Written Answers Nos. 136-155
136. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will intervene in the case of a person (details supplied) and award them the Government electricity credit. [3641/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra137. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications whether the legislation providing for the Government electricity credit can be amended so that persons who have been refused the benefit of the scheme because a property into which they recently moved was unoccupied between July 2022 and June 2023 can be covered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3646/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra138. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No. 124 of 17 January 2024, to clarify whether persons excluded from the credit due to low energy usage where they have been occupying the property and are not a vulnerable customer/entitled to be a vulnerable customer or have a financial meter, will be awarded the credit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3701/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra147. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will make an urgent alteration to the legislation of the Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2023 to ensure customers who purchased properties that were vacant during the monitoring period, are now eligible to avail of this support (details supplied). [3765/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 136, 137, 138 and 147 together.
As part of Budget 2024 Government approved a new tranche of Electricity Credits which over 2.2 million households will benefit from -- worth €450 in total per household.
Three payments of €150 (including VAT) are being made between December 2023 and April 2024.
The payments are being applied to domestic electricity accounts, including those with Pay As You Go meters, which are subject to distribution use of system charges at the rate for urban domestic customers (DG1) or the rate for rural domestic customers (DG2).
Under Scheme III, usage levels are assessed to ensure that payments are withheld in relation to low usage electricity accounts identified by the distribution system operator, to prevent the payment from being applied to vacant houses.
ESB Networks identified accounts which consumed less than 150 kilowatt hours of electricity per quarter for four consecutive quarters between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023. Domestic electricity accounts flagged as low usage accounts, will not be allocated a payment for that payment period. The payment will not be withheld for accounts with a financial hardship meter, accounts held by registered as a vulnerable customer or accounts which have low usage due to the exporting of energy to the grid through microgeneration.
The Scheme allows for review by a customer’s electricity supplier, if contacted by a customer who has not received the payment. The customer can seek further review by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, which has oversight of the Scheme, following the decision of the electricity supplier. I would encourage any customer who thinks that they should have received the credit to contact their supplier at the first instance, and then the CRU if they have still not received the credit.
139. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of households availing of smart tariffs in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3705/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra140. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of households availing of smart tariffs in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, broken down by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3706/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 139 and 140 together.
The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) is responsible for overseeing the National Smart Metering Programme (NSMP), with ESB Networks (ESBN) delivering the electricity meter rollout on the ground. The first phase of the NSMP culminated in the activation of Smart Metering services in February 2021, which in turn enabled Energy suppliers to start offering Time-of-use (ToU) tariffs and smart services plans. Prior to this, smart tariffs were not available to Irish households.
The CRU monitors the uptake of smart tariffs across the retail electricity market and began collecting data from Energy Supply companies regarding ToU tariff uptake from mid-2022. CRU does not hold county-level data for smart services uptake.
From this data, CRU have provided the following year end figures, with the latest data accounting for the period to the end of 2023:
|
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|
|
Number of Households with smart meters |
239,000 |
1,091,959 |
1,567,957 |
|
Number of customers on a ToU tariff |
No end of year data available |
70,663 |
151,554 |
|
Number of customers on smart services (MCC12/16) |
43,930 |
143,034 |
298,098 |
|
Percentage of smart meter customers withToU tariffs |
No end of year data available |
6.5% |
9.7%
|
|
Percentage of smart meter customers with smart services (MCC12/16) |
18.4% |
13.1% |
19% |
As the rollout of the NSMP is co-ordinated by CRU and ESBN, my Department does not maintain oversight of the day-to-day operations of Smart Metering. In terms of more detailed area specific information on the National Smart Metering Programme, the CRU provides a dedicated email address for Oireachtas members, at oireachtas@cru.ie for timely direct reply.
141. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide an update on the provision of consent for an increase to the pensions of retired ESB workers; if a timeframe is available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3714/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department in conjunction with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform work to ensure that all pension increase requests 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.
142. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the Government’s plan to develop Ireland’s nationally determined contributions (details supplied); if a consultative and participatory process is to take place, and which stakeholders are proposed to be included. [3725/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraCOP28 concluded the first-ever Global Stocktake, assessing the collective progress towards achieving the purpose of the Paris Agreement and its long-term goals and providing direction for countries’ new climate plans (known as “nationally determined contributions,” or NDCs) which will be fully updated next in 2025.
The Paris Agreement requires each Party to prepare, communicate and maintain successive NDCs that it intends to achieve. Parties can agree to act jointly in these efforts. This is the case for Ireland, whereby the EU and its Member States, acting jointly, prepare and submit an NDC.
