Paul Murphy
Question:143. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his Department has carried out an assessment of the climate impacts of AI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14504/26]
Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions
Artificial Intelligence
This Government is probably one of the most pro-AI in the world. The Taoiseach has compared AI to the invention of the printing press. The Government has swallowed the Kool-Aid of big tech seemingly with no assessment of the impact it will have on our ability to achieve our climate targets. I know the Minister has said we are not going to achieve them anyway even though they are supposed to be legally binding. Has the Department carried out an assessment of the climate impacts of AI?
I thank the Deputy for his question. The Government's new updated national digital and AI strategy was published last week. It sets out the Government's ambition and vision to 2030 to ensure Ireland remains a digital leader in an increasingly competitive global environment. It aims to secure Ireland as a global hub for applied AI innovation, strengthening our profile as a location for investment. It will ensure our economy reaps the benefit of digital and AI for growth and competitiveness, enhance our public services and empower our people to thrive in a digital society.
In accelerating our digital and AI ambitions, it is important to acknowledge the significant energy and infrastructure challenges Ireland faces. To address these challenges and to maximise future opportunities associated with the twin digital and green transitions, the Government is pursuing a strategic medium-term approach for large energy users, as set out in the large energy users action plan published last month.
In response to the question the Deputy asked, there is no single stand-alone Department report quantifying the climate impact of AI. As with all sectors of our economy, the operation and development of digital infrastructure, including AI, are underpinned by Ireland's legally binding climate objectives and the need to maintain robust energy security. The Government continues to work to secure a decarbonised energy future that unlocks enhanced use of renewable energy sources, energy-efficient technology and energy-effective solutions to reduce our carbon footprint. Key pillars of the large energy users action plan will be the provision of a framework for the establishment of green energy parks in which to co-locate the most energy-intensive industry with the supply of renewables and other enabling technology and the establishment of a framework for near real-time greenhouse gas emissions reporting by large energy users.
The new digital and AI strategy is not about climate change. I think there are five references to climate in the entire document. It is not about protecting children or artists. It is not about any of those things. It is about a commitment to "strengthening Ireland’s position as a digital leader", seemingly without regard to the negative impacts AI is having in our society. The Minister of State has confirmed the Department has not even done an assessment. The Government's approach is to go full steam ahead with AI. It suggests we have to embrace this technology and do what the big tech companies are telling us without even assessing the impact that will have on our climate. The emissions of all the big tech companies, including Google, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft, are through the roof. Not only are they far off their targets, which are going down, but their emissions are going up dramatically, largely because of investment in AI and the massive energy usage that goes with that.
They are also miles off their supposedly adjusted figures. The real figures are going high.
I do not agree with the Deputy's assessment on where we are in regard to ensuring that we meet our climate commitments, which are enshrined in law. They are very much part of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act. They set binding carbon budgets and sectoral ceilings. That means no sector is left off the hook, and that includes AI and digital infrastructure. Neither of these can expand without regard to emissions footprints. The Department has developed a threefold policy response to this. The planning regulation specifies that all large energy users must comply with the CRU's guidelines and environmental licensing regime. When we look at the integration with renewables, the new large energy action plan promotes green energy parks where AI, data and research infrastructure directly connect to renewable supply. That is very important because each of these data centres or AI data storage systems will be required to meet at least 80% of their annual demand with new or additional renewable energy generation. That is driving down their emissions footprint.
I find it remarkable that Ministers and Ministers of State are still answering questions about climate inaction by saying "Oh, don't worry, we've got legally binding targets." The Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, is sitting beside the Minister who said we are not going to meet these targets, so how can it still be an excuse to say that when we raise inaction by the Government or action in the wrong direction? His senior Minister has literally said we are not going to meet those legally binding targets. He is making a joke of these targets.
We are close.
The truth is that the expansion of data centres has deepened our dependence on fossil fuels. They have outpaced the renewable deployment. They have strained the grid. They have hoarded power connections. They have built gas generators on site. More and more are burning fossil fuels directly. They have stalled decarbonisation and deepened their dependence on fossil fuels.
Sometimes we see greenwashing statements by the likes of Google and others claiming that AI is going to be a net climate benefit and that we should not be worried about all the fossil fuels we are burning as a result of it. A new Friends of the Earth report finds that 74% of claims about AI's climate benefits are unproven, serving the profits of tech and fossil fuel industries while downplaying the major climate harms of generative AI.
Let me be clear, as will the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. The Government has very clear objectives. It has twin objectives around decarbonisation, but also around digitalisation. That is very much what we are focused on. We have the policy regimes to back this up. We are looking to harness Ireland as an AI innovation hub. That presents huge opportunities for economic growth. Along with that, we are providing significant investment into our energy systems. Some €3.5 billion in equity will go into EirGrid and ESB Networks and that will enable the modernisation of our grid, which is capable of balancing the new demand while safeguarding housing, enterprise, SMEs and essential services. The combination of regulation on transparency and renewable integration will ensure that AI-related growth does not undermine the overall energy transitions we are trying to achieve.
Energy Prices
Joe Neville
Question:144. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the measures his Department is taking to acknowledge the increased energy cost pressures on businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14815/26]
My question today is about the significant energy cost pressures that many have felt in recent months and the impact that has in particular on SMEs across the country. What measures is the Department taking to acknowledge the increased energy costs on businesses? Will the Minister of State make a statement in that regard?
