Thursday, 15 Dec 2022

Written Answers Nos. 68-98

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Ceisteanna (75)

Ivana Bacik

Ceist:

75. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the strategies in place to mitigate against increased emissions in the event that certain sectors exceed the total amount of permitted greenhouse gas emissions allowed by their sectoral emissions ceilings; his views, in particular, on reports (details supplied) that reducing methane emissions by 30% by 2030 is not feasible under current projections for the agriculture sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62760/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2021 commits Ireland to a legally binding target of a climate neutral economy no later than 2050, and a reduction in emissions of 51% by 2030 compared to 2018 levels. Following the process set out in the Act, the Government last July approved sectoral emissions ceilings for both the first and second carbon budget periods, with the exception the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry sector, which will be determined by the end of 2023 at the latest. This process has established a 10% emissions reduction target for 2025 for our agriculture sector, and a 25% emissions reduction target for the sector by 2030. In the coming weeks, Climate Action Plan 2023 will be published outlining the actions which will be undertaken in order to meet these targets.Each Minister with responsibility for a sectoral ceiling will be responsible for monitoring the progress of their actions to ensure they will meet their targets and must address any shortfall through amending current policies and/or developing new ones. Ireland along with over 100 other countries, has signed up to the Global Methane Pledge which seeks to specifically reduce methane emissions globally by 30% by 2030 based on 2020 levels. It is important to highlight that this is a global target, not an individual target for Ireland. Domestically, methane emissions from our agriculture sector will reduce in the coming years with new technologies, more efficient animals, and diversification across the sector. However, our contribution to this global target will not come solely from our agriculture sector. Landfill also contributes to methane emissions. We will reduce these emissions by sending less waste to landfill by 2030; by reducing waste overall; by adopting a circular economy which ensures products are renewable and reusable; and by ensuring that waste is a last resort. Methane is also emitted in the production and transportation of fossil fuels, especially natural gas which currently meets a significant portion of our energy needs. These are known as ‘fugitive emissions.’ In the coming years Ireland will significantly reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels by expanding our domestic renewable energy resources.

Air Quality

Ceisteanna (76)

Cathal Crowe

Ceist:

76. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide an overview of locations in which there are publicly-owned air-quality monitoring devices in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62341/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

Details of the locations of all monitoring stations currently in operation, along with real-time and historic data from each station, can be found at the website, www.airquality.ie which is operated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The network of stations is part of the national Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme which is operated, maintained and monitored by the EPA. However, my Department has provided funding for a significant upgrade to the network in recent years and, as a result, the number of monitoring stations has increased from 29 in 2017 to 105 today.

All stations collect air quality data for a range of pollutants in order to provide information to the public, and for assessment against European legal limit values and World Health Organisation guideline values. The final expansion of the network is expected to be completed early next year and will increase the number of official stations to 116.

The LIFE EMERALD project, which commenced in 2021, will use the information from our monitoring network to provide a national 3-day air quality forecast and near real-time mapping of air pollutants throughout the country; as well as to create historical maps of air pollutants. The project will improve Ireland’s ambient air quality management capabilities, by using an air quality modelling system to gain a better understanding of the factors contributing to poor air quality and develop a system that will provide enhanced information to the public.

Questions Nos. 77 and 78 answered orally.

Environmental Schemes

Ceisteanna (79)

Alan Farrell

Ceist:

79. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the implementation process with regard to the deposit return scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62082/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

In keeping with our Programme for Government commitment, the Government is introducing a deposit return scheme in Ireland in respect of plastic bottles and aluminium cans.

The Scheme will help ensure that we meet our legal obligations under the Single Use Plastics Directive to collect 90% of plastic bottles for recycling by 2029 and incorporate recycled plastic to a minimum of 30% in all new plastic bottles by 2030. We also expect to see a dramatic reduction in the littering of these items following the scheme’s introduction, in line with the experience of other countries.

The scheme places responsibility for the successful collection and recycling of the items on the producers who have placed these goods on the market. Those producers have now come together to form a company DRS Ireland CLG, trading as Re-turn, which is designing and rolling out the scheme.

On 1st July of this year, I granted approval to DRS Ireland as the approved body to operate a Deposit Return Scheme here under our national regulations.