While NDCs are to be submitted every five years (starting from 2020) to the UNFCCC, Parties may at any time adjust their existing NDC with a view to enhancing its level of ambition. The EU, on behalf of its Member States, submitted an updated NDC in October 2023 replacing the 2020 NDC. This included a more ambitious EU-wide 55% greenhouse emissions reduction target by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, which was given legal underpinning in the European Climate Law in June 2021.
The EU NDC was based on an extensive impact assessment as well as stakeholder input, collected via public consultation.
The next EU NDC will be set in accordance with the European Climate Law and be informed by the preparation of a legislative proposal for a union-wide climate target for 2040. A public Call for Evidence was conducted between 31 March to 23 June 2023, the results of which are being analysed and summarised as part of a detailed impact assessment report, which is due to be published by the Commission in February.
143. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number and location of islanded data centres currently operating. [3740/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra144. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number and location of islanded data centres proposed but not yet operating. [3741/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 143 and 144 together.
The Government's Statement on the Role of Data Centres in Ireland’s Enterprise Strategy describes an ‘Islanded’ data centre as a development that is not connected to the electricity grid and is powered mainly by on-site fossil fuel generation. Gas Networks Ireland (GNI) has advised my Department that it does not hold information on the electricity grid connection of existing customers. Therefore, GNI has advised my Department that it is not in a position to provide data on the number, if any, of the small number of data centres connected to the gas grid that would meet the description of "islanded".
GNI has provided the following information in relation to all contracted data centre gas connections, applications and enquires, and not just islanded data centres.
|
Data Centres Sites |
Number |
|
Total Contracted |
11 |
|
Connected (of those contracted) |
5* |
|
Applications/Enquiries |
20 |
* Less than 3 data centre sites are currently consuming gas
In relation to locations, GNI has informed my Department that GNI is not in a position to share the location of individual data centres. GNI can however advise the following for contracted data centres at a provincial level:
|
GNI contractual status of sites |
Located in Leinster |
Located in Munster |
Located in Connaught |
Located in Ulster |
Total Sites |
|
Contracted |
9 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
11 |
145. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the current status of the public consultation on disposable e-cigarettes; if a timeline has been developed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3743/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn June 2023, I launched a public consultation to help inform Ireland’s environmental response to disposable vaping devices. Disposable vaping devices present several challenges to our current waste collection and recycling system, and they can and should be recycled in a responsible manner. The public consultation closed on 11 August 2023. and a summary of responses was published in October 2023 at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/consultation/826a1-public-consultation-on-disposable-vaping-devices/.
Over 3,000 submissions were made by individuals and organisations, including retailers, and around 85% of respondents supported the banning of disposable vaping devices.
In addition to a potential ban on disposable vapes, other policy options include:
• Establish a deposit and return system for the devices.
• Enhance the producer responsibility scheme to ensure that all producers placing disposable vaping devices on the market are registered with the Producer Register Limited and complying fully in producer responsibility.
• Increase public awareness around the return of devices for responsible recycling.
On 25 November 2023, Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, and Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drug Strategy, Hildegarde Naughton, launched a public consultation to help inform future regulation of tobacco and nicotine inhaling products such as e-cigarettes or “vapes”. The public consultation closed on 5 January 2024.
I continue to engage with stakeholders regarding the most appropriate course of action to address these devices, and the need for a consistent approach across government departments, regarding this issue.
146. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if it is the responsibility of his Department to deal with issues of noise pollution arising from a school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3751/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has produced an information leaflet, A Guide to the Noise Regulations, on the legal remedies open to a person experiencing nuisance noise. The guide can be downloaded from the following link: www.gov.ie/en/service/make-a-noise-nuisance-complaint/. A National Protocol for Dealing with Noise Complaints for Local Authorities was developed as a cooperative project between my Department, Local Authorities, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The Protocol provides guidance to Local Authorities, given existing legislation, as to what is considered best practice for dealing with noise complaints. The protocol can be accessed through the following link: national-policy-for-dealing-with-noise-complaints-for-local-authorities-33519.pdf (clarecoco.ie).
In summary, a person experiencing noise nuisance may contact their local authority, which may initiate proceedings on grounds of noise nuisance under the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992. This course of action is usually undertaken only where a public nuisance is being alleged. The Act also provides for any person, or group of persons, to seek an order in the District Court to have noise giving reasonable cause for annoyance abated. The procedures involved have been simplified to allow action to be taken without legal representation.
148. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when he will remove fisheries bye-laws 806 and 809 that protect invasive species on SAC designated inland lakes, which is repugnant to the Habitats Directive and the Water Framework Directive and should be in compliance with the primary legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3766/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn the matters relating to the Conservation of Coarse Fish Bye-Law No. 806 of 2006 and the Conservation of Pike Bye-Law No. 809 of 2006 referred to by the Deputy, I wish to advise that IFI in conjunction with my Department is carrying out a review of relevant inland fisheries bye-laws in force for 10 years or more and their continued application.
