Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions
77. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the minimum standards contractors engaged by his Department and its agencies are expected to comply with in terms of workers’ rights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6617/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhat are the minimum standards expected of the Minister's Department and the agencies connected to it in respect of workers' rights, union rights and the right to join a union? Government policy is now to outsource in relation to energy, waste and water. A number of union-busting companies, such as Veolia, are looking to get contracts with this State and other states. It is engaged right now in a strike in Sheffield in the UK. Workers are visiting Dublin today in relation to this.
I thank Deputy Coppinger for raising this important matter. My Department complies with public procurement guidelines for goods and services and relevant EU and national legal requirements and obligations. The aim of these European and national rules is to promote an open, competitive and non-discriminatory public procurement regime which delivers best value for money. Public procurement rules include provisions that require a tenderer to meet certain standards when applying for public contracts. Applicants are required to make declarations in relation to their financial and legal standing and in relation to payment of taxes and social contributions. Procurement regulations require tenderers to comply with applicable obligations in the fields of environmental, social and labour law. These obligations apply at the place where the works are carried out or where services are provided. They are established by EU and national law, collective agreements or by international, environmental, social, and labour law.
The Office of Government Procurement, in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General and the Chief State Solicitor’s Office, provides guidance and a suite of procurement documentation to help contracting authorities to ensure that successful tenderers and subcontractors comply with all such applicable obligations. As part of the procurement process, my Department checks compliance with the tendering documentation, including all tenderer’s declarations and statements. Following contract award, contractors are required to ensure ongoing compliance with the contract provisions, including those relating to employment law. If required, the contractor must furnish information relating to the terms and conditions of the employment of all persons providing the services. Where the contractor fails to comply with their obligations under the contract and fails to remedy the situation, the contract can be terminated.
Veolia is a very large French multinational that specialises in extracting money from public services in various countries. In Sheffield and in the UK, 78 workers have been laid off for their right to join a trade union and to have their union, Unite, recognised by their employer. I am hoping this means we will have no such relationship with Veolia into the future, although this State has not had a good record of checking what companies do. We had the Gama situation, the anniversary of which is this year. We have had many others. All of the bin companies have had union recognition issues as well. I am asking the Minister of State to give a commitment regarding companies like Veolia, which are union-busting and will not recognise a major trade union like Unite, whose workers are having to go on strike for six months, an unbelievable sacrifice, to assert their rights. I think there will be a protest at 12 o'clock outside the Department of enterprise and of communications and energy in respect of this, to bring it to the Minister of State's attention.
I thank the Deputy. I am not fully familiar with the Veolia situation. The current approach is comprehensive, adequate and proportionate and aligns with the EU principles of openness, fairness and transparency. With all State contracts, each bidder in the procurement process must sign a statement confirming that if it is awarded any service contract, it will in the performance of that contract comply with all applicable obligations in the field of labour law and social and environmental law. That is really important. During the life cycle of the contract, the contract manager has the power to act in respect of breaches by contractors of employment or law obligations. That can lead to termination of the contract. There are severe consequences in place for those who do not comply with their legal obligations. We have national rules governing public procurement that must comply with EU requirements, as I said earlier. It is important also to note that employment law and its enforcement, both public and private, is a matter for the State authorities including the WRC and the Labour Court in conjunction with the Departments of enterprise and of social protection.
I am sure the Minister of State will join me in sending solidarity to those workers who are making a huge sacrifice for their jobs, pay and conditions, and in calling on Veolia to clean up its act and recognise the union. I hope this State will not have contracts with Veolia. It is important to put that on the Dáil record, so this does not happen in this State.
We have a really strong track record in respect of our Office of Government Procurement and contract obligations. I am not aware of the situation the Deputy has raised with the company in question. There is a cohort of mechanisms in place within the employment law framework here in Ireland in conjunction with the Labour Court and the WRC, and also within the Departments of enterprise and social protection. If there are any issues the Deputy would like to raise with me, I can take them off-line.
83. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide an update on the implementation of the national biomethane strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6797/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraCould the Minister give an update on his Department's progress on the implementation of the national biomethane strategy that was published in May of last year? In particular, could he give an outline of when producers will get some certainty regarding the renewable heat obligation, RHO?