More recently, on November 28th, I launched the registration phase of the Deposit Return Scheme for retailers and producers. I also announced the deposit levels to apply to the products within the scope of the scheme.

In brief, bottles and cans of 500 millilitres and less, will attract a deposit of 15 cent and larger bottles and cans will attract a higher deposit of 25c. In both instances, the deposit will be fully refundable to the consumer.

The national regulations set out how the scheme will operate and the protections available to retailers when accepting returned containers. Re-turn is responsible for determining the finer operational details of the scheme and is rolling out a major awareness and communications plan around deposit return. This will play a significant role in embedding the scheme with producers, retailers and consumers.

DRS is a major project involving the development of complex IT, infrastructure, and communication systems, which will be delivered by Re-turn over the course of 2023 with a 'go-live' date of February 2024.

Questions Nos. 80 and 81 answered orally.

National Broadband Plan

Ceisteanna (82)

Joe Flaherty

Ceist:

82. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide an update on the roll-out of high-speed broadband under the national broadband plan, in the constituency of Longford-Westmeath. [62473/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

There are 22,793 premises in County Longford and 45,599 in County Westmeath of which 8,957 in Longford and 11,983 in Westmeath are within the National Broadband Plan Intervention Area and will receive access to high speed broadband under the NBP. Government investment in County Longford through the NBP will be in the order of €34 million and for Westmeath €46 million.

NBI has advised that over 3,500 premises are available to Order/Pre Order a service in County Westmeath with 672 available in County Longford. Further details are available on specific areas within Counties Longford and Westmeath through the NBI website which provides a facility for any premises within the intervention area to register their interest in being provided with deployment updates through its website www.nbi.ie.

Strategic Connection Points (SCPs) are a key element of the NBP providing high speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. As of 2 December 2022, 823 SCP sites (280 Broadband Connection Points, which are publicly accessible sites, and 543 schools) have been installed and the high-speed broadband service will be switched on in these locations through service provider contracts managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development for BCPs and the Department of Education for schools.

In County Longford 8 BCPs have been installed to date with 7 in County Westmeath respectively. Further details can be found at nbi.ie/bcp-locations/.

My Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high-speed broadband, within the Intervention Area. Further details are available on the NBI website at nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/. In County Longford 10 schools have been installed to date for educational access, with 12 installed in County Westmeath.

Climate Change Policy

Ceisteanna (83)

Michael Moynihan

Ceist:

83. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the way that the projected global population growth outlined in the UN’s recent report, and Ireland’s need to increase food production by 70% can be reconciled with efforts to tackle climate change. [62462/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2021 commits Ireland to a legally binding target of a climate neutral economy no later than 2050, and a reduction in greenhouse emissions of 51% by 2030 compared to 2018 levels.

Following the process set out in the Act, on 28 July the Government approved sectoral emission ceilings for both the first and second carbon budget periods, with the exception of the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry sector, which will be determined by end 2023 at the latest. The agriculture sector must stay within its sectoral emissions ceilings, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10% by 2025, and 25% by 2030.

Climate Action Plan 2021 has outlined how emission reductions can be achieved in this sector in the coming years without compromising sustainable food production. The measures contained involved offering farmers the means to reduce carbon emissions at farm level by being more efficient, while also diversifying towards less greenhouse gas intensive practices such as organic farming and the production of energy. These measures, and the extent to which progress is being made, will be reflected in the next Climate Action Plan, which is due to be published shortly.

The challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the agriculture sector while ensuring our food security is a key opportunity for Ireland to become a world leader in long-term sustainable food production. I remain confident that our family farms will fully exploit the opportunities of this transition.

Energy Infrastructure

Ceisteanna (84)

Neale Richmond

Ceist:

84. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide an update on the Celtic Interconnector project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62024/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The Celtic Interconnector is a 575 km electricity interconnector that will connect the Irish and French electricity grids from East Cork to North-West France, and is being jointly developed by EirGrid and French Transmission System Operator, RTÉ (Réseau de Transport d’Électricité). With a capacity of 700MW, the interconnector will be in a position to provide electricity for some 450,000 homes.

