Written Answers Nos. 74-93
74. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he has engaged with a company (details supplied) on the value of unclaimed deposits; the level of unclaimed deposits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72916/25]
View answerThe Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) has been introduced to encourage more people to recycle plastic bottles and cans and to deliver on our ambitious EU targets for the recycling of those products.
Re-turn always encourages consumers to redeem their deposits, and it is important that the public is aware that Re-turn retains an open-ended liability to refund deposits to consumers, regardless of when or where the product was purchased.
On 25 July 2025, Re-turn published its 2024 annual report and a link to the report can be found here: re-turn.ie/re-turn-2024-annual-report/
In the report, Re-turn stated that €66.7m in unredeemed deposits were on hand in respect of 2024, before VAT at 23%. As has been seen with deposit return schemes internationally, the level of unredeemed deposits is expected to reduce significantly over time as familiarity with the scheme increases and the return rate improves.
75. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide a breakdown of the recycling Ireland exported in the years 2020 to 2025, by year; the measures the Government is taking to reduce this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72917/25]
View answerI refer the Deputy to the reply given to [Question No 153 of 16 October 2025]. The position is unchanged.
76. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide an update on the expansion of district heating; if additional funding will be provided on top of the €5 million as part of the climate action fund; to provide a breakdown of any projects in the pipeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72952/25]
View answer77. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment when he expects the business case for future state funding for district heating to be completed; to outline a timeline for a decision on this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72953/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 76 and 77 together.
District heating can play a key role in improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Government policy is supportive of the expansion of district heating and has financially supported the development of district heating networks in Ireland through the Climate Action Fund (CAF).
The district heating project in Tallaght, which was developed by South Dublin County Council, was supported through the CAF. Dublin City Council have also been allocated funding from the CAF, pending the approval of a business case, to support the development of the Dublin District Heating Project.
In addition, the CAF has allocated €5 million to support pre-construction development costs for efficient district heating projects in Ireland. This fund has been launched as a pilot to bridge the gap for district heating projects until significant capital funding is in place. The expressions of interest for this fund closed on 12 December 2025, with a number of submissions received. My Department is aware of a strong district heating pipeline, including potential projects both within and outside Dublin.
Under the National Development Plan, for the period 2026 to 2030, up to €100 million has been allocated to support the development of district heating networks. My Department, in partnership with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland's (SEAI) District Heating Centre of Excellence, are finalising the business case for State funding to support efficient district heating projects in suitable locations. Following this, work will commence on operationalising the fund for late 2026.
Finally, the SEAI through Pathfinder have enabled funding support for Local Authorities conducting feasibility studies for district heating projects. This level of funding demonstrates the Government’s ongoing commitment to district heating as a core component of Ireland’s decarbonisation strategy.
78. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment when he expects the renewable heat obligation Bill to be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72954/25]
View answerIntroduction of the Renewable Heat Obligation (RHO) is a key priority for my Department. Priority drafting of the Renewable Heat Obligation Bill 2025 is now underway with an expected completion date in early 2026. Once finalised, I intend to submit it to Government for approval to publish and will ensure timely enactment in 2026.
79. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment when the sustainability charter of the national biomethane strategy will be published; to report on the process of its development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72955/25]
View answerGovernment has committed to deliver an ambitious target for indigenously produced biomethane by 2030. In response, my Department, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, published the National Biomethane Strategy in May 2024.
A priority action within the strategy is the development of the Biomethane Environmental Sustainability Charter. The charter is now finalised and is published on the biomethane policy information page on the Gov.ie website.
Sustainability is a key pillar of the National Biomethane Strategy with an emphasis on ensuring development of the anaerobic digestion (AD) industry in an environmentally sustainable manner, achieving high standards for the protection of water, soil, biodiversity and the local ecosystem.
The charter sets out best practices guidelines to maximise the benefits of AD, while minimising its environmental impact on land use, water quality, biodiversity, and ensuring a high health and safety standard within the sector.
80. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the proportion of the target of 5.7TWh of indigenously produced energy by 2030 that has been achieved to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72956/25]
View answerBiomethane production is still at an early stage of development in Ireland, with only two operational biomethane facilities injecting biomethane into the gas network. A number of plants are currently under construction, notably the Nephin Energy facility in Ballinrobe and the Carbon AMS plant in Duleek, while several others are at the various stages of the planning process.
