Written Answers Nos. 81-100
81. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of the work of the Angling Consultative Council of Ireland (ACCI); if he will publish the minutes of ACCI meetings held since June 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24828/24]
View answerThe Angling Consultative Council of Ireland (ACCI) meet to discuss a range of policy issues across the angling sector. A meeting scheduled for March 2024 was deferred due to a lack of availability of ACCI Members and will be rescheduled shortly.
The minutes of the June 2023 ACCI meeting are published on my Department's website and the minutes of the September 2023 ACCI meeting will be published after they are agreed at the next ACCI meeting.
82. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason the option of having a person authorised as a nominee, due to illness or injury, is not available to holders of special local draft net licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24829/24]
View answerThe option of having a person authorised as a nominee, due to illness or injury, is not available to holders of special local draft net licences because this is not provided for in the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act 1959.
Section 75(3) of this Act provides that "a...licence in respect of special tidal waters shall be expressed and operate to authorise the person to whom such licence is issued to use in such tidal waters..." and is therefore limited to be used exclusively by the person authorised and is not transferable.
83. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the details of the Copper Switch Off Working Group established with the participation of ComReg and Eir; the membership of the group; the number of times the group has met; the work programme and expected outcomes of the group; if the latter will be made publicly available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24910/24]
View answerIreland's Digital Connectivity Strategy, published by my Department, sets ambitious targets, which include providing a Gigabit network to all households and businesses in Ireland by 2028 and access to 5G in all populated areas by 2030.
The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the government's initiative to deliver high speed broadband services to all premises in Ireland.
The Copper Switch Off (CSO) working group is currently a bilateral engagement between my Department and ComReg but additional members may be added over time depending on issues that arise.
As Eir is the only provider of a copper network in Ireland, officials in my Department also meet with Eir from time to time to discuss its plans in relation to CSO and did so most recently in March 2024.
As CSO is ultimately a commercial decision for Eir the substance of those discussions are confidential for reasons of commercial sensitivity. It is important to note however, to ensure a transparent and orderly process, any CSO programme must adhere to the legal framework laid out by ComReg in Decision D09/23.
The work programme of the DECC-ComReg CSO working group must also be consistent with the provisions of that decision. Over the next 12-18 we expect the working group to cover issues ranging from public communications of CSO, environmental issues and customer migrations. My Department have met with ComReg on CSO once since the publication of D09/23 which was published in November 2023 and on three occasions prior to this.
There will be publicly available information in relation to copper switch off as the work in this area progresses.
84. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he can provide a record of brown out events, by county for the years 2019 to 2024; the number of events that were reported, by county; how the responsible agency detects these brown outs; the measures that are taken to rectify the faults to ensure no recurrence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24912/24]
View answerResponsibility for the regulation of the electricity market is a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) which is an independent regulator, accountable to a committee of the Oireachtas and not the Minister. The CRU was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the Irish electricity sector following the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act, 1999 and subsequent legislation.
The CRU is responsible for, inter alia, the regulation of the electricity system operators ESB Networks, Distribution, and Eirgrid, Transmission. Building, safely operating and maintaining the electricity system are functions which are assigned to the respective Distribution and Transmission system operators and for which they are accountable to the CRU. Disruption of power supply for most customers will occur at the distribution network level and as such come within the remit of ESB Networks. ESB Networks are independent of the Minister in the exercise of their functions as network operators.
EirGrid as part of their role are responsible for the safe, secure operation of Ireland’s electricity system. EirGrid manage the supply of electricity in real time, whether from electricity generators on the island of Ireland, or from international suppliers. Ireland’s energy demands are monitored by EirGrid’s National Control Centre which carefully balances supply and demand on a minute-by-minute basis. In an electricity supply emergency, it may be necessary for EirGrid to restrict customers' consumption of electricity.
When the buffer between electricity supply and demand is tighter than EirGrid would like, EirGrid issues an alert to the electricity sector. Alerts are more likely to take place in the winter months when demand for electricity is at its highest. A System Alert (previously known as an Amber Alert) is the lowest level alert, followed by System Emergency (previously known as a Red Alert).
The Deputy has requested information regarding ‘brownouts’ however as set out above Eirgrid utilise a different model by which to reflect the condition of the electricity system. As such in this instance, the Deputy should engage directly with Eirgrid in the first instance regarding the information which she is seeking.
The CRU, Eirgrid and ESB Networks are independent of the Minister in the exercise of their functions. The CRU, Eirgrid and ESB Networks have respective contact email address for Deputies, of which they are aware, should they wish to raise matters of concern such as that raised in the question.
85. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the amount the State has spent or has committed to spend defending inland fisheries against anglers in regard to the Gweebara river in County Donegal, including all expenses not just legal fees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24977/24]
View answerThis is a matter for Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) as an independent statutory agency. Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members so that queries can be addressed promptly, in line with IFI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards. The email address is oireachtas@fisheriesireland.ie
In order to be of assistance, my Department has been advised by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) that the ‘Gweebarra Costs’ over the period from 2011 – 2023 is estimated at €523,886.90.
86. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when fibre broadband will be connected to a residence (details supplied) give the person needs same for their employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24994/24]
View answerIreland's Digital Connectivity Strategy, published by my Department, sets ambitious targets, which include providing a Gigabit network to all households and businesses in Ireland by 2028 and access to 5G in all populated areas by 2030.
The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the government's initiative to deliver high speed broadband services to all premises in Ireland.
The Question refers to a premises located in the AMBER area on the broadband map, which is available on my Department's website www.broadband.gov.ie . The AMBER area is to be served by the network deployed under the NBP State led intervention.
As per NBI this premises was added to the rollout after work commenced in the area, the premises will be ready for connection following the completion of the rollout for the rest of the premises in the Deployment Area. The anticipated date for connection is June 2024 to July 2024.
The latest information on when high-speed broadband will become available to this premises can be found on National Broadband Ireland’s (NBI) website at Network Map - NBI. This website is regularly updated providing the expected timeline for delivery and status of any works that are initiated at any point in time. NBI also has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie , which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.
Commercial Fixed line operators Open Eir, Virgin Media and SIRO are delivering high-speed broadband services in the blue area/ non-intervention area of the map.
87. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will confirm that the Irish road haulage sector will be impacted by a proposed €10 per tonne levy on the transportation of soil and stone within the next 14 weeks; if he will consider extending the introduction date to allow for the haulage sector time to transition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25132/24]
View answerMy Department has been engaging with key stakeholders including the Irish Waste Management Association (IWMA) and the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) on this matter, including on the timing of removing the existing exemptions for construction waste and the rate at which a levy for construction waste would apply. The Irish Plant Contractors’ Association participated in a Departmental briefing on May 15th , which included the issue of construction waste.
According to the national waste statistics, Construction and Demolition (C&D) is the fastest growing waste stream, accounting for over half of the total waste currently being generated in Ireland with only 8% being recycled or reused by the Irish construction industry, which is lower than in other jurisdictions including the UK. Given that substantial volumes of this material are potentially preventable, re-usable or recyclable, it presents a significant opportunity for Ireland’s transition to a more circular economy and for the construction industry to lower the cost of construction.
The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has introduced measures to support this transition, such as the introduction of national by-product (prevention and reuse) and end of waste (recycling) decisions for construction materials. These decisions allow for usable C&D material to be treated as a resource rather than a waste. These materials would therefore not be subject to the environmental levies as they would not be deemed a waste and if diverted from landfill sites, existing gate fees would be avoided thereby delivering considerable savings for the construction sector.
As the regulatory landscape for construction demolition waste has evolved significantly, the continued application of the levy exemptions for C&D waste is neither tenable nor sustainable. It is therefore, the Department’s intention to remove the waste recovery and landfill levy exemptions for construction and demolition waste. The purpose of removing these exemptions for C&D waste is to incentivise the construction industry to reduce the amount of C&D waste it currently sends for thermal recovery or disposal and re-use the material in accordance with the EPA Circular Economy initiatives to achieve cost savings.
As stated, stakeholder engagement on the timing of removing the existing exemptions for construction waste and the rate at which a levy for construction waste would apply in the regulations, due to be made in September 2024, is ongoing.
88. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide a breakdown of the amount of his Department’s pre-committed capital expenditure under the National Development Plan that will be dedicated to the rollout of the National Broadband Plan in each of the years 2024 to 2030, in tabular form. [25192/24]
View answerIreland's Digital Connectivity Strategy, published by my Department, sets ambitious targets, which include providing a Gigabit network to all households and businesses in Ireland by 2028 and access to 5G in all populated areas by 2030.
The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the government's initiative to deliver high speed broadband services to all premises in Ireland.
€2.7 billion in Subsidy funding has been allocated to the National Broadband Plan (NBP), with an allocation for Advisor and Local Authority payments agreed on an annual basis. The project spend to 2023 is €0.664 billion, with €0.348 billion allocated through the 2024 Revised Estimates Process.
