. That is a good progressive measure. At Government level we have the energy security and climate change committee, where Ministers from all sectors are represented.
I know the Deputy has further questions on this matter but it is quite clear we have a task, something I recognised on publication of the carbon budget and the awareness-raising campaign. There is a job to be done and all the issues I have addressed, particularly regarding transport and agriculture, will be challenging, to say the least.
We have made a start, however, and I emphasise that 2007 was a turning point, the year in which climate change became an issue. It is only since then that the penny has dropped with all the political parties that this is the defining issue of our age. It is only since then that it has gradually begun to sink in across all sectors. We are now getting a buy-in from IBEC and industry as a whole, as well as the agriculture sector. Everyone realises this is a challenge, allied to the other problem we are facing. This will ensure we will meet our targets.
I wish to get in another supplementary question if I can.
With the realities of peak oil, we must make these changes in any case and reduce our carbon footprint.
I agree this is a very serious matter and that is the reason I wish to establish the measures the Minister intends to take to help meet the targets outlined in the programme for Government. In the course of his initial reply, the Minister said he had challenging decisions to make to achieve those objectives. What was the Minister thinking of and what measures will be required to meet those objectives and the programme for Government targets?
The Deputy is well aware of them and I have outlined them a number of times, but I will go through them again if the Deputy so wishes. With regard to energy, we have the renewable energy electricity tariff support scheme, which is facilitating the connection of more renewable energy to the national grid. It will enable Ireland to meet its EU target to generate 13.2% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2010. Ireland has set more ambitious national targets of 15% by 2010 and 33% by 2020. There is a target of 30% co-firing of biomass and peat stations, which will reduce the emissions impact of burning peat by using carbon-neutral renewable sources.
The bio-energy action plan provides the basis for Ireland to maximise the benefit of our bio-energy resources in transport, heat and electricity markets. The energy efficiency action plan, which is being finalised by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, aims to achieve a 20% improvement in energy efficiency by 2020, with a 33% improvement in the public sector.
We have also considered the commercial bio-heat programme in the business sector, which provides grants to assist the commercial and services sector switch to wood-chip or wood pellet heating systems, replacing at least 60 million litres of heating oil per year.
Sustainable Energy Ireland provides a range of supports for small and medium enterprises to assess their energy usage and introduce measures to enhance energy efficiency. The Deputy is well aware that I introduced new building regulations, which will reduce energy use by 40% on current standards and a further increase in energy efficiency standards is planned for 2010. As the Deputy knows, I will be aiming for zero emissions by 2016.
In the transport sector, we are looking at technological improvements in vehicles and there is the introduction of a new VRT and motor tax system based on CO2 emissions.
The time for the question has more than expired.
73 Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he will take to ensure that in accordance with the commitment in the programme for Government, public water supplies are 100% compliant with drinking standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14487/08]
The Government's commitment to ensure drinking water supplies are in full compliance with statutory quality standards is reflected in the €4.7 billion in capital funding for water services infrastructure in the National Development Plan 2007-2013, an increase of 27% on the previous plan. In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency has, under new drinking water regulations made in June 2007, been given significantly enhanced supervisory and enforcement powers regarding quality standards in these supplies.
The EPA's report for 2006 and 2007 on the provision and quality of drinking water in Ireland has identified 339 public water supply schemes where detailed profiling is required from source to tap to ensure consumers have a reliable supply that is consistently of a satisfactory standard. My Department and the EPA are working in conjunction with local authorities urgently to identify, agree and implement solutions in these cases.
Solutions may range from upgrading treatment facilities to abandoning unsuitable sources or improving operation and maintenance arrangements. Where significant infrastructural works are required they will be funded by my Department and I have put in place contingency funding arrangements for that purpose. The EPA will oversee implementation of all remedial actions as part of its enhanced supervisory function.
I bring the Minister's attention to the recent EPA report on the provision and quality of drinking water in Ireland for 2006 and 2007. As the Minister will know, the report indicated that 36% of our drinking water supplies require detailed profiling to determine whether the supply must be replaced or upgraded, or where operational practices must be improved to ensure the water supply to the public is clean and wholesome. This means a problem has been identified by the EPA with over one third of our water supply.