Addressing energy affordability for businesses is a priority for this Government. We are committed to supporting businesses to become more energy-efficient, thereby strengthening competitiveness through reduced energy costs. In budget 2026, the Government extended the accelerated capital allowance scheme for energy-efficient equipment until 31 December 2030. It also approved the extension of the 9% VAT rate currently applied to gas and electricity to December 2030. This encourages investment in energy efficiency and low-emission technology. The Department also funds schemes administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, which provide various supports to enterprises that can assist businesses in increasing their energy efficiency. The 2026 allocation for these schemes amounts to more than €40 million.
The Government has also introduced measures to reduce energy costs and unlock greater decarbonisation of Irish industry and enterprise over the medium term. For example, under the national development plan the Government has approved a significant equity investment, valued at €3.5 billion, in ESB Networks and EirGrid to support the financing of their ambitious capital investment plans of over €18.9 billion in the coming five years. The increased deployment of indigenous renewables, such as onshore and offshore wind and solar generation, will help to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and the associated price volatility. We are also supporting further interconnection with neighbouring jurisdictions, including the 700 MW Celtic interconnector between east Cork and France.
In June of last year, the Department established the national energy affordability task force to identify, assess and implement measures that will enhance energy affordability for households and businesses while delivering key renewables commitments and protecting security of supply and economic stability. The task force seeks to support the objectives of the Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity, as well as other Government efforts and initiatives to alleviate the energy-related challenges businesses face, including through engagement with the cost of business advisory forum.
As part of the engagement at the climate committee - Deputy Pa Daly will attest to this - we had representatives of the business sector in talking about the barriers they face in transitioning and achieving climate targets. One of the points they raised was how little consideration is given to cost proofing of climate plans and transition measures to get across to a low-carbon environment, particularly for SMEs. They mentioned low visibility of costs for all the different plans and the affordability of the energy transition. They said they have difficulty when looking ten years down the line to see where their companies are going in terms of getting to a kind of low-carbon future. It is really important that the Government and the Department are very aware of that. They need to be aware that for businesses in particular, it is a challenge to get across that bridge.
The Minister of State already mentioned the energy affordability task force. Is there a particular focus within that task force on SMEs, energy costs for business and priority measures? I accept the broader point about society at large, but I ask specifically about measures for SMEs that could be covered off.
I again thank the Deputy for raising these important matters. I am someone who has a dual role within the Department of enterprise, with responsibility for small businesses. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, has engaged with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities to undertake an independent review into the speed and level of wholesale to retail price pass-through. That is really important because we need to ensure that there is transparency and fairness, but also that there is fair competition in pricing.
We have had inherent structural challenges in Ireland such as our reliance on imported gas, our dispersed population and in other areas. It is important that through the national energy affordability task force we conduct a review on the cost drivers across the energy system, from infrastructure investment to market behaviour. That would feed directly into the energy affordability action plan because price volatility has never been as apparent, especially given the current geopolitical state. It is important that the Government identifies the structural barriers, but also that we bring forward measures around affordability for enterprises and SMEs and that they become a permanent feature of the Irish energy system.
I agree with that. The committee also looked at energy affordability in December. Interestingly enough, the ESRI was of the view that there was not a particular issue with price gouging because if there was, you would expect to see a lot of new market entrants into the Irish energy market if there was a lot of profit to be made. It did not seem to see that. It was an interesting observation from the ESRI at the time. Once again, I encourage a very sharp focus on the costs of the energy transition for small businesses in particular. The more we can do around bringing down those costs in the long term and keeping them down - for energy-intensive businesses in particular - the better. It is in everybody's interests to transition across for that kind of carbon-free future.
I thank the Deputy for his remarks. I certainly hear that. During the engagements at the cost of doing business advisory forum. That is very much looking at the structural needs within the energy system, but also how businesses analyse and interpret their bills. We are looking to get more details in regard to how bills are calculated. I will point to empowering businesses to control the controllables. That is exactly why we have a suite of measures through the SEAI. They are readily accessible, be it the business energy upgrade scheme. We also have the support scheme for energy audits. That can give businesses up to €2,000 per site visit. We have other programmes, such as the EXEED programme, which funds on capital investment. Together, working with the local enterprise offices, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and the cost of doing business advisory forum, we are very much committed to finding practical solutions and co-developing them to support our enterprise and small businesses.
Tax Data
Louis O'Hara
Question:145. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the way in which revenue from collection of the carbon tax is used to support his Department’s climate initiatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14619/26]
I thank the Deputy for his question. The programme for Government commits to using the carbon tax as a key tool to encourage a shift away from fossil fuels and to invest in a sustainable future. There are three areas within my Department that received funding from carbon tax revenue in the most recent budget. First, in the residential and community retrofit area, the budget allocation for 2026 is a record €641 million, including €558 million from the carbon tax. This will support over 73,000 home energy upgrades, including solar PV. This target also includes 11,500 fully funded home energy upgrades under the warmer homes scheme for households at risk of energy poverty. A record €340 million budget has been provided for this scheme for 2026.
There has been significant investment and year-on-year growth in home energy upgrades under the national retrofit plan. In the period from 2019 to the end of 2025, those schemes have provided almost €1.7 billion in support to homeowners for over 244,000 home energy improvements, including almost 32,700 fully funded upgrades for households at risk of energy poverty under the warmer homes scheme, as well as approximately 18,000 heat pump installations. By any fair estimation, that is serious progress.
