Written Answers Nos. 156-170
156. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications what proportion of households have their waste collected, broken down by local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3911/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe EPA is the competent authority for the collation of national waste statistics and reports annually on Ireland’s performance against a range of European waste directive and regulations. These reports are available at National Waste Statistics | Environmental Protection Agency (epa.ie).
In addition, the National Waste Collection Permit Office, which is responsible for the issuing of all waste collection permits in the State, collates waste collection data directly from waste collection companies on an annual basis and should be contacted for the information sought, please see www.nwcpo.ie.
158. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will advise when the retro fit loan guarantee details will be finalised and available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3931/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra162. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications for an update on the Government backed finance for retrofitting houses which was to be rolled in 2024. [4119/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 158 and 162 together.
In order to assist with the achievement of our retrofit targets, the Programme for Government, Climate Action Plan and the National Retrofit Plan committed to the introduction of a new residential retrofit low-cost loan scheme.
The Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme was developed by my Department in conjunction with the Department of Finance, the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund. An agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group underpinning the new Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme was announced in October 2023. An open call inviting lenders to participate in the scheme was launched on 31 October 2023.
The €500 million scheme is the first of its kind for both Ireland and the EIB. Homeowners will be able to borrow from €5,000 to €75,000 on an unsecured basis for a term of up to 10 years. The interest rates will be significantly lower than those currently available on the market as a result of the combination of the EIB Group loan guarantee and a Government-funded interest rate subsidy.
The Home Energy Upgrade loans will help reduce the financial challenges for many homeowners and will play a crucial role in helping homeowners to invest in energy efficiency, making their homes warmer, cheaper to run and helping to lower emissions. It will also signal to the banking sector, new sustainable business opportunities associated with retrofit and the transition to a low carbon economy.
It is anticipated that the loans will be available in Q1 this year through participating retail lenders.
159. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide a copy of the shareholder letters of expectation sent to Bord na Móna in each of the years 2020 to date. [4046/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraShareholder Letters of Expectation (SLOE) were mandated from 2016 onwards, in accordance with the 2016 Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, and my Department has had SLOEs in place with Bord na Móna since then. The purpose of the SLOE is to set out the views and expectations of the relevant Ministers, as shareholders of the companies, on matters including financial performance and dividend policy. These letters also set out the importance of striking the right balance between distribution of dividends and reinvestment in the business.
Due to the commercially sensitive nature of the Shareholder Letters of Expectation, I am not in a position to release them as requested.
160. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications how Ireland's public and private hospitals deal with radioactive waste; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4051/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Radiological Protection Act 1991 (Ionising Radiation) Regulations 2019, the use of radioactive substances and management of the radioactive waste is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Radioactive sources can be either sealed or unsealed.
The most common radioactive substances that are used for medical purposes are unsealed. They have a short half-life, and only remain active for a short time period. Short lived unsealed (e.g. liquid) radioactive waste is stored in a dedicated secure storeroom in the hospital, until it reaches background radiation levels and is therefore no longer radioactive. The waste can then be disposed of in conventional waste streams.
Radioactive sealed sources acquired from outside of Ireland must have takeback agreements in place with the supplier/manufacturer in order for the EPA to authorise their import. When these sealed sources reach the end of their useful life they are returned to the supplier under the takeback agreement, with the prior approval from the EPA.
161. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if waste management companies are obligated to provide a brown bin free of charge to households that are paying bin charges at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4115/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe European Union (Household Food Waste and Bio-Waste) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 require all household waste collection companies to provide their customers with a brown bin collection service, however, they do not require this additional service to be provided free of charge.
Private waste collectors operate under a waste collection permit issued by the National Waste Collection Permit Office (NWCPO). These permits include a requirement that waste collection charging systems should incentivise customers to source segregate their waste, therefore the fees charged for the collection of residual waste should be higher than the fees charged for the collection of the brown bin or mixed dry recyclables bin.
The terms and conditions of individual waste collection contracts, including pricing plans for the provision of bins, are matters between the waste collection companies and their customers, subject to compliance with the terms of their NWCPO permit.
163. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he is aware of a report in which the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change said the EU’s policies will need revising to deliver net zero emissions by 2050 (details supplied); his views on whether the EU should stop subsidising fossil fuels and to redirect such spending towards targeted actions that help vulnerable households; what actions will he take; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4140/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe report the Deputy refers to is the European Scientific Advisory Board’s (ESAB) Towards EU climate neutrality: progress, policy gaps and opportunities, published 17 January 2024, which finds that increased efforts are needed across all sectors to achieve the EU climate objectives beyond 2030.