A question, Deputy.
It published a list of 339 sites throughout Ireland which were placed on a remedial action list and 28 from 34 local authorities have problems with the water supply, with elements, such as e.coli, being found, which are unsatisfactory as far as the EPA is concerned.
The Deputy is imparting information rather than seeking it.
There is a lack of treatment for cryptosporidium. It is very well having so much money in the national development plan but what about now? The EPA has indicated its standards are the minimum and they should not be left to be achieved in a few years. They should be achieved now and it is unsatisfactory that our water supply is in such a condition. What will the Minister do about this?
That we have such a comprehensive report is testament to the fact that we have empowered the EPA to do excellent work. I commend the body on doing it. We have also given the EPA not just a 43% increase in its budget but 50 extra staff. If one looks at the newspapers, it is advertising for those staff now.
I always welcome comprehensive reports, warts and all. It is important we know the facts. The report shows continuing underlying progress from previous years in the compliance with the required chemical standards. For example, we know public water supplies affected by e.coli during 2006 came in at 8.3%, down from 9.7% in 2005 while private group water schemes came in at 35.8%, slightly down from 36.2% in 2005.
The Deputy mentioned the 339 public water supplies identified by the EPA and her question was what we are doing about them. Some 134 of these schemes require major capital investment and, of these, 130 are already approved for funding in the current water services investment programme. The other four schemes are being added to the programme. In some cases, advanced works to address some issues immediately are being considered.
In the remaining 205 schemes, the safety and security of supply issues can be addressed through better operational and management procedures or relatively small-scale improvements to the treatment processes. For example, these could include additional turbidity monitors, residual chlorine monitors and dial-out alarms, or a combination of all these.
My Department and the EPA will shortly complete an action programme setting out the appropriate solutions and timescale in each of the 339 cases. Any necessary infrastructural works will be fast-tracked and funded by my Department through a contingency funding arrangement within the water services and rural water programmes, as appropriate.
It is welcome that the Minister is providing more staff to the EPA but the problem is with local authorities. The EPA found that 14 local authorities were not doing their duty in terms of monitoring water supplies. They do not have enough staff or expertise for that. When he was Minister, Deputy Dick Roche told the then mayor of Galway, Niall Ó Brolcháin, that money was available but he did not provide the necessary resources or staffing to the local authority to solve the problem.
The EPA discovered that the equipment at 40% of treatment plants is inadequate in the context of allowing them to treat supplies for cryptosporidium, which gave rise to the problem in Galway. Cryptosporidium can cause acute short-term infections or illnesses in children that are untreatable. The public is, therefore, at risk. The position in respect of e.coli is similar. A recent study indicated that it costs this country €135 million to treat people with stomach bugs, which are mainly caused by e.coli infections. The EPA also uncovered major difficulties as regards the treatment of e.coli in our water supplies.
It is not enough to state that sufficient money will be available over a period of years. Funding must be provided for specific projects and local authorities should be given the necessary staff, expertise and resources to allow them to deal with the problems to which I refer.
The Deputy referred to the specific example of Galway city. I had the opportunity to visit the new Terryland plant recently and I spoke to the engineers there who confirmed that not only will the quality of drinking water in Galway be good as a result of the initiatives my Department has taken, it will probably be the best quality of drinking water in the country. Moving from a position where supplies were infected with cryptosporidium to one where drinking water quality will be extremely good represents a major change.
The 339 schemes identified by the EPA include those where there is likely to be a risk of infection by cryptosporidium. Upgrading measures will provide safeguards against such infection. A cryptosporidium working group has been established under the aegis of the EPA to address issues such as the main contributory factors to high-risk supplies, the development of source protection guidelines, updated advice on risk assessment and corrective actions that can be taken to reduce risk. A number of guideline documents have been produced and are available to local authorities.