Importantly, within that, in respect of those retrofits that are made to households, you are looking at savings of up to €1,200 per annum on energy bills. That is significant. They are permanent savings. They are making homes warmer, safer, more affordable and healthier in reducing the emissions and energy use from homes. There are other schemes within the carbon tax, which I will come back to on the supplementary.
The recent carbon tax increases we have seen impact on the most vulnerable households. It hits them the hardest. As we know, households are facing rising costs across the board, particularly when it comes to filling the car with fuel and heating the home, yet the Government is set to plough ahead with these increases. They are scheduled until 2030 at least. Households are expected to take on this burden at a time when many households are struggling. The Minister says this is a tax that will contribute toward changing people's behaviour but the reality for the people I represent in rural Ireland, that is, people who have to drive their car to get from A to B, who do not have public transport they can rely on, who have to heat their homes and who do not have the alternatives, is that carbon tax is not going to change their behaviour. It is simply a tax that punishes them. While households face these increases, a report from the Comptroller and Auditor General found that just 61% of the carbon tax revenue could be verified as having been spent on the target schemes and programmes the Minister has mentioned. While the Government is making great announcements that the carbon tax revenue is ring-fenced and focused on these initiatives, this report demonstrates that the ring-fencing is not actually happening and that it is being treated the same as general taxation. Why are people being misled on this?
We will agree to disagree because the carbon tax is ring-fenced and is due to bring permanent savings to households and to families. I have given the Deputy real, verified figures in relation to the number of homes. A total of 244,000 homes in this country have been retrofitted with the support of the grants, which I have just changed again to make them more accessible, particularly to middle-income families, by bringing forward a retrofitting passport. These include windows and doors grants, attic insulation grants and wall cavity grants. People do not have to go for the full deep retrofit and can access them. These measures bring about savings. People speak with their applications, that is, the tens of thousands of applications that we are receiving for these grants and the incredible interest in the new grant scheme that I have brought forward. I ask the Deputy not to lose sight of the fact that nearly 33,000 homes at risk of energy poverty or in energy poverty have been fully retrofitted with 100% grant aid through the carbon tax and the climate action fund. They are permanent savings for those low-income households. I will turn to social housing and what we have been able to do there as well.
The whole argument the Government uses to justify the increases in this tax is that the increasing receipts are spent on climate initiatives. The Minister can say that it is ring-fenced, but this report has said that the reality is that 40% of the revenue is not being directed toward the intended measures. I outlined to the Minister the pressures that carbon tax increases are placing on households and that people do not have the alternatives. I do not know how the Minister can justify further increases when he is not actually spending the money on the measures that the Government should be funding. In fact, many of his Government colleagues from the regional Independents, when they were in opposition, spoke very strongly against carbon tax increases and the impact they would have on rural Ireland but obviously, ministerial jobs have changed their mind. Taxpayers need to have confidence in how a Government is spending their money. It should be spent in a way that has been promised by the Government. This report states that it is not. Most of all, the Government needs to stop fleecing ordinary households, who are up to their eyes with rising costs. Many households are in arrears on the likes of their energy bills and so on and this is just adding to that again. The Minister needs to recognise that as well.
We are targeting about 73,000 retrofits this year. That will bring our overall retrofit figure to well over 300,000. We are targeting 500,000 homes by the end of the decade. These are bringing about permanent changes for people. When we talk about energy prices - and I have already said this in response to Government and Opposition Deputies - we still have an issue, like many European countries, in relation to energy prices. We need to reduce them further. How are we going to do that? We are going to do that expanding renewables. We are doing well on renewables in solar and in wind. It will also be done on delivering on infrastructure that will bring about those savings, such as the North-South interconnector, which is a critical piece of infrastructure in this country that the Deputy's party is for in the North of Ireland and is against, apparently, in the Republic of Ireland. I am not sure. I asked Deputy Daly what the situation was there. This will deliver savings of over €100 per annum permanently for households and improve the grid resilience for all 32 counties in Ireland on an all-island and all-Ireland basis. I would have thought projects like that would have received the support of the Sinn Féin party. Apparently in the North they are supportive, and in the South, they are not.
It would be fair to say that, at times, that the Minister's own party was not necessarily supportive of that particular project.
We fully support it now.
In fairness to the people, what they want they want to see is a review and obviously, in the long term, undergrounding. Sinn Féin will not be very different North or South.
Wind Energy Generation
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Question:146. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide an update on the provision of wind energy; the targets for its provision in 2026; whether there are sufficient resources in place to ensure that offshore wind energy can be on-shored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14751/26]
Will the Minister provide an update on the provision of wind energy; the targets for its provision in 2026; whether there are sufficient resources in place to ensure that offshore energy can be onshored; and any other infrastructural deficits that need to be dealt with from the point of view of delivering on the wind energy promise?
I thank the Deputy for his question. Onshore wind is the largest contributor to renewable energy generation capacity in Ireland, with approximately 5.1 GW of wind generation capacity installed. The Government is committed to achieving 9 GW of installed onshore wind capacity. Onshore wind remains Ireland’s dominant source of renewable electricity and is second only to natural gas for overall electricity generation. In fact, we are among the world leaders for installed onshore wind capacity per capita and get a greater share of our electricity from onshore wind than anyone else across Europe. The Department recently launched a consultation on design features for the next onshore wind renewable electricity support scheme, RESS, auction scheduled to take place later this year.