The Celtic Interconnector will provide a reliable high-capacity electricity link between Ireland and France that will have significant benefits for electricity consumers in Ireland. The project will see the return of direct electricity interconnection with the remainder of the European internal energy market, leading to expected increased competition and lower wholesale prices in Ireland. It will also enhance security of electricity supply and facilitate increased capacity for renewable energy here via export access to the mainland European markets. As an EU Project of Common Interest, the European Commission announced a grant of €530 million towards the construction of the interconnector in 2019. A Final Investment Decision for the Celtic Interconnector was reached in November this year, with the final construction and finance contracts subsequently signed by EirGrid and RTÉ on 25 November 2022. Construction is currently scheduled to commence in Spring 2023, with the objective of the interconnector being completed and energized in 2026.

Illegal Dumping

Ceisteanna (85)

Emer Higgins

Ceist:

85. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps that his Department is taking to tackle the issue of illegal dumping; if CCTV is being used to combat this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60628/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

My Department provides significant support to the local authority sector in their efforts to tackle illegal dumping. Almost €15m, including €2.8m in 2022, has been provided to the sector under the Anti-Dumping Initiative (ADI) since it was first introduced in 2017 to encourage a collaborative approach between local authorities, community groups and other State Agencies to tackling the problem.

My Department also continues to invest heavily in the local authority waste enforcement network through the Local Authority Waste Enforcement Measures Grant Scheme, with the intention of maintaining a visible presence of waste enforcement personnel on the ground across the State. €7.7m was provided to local authorities under the scheme in 2022, while a further €1mn was provided to support the ongoing enhancement of the three Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities (WERLAs).

The recently enacted Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act advances several legislative provisions which will enhance efforts in this area, including through providing for the GDPR-compliant use of a range of technologies, such as CCTV and an increase in the level of the on-the-spot fine for littering.

Sections 22 & 23 of the Act require that the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) prepare and submit to me in my role as Minister for approval, draft codes of practice for the purpose of setting standards for the operation of CCTV and other mobile recording devices in order to deter environmental pollution and to facilitate the prevention, detection, and prosecution of littering and illegal dumping offences.

Once approved, these codes of practice will enable local authorities to put in place waste enforcement measures involving the GDPR-compliant use of technologies such as CCTV.

Departmental Data

Ceisteanna (86)

Niamh Smyth

Ceist:

86. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of one-stop contractors that have been approved in counties Cavan and Monaghan and north County Meath; and the take-up by householders in the area since the scheme commenced. [62560/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

Earlier this year, the Government approved 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 and lower emissions.

The supports announced included the establishment of:

- the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme which offers grant levels of up to 50% of the cost of a typical B2 home energy upgrade with a heat pump; and

- SEAI registered One-Stop-Shops to provide an end-to-end service for homeowners.

There are 12 One-Stop-Shops currently registered, 9 of which are National providers of services. These companies are typically large and shouldn’t be considered a ‘single contractor’. SEAI will continue to actively engage with the construction sector next year, with the aim of attracting more companies to register as One-Stop-Shops. A number of companies are already in the process of registering as one-stop-shops with SEAI.

Figures at the end of November for the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme show over 1,500 applications for Home Energy Assessments. Most recent figures from SEAI show over 900 applications for home energy upgrade works have been submitted with applications from Counties Cavan, Monaghan and Meath making up almost 10% of these. Of the 204 homes completed and paid to date this year under the new scheme, approximately 13% are from Counties Cavan, Monaghan and Meath.

It is important to note that this is just one of the schemes available from SEAI. As of end-November, over 22,800 home energy upgrades have been supported across the SEAI retrofit schemes – a 69% increase on the same period last year.

Cybersecurity Policy

Ceisteanna (87)

Emer Higgins

Ceist:

87. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on the way he expects Ireland’s cybersecurity infrastructure to change in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57487/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

Recognising the strategic importance of cyber security for Ireland's peace, security, resilience and prosperity, the Government has prioritised investment in Ireland’s cybersecurity most notably in its investment in the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). The NCSC plays an important role in providing advice and guidance to public bodies and critical infrastructure, monitoring and analysing cyber security threats and coordinating the response to major cyber security incidents. The NCSC works closely with its counterparts in the UK, US, EU Member States as well as the EU cyber security agency ENISA.

I am pleased to report that progress is being made across a range of measures agreed by Government last year. There has been a particular focus on recruitment. The staffing complement at the NCSC continues to grow towards the Government's target of 70 by the end of 2024 with 42 whole time equivalent staff in the NCSC. The increased resources has enabled the NCSC to provide an enhanced service to its constituents including through the work of the NCSC Engagement Team in supporting public bodies, essential services and important industry sectors.