Ireland fully supports the EU’s climate objectives, as set out in the EU Green Deal and EU Climate Law. These commitments are in step with our national climate objectives, as set out in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act, 2015 – 2021. Ireland supports full implementation of the initiatives agreed under the Green Deal and Fit for 55 package, and will consider additional actions, if and where necessary, to ensure the EU meets its collective objective of climate neutrality no later than 2050.
I have consistently advocated for further action on the phase-out of fossil fuels and of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies. I welcome the outcome of the first ever Global Stocktake (“GST”) at COP28, which reviewed Parties’ progress in achieving the ambition set out in the Paris Agreement. Amongst other necessary actions, the GST called on Parties to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that do not address energy poverty or just transitions, as soon as possible. While at COP28, I was pleased to join an international coalition to phase out fossil fuel subsidies. The coalition focuses on transparency around existing fossil fuel subsidies, identifying and addressing international barriers to phasing out such subsidies, and international dialogue to share knowledge and strategies on phasing out fossil fuel benefits. Further, as part of international efforts to reduce fossil fuel use, at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) level, the EU is engaged in the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform (FFSR) initiative, which Ireland fully supports. The FFSR seeks to rationalise and phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption and encourages WTO members to share information and experiences to advance discussions at the WTO.
I fully agree that it is of the utmost importance that EU policy fully aligns with our stated level of ambition and international commitments, as emphasised by the ESAB report. The Energy Tax Directive is the legislative framework for taxation of fuels used for transport and heating in the EU. In July 2021, as part of the Fit for 55 Package, the Commission published a proposal to revise the Energy Tax Directive which includes phasing out certain tax fossil fuel subsidies. The revision would better align the energy tax code with the broader climate ambition of the EU, and phasing out tax reliefs and exemptions for fossil fuel use forms part of this agenda. Ireland is actively engaged in the negotiation of the Energy Tax Directive which is ongoing.
A key step beyond 2030 will be the establishment of the EU’s 2040 climate target. On 25 January, I co-signed a joint call for an ambitious 2040 target, alongside Ministers from 10 other ambitious EU Member States, advocating that the EU adopt an ambitious target that takes into account the principles in the European Climate Law, such as best available science, cost-effectiveness, a fair and just transition and the costs of inaction, as well as the advice of the ESAB. An ambitious target will contribute significantly to the phasing out of fossil fuels.
The EU is committed to delivering on its climate commitments in a manner that ensures a just and socially fair transition, including directing funding to support vulnerable households. For example, an EU Just Transition Fund is in place to support the regions and communities in Europe that are most negatively affected by the transition to climate neutrality, ensuring that no one is left behind. In Ireland, this provides funding to the Midlands region, to address the longer-term socio-economic transition arising from the end of commercial peat extraction and peat-fired power generation. The new Social Climate Fund, established as part of the Fit for 55 Package, will dedicate €65 billion from the EU budget, and over €86 billion in total, to support the most vulnerable citizens and small businesses with the green transition.
As Minister, I remain committed to ensuring that Ireland and the EU maintain momentum in phasing out fossil fuels, and that we stay on-track to achieve climate neutrality before 2050.
164. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications what action his Department is taking to accelerate the roll-out of the National Broadband Plan Programme in Cork, given 17 of the 31 deployment areas in Cork are still in pre-build stage and have an anticipated date for connection between January 2026 and December 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4152/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra165. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide a progress report on the roll-out of the National Broadband Plan in County Cork from 1 January 2023 to date;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4153/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra166. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the total number of premises connected to fibre broadband under the remit of the National Broadband Plan Programme in Cork in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 1 January 2024 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4154/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 164, 165 and 166 together.
In December 2022, my Department published Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy which supports the ambition outlined in the National Digital Strategy and sets out a number of ambitious targets, including that:
• all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028;
• all populated areas will be covered by 5G no later than 2030, and
• digital connectivity will be delivered to all schools and broadband connection points by 2023.
These targets will be achieved through a combination of commercial investments and through the State investment in National Broadband Ireland (NBI).
The Digital Connectivity Strategy will lead to more balanced regional development, supporting the green transition, facilitating greater access to regional talent and skills and will assist with the implementation of the Government’s Remote Working Strategy, Our Rural Future: Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, and Project Ireland 2040.
Commercial operators’ fibre rollouts are progressing at pace. Open eir have already passed over 146,000 homes and businesses in Cork with gigabit services, with plans to pass a further c.73,700 homes and businesses over the next 2 – 3 years, bringing their total fibre-based investment in the county to over €89m. Other commercial operators are also continuing to increase their network footprint right across Cork, with SIRO recently passing over 70,300 premises for full fibre, and Virgin Media passing over 73,900 premises.