The volume of biomethane injected into the grid in 2023 was small, equating to approximately 60 GWh per annum, which is equivalent to 0.001% of Ireland’s current gas demand. Biomethane volumes injected into the gas network reduced by approximately 33% to 45 GWh in 2024.
Government is committed to supporting the development of a domestic biomethane industry of scale, and the Biomethane Implementation Group, chaired by my Department, continues to oversee implementation of the National Biomethane Strategy and monitor target delivery. The Renewable Heat Obligation (RHO) Scheme will drive demand for biomethane in the heating sector and stimulate domestic production of biomethane. The Heads of Bill for the RHO were approved by Government on 15 July this year. In addition, my Department is also working on putting capital grants in place from 2026 to support the development of AD plants in Ireland.
81. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the proportion of the 2030 target for onshore wind that has been achieved (energised) to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72957/25]
View answerThe Programme for Government 2025 reaffirmed Ireland’s targets of 80% of electricity demand to be met by renewable energy sources, this includes a target of 9 GW of onshore wind generation.
Ireland currently has over 7.7 gigawatts of renewable generation capacity. Onshore wind is the largest contributor to this, with just over 5 gigawatts of wind generation capacity, and over 2 gigawatts of solar PV installed. Hydro, biomass, and other small sources also contribute.
Onshore wind is fundamental to our transition to a renewables led energy system to supply homes and businesses. While nearly 57% of the target for onshore wind set out under the Climate Action Plan has been energised to date, a strong pipeline of projects are being brought forward through the planning, grid connection and consenting processes.
The Accelerating Renewable Electricity Taskforce was established to accelerate and increase the deployment of onshore renewable electricity generation by focusing on removing or minimising barriers to the implementation of policies to the greatest extent possible.
The revised National Planning Framework, published in April 2025, includes Regional Renewable Electricity Capacity Allocations for solar and onshore wind. The inclusion of the allocations will facilitate the accelerated roll-out and delivery of onshore wind and solar development. These allocations will be integrated into Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies, which will, in turn, inform city and county development plans.
82. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to outline the proportion of the 2030 target for offshore wind that has been achieved (energised) to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72958/25]
View answerGovernment remains committed to the development of 5,000 megawatts of offshore wind capacity with projects in construction by 2030 and energised as soon as feasible thereafter.
The Maritime Area Planning Act which established a new framework for the planning and regulation of development and activities within Ireland's maritime area was enacted in 2021. Subsequently, the Maritime Area Consents (MACs) for 6 offshore wind projects were issued in 2022. Ireland's first offshore wind auction, ORESS 1, was held in May 2023. Over 3,000 megawatts of offshore wind capacity was awarded to 4 offshore wind projects.
5 offshore wind projects are currently in development off our east coast. The 5 projects submitted their applications for planning consent to An Bord Pleanála between mid-2024 and early-2025. These applications are with An Comisiúin Pleanála and a number of requests for further information have been issued to the applicants. Subject to planning consent, I would anticipate that projects will be in construction by 2030 and operational by the early 2030s.
Separately, the South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan (SC-DMAP) was approved by the Oireachtas in October 2024. This is Ireland's first spatial plan for offshore renewable energy, designating 4 sites off the south coast for future development. On 26 November, I was delighted to announce the provisional results of my Department's Tonn Nua offshore wind auction, which is the first site from the SC-DMAP to go to auction. The result of the highly competitive auction with a price of €98.719 per megawatt hour secured from the winning bidder Helvick Head Offshore Wind DAC.
I am also making arrangements to bring the remaining 3 offshore wind South Coast DMAP sites to market, ensuring a consistent pipeline of offshore developments will take place over the coming years. A further pipeline of development sites within the National DMAP will follow from 2028 onwards.
83. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the proportion of the 2030 target for solar PV that has been achieved (energised) to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72959/25]
View answerUnder the Climate Action Plan 2024, the target for installed micro-generation capacity ( 50 kW) was expanded to 1.6 GW by 2030.
The Microgeneration Support Scheme (MSS) was approved by Government on 21 December 2021, to support Ireland’s ambitious targets for micro-generation installations, under the Climate Action Plan. The MSS provides supports to both domestic and non-domestic applicants, in the form of grants for solar PV installations, up to a maximum of €1,800 for household installations. These grants are available through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.