Work is proceeding well on the development of a dedicated HQ facility for the NCSC. Temporary accommodation has been fitted out for use by the NCSC until the new facility is completed towards the end of 2023.

There will be an Increase in the NCSC’s ability to actively detect and defeat cyber threats targeting critical infrastructure and critical networks through a variety of means, including the continued development of the NCSC’s Sensor network across the systems of public bodies, critical infrastructure, and other relevant constituents, underpinned by clear legal powers.

The ability of the NCSC to monitor and respond to incidents will be developed through the ongoing evolution of the Joint Security Operations Centre (JSOC), and expanded analytical and reporting capabilities.

Work is also advancing on the development of a technology strategy for the NCSC with external consultants.

My Department is also progressing the drafting of legislation to provide the NCSC with a clear statutory mandate and legal authority.

Renewable Energy Generation

Ceisteanna (88)

Darren O'Rourke

Ceist:

88. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps that he is taking to help build a green hydrogen sector in Ireland; if he will outline the targets for green hydrogen production by 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62756/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

Hydrogen provides us with an incredible opportunity in Ireland. It provides the potential for long term storage of energy, the opportunity of dispatchable wind and solar power, the potential of chemical feedstocks, the potential of an export market and the opportunity to decarbonise some parts of high temperature processing. Ireland has one of the best offshore renewable energy resources in the world and realising the full potential of this massive resource will be a major opportunity for Ireland, and for green hydrogen production. In response to the climate crisis and the current energy crisis, we must look to accelerate the delivery of renewable electricity, and the delivery of alternative fuels like green hydrogen.

Earlier this year, the Government agreed the Sectoral Emission Ceilings. As part of this, we agreed an additional 2GW offshore wind Power to X. I wanted to do this to ensure that the planning, regulatory and market systems adjust to deliver more than just the directly connected electricity system requirements. I would expect that this increased target will be substantially for the delivery of green hydrogen.

A Hydrogen Strategy for Ireland is also under development on its way. As you know earlier this year, my Department launched a public consultation to gather views on the broad landscape of potential hydrogen supply, infrastructure, storage, and demand in Ireland, as well as the potential export opportunities for hydrogen. The significant number of responses we received reflects the momentum building behind green hydrogen in Ireland. Work is expected to conclude shortly on a summary report of the 126 substantive responses, which will be a significant step in developing the hydrogen strategy. The summary report will be considered for publication by the end of year, with the strategy itself to follow early in the new year.

National Broadband Plan

Ceisteanna (89)

Darren O'Rourke

Ceist:

89. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide an update on the roll-out of the National Broadband Plan in County Meath; the target number of homes to be passed for 2022; the number of homes passed in County Meath to date; the targets for County Meath in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62753/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

I am advised by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) that, as of 2 December 2022, over 112,200 premises can order or pre-order a high-speed broadband connection across 25 counties, with over 101,700 premises passed across 25 counties and available for immediate connection. Construction is underway across 26 counties demonstrating that the project is reaching scale. To date, the level of connections is increasing on a daily basis and is exceeding expectations.

The NBI website shows that 18 of the 227 Deployment Areas under the NBP, will include premises in County Meath, with build works underway in four Deployment Areas covering more than 4,000 premises in Meath, where almost 2,000 of those premises should be in a position to order a connection to the NBP network by the end of January next, with the first of these premises already available to be connected.

Further details are available on specific areas within County Meath through the NBI website which provides a facility for any premises within the intervention area to register their interest in being provided with deployment updates through its website www.nbi.ie Individuals who register with this facility will receive regular updates on progress by NBI on delivering the network and specific updates related to their own premises as works commence. NBI has a dedicated email address, [e-mail], which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.

NBI has made recent improvements to their website, creating a portal that will serve as a means for Oireachtas members to proactively search for information relevant to their county/local area. The portal provides an up-to-date picture of NBI’s deployment schedule across the 227 Deployment Areas (DAs) in all 26 counties. A particular county can be selected to view an update of the overall number of premises in the Intervention Area, the overall NBP investment in the county, the number of premises passed and connected to date and the status of each of the Deployment Areas with the anticipated date for connection over the lifetime of the project. The dedicated webpage can be accessed here: www.nbi.ie.

