Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 December 2025
290. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment when the Heat (Networks and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 will be fully commenced; if he will publish a detailed district heating implementation roadmap including projected connection numbers to 2030; and the regulatory measures to ensure price transparency and consumer protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71211/25]
View answerThe draft Heads of the https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-climate-energy-and-the-environment/publications/heat-networks-and-miscellaneous-provisions-bill-2024/ were approved by Government on 30 October 2024. The Bill is currently being drafted with support from the Office of Parliamentary Counsel (OPC). Officials from my Department are actively engaging with the OPC drafter, the Department's own legal team, and external stakeholders to progress the Bill. The target to finalise the Bill is Mid-2026.
The legislation is intended to provide the statutory underpinning for the development of a vibrant district heating sector and to establish a regulatory regime for district heating that ensures consumer protection. In that light, the Bill will appoint the Commission for Regulation of Utilities as regulator for heat networks with responsibility for ensuring consumer protection for the sector. Details of measures to ensure price transparency and consumer protection are still in discussion with stakeholders.
Development of district heating in Ireland to date has been developer led. However, the https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-climate-energy-and-the-environment/publications/district-heating-steering-group/,[] which was approved by Government and published in 2023, set out a suite of recommendations to support its expansion, including the need for a Long-Term Strategy that will provide the guiding principles for the development of district heating in Ireland.
A District Heating Working Group has been convened to oversee implementation of the Steering Group recommendations. In addition, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland is leading on work intended to feed into the overall Long-Term Strategy for the expansion of district heating. This includes development of a National Level Assessment detailing the locations around Ireland best suited to the use of district heating, and a comprehensive advisory project, being conducted in partnership with the European Investment Bank's InvestEU Advisory Hub, which will draw on best practice across Europe to help inform the development of an Irish district heating market.