It is anticipated that both Bye-Law’s No. 806 and No. 809 of 2006 will be examined and reviewed in due course, as part of this exercise. The review process, will, of course, consider relevant legal acts of the European Union including the Habitats Directive and EU Water Framework Directive.
149. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department has availed of services and or consultancy from a list of related companies (details supplied) in the past five years to date; if so, if he will provide a schedule of costs and the purpose for which the company was engaged; and if he continued to use services provided by it. [3779/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe details of services and or consultancy availed of by my Department from the companies referenced in the details supplied in the past five years to date are set out below. This includes a schedule of costs and the purpose for which the particular company was engaged by my Department.
|
Total Amount over last 5 years € |
Purpose |
|
71,832 |
Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA) Review_ Professional services |
|
137,760 |
National Cyber Security Centre Procurement Consultancy |
|
209,592 |
Total |
There are no active contracts with any of the named companies, as of this date.
150. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if any consideration has been given to the introduction of a DNA strategy to address the issue of dog fouling across the country; if he will fund such a strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3802/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Litter Pollution Act, 1997, the primary responsibility for management and enforcement responses to litter pollution, including dog fouling, lies with local authorities. It is a matter for each local authority to determine the most appropriate public awareness, enforcement, and clean-up actions in relation to litter taking account of local circumstances and priorities.
My Department provides financial support to local authority efforts to tackle litter through the Anti-Litter & Anti-Graffiti Awareness Grant Scheme. €750,000 was provided under this Scheme in 2023 with a similar amount expected to be made available in 2024.
Funding is also provided annually in support of a number of important anti-litter initiatives such as the National Spring Clean, Picker Pals, the PURE Project and Irish Business against Litter.
151. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will advise on his Department's approach to carbon sequestration including guidance to support carbon capture and sequestration by small businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3815/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraCarbon removals from the atmosphere will be a critical element of climate action both at the national and international levels. Carbon removals can include both carbon capture through technologies that allow for the long-term geological storage of carbon (Carbon Capture and Storage, or CCS), and carbon sequestration into biomass and soil through land management, or ‘carbon farming’.
The Climate Action Plan recognises the importance of CCS as a developing means of mitigating emissions from hard to abate activities. Several Irish assessment studies on the issue have been conducted in recent years - SEAI, 2008: "Assessment of the Potential for Geological Storage of CO2 for the Island of Ireland", EPA, 2010: "An Assessment of the Potential for Geological Storage of CO2 in the Vicinity of Moneypoint, Co. Clare" and more recently the GSI 2014: “Irish Sea Carbon Capture and Storage Project”. Within the current Climate Action Plan there are actions to be progressed in 2024 to advance the policy position on CCS depending on feasibility assessments.
The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) has features designed to incentivise CCS deployment. According to the directive underpinning the ETS, CO2 that is captured and safely stored is considered as “not emitted”. While introducing removals to an emission trading system poses significant policy and regulatory challenges, the revised EU ETS Directive, published in May 2023, introduces the possibility of paying for carbon removal in future. Article 30 is amended to include a Commission report, and where appropriate, a legislative proposal and impact assessment, to assess how negative emissions resulting from greenhouse gases that are removed from the atmosphere and safely and permanently stored could be accounted for, and how those negative emissions could be covered by emissions trading.
Carbon farming can be a key enabler to deliver net emissions reduction in our agriculture and Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry sectors. Climate Action Plan 2024 commits to the development of a National Carbon Farming Framework by Quarter 2 of 2024. The development of this framework is underway, with substantial stakeholder engagement taking place.
Additionally, I am supportive of the current EU Commission’s proposal for a union certification framework for carbon removals, which is being finalised between the co-legislators. The proposal will create a carbon certification framework, enabling EU certification of carbon removal credits for sale on the voluntary market. This will support the further development of a wide variety of business models to reward carbon removals by farmers, land managers, foresters, and other stakeholders.
152. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 55, 59, 60, 72, 92 and 93 of 17 January 2024, the process that is followed if the post BER rating of a retrofit completed remains the same or is downgraded; if there is an established procedure to follow up with the contractor and or homeowner; if there are any penalties for the contractor; if these procedures are the same across all SEAI schemes; what oversight is performed when contractors carry out a retrofit where post BER rating remains the same or is downgraded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3850/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra154. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 58, 59, 60, 82 and 92 of 17 January 2024, the reasons that pre-and post BER ratings of properties retrofitted as part of the SEAI’s warmer homers scheme are not available for thousands of properties; the steps he is taking to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3904/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra155. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications what assessments are carried out to assess BER rating pre and post-retrofit across SEAI schemes; if these are standardised across all schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3905/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 152, 154 and 155 together.