Strategic Connection Points (SCPs) are a key element of the NBP providing high speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. As of 02 December 2022, 823 SCP sites (280 Broadband Connection Points, which are publicly accessible sites, and 543 schools) have been installed and the high-speed broadband service will be switched on in these locations through service provider contracts managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development for BCPs and the Department of Education for school SCPs. In County Meath 15 BCPs have been installed to date.

In County Meath 21 schools BCPs have been installed by NBI to date for educational access. My Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high-speed broadband, within the Intervention Area. Further details are available on the NBI website at nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/.

Programme for Government

Ceisteanna (90)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Ceist:

90. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the Programme for Government commitments that have been achieved to date; the commitments with regards to broadband across Ireland that have been achieved to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62740/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

The ambition of the Government with respect to digital connectivity is set out in the national digital strategy, Harnessing Digital – The Digital Ireland Framework that was published earlier this year. The strategy is aimed at driving and enabling the digital transition across the Irish economy and society.

This high-level framework in the strategy sets out a pathway to support Ireland’s ambition to be a digital leader at the heart of European and global digital developments. Core to achieving this will be making connectivity available to everyone, including through the National Broadband Plan, Remote Working Hubs and Broadband Connection Points, with a target of having all Irish households and businesses covered by Gigabit network no later than 2028 and all populated areas covered by 5G no later than 2030.

Last week my Department published Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy which has the aim of ensuring that all sectors will be armed with the connectivity needed to fully exploit digital opportunities, leading to more balanced regional development, while supporting the green transition. The strategy will facilitate greater access to regional talent and skills, and supports the implementation of a range of government priorities

The strategy will be achieved through:

- the implementation of the National Broadband Plan

- investment by commercial operators in Gigabit services ensuring that international connectivity infrastructure to and from Ireland is resilient, diverse and robust

- the transposition of the Communications Regulation Amendment Bill, and

- the implementation of the actions of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce

- the implementation of the National Cyber Security Strategy

Specifically with respect to access to high-speed broadband, as of 2nd December 2022, NBI advise that over 112,200 premises can order or pre-order a high-speed broadband connection across 25 counties, with over 101,700 premises passed across 25 counties and available for immediate connection. Construction is underway across 26 counties demonstrating that the project is reaching scale. To date, the level of connections is increasing on a daily basis and is exceeding projections.

Strategic Connection Points (SCPs) are a key element of the NBP providing high speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. As of 02 December 2022, 823 SCP sites (280 Broadband Connection Points, which are publicly accessible sites, and 543 schools) have been installed and the high-speed broadband service will be switched on in these locations through service provider contracts managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development for BCPs and the Department of Education for school SCPs. My Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high-speed broadband, within the Intervention Area. Further details are available on the NBI website at nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/.

Eir has committed to rolling out fibre to a further 1.6 million premises, bringing their fibre deployment to some 1.9 million premises. SIRO is currently completing the first phase of its fibre deployment and to date has passed more than 430,000 premises with gigabit services and it has recently announced plans to extend its network to an additional 320,000 premises. Virgin Media is offering 250Mbps as a standard offering with 500Mbps and 1Gbps available to many of their customers across the more than 1 million premises that they cover. Many other network operators and telecom service providers across the State also continue to invest in their networks.

Departmental Schemes

Ceisteanna (91)

Catherine Connolly

Ceist:

91. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the analysis that his Department has carried out into the operation of the community category in RESS 1 and RESS 2; the reason that the discontinuation of the community category is being considered for RESS 3; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62565/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) is one of the flagship Government policies to help deliver on the ambition in the Climate Action Plan 2021 of up to 80% renewable electricity by 2030.

Seven community projects, comprising five solar and two wind projects, were successful in first RESS auction (RESS1), six of which remain in RESS. These projects are progressing through the RESS 1 delivery milestones and are anticipated to reach commercial operation before the end of 2023 at the latest. There were ten successful projects in the community Category in the second RESS auction (RESS2). These are expected to achieve commercial operation by the end of 2025 at the latest.