I thank Deputy O'Gorman for raising this important question. The Government has committed to deliver up to 5.7 TWh of indigenously produced biomethane by 2030. In response to this ambitious target, my Department, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, published the national biomethane strategy in May 2024.
Implementation of this strategy is ongoing and requires collaboration across key Government Departments and agencies. The strategy contains 25 key strategic actions to ensure the necessary supports and infrastructure are in place to develop a biomethane industry of scale. These supports include capital grant funding, the first round of which has been delivered by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to support the development and upgrading of anaerobic digestion plants throughout 2025. My Department will then lead on a second round of capital grant funding to support the industry from 2026 onwards. That is being worked through now. The strategy also commits to the publication of the renewable heat obligation, RHO, that the Deputy asked specifically about. That is a scheme designed to increase renewable fuels used in heat, thereby supporting long-term demand for biomethane. This scheme is currently in its final stage of development. There is a requirement for engaging with the European Commission. There will be a meeting with the Commission next week at official level. It will be brought to the Government as soon as it is ready post that engagement with the Commission.
Delivery and monitoring of all actions is undertaken by the biomethane implementation group, which was established in 2024 and is chaired by my Department. The preparation of the strategy’s end-of-year report for 2024 is currently under way and once it is available we will publish it. That engagement with the Commission has started and there will be further meetings at official level. We will move swiftly after that to bring it to the Government.
Ireland has a real opportunity to grow an industry that will help us to cut our carbon emissions and also provide new income streams for farmers and across rural areas. Biomethane can replace diesel and other fossil fuels in transport and industry, allowing us to cut those emissions. As we know, we have a significant supply of agricultural waste and silage which can be converted into biomethane, benefiting rural economies. We need to support this sector. There is a need for capital funding to support the development of anaerobic digestion facilities. The Minister mentioned a small amount there. His predecessor had proposed that €300 million from the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund would be reserved specifically for this area to give real certainty to those considering investing in biomethane facilities. The Minister's party and Fine Gael blocked that at the end of the last Government; what is done is done. In his new role, will the Minister commit to fighting for at least €300 million to provide the capital to develop those essential anaerobic digestion facilities, so that we can cut our emissions and provide more income streams in rural areas?
I agree with the Deputy's analysis that there are major opportunities with biomethane. The original grant scheme was to the tune of about €40 million with 22 applications received. Within that, some of those are to expand existing facilities and others for new ones. The RHO will be an important component in allowing us to grow the sector even further. It will operate similar to the existing renewable transport fuel obligation which has been in place since 2010. We are actively engaging with the Commission. I do not want to give a timeframe yet because we are dependent on that engagement with the Commission, but we want to conclude it very quickly.
All Departments, including mine, will have a particular interest in the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund. Regarding alternative fuels and biomethane in particular, and alternative energy sources, I see this as having a particular fit in that regard. I will not commit to a figure because further discussions need to take place. I am very focused on concluding the work with the Commission and then moving forward with the RHO.
Undoubtedly every Department will be looking to get their hands on that money. That is why I want to hear that the Minister will fight for at least €300 million. That is why we thought it would have been better to state that this money will be there for an industry that is in its infancy and that needs clarity and certainty. As that certainty is not there, the sooner the Minister gets in there to say that this is the amount of money available, the sooner that clarity will be available for the industry.
The Minister said that there would be engagement with the Commission on this soon. One of the real threats to our domestic biomethane industry is hydrotreated vegetable oil, HVO, being imported and used as a substitute. This is problematic because it is palm oil. We are seeing biodiversity destroyed to have these large plantations, which goes against biodiversity targets and is undermining domestic production. What will Ireland do to protect our domestic biomethane industry and not allow it to be undermined by imported and sometimes fraudulently marketed HVO?
The best way we can protect this sector is to grow it and support it. That is where the work on the RHO is particularly important. The Deputy can be assured that I see the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund as a very obvious fit within my Department and the work we are doing on energy transition. That is something we will be discussing and agreeing with colleagues. The previous Government and the previous Minister have very clear views on that, many of which I would support. The best way to protect our indigenous sector in this industry, which is in its infancy, is to grow it further and support it. We can support it through another round of grants in 2026, which we are preparing, and also particularly through the RHO. I would like to see the work with the Commission concluded as expeditiously as possible. Once that is done, I will bring that to the Cabinet to get Government agreement on it and we can move it forward from there.
82. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications for an update on the national hydrogen strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6406/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI ask the Minister for an update on the national hydrogen strategy and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. The national hydrogen strategy was published in July 2023 and is our first major policy statement on renewable hydrogen. It marks an important first step in developing an indigenous hydrogen industry in Ireland. The strategy sets out our strategic vision for the role that hydrogen will play in Ireland’s energy system and as a key component of our zero-carbon economy. The three primary strategic reasons for developing an indigenous hydrogen sector in Ireland are to decarbonise our economy, enhance our energy security, and create industrial and export market opportunities.
There are 21 actions set out within the strategy to enable the development of the hydrogen sector in Ireland. These actions aim to remove barriers to early hydrogen project developments and to enhance our knowledge through targeted research and innovation across the hydrogen value chain, laying the groundwork to deliver on our long-term strategic vision. These actions have varying timelines for completion by 2030 and work has started on a number of them. These include identifying the amount of surplus renewable energy that will be available for hydrogen production, putting in place the legal and regulatory framework for this new industry, and examining the feasibility of exporting hydrogen.
We are currently finalising a detailed implementation plan for the multi-year work programme set out in the strategy to ensure appropriate governance arrangements are in place to support delivery of the actions set out within the strategy. Implementation will involve a number of Departments including the Department of Transport and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and other stakeholders. Careful planning and management structures are essential. Once completed, further clarity on the status of all actions set out within the strategy and the annual work programmes to deliver on these will be communicated. It is expected that the detailed implementation plan will be finalised in quarter 2 of this year.
Concern has been expressed, including by Hydrogen Ireland, that there is an urgent need for progress on the strategy. The strategy was welcomed and we published legislation in the previous Dáil term for it to be prepared. We welcomed it when it was prepared. It is then a matter of making it happen. There is concern that there has not been enough progress to date. While I welcome the pieces that have been progressed so far, they are largely desktop elements.
I am concerned that the potential of this opportunity will be missed if the necessary steps are not taken.
One of the areas with real potential here is the hard-to-decarbonise transport sector. There is lots of potential and a number of willing partners. Is this something the Government is exploring?
Certainly, the potential is enormous. I talked to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and officials about this really important matter yesterday. Work has commenced on the implementation of the strategy in parallel with the delivery of many of the 21 actions currently in place that I outlined earlier. The delivery and commencement programme this year will be an important step forward in that regard and will ultimately be key to the long-term success of this sector. We have a very ambitious renewable energy programme and hydrogen is a key component of that. A number of key Government stakeholders are involved, including the Departments of transport and enterprise. They are all playing their part in trying to bring forward the best possible programme to ensure that we have proper management and governance and that we can deliver on our actions. That is really important. Later this year we will provide further clarity on the programme once it is approved in the second quarter of 2025.
The message from everybody would be to keep at that work and to ensure that those timelines are met. We must show Ireland, the stakeholders here, and the world that Ireland is going to be a leader in the area of green hydrogen. The potential is there, particularly with the offshore potential that we have but again, that needs to be delivered.
The energy security review is ongoing and we await the details of the outworking of that but one of the most important areas is gas storage. My party and I have serious concerns about the prospect of LNG but the potential to store hydrogen is real. The ESB, Bord Gáis and Gas Networks Ireland are looking at some of that potential. Does the Minister of State have an update on that? In the long term we will need to look at hydrogen on our grid and the storage of it will be really important.
This is something that the Department is engaging with the industry on, including with many of the key stakeholders in the industry who are working in the area of hydrogen itself, along with the Health and Safety Authority, HSA. We are working on this from a safety point of view, as well as in terms of best practice to ensure that we have the best and safest practices going forward.
As regards the actions, milestones and the ownership timelines and dependencies, a working group is currently in place which was established around the three pillars of safety and regulations infrastructure, the integrated energy system market, and commercialisation. That group is tasked with the ultimate delivery of these milestones and actions. We are currently working on these themes through the working group. We will bring a plan to finalisation and seek Government approval for that in the coming months.
84. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of homes in the constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny currently on the waiting list for the warmer homes scheme; and the approximate wait time. [6681/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI ask the Minister to detail the number of homes in my constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny currently on the warmer homes scheme waiting list and the approximate wait time.