The Government remains committed to having 5 GW of offshore wind capacity in development by 2030, with a long-range target of 20 GW by 2040. Five phase 1 offshore wind projects off our east coast, accounting for 3.8 GW of capacity, are in development at present. It is anticipated that the first planning determination will be made by An Coimisiún Pleanála by the end of 2026. The phase 1 projects are responsible for constructing the offshore transmission assets that will connect the sites to the onshore grid. These transmission assets will transfer to EirGrid after commissioning.
In December 2025, the Minister announced that the consortium of ESB and Ørsted had won Ireland's second offshore wind auction. It will develop an up to 900 MW project off the coast of Waterford, the first within the south coast designated maritime area plan, DMAP. The Department is currently developing proposals for an auction of the second site, Lí Ban, with potential capacity of between 900 MW and 1.5 GW. I expect the auction for that site to take place in 2027.
In a straightforward sense, we all want to see renewables. We might not have oil fields but we definitely have a large number of areas, offshore in particular, where there is a significant amount of wind for a considerable amount of time. It is that idea, which we often talk about, of becoming a wind superpower. Am I right in thinking that we will not see these particular offshore projects by 2030? Can we get a timeline for how far behind we are? What are we doing as regards the infrastructural deficit? Obviously, a large piece of work needs to be done by EirGrid, but we have constantly heard about the issues that exist in relation to ports. I think Belfast Port is the only port in Ireland that was capable of delivering in relation to offshore wind. I ask for an update on the timeline, on when the Minister of State sees us meeting those targets and on the infrastructural deficits.
Our immediate focus is to get these projects into construction. That is why we have established the accelerating renewable energy task force, alongside the Taoiseach's clearing house. That will provide inter-agency oversight to remove any barriers to grid planning or ports. We have very ambitious targets. In one sense, we are trying to put the resources in place financially, technically and institutionally because we need private investment, and significant amounts of it, to support connections on both the onshore and offshore sides. We are making progress in regard to previous and future auctions. We are also significantly ramping up investment in the CRU and EirGrid. They have agreed a new five-year programme with up to €18.9 billion being provided to support their plan in terms of building capacity within our grid.
I am back to whether we can just get some sort of better notion of a timeline on when we will go from planning to shovels in the sea, for want of a better term. It is vital, no matter how far behind target we are, that we ensure we get back on track. We are hearing about an accelerating wind energy task force and the Taoiseach's clearing house. That all sounds wonderful. I just hope it does a better job than an awful lot of task forces have done to date.
When we get these targets, are we looking at something that can do something significant as regards that other task force on reducing energy costs, which are having a huge impact? I get that some of that is the connection with the price of gas. There is a need for greater oversight powers for the CRU and whatever else. We cannot just listen to answers in relation to hedging any more. We need to see a greater level of transparency. It is about delivering on renewables and then delivering not only on sustainability, but on capacity, storage and price in the long term for people who are suffering huge issues with high energy costs.
I thank the Deputy for his comments. Confidence is growing within the sector. The Lí Ban project was the only project across Europe that was awarded last year. We are ramping up our investment, from the State's perspective, to try to ensure the key enablers are in place. While many of these projects are currently in planning, we hope many will go to construction before the end of the decade. Our responsibility is to guide and support many of these companies. Each phase 1 project is responsible itself for the construction of its own offshore transmission asset. For the Tonn Nua project, EirGrid will build the offshore grid that will link to the connection. The Government is focused on what we can control at the minute, which is building the network and ensuring that over 500 projects, including many substations and interconnectors, are delivered as part of EirGrid's and the CRU's project programme.
Will they start construction in 2030?
Before 2030.
Question No. 147 taken with Written Answers.
Energy Conservation
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Question:148. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment whether funding schemes are available for communal heating schemes that wish to change from gas-fired to heat pumps in individual houses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14752/26]
There are funding schemes, but what funding schemes are available for a communal heating system that wishes to change from being gas powered, possibly to heat pumps, in individual houses? We spoke a bit about alternatives in relation to communal heating systems. It is about whatever works, whatever can be done and whatever is cheapest, particularly for those systems. I am talking about Carlinn Hall in Dundalk, specifically.
We discussed this particular estate before. I will go back to something the Deputy mentioned that I did not get to answer - the Minister of State was answering - in relation to the North-South interconnector. There will be no further reviews. We have had four independent reviews. The North-South interconnector needs to proceed as planned and as consented to in the North and in the South. We have got to get on with it.
To answer the Deputy's question, to support individual homeowners, and following Government approval last month, I published a new national residential retrofit plan with an enhanced set of measures to increase the delivery of home energy upgrades, including heat pump installations. The SEAI and I held a briefing last Tuesday attended by many Deputies across the House, which they found useful. These changed grants will be very impactful. I encourage all to make sure their constituents are informed of these new Government initiatives. The retrofit plan will continue to make home energy upgrades more accessible and affordable, making it easier for homeowners to undertake deep retrofits on a phased basis. That has been a big issue, particularly for middle-income families. While the grants are substantial, those families do not have the financial capacity to do all the work at one time. The new measures include new and enhanced attic and cavity wall insulation grants, an enhanced heat pump system grant of up to €12,500 and €4,800 for windows and doors, as well as other grants. These can be reintroduced and done on an individual basis.
The new recently announced heat pump system grant will reduce costs associated with a whole-house heating system upgrade.