Through my Department’s continued engagement with Renewable Energy Communities (RECs), there is evidence of significant challenges that REC projects may face with the competitive, auction based nature of RESS. To simplify and boost community participation in the Government’s renewable energy ambition, consideration is being given to providing support for eligible community projects through the Small Scale Generation Support Scheme (SSG), which is currently under development and is expected to become available in 2023. The SSG is not anticipated to include an auction process and is expected to be a simpler route for community participation.

In October, my Department published a consultation on the design of the third RESS auction (RESS 3), which will take place next year, including options for continuing the community category in RESS in light of the development of the SSG. This consultation is open for submissions until Friday 16 December.

Grant Payments

Ceisteanna (92)

Peadar Tóibín

Ceist:

92. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of grants allocated under the national retrofitting scheme. [61734/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

In February, the Government approved 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. Free upgrades are available for households at risk of energy poverty under the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme.

Since February, demand across the SEAI retrofit schemes has been exceptionally high and for its part, the retrofit sector has mobilised in response to the greater level of interest. Figures from SEAI indicate that, to end of November:

-Over 22,800 home energy upgrades have been completed – a 69% increase on the same period last year.

- Over 4,000 homes been upgraded under SEAI energy poverty schemes – a 107% increase on the same period last year.

- Over 7,600 homes have been upgraded to a BER of B2 or better – a 91% increase on the same period last year.

In addition, over 46,300 applications for support have been received, equating to a 152% increase on the same period last year. My Department is working with the SEAI to build on this strong performance to maximise output this year and the pipeline into 2023.

Energy Prices

Ceisteanna (93, 100, 107, 108)

Ivana Bacik

Ceist:

93. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if mechanisms exist to reimburse residential customers of district heating schemes who pay for domestic energy at a commercial rate for excess costs; and if the examination of such a policy is in the remit of the steering group due to report on district heating schemes in 2023. [62761/22]

Cian O'Callaghan

Ceist:

100. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will introduce financial supports for residents reliant on communal energy systems in the form of one-off energy credits or a direct subsidy covering the difference between the average domestic rate and the commercial rate of gas, pending the development of appropriate regulation of the district heating sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62380/22]

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Ceist:

107. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide an update on the feasibility studies for geotherm for communal and district heating systems, to include an outline of grant schemes or other funding mechanisms for residents using communal and district heating systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62563/22]

Darren O'Rourke

Ceist:

108. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide an update on the feasibility study of geothermal energy; the role that he sees geothermal playing in community heating systems in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62755/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

I propose to take Questions Nos. 93, 100, 107 and 108 together.

The National Heat Study recognises the potential of geothermal energy to supply district heating schemes, my Department has established the Geothermal Energy Advisory Group to advise on the finalisation of the ‘Draft Policy Statement on Geothermal Energy for a Circular Economy’. The Advisory Group will hold its first meeting in January 2023.

Group heating schemes are apartment blocks or housing developments that are supplied with heat rather than fuel and, in such cases, it is the heat supplier that is the purchaser of the fuel used. Where gas is being used, a commercial tariff is applied, due to scale of purchase. While commercial rates have generally been lower than domestic gas rates, recent increases in energy prices have led to a sharp increase in commercial gas rates in particular. However, commercial gas prices respond more quickly to the market than domestic prices.

In order to identify alternative heat sources for group heating schemes in particular, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland has initiated a feasibility study to examine the technical potential of moving schemes fuelled by natural gas to a renewable energy source, with a focus on geothermal energy. It is anticipated that initial results will be available in 2023.

The solutions to the issues facing group heating schemes will be found in the development of a consumer protection regulatory framework and in the transition to renewable sources of energy to heat buildings. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has been appointed as regulator for district heating networks and the District Heating Steering Group, established earlier this year, has in its deliberations considered the economic regulation and consumer protection needs of district heating and smaller scale group heating schemes.

More broadly, to help alleviate the impact of the rising cost of living, the Government has already put in place a series of measures, with funding of €2.4 billion available. A further package of once off measures worth €2.5 billion was announced in Budget 2023, including the Electricity Cost Emergency Benefit Scheme II. The Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit payment is being applied to domestic electricity accounts as a universal support to all households.

Departmental Schemes

Ceisteanna (94, 120, 143)

Brendan Griffin

Ceist:

94. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the way that the plastic bottle scheme will work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62784/22]

Neale Richmond

Ceist:

120. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide details regarding the deposit return scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62023/22]

Ciarán Cannon

Ceist:

143. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will outline the details of Ireland’s deposit return scheme. [62828/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

I propose to take Questions Nos. 94, 120 and 143 together.