These applicants are also eligible to avail of the Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) tariff allowing them to receive payment from their electricity supplier for excess renewable electricity they export to the grid, reflective of the market value of the electricity. My Department is aware of CEG tariffs ranging from 15c/kWh up to 32c/kWh.
Since 2021, the MSS has supported installation of solar PV for over 90,000 homes with installed solar capacity of 554.89 MW.
84. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to outline the proportion of the 2030 target for offshore wind capacity specifically for renewable hydrogen that has been achieved (energised) to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72960/25]
View answerThere is no specific target for the production of hydrogen from offshore wind in 2030. Offshore wind capacity is supplied to the national grid to meet electricity demand and not specifically targeted towards renewable hydrogen production.
The National Hydrogen Strategy and the Future Framework for Offshore Renewable Energy are both clear that production of renewable hydrogen will occur post-2030. As per the National Hydrogen Strategy, my Department will explore and develop routes to markets as required.
Both policy documents set out the actions to be undertaken over a multi-year period to ensure that appropriate frameworks and policy signals are in place to facilitate the development of this offshore wind capacity.
This work will be further developed under the new National Hydrogen Programme Taskforce which is working to oversee the implementation of the National Hydrogen Strategy actions.
85. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide an update on the three new actions and 28 legacy actions due, as outlined in the Q1 2025 progress report (details supplied); to outline which actions they are; the reason for the delay; the state of the progress to date; and a timeline for completion, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72969/25]
View answerTo track implementation of Climate Action Plans (CAP), the Department of the Taoiseach works with the implementing Departments to publish quarterly progress reports. Details on every action due in that quarter is published as an Appendix to each report. Legacy actions from previous CAPs are also included.
These are all available at: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-the-taoiseach/publications/climate-action-plan-progress-reports/#climate-action-plan-2023
The Programme for Government contains a commitment to strengthen the delivery structures to deliver the Climate Action Plan through the Climate Action Delivery Board.
As part of updated governance arrangements, as Minister, I now chair the Climate Action Delivery Board. This reflects the Government’s wider commitment to ensuring that governance structures evolve in line with the move into the implementation and delivery phase of the climate action agenda.
The Programme for Government also resolved to enhance and improve governance structures to deliver Climate Action. In line with this, and to provide enhanced and co-ordinated oversight and strategic direction on the delivery of the Climate Action Plan, the Climate Action Plan Programme Board (CAPPB) has been established. The Programme Board is made up of Climate Delivery Taskforces from across sectors to bring an overall cohesion and alignment to climate action.
Of the three new actions due to be reported under my Department in Q1 2025, two were completed by Q3 with one remaining outstanding. Similarly, of the 28 legacy actions included for my Department in the Q1 Progress Report, five have since completed by Q3 2025. All updates will be included in further progress reports which will be compiled and published by D/Taoiseach following Government consideration and approval.
86. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the position regarding the NDP review and the €500 million allocated to the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment under the ICN fund; what this allocation will fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72992/25]
View answerAs set out in my Department's NDP Sectoral Capital Plan, published on www.gov.ie on 12 November, my Department will provide up to €5.64 billion in capital funding between 2026 and 2030 for investments in essential infrastructure to support the wider economy, including the delivery of secure and sustainable supplies of energy, a robust system for the regulation of Ireland’s energy markets and infrastructure, and the protection of Ireland’s environment and reducing Ireland’s carbon emissions.
Within this overall NDP allocation, my Department has been allocated €500 million from the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund (ICNF) to fund projects and programmes that will support the Department's climate mitigation and renewable energy objectives.
I intend that the Department’s ICNF funding will be allocated to the following programmes: Offshore Site Surveying Programme, National Biomethane Programme, District Heating Infrastructure and Public Sector Pathfinder Programme. Indicative funding allocations to these and to other Departmental programmes are set out in the Sectoral Capital Plan.
87. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the average cost to retrofit a home to a BER cost optimum standard under the better energy warmer homes scheme in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [73004/25]
View answer95. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide a breakdown of the average waiting time for the warmer homes scheme broken down by county in each of the years 2020 and to date 2025, in tabular form. [73019/25]
View answer96. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide a breakdown of the average waiting time for the warmer homes scheme in each of the years 2020 and to date 2025, in tabular form. [73020/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 87, 95 and 96 together.