The new maximum grant is €12,500 and that encompasses the existing maximum of €6,500 for the heat pump, €2,000 for upgrading radiators and pipework and a new renewable heating bonus of €4,000. That is a seriously substantial increase and will make heat pumps much more accessible for people. All eligible homeowners can apply through the SEAI for these supports.
With regard to converting from communal heating, individual homeowners, including those availing of a communal heating system, can apply for the individual heat pump grants.
On the North-South interconnector, the Minister has laid out Government policy and stated there will be no further reviews, not even the one requested. There is no difference between Sinn Féin in the North and Sinn Féin in the South on this. As I have said before, the Minister’s own party has had a significant number of people who opposed the interconnector over many years, but generally not while in government.
I appreciate the answer the Minister has given. I have discussed this a number of times with him. Some of the third-party companies that are considering it are now going to assess houses in Carlinn Hall. They will have to talk to the residents about whether they want to opt for these solutions. They have engaged to a great extent with the SEAI. It is just about making sure there are no obstacles.
I am aware of the €12,500 heat pump grant that is available. On one level, it does not matter whether the option is that or the support scheme for renewable heat. It is just a matter of delivering on what has been a problem. I realise that the Minister understands that.
I do. To be fair to the Deputy, he has raised the issue of Carlinn Hall residents, who find themselves in a very difficult situation. I will say two things on it. First, the enhanced grant for heat pumps is significant. Parking the politics, it has gone up to €12,500 and that might make the pumps more accessible. Second, at the request of the Deputy in the Dáil and elsewhere, and of Deputy McGreehan and others, we asked the SEAI to carry out a research project to provide assistance to residents in Carlinn Hall. It would be useful to examine the new grants to see whether they fit the residents’ circumstances. It is a communal system.
Supports for geothermal drilling, which may offer another centralised solution for the Carlinn Hall development, have recently been approved as eligible under the SEAI support scheme for renewable heat. That is good news for residents. However, it is important to bear in mind that the Carlinn Hall heating system is privately owned and managed. The implementation of any recommendations from the report of the SEAI on Carlinn Hall, or indeed any premises wishing to switch to individual heat pump solutions, will be for individuals to decide on themselves. However, if we can continue to provide advice, we will.
I appreciate that. Possible solutions for the housing estate have changed many times. Initially, the heating system was fed by biomass. It was then changed to gas but then the invasion of Ukraine sent gas prices through the roof. It is a deeply inefficient system in places and at times, and while there have been some attempts at improvements, we need a long-term solution.
I welcome the fact the SEAI and the Government are open to delivering on this. It may be that the easiest solution is not to replace the communal system with another communal system but to move to individualised solutions within houses. I am agnostic once there is a scheme that is affordable for the individuals and that works out as a better system environmentally and in all the given scenarios. In a perfect world, we would be able to switch it over to a district heating system that takes waste energy from elsewhere. That does not appear to be a possibility at this point, but it may be a solution in many other places.
Sure. We are drafting the heat networks (miscellaneous provisions) Bill. That will establish the regulatory model for district heating, including communal heating systems, to ensure consumer protections are in place and to support the delivery of a vibrant district heating industry. There is a genuine opportunity in Ireland in district heating. There is only one scheme in the whole country. We have a pipeline of approximately 20 others that could be delivered in the near term and that could make a difference to affordability. Using waste heat or excess heat is also critical.
We will continue to provide any advice we can through the SEAI to residents of the estate. There is an opportunity for those concerned to examine the new suite of grants. The near-doubling of the heat-pump grant may make things more accessible for many households. Coupled with other grants available for housing estates of the age of Carlinn Hall, it might make things affordable. We will stay engaged on it.
Renewable Energy Generation
Barry Ward
Question:149. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the position regarding any further initiatives proposed by his Department to increase the support for offshore wind infrastructure in coastal communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13792/26]
Bhí mé ag éisteacht leis an díospóireacht anseo agus an méid a bhí ráite maidir le fuinneamh gaoithe go háirithe. Wind energy as it applies to coastal communities, in particular, is such an important aspect of our drive to meet the targets that are so often spoken about, yet there is no operating offshore wind farm in this country. What are we going to put in place to support communities, particularly coastal ones, in delivering wind projects and ensuring we will have wind capacity into the future?
The Government is committed to increasing support for offshore wind infrastructure in coastal communities. This is being done in ongoing consultation with all stakeholders in the development of offshore wind energy generation. This includes our local coastal communities and our valued fishing sector, which the Department recognises as crucial to the enduring success of offshore wind energy.
The Department is committed to ongoing engagement with the fisheries sector under Ireland’s plan-led approach to offshore renewable energy, ORE, development. The seafood and offshore renewable energy working group provides a forum to facilitate constructive engagement on the interaction between the seafood and ORE industries.
In September 2025, the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, and my fellow Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, announced the publication of the proposal and accompanying public participation statement for the national designated maritime area plan, DMAP, for ORE. The proposal outlines the Government’s commitment to extensive and inclusive consultation with the public and stakeholders throughout the process. In recognition of the importance of coastal communities in the national DMAP process, a dedicated community liaison service has been contracted, with the sole focus of working with and providing information directly to coastal communities.
Furthermore, all offshore wind generation development projects under the offshore renewable energy support scheme, ORESS, are required to make contributions to their community benefit funds. The community benefit fund will be professionally managed on behalf of the local community, and a local community benefit fund committee will have full responsibility for its funding decisions.