74 Deputy Phil Hogan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of local authority housing starts for 2006, 2007 and to date in 2008; his projections of local authority housing starts for the rest of 2008 and for 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14406/08]
The Government's housing policy statement, Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities, and the National Development Plan 2007-2013 reflect the strong commitment to expand social housing provision contained in the social partnership agreement Towards 2016. Under the social partnership agreement, local authorities are to deliver 21,000 social housing starts over the period 2007-09.
Good progress was made towards achieving this target with approximately 6,850 homes commenced, purchased or acquired under long-term lease in 2007. This is a 12% increase on the figure of 6,161 housing starts achieved in 2006. Full details on the output figures for social and affordable housing for 2007 will be published shortly in my Department's annual housing statistics bulletin. Data for the first quarter of 2008 are not yet available.
The Exchequer provision for social housing for 2008 and 2009 is expected to allow for a further 14,000 starts in this period. Housing allocations will be announced in the near future for all housing authorities and a better picture of the number of starts likely in 2008 will be available when authorities receive their allocations and are able to finalise their work programme for the year.
Taking all Exchequer and non-Exchequer resources into account, the total provision this year for social housing will be almost €2.5 billion. This represents an increase of 16% on the 2007 figure. These resources will ensure that further substantial progress will be made towards achievement of the target of meeting the needs of some 60,000 households over the period of the National Development Plan 2007-2013 through the range of social housing measures in place, including direct local authority provision, the use of Part V agreements, voluntary and co-operative housing and units provided under the rental accommodation scheme.
The Minister of State outlined a very rosy picture as regards matters relating to housing, particularly when he is aware that many local authorities will not engage in any new housing starts during the current year and will merely be asked to complete those that are already under construction. There will not be any new initiatives. My local authority was directed by the Department to commence two schemes in 2007 but it has now been told not to do so. If these schemes had proceeded, a further 32 houses would have been built in the two communities to which they relate. Cutbacks are taking place.
Will the Minister of State accept responsibility for the fact that Dublin City Council will this week close down its affordable housing list? Last year, only 260 affordable houses were provided and the number of houses built has plummeted from a figure of 722 in 2005. Will the Minister of State acknowledge that there has been a major reduction in the number of housing starts in the public sector this year? Is he contemplating introducing any new initiatives to assist first-time buyers who are particularly interested in getting their feet on the property ladder?
I do not envisage that there will be any cutbacks. If one considers the allocation for this year, while we are investing €1.7 billion, an increase of 16% on the 2006 figure, the HFA and other agencies will also invest €800 million. As a result, the total spend in the social housing market will be €2.5 billion.
On our achievements to date, in 2006 the total figure for house completions was 93,000. Of these, some 6,361 were in the social housing sector. In 2007, even though the market was constrained to some degree, there were still 7,400 completions. In the area of affordable housing, the number of completions was 3,600. We believe we attained our target of 9,000 social housing completions at the end of 2007.
The Minister of State should be aware that a commitment was given in 2016 that 60,000 new houses would be built between 2007 and 2009. The Government does not have a hope of fulfilling that commitment on the basis of what he has just stated. Does the Minister of State agree that the number of housing starts for 2008 has been dramatically reduced and that the rental subsidy scheme is a shambles? Responsibility for the latter was supposed to be transferred from the health authorities to the local authorities but in many areas this cannot be done because the necessary administrative systems are not in place.
Will the Minister of State indicate that action that will be taken to deal with the problem of the numbers on housing lists increasing? The Department's programmes are not working. Will the Minister of State say if he has new initiatives to take, particularly in respect of affordable housing schemes?
It is expected that we will have resources available for the remainder of 2008 and for 2009 which will allow us to achieve the substantial target of 18,000 social housing starts. Having met our target in 2007, we have every reason to be confident that we can do so for the 2008 and 2009.
The Deputy inquired about affordable housing. I intend to have discussions with the Dublin city manager regarding applications for affordable housing, the number of people applying for such housing and the level of information required from applicants. It appears that some of those applying for affordable housing may not have the resources or capacity to meet their mortgage payments. I want to examine with the Dublin city manager the possibility of restructuring application forms in order to ensure additional information will be provided by applicants indicating, quite clearly, their capacity to meet the requirements of the affordable housing scheme.