Along with the progress made by commercial operators’ in expanding their next generation networks throughout the State, the National Broadband Plan intervention contract provides for the roll out of a high speed and future-proofed broadband network to primarily rural areas. The intervention area covers over 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, over 213,000 premises are passed across 26 counties and available for immediate connection. The target for Premises Passed for 2023 (end of contract year four is 31 January 2024) was 185,000 premises cumulatively. This target was achieved by early October 2023.
Over 67,400 premises are already connected to the NBP high-speed broadband network.
In County Cork over 81,700 premises are within the AMBER area which will be provided with high-speed broadband through the State led Intervention. As of 31 December 2023, over 24,700 premises are passed with a high-speed fibre broadband network in Cork and available for immediate connection. This represents 30% of all AMBER premises in Cork. 8,266 premises are now connected which represents a take up rate of 33%.
As of 31 December 2021, 4,514 premises were passed in Cork with 1,275 premises connected. As of 31 December 2022, 15,721 premises were passed in Cork with 4,307 premises connected.
NBI further advise that over 4,778 additional premises in two Deployment Areas (DA’s) are expected to be passed by Q4 2024. NBI expect that premises will be passed in 8 DA’s in 2025 with the remaining 14 DA’S having expected completion dates in 2026.
Further details are available on specific areas within County Cork can be monitored via nbi.ie/reps. A county update can be selected to provide 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. NBI has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie, which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.
Recent ComReg data shows that Quarter 3 of 2023, saw a 7.62% increase in fibre broadband subscriptions compared to Qtr 2, 2023, and a 33.83% increase when compared to Quarter 3 of 2022. This demonstrates that the take-up of fibre connectivity for homes and businesses is increasing greatly as the services are deployed to areas where they had previously been unavailable. This demonstrates that take-up of fibre connectivity for homes and businesses is increasing substantially as it is deployed to areas where it had previously been unavailable.
The same ComReg data also indicates that c. 40% of homes and business throughout the State now have access to gigabit services through either fibre (619,968) or cable (354,074) infrastructure.
167. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his engagement to date with the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform to progress requested pension increases by the ESB (details supplied);; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4170/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department in conjunction with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform work to ensure that all pension increase requests will be processed in a timely manner to ensure that there are minimal delays to the members of such pension schemes.
Myself and my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform, have consented to the 4% increase effective from 1 January 2024, which will now be applied by the ESB Pension Scheme Trustees.
168. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications for an update on the payment of the pension increase for ESB pensioners, and the rationale for the decision that all pension increases to members of semi-State pension schemes will need consent from both relevant Government Departments, in the case of the ESB, his Department and the Department of Public Expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4191/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraCircular 16/2021 relating to the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies - Amendments to the Annex on Remuneration and Superannuation - came into effect on 30th July 2021. It applies to all Commercial Semi-State Bodies and requires prior approval by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform with regard to severance scheme proposals, amendments to pension schemes required under legislation or scheme rules, and any changes to pension scheme benefits, such as pension increases where Ministerial or Departmental consent is required.
My Department in conjunction with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform work to ensure that all pension increase requests are processed in a timely manner to ensure that there are minimal delays to the members of such pension schemes.
Myself and my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform, have consented to the 4% increase effective from 1 January 2024, which will now be applied by the ESB Pension Scheme Trustees.
169. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide a schedule of the number of civilian drivers and Garda drivers attached to him and to Ministers of State of his Department; to provide the official work pattern for each driver and the total annual hours worked by each driver; and to indicate the number of drivers assigned to each Minister and Minister of State. [4218/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy that there are no civilian drivers attached to me or to Ministers of State within my Department.
I can confirm to the Deputy that I have Garda drivers attached to me. Garda Drivers come under the auspices of the Department of Justice and as such, my Department does not hold the information requested.
170. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if Ireland plans has any plans to exit an international treaty (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4311/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have publicly stated on many occasions, most recently on 09 November 2023, in Dáil Eireann, that the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) is not fit for purpose and the modernisation programme of the ECT has been inadequate and has resulted in an unsatisfactory outcome. Therefore, Europe has signalled that the bloc should initiate a full exit from the Treaty. Ireland supports this position.
Throughout this process Ireland has expressed strong views within the EU on the compatibility of the Paris Climate Agreement and the ECT dispute resolution mechanism. We continue to express our views within the EU on these issues; I believe that our views carry more weight in international negotiations by advocating them as part of the European Union.
Ireland is among nine EU Member States who have indicated their decision to withdraw from the ECT, Italy left in 2015. We are engaging with all of our EU partners on the way forward to achieve this. Departing an international treaty is not an overnight process and will take time but the direction of travel for Ireland is clear.