Given the anticipated high level of offshore generation, the amounts involved will be substantial and transformative for communities. It is estimated that these will comprise approximately €25 million per annum from the 3.1 GW of capacity contracted under phase 1 of ORESS.
I thank the Minister of State. I have no doubt about the value of offshore wind energy to local communities, particularly, where it is being landed onshore, and about the benefits it brings. I am aware of the community benefit funds, which the Minister of State mentioned. Two major projects are being run from Dún Laoghaire in my constituency, the Dublin Array and Ocean Winds projects. RWE is a partner in the Dublin Array project. Their office is now based in Dún Laoghaire, so it has a close connection to the community. I am aware that it is working hard on the development of information. There is a lot of misinformation about wind energy, particularly offshore wind energy, and about the environmental benefits and clean energy generated. Can we put measures in place that empower locally elected representatives to get answers where they need them and to counter the misinformation? In particular, I am thinking about concerns raised about possible environmental damage where pylons are driven into the seabed. My understanding from the experience of places like the North Sea and the coast of Scotland is that this can create small ecosystems that would not exist without the pylons. How can we counter misinformation?
I thank the Deputy for his comments. I agree on the challenge faced by many communities dealing with the prospect of planning consent for large offshore projects. In the Department, my fellow Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, is looking at the national DMAP ORE element.
The development of that, using the ecosystem-based approach, is really important. It is important that it is informative as to what impact it will have not just on the environment but also on the habitat and the fisheries. There is a job of work as to how we can work with local government, councillors and local authorities to ensure that awareness and that education piece is promoted and that the offshore renewable zones, which avoid ecologically sensitive areas, are incentivised and supported in a sustainable model to ensure that both can coexist.
The Minister of State is absolutely right, and the value of the community benefit funds, in particular, is huge. We will not feel the effect of this until these things are up and running. Again, in relation to linking them into local communities and the people who are elected to represent those communities, he referred to the professional delivery of community benefit funds. Is there a role for local elected representatives or community councils or other democratic local bodies to have a say in how that money can be utilised and how it can be given best effect i the local community? As I said, these projects are good anyway, but what the Department has constructed here is a really good scheme to add benefits for local communities. They will see that once it is up and running, but there is a real benefit to allowing local councillors and local community organisations that have a democratic element to them to have an input into this rather than having it coldly and professionally delivered without the input of the local community.
Again, I agree with some of the Deputy's comments. It is an important piece that we need to get right. MARA can play an important role as to how it engages with those who are being supported through the community benefit fund and those in the locality who may not sit on the committee that manages the development fund but who have a role to play as to how we look at these types of projects. That approach would be very important in looking at the ecology piece and the benefit through the fund in order that it serves as a practical forum, that exchange of views can be brought to a meeting and there is problem-solving, guidance and data-sharing. That is an important focus that we will possibly go back and look to implement.
Renewable Energy Generation
Noel McCarthy
Question:150. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to outline if his Department is giving consideration to the introduction of a land classification system that would inform the suitability of any proposed solar developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13391/26]
The programme for Government reaffirms Ireland's commitment to and our ambitious target of 8 GW of solar capacity connected to the grid by 2030, to assist with meeting the goal of 80% electricity demand supplied through renewables. Solar energy is now a growing source of electricity, with about 2.4 GW of solar power capacity in our grid and another 1 GW on rooftops. Going back 12 years, it was only 2 MW, so the growth is incredible. The installed capacity we have amounts to powering approximately 520,000 homes. As part of this capacity, as I said, there is already 1 GW of rooftop solar. However, further solar capacity is required for Ireland to meet its domestic and international targets. The ESB has indicated that Ireland could expect the 8 GW of solar in Ireland by 2030 to require an area equal to about 0.26% of all agricultural land, based on a similar study in the UK.
The statutory designation of lands for renewable energy development is undertaken by local authorities as part of the city and county development plan process, which may incorporate a local authority renewable energy strategy or a wind energy strategy.
The SEAI is undertaking an update to the 2013 local authority renewable energy strategy methodology. This provides a robust, evidence-based and consistent approach for local authorities for the identification, assessment and planning for renewable energy development within their jurisdiction.
Furthermore, I have been advised that the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is at the early stages of preparing a new national planning statement on solar energy under the Planning and Development Act 2024.
Under the accelerating renewable electricity task force, officials from my Department will continue to work closely with both the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and the Department of housing on these ongoing reforms, which will act to support and facilitate the deployment of solar, which is critical to the decarbonisation of Ireland's economy and greater climate resilience.
I thank the Minister for his response. Proposals to prime agricultural land for renewable energy proposals have become common in recent years. Rural communities such as those in my constituency of Cork East are seeing acreage that long provided quality food produce being changed to acres of solar panels in a very short period. Development permission for up to 40 years sees traditional rural communities transformed for decades on the basis of one application. I appreciate that an increased provision of renewable energy sources is needed nationally. However, we have a particular problem developing in Cork East given our proximity to the grid, and limited attention is being paid to the quality of land being used. As such, is the Minister considering any further measures to introduce a land classification system similar to what exists in the UK, which would see the most fertile agricultural land protected against renewable development?
I understand the points the Deputy has raised. Solar is a relatively new but growing source of energy in Ireland. It is clean, green, sustainable and cheap energy. We have fine agricultural land across the country too and we need to make sure that we can continue to sustain our own population and sustain the agricultural and horticultural sector through our exports as well. We export over 80% of what we produce, as the Deputy knows. However, the advancement of renewables is critical to our energy security and to reaching our climate targets.