In keeping with our Programme for Government commitment, the Government is introducing a deposit return scheme in respect of plastic bottles and aluminium cans. The Scheme will help us meet our obligations under the Single Use Plastics Directive to collect 90% of plastic bottles by 2029 and incorporate recycled plastic to a minimum of 30% in new bottles by 2030. We also expect a dramatic reduction in littering of these items following the scheme’s introduction.

The scheme places responsibility for the collection and recycling of the items on the producers who have put them on the market. Those producers have set up DRS Ireland CLG, trading as Re-turn, to design and roll out the scheme.

On 1st July, I granted DRS Ireland an approval to operate a Deposit Return Scheme and on November 28th, I launched the registration by retailers and producers. I also announced the deposit levels to apply. Bottles and cans of 500 millilitres and less, will attract a deposit of 15 cent and larger bottles and cans will attract a higher deposit of 25c. In both instances, the deposit will be fully refundable to the consumer.

The national regulations set out how the scheme will operate and the protections available to retailers when accepting returned containers. Re-turn is responsible for determining the finer operational details of the scheme and is rolling out a major awareness and communications plan around deposit return.

Deposit Return is a major project involving the development of complex IT, infrastructure, and communication systems, which will be delivered by Re-turn over the course of 2023 with a 'go-live' date of February 2024.

National Broadband Plan

Ceisteanna (95, 166)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

95. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the extent to which he proposes to augment the provision of high-speed, high-quality broadband in all areas throughout the country, urban and rural without exception with particular reference to meeting the most obvious requirements in the shortest possible time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62734/22]

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

166. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the extent to which ongoing progress can be reported in regard to the provision of high-speed modern broadband in all areas throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62998/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

I propose to take Questions Nos. 95 and 166 together.

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) state led intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract to roll out a high speed and future proofed broadband network within the intervention area which covers 1.1 million people living and working in over 560,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with some 679 schools.

There are over 2.47 million premises in the country of which:

- Over 564,00 (22.8%) are within the AMBER area which will be provided with high speed broadband through the State led Intervention;

- Over 1.9 million (77.2%) premises are within the BLUE area which represents those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering ,or have plans to deliver, high speed broadband services.

I am advised by NBI that, as of 02 December 2022, over 112,200 premises can order or pre-order a high-speed broadband connection across 25 counties, with over 101,700 premises passed across 25 counties and available for immediate connection. Construction is underway across 26 counties demonstrating that the project is reaching scale. To date, the level of connections is increasing on a daily basis and is exceeding projections.

Strategic Connection Points (SCPs) are a key element of the NBP providing high speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. As of 02 December 2022, 823 SCP sites (280 Broadband Connection Points, which are publicly accessible sites, and 543 schools) have been installed and the high-speed broadband service will be switched on in these locations through service provider contracts managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development for BCPs and the Department of Education for school SCPs. My Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high-speed broadband, within the Intervention Area. Further details are available on the NBI website at nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/.

Eir has said it will roll out its fibre network to some 1.9 million premises. SIRO is currently completing the first phase of its fibre deployment and to date has passed more than 430,000 premises with gigabit services and it has recently announced plans to extend its network to an additional 320,000 premises. Virgin Media is offering 250Mbps as a standard offering with 500Mbps and 1Gbps available to many of their customers across the more than 1 million premises that they cover. Many other network operators and telecom service providers across the State also continue to invest in their networks.

Air Quality

Ceisteanna (96)

Fergus O'Dowd

Ceist:

96. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide an update on the required establishment of dedicated resources within regional lead authorities to provide co-ordination, expertise and advice to ensure enforcement of the new air-quality regulations nationwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62729/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

My Department and the Local Government Management Agency are continuing to work together to establish an enhanced enforcement support structure to be established next year. This structure will support the provision of improved co-ordination, expertise, and advice to support consistent implementation of air quality legislation across the country. A business case for a new structure has been developed and is expected to be presented to the sector for approval in early 2023. In the interim, my Department is also continuing to engage with enforcement personnel on the ground, developing guidance and training, and supporting the sharing of best practice in relation to a range of legislative obligations that are under the remit of the Local Authorities.I have also made grant funding available to support Local Authorities through a pilot solid fuels enforcement scheme to support innovation and enhanced enforcement of the new solid fuel regulations. We will continue to work with the sector in the coming months to provide further co-ordination and support as appropriate.