The NBP funding requirement for 2025 to 2030 is estimated to be circa €1.1 billion. My Department is currently reviewing National Development Plan Funding annual allocations, and an update can be provided to the Deputy when this review is finalised.
|
Spend to end of 2023 |
2024 capital allocation |
Forecast capital allocation 2025 to 2030 |
|
€0.664Bn |
€0.348Bn |
€1.1Bn |
89. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No. 50 of 14 May 2024, to provide a breakdown of how the figure of 16,600 heat pump installations in existing homes was arrived at; to provide a breakdown of installations per year of the period that the figure is accounting for, in tabular form; to provide a breakdown, per scheme, per year, that the figure is accounting for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25234/24]
View answer90. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if only heat pumps installed in existing buildings will be counted as contributing to the 2030 target; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25236/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 89 and 90 together.
The Climate Action Plan set ambitious targets to retrofit, by 2030, the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2/cost optimal and install 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes to replace older, less efficient heating systems. Only heat pumps installed in existing buildings will count towards the achievement of this target.
The Deputy may wish to note that the Climate Action Plan also sets a target of installing 280,000 heat pumps in new builds by 2030.
With regard to the 16,600 heat pump installations referred to Parliamentary Question No. 50 (of 14 May 2024), a breakdown of SEAI schemes and the Local Authority Energy Efficiency Retrofit Scheme for the period 2019-2024 can be found in Table 1 below.
A breakdown of heat pump installations by SEAI scheme for each of the years 2020 to 2023 was previously provided to the Deputy in the response to PQ 13930/24 (Parliamentary Questions 73, 74, 75, 77, 78, 80, 81, 82, 85 and 86 refer). This data remains unchanged since then. Table 2, below provides a breakdown of the heat pumps installed in 2019 under the SEAI Schemes.
Table 1: Heat pumps delivery under SEAI Residential and Community Energy Efficiency Upgrade Schemes and the Local Authority Energy Efficiency Retrofit Scheme 2019-2024
|
Year |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 (end Apr) |
|
Local Authority Retrofit Programme |
- |
- |
750 |
1898 |
2215 |
N/A |
|
SEAI Schemes |
1130 |
1454 |
1972 |
2271 |
3769 |
1134 |
|
Total |
1130 |
1454 |
2722 |
4169 |
5984 |
1134 |
Notes: Under the Local Authority Retrofit Programme the B2/Cost Optimal Equivalent programme only commenced in 2021. In 2019-2020 shallow retrofit were carried out.
The Local Authority Retrofit Programme reports annually.
Table 2: Heat Pump Installations under SEAI Residential and Community Energy Efficiency Upgrade Schemes
|
SEAI Schemes |
2019 |
|
Community Energy Grants |
554 |
|
Better Energy Homes |
462 |
|
National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme (including Pilots) |
114 |
|
Warmer Homes Scheme |
0 |
|
Total 2019 |
1,130 |
91. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications on what scientific basis or rationale a two-trout bag limit was introduced on the River Clare, County Galway, and what the Minister’s intention is regarding other waters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25249/24]
View answerThis bye-law that I recently made for the conservation of wild brown trout in the Clare River and its tributaries - Conservation of Trout in the Rivers Clare, Abbert, Dalgan, Grange and Sinking Bye-Law No. 1008, 2024 – was done so on evidence-based advice from Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI). The purpose of this bye-law is to reduce the harvest of adult brown trout migrating from Lough Corrib to their spawning grounds in the feeder streams of the Clare River catchment.
Comprehensive fish population surveys in this catchment in 2019 indicated that juvenile brown trout stocks had declined at a number of reference sites since previous surveys.
Public consultation prior to the enactment of this bye-law indicated support for this important conservation measure from stakeholders, including angling groups, to actively participate in the preservation of their local natural resources.
92. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when he will make progress on the commitment in the Programme for Government regarding designating our western lakes as salmonoid lakes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25250/24]
View answerMy Department requested that Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) prepare a plan for the long-term management of our western lakes to deliver on the Programme for Government commitment.
Following a lengthy public consultation process, this plan was advanced through the Strategic Environmental Assessment and Appropriate Assessment processes and a series of recommendations will be presented by IFI for my approval soon.
93. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications whether bye laws No. 806 of 2006 and No. 809 of 2006 under the Fisheries Act 1959 to 2006 are in compliance with the Habitats Directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25251/24]
View answerInland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), in conjunction with my Department, is carrying out a review of relevant inland fisheries bye-laws in force for 10 years or more and their continued application. The Conservation of and Prohibition on Sale of Coarse fish Bye-Law No. 806 of 2006 and the Conservation of Pike Bye-Law No. 809 of 2006 are being examined as part of this work programme. The review process will consider relevant legal acts of the European Union including the EU Habitats Directive.
IFI has established a specific e-mail address for queries from Oireachtas members so that queries can be addressed promptly, in line with IFI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards.
The email address is oireachtas@fisheriesireland.ie
94. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications why electrofishing is not considered to remove invasive pike from Aughrusbeg Lough, Connemara, County Galway under the management plan being initiated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25252/24]
View answerThe issues raised by the Deputy regarding the management/removal of any species of fish in a particular fishery including pike from Aughrusbeg Lough, Connemara, County Galway is an operational matter for Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) in which neither I, nor my Department have any function.
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members so that queries can be addressed promptly, in line with IFI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards. The email address is oireachtas@fisheriesireland.ie.
95. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will detail the spending and outputs of €1.2m allocated to the UN Convention to combat desertification in 2018 towards the Great Green Wall project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25361/24]
View answerThe Great Green Wall was launched by the African Union, with support from the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), in 2007 to combat the effects of climate change and desertification. It aims to create 8,000km of productive landscapes by supporting efforts from local communities to sustainably manage forests, rangelands and other natural resources in dry lands. The Great Green Wall is planned to stretch from the Horn of Africa in the east to Dakar in the west, passing through the following countries: Burkina Faso; Cameroon; Chad; Djibouti; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Ghana; Mali; Mauritania; Niger; Nigeria; Senegal; and Sudan. It also seeks to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as improve the food security and livelihoods of the people of the Sahel and the Sahara. Progress since 2007 has been mixed across the countries involved in the initiative with further delays due to COVID-19.
In 2018, my Department provided a contribution of €1,200,000 to support the implementation of the Great Green Wall initiative. The contribution was divided between Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 of the initiative. The Pillar 1 payment of €200,000 went towards the drafting and publication of the ‘State of the Great Green Wall’ Landmark Report in 2020. The remainder of the contribution was designated for the development of a portfolio of transformative projects along the Great Green Wall for future donor funding.
In 2021, my Department agreed a no-cost extension to Pillar 2 of the fund and the use of this funding for the development of the portfolio. In line with the recommendations set out in the Landmark Report, the UNCCD requested that Pillar 2 contributions to be used to build a platform for the Accelerator that will act as an intermediary between the project developers and funding sources and provide relevant technical support to project design. This would support the development of full project documents or a largescale multi-country investment programme and other required technical studies such as feasibility studies to address the gaps identified in the Landmark Report. Furthermore, it would ensure that project developers are supported to secure the financing required to design and implement relevant project(s) to compliment other on-going efforts. A report from UNCCD on the use of Pillar 2 funding was due in late 2022. However, due to the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the delay in the development and launch of the Landmark Report, the start date of Pillar 2 implementing activities was delayed.
Since granting of a no-cost extension in 2021, Ireland’s funding has primarily been used to establish a number of national coalitions within the Great Green Wall countries. The establishment of these coalitions is seen as essential to ensure more coordinated support for the Great Green Wall at national level, support the development of project concept notes and help mobilise additional resources. By November 2022, only nine out of the eleven Great Green Wall countries had set up their national coalition.
Based on the delays experienced in achieving the Pillar 2 outcomes, UNCCD requested Ireland to agree to a further no-cost extension of the original grant agreement for an additional six months, until 30 June 2023. This period was to help continue the support of the development of full project documents or a largescale multi-country investment programme and other required technical studies such as feasibility studies to address the gaps identified in the Landmark Report. On 25 January 2023 this second no-cost extension of the grant agreement was approved.
In a letter received from UNCCD in October 2023, it emerged that ongoing activities supporting countries in developing their transformative programme are continuing in a small number of Great Green Wall countries until the end of 2023. Therefore, the UNCCD sought approval of a third and final no-cost grant extension and permission to utilise funding already disbursed from Ireland until 31 December 2023. On 20 December 2023, the third and final no-cost extension was approved.
The UNCCD Global Mechanism prepared a narrative report on Ireland’s grant to the Great Green Wall Initiative in 2022. The report outlines progress to date and notes areas where additional time is required to achieve the intended outcomes. Upon request of a third no-cost extension, the UNCCD Global Mechanism provided me with the Final Narrative Report on Ireland’s grant to the GGW Initiative. A final financial report is expected in the coming months.
96. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if the Minister will ensure that a copy of this report (details supplied) is provided to the requestor, given point 4.6; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25373/24]
View answerI understand that the matter referred to by the Deputy was submitted to Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) as a protected disclosure to be processed in accordance with the statutory provisions of the Protected Disclosures Act and IFI’s Protected Disclosures Policy.
The progression and management of a protected disclosure received by IFI is a matter for IFI, as an independent statutory agency.
IFI has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members so that queries can be addressed promptly, in line with IFI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards. The email address is oireachtas@fisheriesireland.ie
97. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the provision that has been made in the National Broadband Plan for issues known as direct buried ducting which can preclude premises or an entire estate from being connected to fibre broadband; and if he would direct the providers to investigate the issues affecting [details supplied]. [25396/24]
View answerThe National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the government's initiative to deliver high speed broadband services to all premises in Ireland.
The premises and estate in question are in the BLUE area on the broadband map. The BLUE area represents those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high-speed broadband services. The Department defines high-speed broadband as a connection with minimum speeds of 30Mbps download and 6Mbps upload.
The activities of commercial operators delivering high-speed broadband within BLUE areas are not planned or funded by the State and the Department has no statutory authority to intervene in that regard. There may be a choice of operators offering this service in any given area. Further information in this regard is available at www.comreg.ie/compare/#/services.
If a person lives in the BLUE area and after contacting their Retail Service Provider are told they cannot get access to greater than 30Mbps, they should raise a query via my Departments webform at secure.dccae.gov.ie/forms/NBP-Customer-Service.aspx and the department will escalate with the commercial operator to investigate this matter further.
As per records made available to this department the premises in question is currently capable of getting over 40Mbps from open eir’s local HSBB cabinet CAB1_037. Virgin Media can also provide fibre level speeds to this estate.
My Department is aware through engagement with various stakeholders, including commercial operators and ComReg, of the possibility that it may not be viable for commercial operators to reach all premises in urban areas to deliver on EU and National Targets. These are areas currently not within the scope of the National Broadband Plan.
The Department is addressing issues such as these through the Mobile Phone and Broadband Task Force (the Taskforce).
The Taskforce comprises State actors and industry representatives and is tasked with identifying and overcoming barriers to improved connectivity. The Taskforce was originally established in 2016 to identify immediate solutions to mobile phone and broadband coverage deficits, and to investigate how better services could be provided to consumers prior to full build and rollout of the network planned under the National Broadband Plan State intervention (NBP).
98. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide a schedule of all contracts they have and/or had with a company in the past 25 years to date (details supplied); the agreed contract cost; the ultimate contract cost including extras, design changes, conciliation, claims etc; project name/title; and the name of the body responsible for the delivery of projects where responsibility has been devolved. [25473/24]
View answerMy Department has not entered into any publicly-funded contracts with the company in question over the last 25 years.
99. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25498/24]
View answerUnder the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) Regulations, retailers are required to ensure that the take-back facilities they provide on their premises are accessible to all individuals wishing to return empty containers.
With the advice of the National Disability Authority, Re-turn, the DRS operator, is embarking on an engagement process that will examine accessibility issues in line with best practice. An advisory group has been established by Re-Turn and includes representatives from a number of disability organisations. The group had its first meeting on 6th June. Re-turn is available to support individuals who have difficulties in returning bottles and cans to their local retailer.
100. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 157 of 9 May 2023, if he will revisit the supports provided by his Department to family members of former Defence Forces personnel, including funeral costs for family members as an additional benefit, to aid recruitment and retention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24628/24]
View answerAs outlined in my response to Parliamentary Question No. 157 of 9 May 2023, my Department provides support to two recognised Veterans Associations which represent all former personnel of the Defence Forces, namely the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel (ONE), and the Irish United Nations Veterans Association (IUNVA). My Department engages on an ongoing basis with these associations and has entered into Service Level Agreements with them. An annual grant of €130,000 is paid to ONE and a grant of €30,000 is paid to IUNVA to assist with their overheads. As a further means of assistance, my Department has secured a total of €900,000 from the Dormant Accounts Fund since 2021 in order to assist ONE and IUNVA with specific special projects.
Funeral costs for family members of former Defence Forces personnel are not funded by the Exchequer. I am informed that the Defence Forces Benevolent Fund, which is funded from contributions of serving Defence Forces personnel, may make a contribution to funeral expenses on a case-by-case basis.
