Written Answers Nos. 186-199
186. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the rationale for treating the Suir river system as three distinct salmon fisheries for regulatory purposes; and if he will review this classification to ensure integrated management of the estuary, lower and upper river. [36129/25]
View answerThe Suir, and three minor rivers that drain into the Suir estuary are integrated as a single salmon river system for assessment and subsequent provision of annual catch advice by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI). The Suir river system is not treated as three distinct salmon fisheries for regulatory purposes, nor from a scientific catch advice point of view. A single provision of scientific catch advice is given annually for the Suir catchment.
The River Suir is divided into three water body classifications under the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), Upper, Lower, and Estuary. This is due to differences in their ecological characteristics and the pressures they face. This work is undertaken by the EPA. These classifications help in targeted management and protection efforts. The WFD requires classifying water bodies based on their ecological characteristics and the pressures they experience to tailor management strategies.
187. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he will consider introducing a non-commercial ‘heritage salmon fishing licence’ to allow intergenerational skills and local culture in the Suir estuary to be retained, under a conservation framework. [36133/25]
View answerThe statutory responsibilities of my Department and Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) include management, conservation and protection of the inland fisheries resource. This means that the conservation imperative, based on rational exploitation of any element of the resource, is paramount. The conservation and protection of this vulnerable species is essential, especially with the rapid declines that are being observed.
In 2006, the coastal drift-net fishery for salmon ceased. This mixed-stock fishery intercepted salmon not only from multiple rivers in Ireland but also salmon destined for other European countries. As salmon stocks are unique to their rivers of origin, it was not possible to sustainably manage such a mixed-stock fishery. Since 2007, both recreational and commercial harvest fisheries are operated in many river catchments in Ireland where stocks can be sustainably exploited. The harvesting of salmon is only permitted in stocks in rivers or associated estuaries which are above their conservation limit (CL) (the minimal number of salmon required to ensure a stock is healthy) so that any harvest quota set will ensure that a stock is fished sustainably without impacting the viability of that stock.
Ireland manages its salmon populations on a river-by-river basis based on robust conservation-focused scientific advice. The River Suir has been below its conservation limit for a number of years. This is based on scientific stock assessments and associated sustainable catch advice provided by the independent Technical Expert Group on Salmon. Our salmon management regime follows international best practice as advised by the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO) and the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). It is in this context that it would not be appropriate to introduce a new form of salmon fishing licence on the Suir.
189. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the process and timescale under which Ireland will transpose and implement the RED III Directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36149/25]
View answerThe third Renewable Energy Directive (RED III, EU Directive 2023/2413) entered into force in November 2023. RED III provides the legal framework for the increased deployment of renewable energy across the EU by 2030. RED III is a wide-ranging Directive which includes requirements to simplify and accelerate the permit-granting procedure for renewable energy projects in addition to requirements designed to increase the share of renewables across the electricity, heat and transport sectors, as well as in industry and buildings.
While my Department is coordinating transposition of RED III, transposition and implementation of the Directive requires coordinated action across a range of Government Departments, Agencies and other bodies. A programme of work is underway to transpose the requirements of RED III as soon as possible, with a particular immediate focus on requirements for renewable energy permitting.
Ireland is supportive of ambitious efforts to boost the deployment of renewable energy at EU level. The Programme for Government reaffirms the Government’s commitment to making renewable energy a foundation for growth and development, and Ireland has committed to achieving a 43% share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption by 2030 to contribute to the EU’s overall target under RED III. Transposition of RED III is one of a broad suite of measures being undertaken by Government to support the increased uptake of renewable energy.
RED III is a complex Directive and Ireland, along with the majority of EU Member States, has faced challenges in implementing the necessary requirements by the required deadlines. The majority of RED III provisions had a transposition deadline of 21 May 2025, but there was an earlier deadline of 1 July 2024 for the permitting provisions of RED III. Ireland has received a letter of formal notice from the European Commission in relation to the permitting provisions of RED III.
Transposition of the permitting requirements requires a significant and complex body of work comprising legislative changes to the Irish planning system and changes to established practice across other permitting authorities, notably in relation to connection to the grid.