My Department funds a number of grant schemes, administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to support homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. This allows homeowners to choose the best home upgrade option to suit their particular needs.
Contractors operating under any scheme supported by an SEAI grant must carry out the works in line with the SEAI’s Contractor Code of Practice and Domestic Technical Standards and Specifications as well as best practice and technical guidance documents including:
• NSAI S.R. 54:2014 Code of practice for the energy efficient retrofit of dwellings
• Building Regulations Technical Guidance Documents
• The System Supplier/Product Manufacturer Guidelines
• Irish Agrément certificates
• Irish, British or European Standards Guides
In addition, contractors are required to demonstrate their tax compliance and insurance cover and cooperate with the scheme's Quality Assurance programme. The full requirements are set out here: www.seai.ie/grants/supports-for-contractors/.
The Building Energy Rating (BER) system is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) in compliance with S.I. 243 of 2012. SEAI operate a Quality Assurance System which is used to continuously monitor the quality of BER assessments published by BER Assessors and to ensure widespread operational compliance with the BER Assessor's Code of Practice.
The process includes the following methods to maintain the quality assurance of the BER:
• Entry requirements for assessors such as pre-qualification requirements, mandatory training, with induction and mentoring for new entrants
• Validation rules for published assessments;
• Feedback measures including auditing, training and mentoring as set out in SEAI’s Quality Assurance System and Disciplinary Procedure which is available here www.seai.ie/publications/Quality-Assurance-System-and-Disciplinary-Procedure-New.pdf.
All homes upgraded under SEAI schemes require a post-works BER to be carried out and a number of schemes also require a pre-works BER.
As set out previously in the material provided with response to Parliamentary Question Nos 58, 59, 60, 72, 92 & 93 of 17th January, normally a home’s BER will improve after works are carried out, although there can be instances where the rating does not improve. The rating received for a home reflects the condition of the home and the calculation method as well as the documentation available to support the inputs in the BER at the time of publication of the certificate.
The rating a home receives can be affected by a number of things including the following:
• The calculation method at the time of publication;
• Primary energy factors for electricity at time of publication;
• The level of detail available to the BER assessor at the time of the assessment;
• Additional other works to the home.
In relation to the Warmer Homes scheme specifically, not all homes completed in 2023 had a pre-works BER completed as this requirement was only introduced for homes applying after February 2022. There were approximately 700 completions under the scheme in 2023 that did not have a published post BER at the time of the previous PQ response.
Homeowners can contact SEAI if they have any questions about their Building Energy Rating certificate at info@ber.seai.ie or on 018082054. Oireachtas members can make queries on behalf of applicants by contacting the dedicated email address oireachtas@seai.ie.
153. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the amount of illegal dumping, broken down by local authority, in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, in tabular form,; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3903/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra157. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the level of illegal dumping in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, broken down by local authority, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3912/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 153 and 157 together.
[3903/24] and [3912/24] together.
Under the Waste Management Act, the primary responsibility for management and enforcement responses to illegal dumping lies with the local authorities. It is a matter for each local authority to determine the most appropriate public awareness, enforcement and clean-up actions in relation to illegal dumping taking account of local circumstances and priorities.
My Department does not collate statistics on the amount or level of illegal dumping taking place across the country. Questions in relation to the levels of illegal dumping in each county should be directed to the relevant local authority.
However, data based on the Environmental Protection Agency’s most recent "Focus on Local Authority Environmental Enforcement Activity Report" indicated that 17,900 investigative inspections relating to illegal dumping were conducted in 2022.
Further information on local authority environmental enforcement activity is available at the following link - www.epa.ie/publications/compliance--enforcement/public-authorities/Focus-on-Local-Authority-Environmental-Enforcement---Performance-Report-2022.pdf
It should be noted that my Department provides significant support to the local authority sector in their efforts to tackle illegal dumping. Almost €18m, including €3m in 2023, 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 of illegal dumping.
My Department also continues to invest heavily in the local authority waste enforcement network through the 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 2023, while a further €1.6m was made provided to support the ongoing enhancement of the three Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities (WERLAs) and the development of the new Local Authority Waste Programme Coordination Office in a Circular Economy.
The Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act has also advanced several legislative provisions to further support local authorities in their efforts to tackle illegal dumping, including providing for the GDPR-compliant use of a range of technologies, such as CCTV for waste enforcement purposes.