I am considering introducing two new schemes. The first of these, which relates to affordable housing, is a new shared equity scheme to replace the current shared ownership scheme, which has not been operating successfully and which has gone downhill in recent years. This new scheme will provide people with an opportunity to enter home ownership and to realise the ambitions of many lower paid workers. I want to give local authority and social housing tenants a new opportunity by means of the incremental purchase scheme I intend to introduce. This will allow them to purchase as little as 30% of their homes in the future. The schemes to which I refer will be announced in due course.
75 Deputy Phil Hogan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the assertion that the agriculture sector will not play a significant role in achieving the EU 20% reduction target; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14407/08]
I welcome the recent statement by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in which she addressed potential opportunities for Ireland's agricultural sector and the various ways in which the sector is reducing greenhouse gas emissions. She pointed out, for example, that farmers are now using less fertilisers and more efficiently, which cuts nitrous oxide emissions. She also noted that improved efficiencies in animal breeding, which have been researched and supported by Teagasc, have resulted in fewer emissions per unit of production.
Naturally, in a business as usual scenario, emissions from the agriculture sector would rise rather than fall, but that is also true of other sectors of the economy. However, the Government's approach to climate change recognises that it can no longer be a business as usual approach and that we must now focus on making the transition to a lower carbon economy. Every sector will play its part in that transition and every sector, including agriculture, will face opportunities as well as challenges. In this regard, I particularly welcome the Minister's commitment to look for new and innovative abatement options in the agriculture sector and to promote new farming practices and methods that can reduce emissions as they become available.
In addressing the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the agriculture sector, it is important not to overlook the significant threat which climate change poses for its viability, not least to drought and the need for irrigation. It is essential that both these factors are incorporated into a fundamental analysis of agriculture, forestry and land use. Policies to reduce greenhouse gas concentrations and the effects of climate change will open new opportunities as well as helping to address the threats which climate change presents for Irish agriculture. Through the Cabinet committee on climate change and energy security, I am working on an ongoing basis with my ministerial colleagues to ensure the long-term sustainability of all sectors of the economy, including agriculture.
In the course of his discussions with the Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security, the Minister said he envisaged low impact agriculture as part of the contribution towards reducing carbon emissions. Perhaps the Minister can explain what he means by low impact agriculture because the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food certainly does not know about it.
That is under the belt.
In the context of her contribution to the committee, she indicated that she is exploring a number of options but she has not been specific. Following his discussions about these matters with the Minister, Deputy Coughlan, will the Minister indicate what specific proposals we can expect from the agricultural sector to help reduce carbon emissions in 2008 and 2009? At this stage, I am sure the Minister has a number of specific proposals that his ministerial colleague, Deputy Coughlan, has discussed with him. Do they include no-till agriculture, special dietary requirements for animals or tapping into methane gases from farms? What measures can we expect to see being implemented in the agricultural sector?
CAP reform will reduce emissions by 2.4 million tonnes per annum. About 2 million tonnes of emissions will be removed annually from the atmosphere by Irish forests. These are significant reductions. From his work on the Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security, the Deputy will be aware that the Environmental Protection Agency has also done significant work in this regard. I understand that the committee was addressed by Dr. Murphy from UCC on the way in which soilage could be used to create bio-energy. These are significant developments but they are still in their infancy. We need to address the potential for second-generation biofuels. Clearly, we have experienced difficulties with the first generation of biofuels but we can go beyond that.
There are constant technological advances. I recall that many years ago, when I was Lord Mayor of Dublin, I had a car that ran on biofuel, which was the butt of many jokes at the time. Since then, of course, the situation has changed. Given the pioneering work undertaken by Bernard Rice in Teagasc, one can see the sort of change that can be achieved by an individual. If everyone now concentrates on this sector, we can make a significant impact on agriculture. We are talking about major emissions from the agriculture sector of over 28%, but I am confident that with the sort of innovative changes we are examining we can reduce that figure significantly.