The Deputy has rightly stated that any application that goes in for a wind farm, a solar farm or a biomethane plant is dealt with independently of the Government by the planning authority. I have seen applications approved; I have seen applications rejected. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is at initial stages of working on a national planning statement for the deployment of solar.
It is important we are honest with people too, as the Deputy is being, that solar will continue to expand and is a very good source of clean energy for our country. It will reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuel as well and will ensure that we become energy-sovereign.
I thank the Minister again for his response. I note the work of the accelerating renewable electricity task force and its engagement with local authorities on the matter. I also appreciate that a public consultation invited submissions between September and October last year regarding national territory mapping under the EU renewable energy directive. Was there an appetite for such land classification as part of this process? How far is this process advanced in finalising national territory mapping?
I attended a public meeting in Abbeyknockmoy in my constituency last week. Power Capital is proposing to develop a very large solar project there. It is already developing one nearby in Grange. There are proposals to install a battery energy storage system as part of these projects. This has caused unease in those communities because in January of last year there was a fire at a separate lithium-ion system based in nearby Claregalway. Three fire fighters have not been able to return to work since dealing with that incident, and the local firefighters have said they are totally unprepared to deal with such incidents. These proposed solar farms and battery systems are in very close proximity to residential areas.
I have submitted parliamentary questions on the safety and regulatory requirements for these systems, but there has been very little information coming back and very little in terms of fire safety. On behalf of those communities, I ask the Minister to outline any compliance regulations that are there to ensure that these systems are monitored and operated in a safe manner. Does he have concerns about the ability of the fire services to deal with any potential incidents? Will we see specific planning guidelines in this area?
I will respond first to Deputy McCarthy, who tabled the question. Most of us are for sustainable, clean, renewable energy to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel.
We have had a good discussion and questions here about energy affordability. How do we drive that affordability? We drive that affordability by investing in our grid, by delivering projects like the North-South interconnector, by expanding our grid and grid resilience, and by expanding our renewables offering. There are communities that feel they have a concentration of different energy sources in their area. As the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, said in response to Deputy Ward, it is about looking at things like community benefit funds. I visited two battery installations in County Offaly last week, which are fully compliant with EU regulations. We need battery storage to deploy our energy at the right times. We need more renewables. We need onshore and offshore wind and onshore solar, or else we will continue importing gas from third countries.
Grant Payments
Cathy Bennett
Question:151. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he will provide an update in relation to SEAI grants for windows and doors; the length of time the grant will open for; if applicants have to pay upfront; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14361/26]
Naoise Ó Cearúil
Question:157. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the way in which the redesigned SEAI grant structure will support homeowners in progressing from initial insulation measures to more advanced upgrades; the way this sequencing is expected to improve overall retrofit outcomes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14769/26]
Will the Minister provide an update on SEAI grants, the length of time applicants will have to apply for these grants and how the scheme will work up terms in relation to upfront payments and reimbursement?
I propose to take Questions Nos. 151 and 157 together.
We have a few questions on the SEAI grants, which we have revised to make them more accessible for families. More than 244,000 homes across the country have been retrofitted. We have invested approximately €1.7 billion in retrofitting to deliver permanent savings for households, to reduce emissions and energy use and to make homes warmer, safer and healthier. The national retrofitting plan, along with the new and enhanced set of measures I have mentioned, will continue to make home energy upgrades more accessible and affordable. That is the main reason we are breaking up those grants. We are going to protect the warmer homes scheme, which provides 100% grants. We have done approximately 32,700 homes in that space. We are targeting more than 11,000 this year. Further work needs to be done on the lead times from date of application to completion of work. I have met the SEAI on that too.
Homeowners availing of the other grants we offer can take a step-by-step approach. Even if someone is waiting for the warmer homes scheme, they can apply for grants in the interim. They can apply for attic insulation, wall insulation and start to break the grants down. I want to see more people accessing it. I recognise that costs have increased since 2022. That is why we have upped the grant limits. We have upped the grant levels for cavity wall insulation and attic insulation. These higher fixed grants will substantially reduce costs for homeowners. To help first-time buyers of existing homes to get on the energy upgrade journey quickly and at minimal cost, I have brought forward a specific grant for attic insulation for these new homeowners. This will support first-time buyers who purchase an existing property and who might not be in a financial position to undertake a complete energy upgrade.
The new heat pump system grant will reduce the costs associated with a whole house heating system upgrade and accelerate the uptake of heat pumps. A fixed amount grant for installing a heat pump system will be introduced. This grant is significant. It is €6,500 for the heat pump, €2,000 towards the radiator upgrades and pipework and a new renewable heating bonus of €4,000. That brings the maximum grant up to €12,500. That will also apply to applications already in train and not already paid out. For the first time, homeowners can access a windows and doors grant as an individual measure for the installation of energy-efficient windows and doors to replace older ones that are performing poorly. That is for homes where the building fabric will meet, or already meets, a specified minimum performance standard. Many homes already meet this standard. We estimate that approximately 200,000 homeowners can apply right now for windows and doors grants of approximately €4,600. That is €800 per door and €3,000 for windows. They are significant amounts. The measure is designed to help homeowners to improve comfort and energy efficiency, while ensuring homes meet the building fabric standard suitable for our climate action targets.