I thank the Deputy for his question. The warmer homes scheme aims to improve the energy efficiency and warmth of homes owned by people in energy poverty by providing fully-funded retrofits. The scheme is operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, on behalf of my Department and is funded through the carbon tax receipts and the European Regional Development Fund.
Last year saw a record spend of almost €230 million under the scheme. This resulted in 7,743 upgrades being provided to low-income households, a 31% increase on 2023. This year’s budget has seen a further increase to a record allocation of €280 million. This represents a tenfold increase on the 2020 expenditure figure. The scheme has been delivering a greater number of more complex upgrades in recent years. This is reflected in the average cost of upgrades, which has increased from €2,600 in 2015 to an average of €27,700 in 2024. While these deeper retrofits take longer to complete, significant reductions in the average waiting time still have to be achieved. That is still an issue and I am glad the Deputy has raised it today. While the average wait time has reduced from 26 months in 2022 to 18 months for homes with BER ratings of E, F or G in 2024, we need to do better than that and I will be engaging with the SEAI on this.
Specifically on Deputy Cleere's constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny, last year 123 homes in County Carlow and 99 homes in County Kilkenny were upgraded under the scheme. The SEAI data shows that there are 242 homes awaiting upgrades under the scheme in County Carlow and 290 in County Kilkenny.
I welcome the significant increase in investment in this area. The Government must continue to deliver exemplary retrofitting schemes. However, to make real improvements we must take a targeted approach and prioritise the least energy-efficient homes first. Homes with a BER of E, F or G should be prioritised over those rated C or D. As the Minister will be aware, many homes with a lower BER are occupied by the most vulnerable in our communities, including pensioners and low-income families who cannot afford to use the one-stop-shop grant system and are therefore faced with a months-long wait for the warmer homes scheme. What is being done to reduce waiting times for the warmer homes scheme?
I am glad the Deputy has raised this today because while I have been able to read into the record details of a reduction in waiting times from 26 months to 18 months, which is fine, that is still a significant length of time for anyone to be waiting. The waiting time has reduced for E, F and G homes, so there is a prioritisation of the worst affected. I will be engaging with the SEAI to see if there is an opportunity to consider age cohorts as well, to see if we can prioritise our senior citizens living in energy poverty.
Applicants can contact the SEAI at any time to get further information on the status of their application and I will supply the contact details to the Deputy. Undoubtedly, significant work is required to clear what is effectively a backlog. These are more complex cases and we understand that. There is a certain processing time for applications and while I am glad to see that 26 months has been reduced to 18 months, we are still talking about a more than two-year wait reducing to a year and a half. We need to do better than that.
I welcome the Minister's enthusiasm and commitment to this. In order to speed up delivery of the warmer homes scheme, we must tackle the shortage of skills in the retrofit sector. The programme for Government commits to providing more upskilling and training opportunities in retrofitting, to establish new courses in green skills to support Ireland's transition to a green economy and industry centres of retrofitting excellence nationwide. Once delivered, this vital training will go a long way towards reducing wait times. I urge the Minister to work with the Minister for further education, Deputy Lawless, to prioritise these commitments so that we can deliver much-needed retrofits to the most vulnerable in society at a quicker pace. I acknowledge the improvements that we have seen in the scheme but we need more pace and I welcome the Minister's drive in achieving that.
Growing green skills across the country was something in which the last Government was heavily involved and work is ongoing to grow this new sector. New apprenticeships are now in place and we will be working with the Minister, Deputy Lawless, and other colleagues to further advance that. I visited many of those centres myself during the term of the last Government and was impressed. Obviously, there is pressure on skills across the economy because of full employment. That is a good thing but it comes with its challenges too.
I wish to reiterate that homes with a BER of E, F or G are prioritised. Undoubtedly addressing waiting times and reducing them further will require more skilled people in the workforce.
That is something I will engage with colleagues on.
85. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide an update on the roll-out of the National Broadband Ireland, NBI, broadband service for the deployment area that covers Dunmanway, Ballingeary and Carriganimmy in County Cork; for NBI to provide additional resources to ensure timelines previously provided by NBI are met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6758/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFirst, I congratulate the Minister on his appointment. I wish him every success in his new role.