Environmental Policy

Ceisteanna (97)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

97. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the extent to which Ireland continues to make sufficient inroads on emission reduction and the provision of alternative and renewable energy by way of offshore and onshore wind and solar generated electricity in sufficient quantity to meet requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62735/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

Emissions from the electricity between 2005 and 2021 have decreased by 36%. There was more than a six-fold increase in the share of renewable electricity generation between 2005 and 2020 – from 7% to 42%. In 2021 renewables accounted for 34.7% of electricity generated due to low wind conditions resulting in less generation. The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) has helped to deliver increases in renewable generation. The first RESS auction, RESS 1, is expected to deliver circa 1,000 MW of new renewable generation. As a result, by the end of 2023, there will be approximately a 15% increase in Ireland’s renewable energy generation capacity. The second RESS auction, RESS 2, was held this year and is expected to deliver a further increase of nearly 20% by the end of 2025. Due to the success of RESS 1, 2022 was a record year for the connection of new renewable electricity generation to the grid. The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act (Amendment) 2021 provides for the preparation of sectoral emissions ceilings which set out the maximum amount of greenhouse gas emissions that are permitted in different sectors of the Irish economy. The new Climate Action Plan will set out a roadmap to achieve the sectoral ceilings. For the electricity sector, the plan targets 6 GW of onshore wind and up to 5GW of solar by 2025. For 2030 the target is set to 9 GW of onshore wind, 8 GW solar, and at least 5 GW of offshore wind. This will require a step change in the rate of electricity network upgrades and construction as well as policy and regulatory frameworks that incentivise and allow for this construction.

National Broadband Plan

Ceisteanna (98)

Niamh Smyth

Ceist:

98. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the roll-out of broadband in counties Cavan and Monaghan and north County Meath. [62559/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) state led intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract to roll out a high speed and future proofed broadband network within the intervention area which covers 1.1 million people living and working in over 560,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with some 679 schools.

I am advised by NBI that, as of 02 December, over 112,200 premises can order or pre-order a high-speed broadband connection across 25 counties, with over 101,700 premises passed across 25 counties and available for immediate connection. Construction is underway across 26 counties demonstrating that the project is reaching scale. To date, the level of connections is increasing on a daily basis and is in line with, or exceeding, projections.

Over 3,603 premises in County Cavan, 4,415 in County Monaghan have been passed by high-speed fibre broadband and are available for immediate connection. Almost 2,000 premises in County Meath are scheduled to be able to order a connection by the end of January 2023 and the first of these premises are now available for connection.

Further details are available on specific areas within County Cavan, Monaghan and Meath through the NBI website which provides a facility for any premises within the intervention area to register their interest in being provided with deployment updates through its website www.nbi.ie Individuals who register with this facility will receive regular updates on progress by NBI on delivering the network and specific updates related to their own premises as works commence. NBI has a dedicated email address, [e-mail], which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.

NBI has made recent improvements to their website, creating a portal that will serve as a means for Oireachtas members to proactively search for information relevant to their county/local area. The portal provides an up-to-date picture of NBI’s deployment schedule across the 227 Deployment Areas (DAs) in all 26 counties. A particular county can be selected to view an update of the overall number of premises in the Intervention Area, the overall NBP investment in the county, the number of premises passed and connected to date and the status of each of the Deployment Areas with the anticipated date for connection over the lifetime of the project. The dedicated webpage can be accessed here: www.nbi.ie.

Strategic Connection Points (SCPs) are a key element of the NBP providing high speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. As of 02 December 2022, 823 SCP sites (280 Broadband Connection Points, which are publicly accessible sites, and 543 schools) have been installed and the high-speed broadband service will be switched on in these locations through service provider contracts managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development for BCPs and the Department of Education for school SCPs. In County Cavan 12 BCPs have been installed to date with 15 in County Meath and 16 in County Monaghan respectively.

In County Cavan 19 schools BCPs have been installed by NBI to date for educational access with 21 in Meath and 12 in Monaghan. My Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high-speed broadband, within the Intervention Area. Further details are available on the NBI website at nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/.