I have been advised by the SEAI that the register of windows and doors contractors has now been published on its site. There are 104 contractors registered as of last week. When applying for individual measures, homeowners will now have the option of applying themselves and having the grant refunded once works are complete, or applying themselves and having the grant paid to the bank account of their contractor, who can choose to offer them a discount upfront. They can basically charge net, and they will claim it back. They can also apply through a participating one-stop shop or energy partner, which will carry out the works for the homeowners and pass on the grant savings as a discount on the works. All of that is now up on the SEAI website.
I thank the Minister. He has basically answered the next questions I had for him. I am delighted that the grants will be upfront, and people will not have to provide the money. That is what he said. That is correct. There will also be no loans required. People will not require a loan in order to get the grant. It will be paid upfront, and people can go to get their windows or doors, or whatever retrofitting is required. Is that correct?
There are options there. For some people this had operated already. They can apply for themselves and have the grant refunded once the works are completed. They can apply themselves and have the grant paid to the contractor and have that net option. There are low-interest loans available as well. If someone wants to go for a deeper retrofit and to do more work above and beyond, they can apply for that also. What we will endeavour to do with this round of changes to the grants is break them up. Before, for argument's sake, to get windows and doors you would have had to do a whole house upgrade. Even though the grants were good, you would have had to put substantial money towards it yourself. Many families do not have that, or that may not be a priority for them. Importantly within this, once you get this work done, your bills come down permanently. Your home is warmer, healthier and climate friendly too. All of those options are now on the SEAI website. I have also circulated a draft newsletter, and we have done a briefing with Members that was well attended by Government and Opposition last week.
I thank the Minister and welcome it. If you require the State-backed loans, are these available to everybody in rural Ireland and has rural Ireland applied for these grants in large numbers before? Another issue I have is of a household that had received a SEAI grant previously for cavity bead insulation 30 years ago. Are people like this allowed to go again and reapply for the new upgrades?
You can go in. If you have already received one grant for one cavity wall, you can go in for a second one. If you did not get window grants before, you can go back in for them as well, so you are not precluded. The low-interest loan is available in both urban and rural Ireland. It is available across all 26 counties of the Republic. I do not have the breakdown per county, but we could certainly get that information for the Deputy as best as we have it.
Questions Nos. 152 to 156, inclusive, taken with Written Answers.
Question No. 157 taken with Question No. 151.
Climate Change Policy
Pa Daly
Question:158. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment his views on Ireland’s resilience to extreme weather events caused by climate change; if consideration is being given to nature-based solutions to mitigate and provide resilience to the impacts of climate change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14622/26]
I ask the Minister about nature-based solutions to mitigate and provide resilience to the impacts of climate change. We all know what has happened recently with warmer and wetter winters bringing more flooding, with a cost of billions and more than 100,000 properties in the State at risk of flooding. We know this will continue. Drainage systems will be exceeded, and we need to slow the water down and use the land as a sponge to ensure the surface can have more involvement in resilience to flooding.
The Deputy started asking his question. I did not pick up the start of it, so will he ask that again?
What are the Minister of State's views on Ireland's resilience to extreme weather events? Is consideration being given to nature-based solutions to provide resilience to the impacts of climate change?
In addition to our efforts to mitigate climate change, it is critically important that we plan ahead for a climate-resilient future. Over the past number of years this has become even more evident as powerful storms including Babet, Darragh, Éowyn and most recently Chandra have significantly impacted Irish people, our infrastructure and our economy.
Ireland's whole-of-government adaptation policy response to the impacts of climate change is set out in the second national adaptation framework, NAF, published in 2024. The NAF sets out the national strategy to reduce the vulnerability of the country to the negative effects of climate change and to avail of positive impacts. In November 2025, ten sectoral adaptation plans covering 13 key sectors developed under the 2024 NAF were approved by the Government. These contain measurable actions to improve the resilience of key sectors over the next five years. The Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment holds the responsibility for the NAF and the electricity and gas network sectoral adaptation plans. The other sectors are the responsibility of the relevant line Ministers. A new adaptation task force that was established at the end of last year recently commenced work to provide the senior level oversight and co-ordination of Ireland's approach to adaptation, including systematic delivery barriers and cross-cutting issues. Risk guidelines developed by the Department include as key principles a requirement that nature-based solutions be utilised where appropriate to improve resilience to climate impact. Nature-based solutions can build reliance into the priority risks that extreme wind and heat identified in the EPA's national climate change risk report published in June last year.
I hope that in his next answer, the Minister of State actually tells us what type of nature-based solutions will be foreseen or utilised by Government. I refer to the area in Kerry between Knocknagoshel and Brosna. The older people there tell me that up to 20 to 30 years ago, when heavy rain came, it would be soaked up by the bogs and released slowly. That does not happen anymore, partly due to afforestation and vertical drainage, so huge volumes of water are coming into the basins there and causing the flooding downstream that occurred in Listowel just before the election. The Wild Woodbury project in Dorset in England cleans water, stores carbon and brings new wildlife habitats because the land is soaking up the water and filtering it. It is not enough on its own. There will obviously be hard engineering solutions as well but this needs to be considered in the Government's plans.
I can give a full response in writing but I agree that nature-based solutions are increasingly central to Ireland's adaptation policy. From my own experience, I know that examples are under way such as the wetland rehabilitation in the Shannon and Moy catchments. They are creating national flooding storage zones. I know we are under time constraints but I can send the Deputy the rest of the reply.
Is féidir teacht ar Cheisteanna Scríofa ar www.oireachtas.ie.
Written Answers are published on the Oireachtas website.