The Accelerating Renewable Electricity Taskforce, established by my Department to accelerate delivery of the renewable generation and electricity infrastructure required to underpin Ireland’s decarbonisation efforts, has provided a useful forum for advancing coordinated implementation of the RED III permitting requirements across relevant Government Departments and State Bodies.
Specifically, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is in the final stages of drafting a Statutory Instrument under the European Communities Act 1972 to transpose the RED III permitting requirements in so far as they relate to the planning system. In addition, in September 2024 the Commission for Regulation of Utilities published a new electricity generation and system services connection policy which is designed to align grid permitting timelines with the requirements of RED III. The first window for applications under this new policy is expected to close at the end of September 2025.
Further legal and technical work is being undertaken to ensure implementation of the permitting requirements as soon as possible. In parallel, steps are being taken to transpose the other RED III requirements with a deadline of May 2025. The progression of these measures has been affected by the need to focus on open infringement proceedings in relation to RED II and the permitting provisions of RED III. It is anticipated that transposition of these provisions will require a range of legislative and policy/administrative measures to be undertaken by the State. This includes the drafting of secondary legislation, which is already underway in my Department and is very advanced in the Department of Transport, to address requirements for renewables in the heat and transport sectors respectively.
190. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the progress that has been made on enabling members of the public to use electric vehicle charging facilities in his Department’s car parks as indicated by the former Minister; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36150/25]
View answerThe Department's headquarters are located at Tom Johnson House, Haddington Road, D04 K7X4, where two electric vehicle charging stations (four charging ports) are available for use by members of the public.
191. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for an update on the way in which the Waste Framework Directive will be implemented; if it will require primary or secondary legislation, and what is the timeframe for this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36154/25]
View answerMy Department welcomes the approval by Council in June of the targeted revision of the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2008/98/EC on waste with regard to food and textile waste. It will set EU targets for food waste reduction by 2030 and introduce measures towards a more sustainable textile sector. I understand that it now proceeds for formal approval by the European Parliament in October and, once formally approved, it is expected to be published in the Official Journal of the EU by the end of 2025.
It is mandated that transposition into Irish law must occur within 20 months of the entry into force of the amending Directive. It is expected that this transposition will be achieved through secondary legislation. If the Directive is published in the Official Journal of the EU by the end of 2025 the transposition should be completed by September 2027.
In the interim period please note that my Department, as the lead Government Department in developing Ireland’s National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap 2023-2025 and in the coordination and review of its implementation, will continue to work with key stakeholders in order to pursue ambitious food loss and food waste reductions. The preparation of the next iteration of the National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap before the end of 2025 will involve consultation with key stakeholders and will be prepared on a statutory basis following publication of the Circular Economy Strategy. The targeted revision of the Waste Framework Directive will be particularly important in informing further focused and targeted actions on food waste prevention.
In relation to textiles, a draft of the National Policy Statement and Roadmap for Circular Textiles was published for public consultation in May for a six-week period until 7 July. The targeted revision of the Waste Framework Directive greatly informed this Statement and Roadmap and I look forward to publishing the final document later this year. My Department has started the foundational work for an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for textiles and plans to develop an EPR Roadmap this year. According to the Directive approved by Council in June, Member States are required to have an EPR in place by 2028.
192. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment when the revised food waste prevention roadmap will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36155/25]
View answerMy Department is the lead Government Department in developing Ireland's National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap, and in the coordination and review of its implementation.
The current National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap 2023-2025, launched in November 2022, sets out a number of priority actions to bring the focus on food waste prevention across key sectors in the food supply chain together in a coherent manner.
The Roadmap will be updated to ensure actions are relevant and appropriate so that Ireland is on the right path to deliver on its food waste reduction obligations. The preparation of the next iteration of the National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap before the end of 2025 will involve consultation with key stakeholders and will be prepared on a statutory basis following publication of the Circular Economy Strategy.
193. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to advise on his Department’s approach to the Programme for Government commitment to “consider the use of sustainable biofuels to reduce emissions from existing home boilers where deep retrofits are not possible in the short term”; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36235/25]
View answerThe National Heat Study, published by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, recommended that heat pumps are the optimal decarbonisation path for heating systems in decarbonising buildings, with district heating also being an option that can be widely deployed. However, the Heat Study also recognised the potential role for sustainable bioenergy for buildings that require alternative routes to decarbonisation, and that is being considered as part of a suite of measures to decarbonise heat.
The Programme for Government commits to targeting older homes still using oil to switch to renewable heating systems and to consider the use of sustainable biofuels to reduce emissions from existing home boilers where deep retrofits are not possible in the short term. These commitments are framing the work underway to develop a Heat Policy Statement and the Roadmap to Phase Out Fossil Fuel heating systems.
My Department is also working on the introduction of a Renewable Heat Obligation (RHO) for the heat sector. Under current proposals, the RHO will obligate suppliers of all fossil fuels used for heating purposes to ensure a proportion of the energy they supply is renewable. As such, all renewable fuels, including bioliquids used for heat that satisfy the sustainability criteria of the Renewable Energy Directive will be considered eligible for certification under the scheme. My Department is now preparing the RHO Heads of Bill for submission to Government shortly. Once approved by Government, drafting RHO primary legislation will commence.
Furthermore, a Heat Policy Statement will set out Ireland's overarching approach to decarbonising the heat sector. A draft statement, informed by the findings of the National Heat Study, has been prepared by my Department and has undergone extensive consultation with other Government Departments and Agencies. A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Report is being completed, and a public consultation on the SEA Report and the draft Heat Policy Statement will be undertaken shortly. Following completion of the consultation process, my Department will submit the draft Heat Policy Statement to Government for approval and publication.
194. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to advise on his Department’s position on both the use of HVO for fuel home heating systems and the Programme for Government commitment to “improve traceability in HVO procurement to ensure the product is from sustainable sources”; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36236/25]
View answerHVO is a bioliquid which can be used as a renewable energy and which, in a transport context, is classified as a biofuel. HVO is currently available for consumers to purchase for use for both transport and heating.
The Programme for Government commits to targeting older homes still using oil to switch to renewable heating systems and to consider the use of sustainable biofuels to reduce emissions from existing home boilers where deep retrofits are not possible in the short term. These commitments are framing the work underway to develop a Heat Policy Statement and the Roadmap to Phase Out Fossil Fuel heating systems.
As part of the Government Decision (S180/20/10/2704) adopting sectoral emissions ceilings, it was agreed to introduce a Renewable Heat Obligation (RHO) to ensure the increased use of renewable fuel types across the full heating sector, with the primary aim of supporting the achievement of Ireland's heating and cooling targets at EU level. Under current proposals, the RHO will obligate suppliers of all fossil fuels used for heating purposes to ensure a proportion of the energy they supply is renewable. As such, all renewable fuels, including bioliquids used for heat that satisfy the sustainability criteria of the Renewable Energy Directive, will be considered eligible for certification under the scheme.
An Expert Group on Renewable and Low Carbon Fuels has been set up by the Directorate-General for Energy in the EU Commission to create a Union Database to monitor and trace the raw materials used for low carbon fuel production. Representatives from my Department and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland participate in the Group.
195. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to set-out the supports available to support homeowners who currently rely on turf for their home heating to transition to renewable heating systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36237/25]
View answer196. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to set-out the supports available to support homeowners who currently rely on turf for their home heating to transition to renewable heating systems; if supports for this cohort will be provided by the way of Ireland’s Social Climate Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36238/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 195 and 196 together.
My Department funds a number of schemes administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to support homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their dwellings. Individual energy upgrade grants under the Better Energy Homes Scheme; the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme, which provides an end-to-end service through One Stop Shops; and the Community Energy Grant scheme, which supports energy efficiency upgrades undertaken as part of a community project. There are also fully funded upgrades for qualifying households.
SEAI domestic retrofit programmes are available to all households wishing to undertake energy upgrades where the programme criteria are met, including those reliant on solid fuels such as coal and peat for heating.