The Warmer Homes Scheme aims to improve the energy efficiency and warmth of homes owned by people at risk of energy poverty by providing fully funded retrofits. The scheme is operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on behalf of my Department and is funded through carbon tax receipts and the European Regional Development Fund.
The scheme is available to owner-occupied homes built before 2006 where the household meets the Department of Social Protection (DSP) payment related eligibility criteria.
The eligible DSP payments are:
• Fuel Allowance;
• Job Seeker’s Allowance for more than 6 months with a child under 7;
• Working Family Payment (previously the Family Income Supplement);
• One Parent Family Payment;
• Domiciliary Care Allowance;
• Carer’s Allowance (where you live with the person you are caring for); and
• Disability Allowance for more than 6 months with a child under 7.
The information sought is an operational matter for the SEAI, an agency under the aegis of my Department. It is suggested that the Deputy contact the SEAI directly in relation to this matter. The SEAI has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members so that such queries can be addressed promptly and in line with the SEAI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards. The email address is oireachtas@seai.ie.
88. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the average cost to retrofit a home to a BER cost optimum standard under the one stop shop scheme in the year 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [73005/25]
View answer93. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the average cost to install a heat pump, broken down by post-BER rating and by SEAI scheme in 2020 to 2025, by year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73010/25]
View answer97. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide a breakdown of the number of solid fuel homes retrofitted as part of the governments retrofitting programme broken down by scheme in each of the years 2020 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [73021/25]
View answer98. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide a breakdown of the number of solid fuel homes retrofitted as part of the governments retrofitting programme broken down by county and scheme in each of the years 2020 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [73022/25]
View answer99. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide a breakdown of average cost to retrofit a home broken down by scheme in each of the years 2020 to 2025, in tabular form . [73023/25]
View answer100. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the number of homes retrofitted as part of the government’s retrofitting programme broken down by county in each of the years 2020 to 2025, in tabular form. [73024/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 88, 93 and 97 to 100, inclusive, together.
My Department funds a number of grant schemes, administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), to support homeowners improving the energy efficiency of their buildings, and to promote the adoption of renewable energy systems. These schemes include grants for the fabric upgrade of buildings (e.g. insulation), as well as solar PV and heat pump installation.
The information sought is an operational matter for the SEAI, an agency under the aegis of my Department. It is suggested that the Deputy contact the SEAI directly in relation to this matter. The SEAI has established a specific email address for queries from Oireachtas members so that such queries can be addressed promptly and in line with the SEAI’s objective to deliver services to the highest standards. The email address is oireachtas@seai.ie.
89. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide a breakdown of the budget allocations for each programme under the subhead B4 of the Revised Estimate in each of the years 2020 to 2025, in tabular form. [73006/25]
View answerThe breakdown of the budget allocations for each programme under Subhead B04 - Residential/Community Retrofit Programmes (formerly Subhead C04 / B04 'Sustainable Energy Programmes') for each of the years 2020 to 2025 is set out at the link below. I am advised that for the period 2020 to 2022, this Subhead included business and public sector programmes which are now captured within Subhead B05 'Other Energy Efficiency Programmes'.
90. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide a breakdown of the annual uplift in the funding allocated to retrofitting under the national development plan in each of the years 2020 to 2030, in tabular form. [73007/25]
View answerThe Programme for Government 2025 commits to ramping up the delivery of retrofitting towards the achievement of 2030 targets set out under the Climate Action Plan and the National Retrofit Plan. This includes revising and improving the provision of grants and financing models for homeowners who wish to retrofit, enhancing energy efficiency and reducing costs, as well as the supporting group retrofitting projects and area-based approaches to retrofitting.
The most recent Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) data show that emissions from the residential sector are likely to remain within their sectoral ceiling in the first carbon budget period (to end 2025).
The National Retrofit Plan is delivering at scale and pace. Since 2019, there has been a record level of over €1.6 billion invested in SEAI schemes to support almost 240,000 home energy upgrades, including over 81,000 BER B2s, 18,000 heat pump installations and over 32,000 fully-funded upgrades for households at risk of energy poverty under the Warmer Homes Scheme. In addition, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage funded a further 14,300 Local Authority upgrades, including over 7,250 heat pumps between 2019 to 2024.