I want to ask the Minister about the roll-out of broadband by NBI in the area west of Macroom, in particular the switches in Carraig an Ime, Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh and Dunmanway. They serve a large rural community from Clondrohid through Cill na Martra and Inchigeelagh on towards Kilmichael and Coppeen. It is a large community that has been very patient and is keen to see that implementation on it soon.
I thank Deputy Moynihan for raising this important issue. The national broadband plan, NBP, is the Government's initiative to deliver high-speed broadband services to all premises in Ireland. National Broadband Ireland is connecting more than 4,000 homes each month. In the Deputy’s own county of Cork, more than 36,490 premises are passed with a high-speed broadband network and 40,345 are available to order or preorder, with 12,891 premises now connected. A further 45,505 premises in Cork will be passed by the NBI’s high-speed broadband by the end of the contract. In addition, 91 schools are connected to high-speed broadband through the strategic connection points. Further details are available on specific areas within County Cork and can be monitored via the NBI's website and email.
The NBI roll-out will include the Dunmanway, Ballingeary and Carriganimmy deployment areas, with 4,391, 874 and 4,061 premises, respectively. Dunmanway is at survey complete stage with a timeline of July 2026. Ballingeary is also at the survey complete stage with a timeframe of July 2026 to December 2026, and Carriganimmy deployment is at the survey under way stage with a timeline of July 2026 to December 2026.
The NBI has maintained momentum across the State throughout 2024 and the roll-out is progressing ahead of schedule, with more than 326,000 premises available for connection at the end of 2024, and more than 420,000 forecast for the end of 2025. The NBI is now passing more than 10,000 new homes and businesses with high-speed broadband every month, which leaves the NBI plan well placed to completed by the end of 2026 and within budget.
I thank the Minister of State. People in the area west of Macroom and the communities there feel they have been very patient in waiting on the NBI roll-out - maybe too patient. We were provided last year with data suggesting that the surveys were to be completed last summer and last September in those particular areas. The online monitor suggests that it has not started yet in the Carraig an Ime switch area, which will cover the Baile Bhuirne, Clondrohid and Carraig an Ime area.
I am pleased to note that the Minister of State said the survey is under way there. That is headway but it is still behind what was committed to at this time last year. Surely since the roll-out has been going on lessons have been learned or ways have been found to move more quickly through the later deployments. Have any lessons been learned on how to move it along more quickly that could be applied to those switches, which are some of the last remaining switches in the country?
The Deputy raised an important point. NBI has done a tremendous job on the roll-out. It is an all-of-Ireland contract across each of the Twenty-six Counties and significant progress has been made, as I said. More than 65,000 homes, farms and businesses are being moved to early completion dates in 2025, nine months earlier than had been originally scheduled, so NBI has made significant progress. I come from a rural constituency and there are people in deployment areas who have to wait that bit longer while they see their neighbours being connected up the road. It is just the nature of the contract that NBI has engaged in.
There are other elements within the Department around the digital connectivity strategy where we are looking at the roll-out of 5G across the country by 2030. All households and businesses will be covered by a gigabit network no later than 2028. In parallel with the NBI plan, we are making significant progress to strengthen and build more resilience into our telecommunications system.
I recognise that you have to start somewhere and finish somewhere and that some communities will be served faster than others. However, as I mentioned earlier, we feel we have been very patient in our communities. There is also one on the Minister of State's own doorstep which appears to be toward the latter part of the roll-out. We are sick of waiting. We are sick of it at this stage. Is there some way of digging the boot in on NBI and making it clear that it needs to get on with that roll-out and make it happen for communities such as Baile Bhuirne, Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh, Inchigeelagh, Kilmichael, Coppeen and that whole area west of Macroom? It must have seen and learned ways from the earlier roll-out in being able to expedite various different switches. In the interests of those communities, can we communicate crystal clear to the NBI that we need it to start its surveys and get on with serving those communities west of Macroom and any other remaining areas?
I understand the Deputy's frustration and the passion he has for the delivery of this in the areas he represents. However, there has been significant progress in the priority areas such as deployment to schools and enterprise hubs and in ensuring that they have the right manpower in each of the areas to cover each of the regions. We have seen the success in many communities in terms of what the connection to NBI has made to the lives of those who need it. I will take the points the Deputy raised. NBI has opened an Oireachtas line for any engagement regarding potential timelines. I will take the Deputy's feedback back to NBI and ensure that we have continuous monitoring of the surveys, build and construction and that those who order or preorder get connected in a timely manner.
86. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the measures he is taking to increase the number of homes retrofitted as part of the Government's retrofitting scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6770/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe retrofitting scheme is clearly not working. We need to increase the number of homes that are retrofitted as part of the Government's retrofitting scheme. Will the Minister please discuss this? Many people are locked out of the scheme - those who need it most in particular - because of the way it is structured. According to a survey in December, many people cannot afford to retrofit their homes because of costs.
I thank the Deputy. It is an important scheme. We will continue it and there are exacting targets there. I would not say it is not working; it is. All schemes can always be improved somewhat. Ireland has one of the most ambitious home retrofit targets in the world. The national retrofit plan sets out how these targets will be met, including an €8 billion financial investment to 2030. There is an absolute commitment by this Government and successive Governments to do this.
A range of measures have been introduced in recent years to support the achievement of our targets. This includes enhanced SEAI grant schemes, including expanded eligibility and higher grants and a simplified application process, which we still need to continue to look at. Faster approvals are needed. I just responded to my colleague, Deputy Cleere, on that very thing. It also includes the establishment of a network of 24 SEAI-registered one-stop shops, with further growth in the network expected this year and a reformed warmer homes scheme for homeowners in energy poverty. We have made good progress there but I want to see the processing times reduced further. They have reduced, but they need to go further.
There are enhanced supports for retrofitting apartment buildings and flat complexes; new supports for area-based retrofit projects for mixed-ownership estates aimed at encouraging homeowners, regardless of requirements or means, to get a retrofit. I have witnessed those schemes in my constituency, in Portmarnock. The pilot schemes are being expanded further, which needs to happen. There is a new pilot scheme to support the retrofitting of traditionally built homes; two pilots aimed at informing approaches to increase the number of heat pumps installed; the new home energy upgrade loan scheme, the extension of which we launched to An Post Money and Avant, with interest rates as low as 3%; a tax incentive to encourage small-scale landlords to undertake retrofitting; a reduction in VAT for heat pumps to 9% and a 0% rate for solar panels; expanded obligations on energy companies to support homeowners and energy-poor households to reduce energy use. I could go on - there are lots of good things happening. There is an opportunity when a new Government and new Minister come into office to look at what is being done and how it can be improved further.
The programme for Government, which I think the Minister referenced, hinted at an area-based element - another proposal Sinn Féin had. Will the Minister provide more detail about this and how he plans to target low income households, many of which are excluded? Will there be targeting based on income, as we put forward in our fairer retrofit plan? A woman from Dingle contacted me to say how bitterly disappointed she was over the refusal of the SEAI grant. She waited 18 months in total only to be told, based on the report, that she had been refused. She was not pension age, which is why she would not qualify, she said. The SEAI never contacted her, just sent on the report. It is failing to deliver on the 2030 targets. The Government is supposed to retrofit 500,000 homes and install 400,000 heat pumps but it is way off the targets. Those on the warmer homes scheme barely get a look in when it comes to these targets because the average uplift is BER C3. Only 49 households were fitted with a heat pump as part of the warmer homes scheme. That is inadequate. The Government has finally acknowledged this. I acknowledge there have been some improvements. Will the Minister outline in particular how he will target low-income homes?
I gave quite a detailed answer to Deputy Cleere earlier, particularly on the warmer homes scheme because it focuses on lower income and more complex homes with BER E, F and G ratings. I want to see a reduction in the waiting period. The Deputy mentioned a constituent in Dingle who waited 18 months for a decision. The average processing time has reduced from 24 to 18 months but I want to see it reduced further but it cannot be turned over overnight. However, there have been 162,000 home energy upgrades - more than 55,000 B2 upgrades, 22,000 fully-funded upgrades under the warmer homes scheme and 10,500 local authority homes as well. The vast majority have been paid for through the carbon tax, ring-fenced funding to enable us to retrofit homes. I want to improve and expand it. We will continue to look at that. Some €280 million has been allocated to the warmer homes scheme. That is an elevenfold increase on what it was in only 2020. It can always be improved and we need to do that.