Grant supports under the part-funded schemes are available for installing heat pumps in place of fossil fuel heating systems and, in recent years, a range of measures have been put in place to incentivise take-up among homeowners, including:
• enhanced grant rates of up to €10,500 for heat pumps when a B2 energy rating is achieved;
• amending the construction rule for grant support for heat pumps to include homes built and occupied before 2021;
• changes to the SEAI scheme rules to make the process of accessing heat pump grants easier for homeowners;
• a reduction in the VAT rate to 9% that applies to heat pumps; and
• measures to expand the supply chain.
With regard to the fully funded Warmer Homes Scheme, where a heating system upgrade is required as part of a major renovation, the SEAI will assess the suitability of the home for a heat pump, or other renewable heating technologies, which are compliant with the revised EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.
The grant schemes provided by the SEAI are reviewed on a regular basis taking account of the overarching need to grow the home upgrade sector, as well as being informed by ongoing pilots such as the Traditional Homes Pilot and the Warmer Homes Heat Pump Pilot.
My Department is also currently preparing a draft Social Climate Plan in consultation with relevant Departmental stakeholders and with the European Commission. A variety of targeted measures aimed at providing long-term solutions to reduce fossil fuel reliance and effectively help vulnerable groups impacted by the rising price of carbon are being examined for inclusion in the plan. As a key part of this process, my Department is currently designing a public consultation to inform the development of the plan. Through this process, it will be open to the public and stakeholders to submit their views on potential measures for consideration for inclusion in the plan. This public consultation will launch in the coming weeks.
197. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide data on the greenhouse gas emissions generated by the burning of turf in private homes in Ireland, both in terms of overall volume and as a proportion of total Irish greenhouse gas emissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36239/25]
View answerThe matter referred to by the Deputy falls under the remit of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which has responsibility for collating national greenhouse gas emissions and projections. The EPA is an independent public body established under the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992, and is entirely independent of the Minister in the exercise of its functions. The EPA can be contacted directly using oireachtasqueries@epa.ie for Oireachtas members.
198. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to list all the public services contracts worth €10 million or more, which have been granted by himself or the forerunner for his Department, or other State bodies in the past five years; the value of each contract; the length of term of each; the expiration date of each contract; and whether any contract was discontinued during its term and for what reason. [35481/25]
View answerThe detailed information sought by the Deputy is not readily available within the time frame sought. Officials in my Department are collating this information and I will arrange to have this information forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
|
Service Contract |
Contract Value |
Contract duration |
Contract end |
|
Grosvenor Services - Front of House Lot 1 |
€11,600,000.00 |
3 years |
31/05/2021 |
|
Grosvenor Services - Front of House |
€14,400,000.00 |
5 years |
31/05/2026 |
199. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the reason the Defence Force Regulations made by him under the Defence Acts 1954 to 2015 are not laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas or included in the electronic Irish Statute Book or made public, whether pursuant to section 3 of the Statutory Instruments Act 1947 or otherwise; if the Defence Force Regulations have been expressed to be secret or confidential in whole or in part; if the Defence Force Regulations are exempt from the application of the Freedom of Information Act 2014; if he will publish and make generally available the Defence Force Regulations currently in force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36214/25]
View answerIn general, statutory instruments made by the Minister for Defence under the Defence Acts apply only to members of the Defence Forces and do not have applicability to the general public. Such statutory instruments are referred to as Defence Force Regulations (DFRs).
Section 3 of the Statutory Instruments Act 1947, as amended by section 6 of the Statute Law Revision Act 2015, provides that statutory instruments made by the Minister for Defence under specific sections of the Defence Act 1954 and the Defence (Amendment) Act 1990 are exempt from the general application of the Statutory Instruments Act 1947. This includes the provisions regarding publication. While the statutory instruments in question are not published on the Irish Statute Book they are available to members of the Defence Forces.
Defence Force Regulations are not exempt from the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2014. Where a request for records, including a request for records relating to Defence Force Regulations, is made under the Freedom of Information Act 2014, such requests are examined in the context of the provisions of that Act, including the provisions which relate to security and defence.