Each year since 2022, the overall allocation from carbon tax revenues for SEAI residential and community retrofit schemes has increased. These allocations have been further supplemented with additional funding, including European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) monies for the Warmer Homes scheme.
The allocation of up to €3.7 billion in carbon tax revenues to 2030 via the National Development Plan will support continuing ambitious delivery under the National Retrofit Plan, supporting achievement of the Climate Action Plan residential sectoral ceiling for the period 2026 to 2030.
As a first step, Budget 2026 announced funding of €558 million from the carbon tax for SEAI residential and community energy upgrades, including the Solar PV (photovoltaic) Scheme. This is an €89 million increase on last year’s carbon tax allocation and means that more funding than ever will be available to make homes warmer, healthier, more comfortable and less expensive to heat. This allocation is again expected to be further supplemented with additional funding, such as an allocation from the ERDF. Further details will be published as part of the Revised Estimates Volume.
The Deputy may wish to note that details on the use of the carbon tax are published annually as part of the budget publications. The 2026 publication is available at: assets.gov.ie/static/documents/2c8f3efb/The_Use_of_the_Carbon_Tax_Budget_2026.pdf
91. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to provide a break of total capital and current funding allocated to the solar PV scheme under subhead b4 of the Revised Estimate in each of the years 2020 to 2025, in tabular form; and to provide a breakdown of the allocation under this scheme dedicated to domestic and non-domestic solar PV respectively. [73008/25]
View answerThe Microgeneration Support Scheme (MSS) was approved by Government on 21 December 2021, to support Ireland’s ambitious targets for micro-generation installations, under the Climate Action Plan. The MSS provides supports to both domestic and non-domestic applicants, in the form of grants for solar PV installations, up to a maximum of €1,800 in 2025 for household installations. These grants are available through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
The SEAI maintains data regarding the financing and functioning of the Domestic Solar PV Scheme and the previous pilot scheme it replaced in 2022 and has provided information in response to the Question. Past allocations of capital and current funding to the SEAI in respect of the Domestic Solar PV Scheme are set out in Table 1.
Due to the success of this scheme and resultant high grant uptake levels, the initial capital allocations in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024 were exceeded, requiring the provision of additional funds, bringing the total grant supports provided to the levels set out in Table 2.
The Non-Domestic Microgeneration Scheme has not been funded from Subhead B4, but has been financed via multi-annual funding streams, including a transfer of funds from the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme, as well as through the Energy Efficiency National Fund. Capital spend to date amounts to circa €15 million.
Table 1
|
- |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
Capital |
€6,500,000 |
€11,000,000 |
€14,000,000 |
€28,770,000 |
€54,000,000 |
€65,000,000 |
|
Current |
€200,000 |
€500,000 |
€680,000 |
€630,000 |
€680,000 |
€1,500,000 |
Table 2
|
|
2020 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
Capital expenditure |
€ 7,600,000 |
€ 25,200,000 |
€ 52,900,000 |
€ 64,196,245.88 |
92. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the average cost to install domestic solar PV under the solar PV scheme; the average size of systems installed on homes in kWp, in each of the years 2020 to date in 2025, in tabular form. [73009/25]
View answerThe Microgeneration Support Scheme (MSS) was approved by Government on 21 December 2021, to support Ireland’s ambitious targets for micro-generation installations, under the Climate Action Plan. The MSS provides supports to both domestic and non-domestic applicants, in the form of grants for solar PV installations, up to a maximum of €1,800 for household installations. These grants are available through the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
The SEAI maintains data regarding the financing and functioning of the Domestic Solar PV Scheme and has provide the information in the following table in response to the Question. It should be noted that the cost data provided represents the value of solar PV systems as entered by solar PV installers during the grant application process exclusive of the grant.
|
Year of Upgrade |
Average App Cost |
Average System Size (KWP) |
|
2020 |
€10,233 |
3.69 |
|
2021 |
€9,931 |
4 |
|
2022 |
€11,586 |
4.65 |
|
2023 |
€11,925 |
5.15 |
|
2024 |
€10,965 |
5.63 |
|
2025 |
€10,549 |
6.14 |