Transport and agriculture have been highlighted as the major contributors to carbon emissions. Obviously, the Minister's discussions with his counterpart in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have yielded little in terms of what is required to meet our targets in the agricultural sector. Is the Minister getting full co-operation from his Cabinet colleagues in order to meet his commitments, particularly from the Minister, Deputy Coughlan?
Yes. As I said in my opening remarks, there is a recognition now among all parties and members of parties, including Ministers, that this is the defining issue and challenge of our age. Therefore, everyone must step up to the plate. Everyone knows there is an obligation so everyone must bring something to the party. We will all have to contribute. There is an acknowledgement that something serious must be done.
Where is the beef?
The beef is in the many herds of cattle, as the Deputy knows. I have recognised the difficulty, which is that we now have growing markets. The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food may herself have referred to this when she addressed the Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security. There are huge increases in population around the world, along with unprecedented economic growth in countries such as China and India. There is a new affluence in such places and they are looking for more animal protein. The potential is there to expand the national herd and increase emissions as a result, but that will not keep us in compliance with our Kyoto commitments. There is a recognition of the reality and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is keenly aware of her environmental responsibilities.
76 Deputy Phil Hogan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the Government’s light bulb initiative will help Ireland meet the 3% annual reduction target while taking into account that the ESB is part of the emissions trading sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14396/08]
I was pleased with the constructive first meeting I had with the Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security. As I said in my statement then, the committee is a welcome addition to our national parliamentary structure, which clearly reflects the importance the Oireachtas attaches to the climate change agenda. I look forward to further engagements with the committee on national, EU and wider international aspects of that agenda.
Progress towards achieving the Government's domestic 3% average annual reduction commitment may be measured with reference to net national greenhouse gas emissions. While this includes emissions from installations in the EU emissions trading scheme, the control of emissions within that scheme is primarily a matter for the scheme participants.
The trading scheme allows participating installations to emit in excess of their allocation provided they purchase additional allowances in respect of any excess emissions. Alternatively, an installation may choose to reduce its emissions to the level of its allocated allowances. In this regard, the scheme provides the flexibility for installations to meet their obligations in the most cost-effective manner available to them.
Each installation's emissions are recorded by the EPA for the purpose of compiling an annual national emissions inventory. Any emissions above the total annual allocation to the emissions trading scheme must be covered through trading arrangements by the installations concerned and will not therefore be counted in assessing Ireland's compliance with the Kyoto Protocol.
On the light bulbs issue, savings in electricity consumption from more energy efficient lighting will reduce national emissions from electricity generation. As all electricity generation plants in Ireland are included in the emissions trading scheme and have their emissions capped for the 2008-12 period in advance, this reduction will not lead to any further reduction in Ireland's national distance to target for Kyoto Protocol compliance. However, the emissions savings will count towards the Government's domestic 3% average annual reduction commitment.
Can the Minister clarify that the initiatives he has taken on light bulbs, which affect the ESB, will not be counted as part of the 3% reduction like other particular measures concerning the emissions trading scheme?
I did not say that.
Did he not?
I said that it was not part of the Kyoto Protocol.
I see. That is a different job altogether.
That is the difference.
The Minister did have something different to say about this on 28 February when he addressed the Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security. He is all over the place as regards how he counts his figures.
No, I am consistent.
May I ask the Minister to clarify the matter again?
Yes.
Are measures that have been taken on the emissions trading scheme being counted as part of the 3% or not? Can he clarify that first?
The Minister should throw some light on that for us.
I have clarified that. One must distinguish between commitments under the Kyoto Protocol and our domestic commitments in the programme for Government. The latter includes a 3% annual reduction. This measure is counted as part of that but not as part of our Kyoto Protocol commitments. That is crystal clear. Deputy Hogan was there on the day I addressed that committee.
I was a bit confused.
Deputies Hogan and Tuffy will be glad to know that we are on target in respect of the light bulb initiative. We have consulted with various sectors and a consensus is emerging on the best way forward. I attended an exhibition at the weekend. There were various energy efficient light bulbs in all makes and sizes and this will contribute to our 3% annual reduction.