Anybody who canvassed last month, whether in Dublin, Clare, Mayo, Galway or Kerry will know that the people dependent on solid fuel are those with the lowest of incomes. This scheme still fails to deal with solid fuel homes. Many people are left out in the cold as a result. Solid fuel homes are also linked to higher health risks. Those with open fires are twice as likely to have respiratory diseases. Unlike the Government, which has zero measures to address these specific homes, we have repeatedly called for targeted measures as part of the fairer retrofit plan. These homes are often the poorest and most carbon-intensive, more likely to be located in rural areas and are more common in households aged over 50. We are interested in a just transition but the Government seems content to leave these workers behind. Does the Government have plans to incorporate and target solid fuel homeowners in particular in the retrofitting scheme?
I am reviewing all the schemes. There is an opportunity when a new Minister comes in to look at what is working and what can be improved. I would like to see us accelerate the transition from solid fuel but we should not rubbish the existing schemes. From 2020 alone, what Ireland is investing in this area is unprecedented - €1.1 billion and 162,000 home energy upgrades, which I mentioned already, and almost 230,000 grant support applications received by the SEAI. I will look in particular at our more senior citizens in energy poverty, which I mentioned in an earlier response to another Deputy. I want to look at how the categorisation works and how it can work. I am not content with an average waiting period of 18 months, which I said. I think it is fair enough to say that. We need skills in this sector too and we need to pay for it. I am happy to take constructive views on board. I note the alternative fairer plan to which the Deputy referred. I could not see how that would be paid for in order to expand it. I will look at these schemes and take Deputies' views on board. I am engaging with the SEAI around the criteria and how the processing time can be improved for these grants, particularly the warmer homes grants.
87. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will outline the engagement there has been with ESB Networks and other relevant State agencies on the issue of building resilience into the electricity grid, post Storm Éowyn; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6004/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnfortunately, it sounds like we have the correct weather for the sort of question I am going to ask. A huge number of people were impacted by the recent Storm Éowyn. Huge damage was done. I get that the Minister could not mitigate against all of that but we were all talking about resilience. What engagement has there been between by the Minister, the Department and the Government - I know it is beyond ESB in that regard - about building in resilience? As regards the threats to the consumer in dealing with this cost, Paddy Hayes rowed back from that but we need to ensure that will not be the case.
Storm Éowyn was an unprecedented weather event. We have had debates and discussions in this Chamber. Many Members have views on it. At the peak, 768,000 homes, businesses and farms had no electricity. I commend all the crews - more than 3,000 ESB Network contractors and colleagues who assisted from Britain and the EU were out there to restore power to our citizens. I acknowledge this was incredibly difficult for a lot of our citizens, the very last of whom were three weeks without power. That means we have to work further on the resilience of our system. I met ESB Networks regularly over that period. I met its representatives virtually the day after the storm. I met them again on 22 January and only last night again. The Deputy can be assured from the Taoiseach down - we have a Cabinet committee in relation to our response to the storm and what we can do to bring our winter programme forward. I mentioned to other Deputies investment in PR6, from 2026 to 2030, as a measure we can bring forward to this year. More than 3,000 ESB poles were replaced post storm along with about 900 km of overhead wires. On issues regarding forestry, I engaged directly with the Minister, Deputy Heydon. We met just last night along with officials from the Department of agriculture, my Department and ESB Networks around tree corridors and how we can advance a programme in that regard. I assure Deputies that we will continue to advance these works. There will be major investment in our grid from 2026 on of more than €13.4 billion. That is up from just over €5.4 billion over the previous five-year period.
I think everyone would welcome engagement, and some would wish this engagement had happened previously, particularly on issues relating to forestry, corridors and the very infrastructure. We know the other failures regarding the grid. I would like to think those engagements were also happening with Uisce Éireann and other bodies. We have seen the issues caused for a huge number of people. Some constituencies were hit a hell of a lot worse than mine but even at that we had particular issues. One example in the Hackballscross area was an ongoing issue regarding Uisce Éireann and a pump station. It was impacted longer than it should have been. It is about making sure we get to the bottom of all of this, that we make a proper assessment, that we ensure the action is taken and that the customer does not have to bear the cost. These are the people who suffered due to some work that should have been done previously.
